wheel balancing problems

[Lee Levitt <wheelman@shore.net>]

For those of you having wheel balancing problems - particularly with
aftermarket wheels - here's why:

Aftermarket wheels are built so that they will fit a number of different
cars...different bolt patterns, different hub styles, etc. They can take a
single "blank" and drill 4 bolt, 5 bolt, different spacings, etc, in the
same wheel...

So the problem is that the *hub* doesn't mate perfectly with the wheel. On
a factory wheel, the hub section will mate nicely to the wheel, usually
with an indentation on the wheel that *just* matches the hub. On an
aftermarket wheel there's more play...maybe a lot more. So on a factory
wheel you have a better mating of hub to wheel and no potential for
eccentricity.

That's why an aftermarket wheel may spin balance properly and still cause
a vibration. Oncar balancing may help, but then again, it may not...

OTOH, if you can't balance a factory wheel, then you may have a bad tire,
and you ought to check the wheel w/out tire...

I haven't had this happen personally...just know of a guy that spent 2
months with aftermarket wheels on a $aab before someone told him the
truth...

HTH,

Lee Levitt
wheelman@shore.net
1990 Audi 200T
1988 Volvo 745T
1987 Wicked Fat Chance
1981 Condor Classic
1990 Graco Premier ;-)