Wheel Balancing

[jimmylightning]

I recently had my stock cores from my 01 Lightning chromed. The wheels are just beautiful, but the problem seems to be balancing them. I understand you give up being able to put weight on the outside, but mine seem to start to shake at around 75 mph. I've had them re-balanced twice. It looks like they've put a ton of weight on the inside of the wheel. Does anyone else out there have the chrome wheels and have you had the same problem or are there any suggestions as to what I can do besides go back to the stock rims.

Thanks

Jim

[Jstas]

Make sure you specify to the tire shop that you want to have a high speed balance too. They should do it automatically for any Z-rated tire.

However, chroming wheels, if the chroming is not done right, can add weight unevenly due to either dirty cores or what have you. If they are clipping weights all over the rear lip, that doesn't solve anything.

I had Cragar wheels on my Thunrdebird and they have no bead lip what so ever, front or rear. It looks good but makes balancing and alignments a pain. The tire shop I took them to used weights that stick on the inside of the wheels, behind spokes and such. If they did not use these weights, ask them about them. If the tire shop doesn't know what they are, I'm dead serious about this too, find another shop.

The stick on weights are more likely to come off but since they are stuck on the inside of a wheel, they are not subjected to road hazards or curbs or anything. They can also be used with newer balancing machines which will tell you where the weight goes on the circumference of the wheel but als where it goes on the off-set.

Tire balancing can be a real pain. Sometimes a shake cannot be eliminated because the wheel is resonating at that speed. Resonation happens when a frequency is produced that matches the same wavelength of the object that the frequency is passed through. It's how antennas work. When you chrome a wheel that wasn't chromed originally, you change its properties. This can cause a wheel that did not previously resonate at frequencies produced by a 75 MPH speed to now resonate at that speed.

If this is the case and the shuddering stops if you pass 75 MPH then the only real solution is to not drive 75. You can always start grinding parts of the wheel down but that can cause balancing problems. Kind of a catch-22, ya know? Anyway, good luck with it and don't ever be afraid to talk to a mechanic about anything. Just don't be a jerk and tell him he screwed it up. Ask a question, let them know you had a concern and were hoping for an answer to a question you had. If they are decent people, you will get all the help you need. If they kive you a lamer excuse then you know you should really find a new mechanic. It is unreasonable to expect a favorable response if you go in guns draw and firing away though.

Like my mom always said, you get more bees with honey than you do vinegar.

[jimmylightning]

John,

No these guys are real good. They are the only ones I'd trust changing my wheels and putting the chrome one on. They've rebalanced twice at no extra charge. They use the stick on weights on the inside of the wheel so it gives it a clean look. I was just hoping there was something I had missed. Would the added weight of the new wheels cause a concern that maybe I should have had the alignment checked also. That has more to do with looking at the camber doesn't it, and unless I'd changed something structurally it should have effected the alignment should it..

Thanks

Jim:)

[Jstas]

Your alignment would be totally unaffected by chroming stock sized wheels.

Chrome will add another 10 pounds per wheels at the very most, depending on size and layers of plating.

[jimmylightning]

John,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't think it would make a difference. I guess it's just something I have to live with, but I will check it out to see if at 80mph it does the same thing. Usually when I get to 75mph I just back off.

Thanks again

Jim