Front tire balancing

[jmann]

I'm getting ready to mount my first front tire. I was having a shop do it but was able to save 45 bucks by buying online and doing it myself. My question is if there are marks on the tire similar to the rear c/t I installed that need to line up with the valve stem. It's an Avon cobra and I can't locate anything like what was on my Yokohama. Any advice would be appreciated. I plan on using ride on for balancing. TIA

John

[hubcapsc]

Metzlers have a red dot, my experience (many Avons) is that Avons don't.

I use RideOn, used to use a Marc Parnes static balancer... RideOn seems
to work fine as a balancer, haven't had to find out about the flat protection
yet...

-Mike

[F6Dave]

I've never seen a balancing dot on an Avon, either.  I've installed dozens of them.

I'm a convert to DynaBeads.  They work very well.

[old2soon]

Go to the Avon website and the answer might be there. And a plus a LOT on Dyna Beads. RIDE SAFE.

[jmann]

Thanks gentlemen for the replies. Doesn't sound like there are dots on the avons. I will mount it, add ride on and go enjoy.

[salty1]

I've never seen a balancing dot on an Avon, either.  I've installed dozens of them.

I'm a convert to DynaBeads.  They work very well.

Me too! 

[Mallett]

Metzlers have a red dot, my experience (many Avons) is that Avons don't.

I use RideOn, used to use a Marc Parnes static balancer... RideOn seems
to work fine as a balancer, haven't had to find out about the flat protection
yet...

-Mike

+1

[lacon]

"Shadetree" balancing is not hard - just a little tedious.  If you do a search, I'm sure you will find ways people have rigged a level track for the axle to roll on.  Just try weights at the light spot until the axle/wheel does not turn.  (2 framing squares clamped to parallel sawhorses or a couple of 2 ft levels taped to sawhorses.  If using levels, use coins to get them level)  I prefer to let the axle roll on a flat level metal surface or edge rather than trusting the wheel bearings to turn.  Less resistance.  Get everything level both ways.  With the stepped axle, find coins or washers equal to the step, & slip them under the level on one side.
Also, if you check the balance of your bare wheel, you will find the valve is most likely not the light spot.  Good to know if not using Avons. 
If you chose Ride-On or beads, remember you can't add Ride-On on top of beads if you ever get a slow leak.

Rigging up something for the support track from what you have on hand is the hard part.  I just bought a kitchen table that has a "leaf" in the middle.  I'm thinking that with the table extended & the leaf out, I could build a couple of risers out of 2x4's about a foot high & 3 feet wide & it will make a great tire balancing support. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

"Shadetree" balancing is not hard - just a little tedious.  If you do a search, I'm sure you will find ways people have rigged a level track for the axle to roll on.  Just try weights at the light spot until the axle/wheel does not turn.  (2 framing squares clamped to parallel sawhorses or a couple of 2 ft levels taped to sawhorses.  If using levels, use coins to get them level)  I prefer to let the axle roll on a flat level metal surface or edge rather than trusting the wheel bearings to turn.  Less resistance.  Get everything level both ways.  With the stepped axle, find coins or washers equal to the step, & slip them under the level on one side.
Also, if you check the balance of your bare wheel, you will find the valve is most likely not the light spot.  Good to know if not using Avons. 
If you chose Ride-On or beads, remember you can't add Ride-On on top of beads if you ever get a slow leak.

Rigging up something for the support track from what you have on hand is the hard part.  I just bought a kitchen table that has a "leaf" in the middle.  I'm thinking that with the table extended & the leaf out, I could build a couple of risers out of 2x4's about a foot high & 3 feet wide & it will make a great tire balancing support. 

oh your wife is gonna love that

[lacon]

There were some Hardies coupons in yesterday's paper.  I'll just take her over for a burger on the day I balance a tire.  All will be good.

[hubcapsc]

I prefer to let the axle roll on a flat level metal surface or edge rather than trusting the wheel bearings to turn.  Less resistance.

I hadn't thought of that. Trying to balance depending upon the wheel bearings doesn't work at all...

The Marc Parnes static balancer has super sensitive bearings, the heavy part of the wheel goes right to the
bottom with gravity alone...

-Mike

[vanagon40]

. . . Trying to balance depending upon the wheel bearings doesn't work at all. . . .

I have static balanced both tires twice and never had a problem with the wheel bearings.  Made no effort to get the axle level.  There is almost no resistance in my factory wheel bearings.  2001 Standard with balances at 9,000 miles (rear), 10,000 miles (front), 21,000 miles (rear), and 31,000 miles (front).

[Gryphon Rider]

Using the wheel bearings works fine.  With the axle through the wheel, support the ends of the axle so that you have access to the hex socket in the head of the axle.  Put the proper hex key in the axle head, and use it to roll the axle back and forth a small amount, just enough to remove the "stiction" (technical term) of the bearings, allowing the heavy spot to find bottom.  Mark it with pencil or masking tape.  Rotate the heavy spot up, and do it again a couple of times to confirm the heavy spot's location.  There will be some variation, so take the average.  Add/subtract weight until the wheel doesn't move regardless of where it is initially placed.  When I've done this I've only supported one end of the axle on a table, then held the other end up with my hand, twisting the axle like a Harley rider plays with the throttle at a stop light.  I did this not to balance the wheel since I use Ride-On, but to find the heavy spot of the rim so I could mount the tire with the heavy spot opposite.

[hubcapsc]

Until they tell me they've used both axle/wheel-bearings and something like a Marc Parnes static balancer,
I don't think axle/wheel-bearing folks realize the giant difference. A fly (OK, two flys maybe) could land
on top of your wheel in a Marc Parnes static balancer and the wheel would start rolling until they
ended up on the bottom.

-Mike

[MarkT]

I quit balancing after I started using ride-on.  Turns out, I thought I had it balanced - but then got some ride-on, and the vibration I had not noticed went away and was obvious by it's absence.  So for me, the dynamic balancing of ride-on is far better than what I can do with my balancer.  And it's far easier.  Not to mention the flat protection.  Bonus.

[jmann]

I quit balancing after I started using ride-on.  Turns out, I thought I had it balanced - but then got some ride-on, and the vibration I had not noticed went away and was obvious by it's absence.  So for me, the dynamic balancing of ride-on is far better than what I can do with my balancer.  And it's far easier.  Not to mention the flat protection.  Bonus.

Agreed with the ride on. I used it in the tire I'm replacing and was very satisfied. The rear c/t was smooth after adding it too. BTW, how much do you put in? I used just one 8oz bottle for the front and two for the c/t. Sound right? Web site said 9oz. for front and I didn't feel 1oz short was gonna be a big deal.

[MarkT]

I go according to their chart.  I think it was about 11 in front and 15 in a C/T back.  I proved to myself the ATV stuff is the same as the bike stuff - to my satisfaction and it costs a LOT less.  32oz for $20.  I bought a gallon of it so I'm set for awhile.  Haven't proved anything on the flat protection, maybe never will.  But it balances just fine.  BTW I had a garden tractor tire fail from cracking - it's a dozen years old and has only maybe 8 lbs in it.  The Ride-on wouldn't save that tire.  So I cleaned it out and put a tube in it.  I refuse to replace a garden tractor tire until it falls apart.  Cause it will never wear the tread out.

BTW I made an applicator for the ride-on.  Took one of the quart bottles and drilled a hole in the bottom.  Then fill it with the amount I'm gonna put in, and use the air gun in the hole to blow the stuff out the nozzle end.  Gotta go easy on the air gun, you can make a big mess if you put too much air in the bottle.  Makes the fill go quick though.

[jmann]

Thanks Mark, think I'll buy another bottle and stick half in the front and the remainder in the back tire. Appreciate your input along with all the others that offered words of advice.
John