F451

Hey guys,

Do any of you know if static tire balancers work well? I've found a used Snapon one for sale locally and I'm considering buying it.



Any input on them is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

danglerb

As long as you don't drive over 35 or 40 mph or use wide tires should be fine.

Bus

That's a motorcycle setup. I have one I use all the time... it's great for bikes, even tested up to 155!

Wouldn't be so good on a car due to side to side movement.

John V

I have one of those as well and it's not just for motocycles- it's for car and airplane wheels as well. That set-up doesn't look complete. It's missing the weight scale bar as well as the marking jig. These old snap-on set-ups appear to be appreaciating in value as I've seen some on ebay going for decent money.

Do they work? Yes, but not as well as a good dynamic ballancer.

F451

Thanks for the info guys! -Ed

KY944

Hey, static works only if that is all you have. Static balancing only balances in one plane...ie up and down weight, where dynamic balancing works in the 'up and down' and 'side to side' plane as well. I have installed many wheels and tires for customers that did not want their weights to be seen. Majority came back saying there tires are out of balance...if you look at how the factory balances tires and wheels on vehicles, you will see the weights on both sides of the rim (dynamic balanced). I would pass on a static balancer and find a good buddy at a reputible tire store that will take care of you...Rob

david928

I worked in tire stores during college and balanced tires of all kinds. Our store policy was to static balance all tires, and then charge extra for dynamic balancing if the customer wanted it.

IMHO, static balancing is definitely better than nothing. It will tell you if there is something drastically wrong with your wheel/tire. When you place the weights, use two or three smaller weights spaced >90 degrees apart (as opposed to one large weight). If there is a lot of vibration at speed, then you have to take it into a shop for dynamic balancing.

hacker-pschorr

Friend of mine built his own, uses it to balance the tires on his 6.1 liter supercharged 928. 180+mph runs he doesn't seam to have any balance issues with the tires.

Check the racer forum, many people there only balance the wheel. Tim Murphy marked his tire / rim before a few 1/4 mile runs. The tire moved about 90 degrees on the rim. This was on street tires, I can only imagine how much slippage he will see using drag radials.

Imo000

WOW.... that is interesting! How much HP do you need to do that? Did he loose any air when the tire slipped?