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How do you balance wheels on a 1931 Buiick Roadster


39deluxe

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I have a front end shimmy at about 40 mph. Several years prior I could do 50 mph with no shimmy. I planned on checking my front end alignment but got sent to the hospital for a couple months. I've tried crystals in my tubes with no luck .

Seems like I can't get into the tube no matter what I try. Wonder if I could use a liquid tire sealer and balancer I used on my motorcycle wheels? I tried removing the valve core and using air with a piece of wire moving the wheel around but nothing

worked. Looking for another option. Thanks  

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It is possible that the tires are out of balance but most the common ride disturbance with cars such as yours would be flat spots on tires from being parked for extended periods. Sometimes it can go away or become less severe after long trips where the tires can flex and warm up. The only way that I am aware to correctly balance the tires would be on the vehicle using a vintage spin strobe balancer method. These were extremely common in the 1950s and 1960s where commercial vehicles were services. They can do a good job as this method will balance the rotating mass as an assembly. YouTube Hunter spin balancer. They are still used in older shops today. 

Edited by raydurr (see edit history)
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First thing I would check is the tie rods, outer and inner, then the drag link, both ends.

Sounds like the dreaded "death wobble" to me.

To check the king pin bushings, jack the front end up so the tires are just off the ground, and put a bar under the center at the bottom and pry up.

If the tire moves in and out, it is the king pin bushings.

If you can move the tire left or right, it will be tie rods.

Do these 2 tests and report back.

 

Mike in Colorado

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I removed the wheels and took them to a tire shop with a old bubble balancer after I removed the brake drums but they could not set them on the machine the man told me.  I live in western PA but I never tried to spin balance the wheels.

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