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#1
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Honeycomb Wheel Wobble
After 20 years, I am putting my original Honeycomb wheels for my '73 Trans Am back on. I just finished painting them, put tires on, and when I got them balanced, I noticed that one of the wheels seemed to wobble on the balancer. It looks like the polycast rubber maybe the issue, as it seems like it oozed thru the gaps in the steel wheel and is not allowing the wheel to sit flat against the hub on the balancer.
Does anyone else experience this, and is it an issue when mounted on the car? What is the solution, remove the excess polycast? Thanks! |
#2
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http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...comb+balancing
Need a balancer with the lug adapters it appears unless centers are in spec.
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"Hammer to fit, paint to match" |
#3
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X2
You cannot balance a honeycomb via the center hole since it is only a free standing metal cone that is set in the injected urethane in the general area of the wheel's center. The people balancing the wheel have to use a five lug adapter to mount to the balancing machine via the lug nut holes. Otherwise you are wasting your money. |
#4
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Thanks guys! I will try to find a shop that has the 5-Lug adapter for their balancer.
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#5
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I cone them from the back via the center hole with great results.
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles |
#6
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I remember doing my brother's 73 TA with a cone from the back side about 25 years ago with no problems.
I don't remember what machine brand we used, but maybe we were lucky.
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1973 Formula 400 4 spd 04C build date Norwood assembly plant. |
#7
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If you cone them from the back, is a cone also used thru the front side where the center cap goes? If that is the case, and the center cap hole is not concentric with the wheel, won't the wheel wobble on the balancer giving poor results? Thanks!
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#8
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The lug centric tool I posted in one of my pics is the correct method aside from on car spin balancing we used to do at the Pontiac dealership. The center can be non concentric. Keep in mind your car only uses the lug studs for rotation, balancing them that way is natural to hour cars design. Lug centric can be used on any wheel..
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"The Future Belongs to those who are STILL Willing to get their Hands Dirty" .. my Grandfather |
#9
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A big problem with honeys is back in the day the popular tire machine was the Coats 20/20 machine and if you weren't careful the machine would make the outer hole where the center cap goes egg shape. Then the outer cone was out of the question AND you couldn't put the center cap back on...the wheel is pretty much junk after that.
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1978 Black & Gold T/A [complete 70 Ram Air III (carb to pan) PQ and 12 bolt], fully loaded, deluxe, WS6, T-Top car - 1972 Formula 455HO Ram Air numbers matching Julep Green - 1971 T/A 455, 320 CFM Eheads, RP cam, Doug's headers, Fuel injection, TKX 5 Spd. 12 Bolt 3.73, 4 wheel disc. All A/C cars |
#10
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Quote:
Interesting history to learn how those centers became egg shaped! Thanks! |
#11
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Balancing. This tool has curves "slots" which allow it to go to almost any stud diameter and number of studs. The Honeycomb Wheel sits on the studs for balancing
__________________
"The Future Belongs to those who are STILL Willing to get their Hands Dirty" .. my Grandfather |
#12
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I assume you mean one of the old bubble type balancers where you placed the wheel flat (face up) on the mounting cone and then placed the weights in the desired position(s) to get the bubble level? That is called static balancing (versus dynamic on a machine) and is easily done on a honeycomb regardless of the front side's off center position.
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#13
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If I'm understanding the Lugcentric balancer correctly, the back of the wheel is supported by a cone on the balancer, the threaded shaft goes thru the center cap hole, but does not touch it, and the Lugcentric tool, attached to the threaded shaft, applies the pressure back holding the wheel against the cone in the back of the wheel, while also supporting the wheel concentric via the 5-lug holes?
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#14
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Sort of. The five, mini-cones only engage with the five lug holes. That's all that is engaging with the wheel. Depending on the machine a center pilot may be used to retain the wheel to the five pilot adapter.
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#15
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On formulabruces photo, shouldn't the adaptor plate be on mounted on the backside of the wheel tight against the back face of the wheel?
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#16
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No. There are different types of lug-centric adapters. Some of the more modern units work as you mentioned, from behind the wheel, but some of the adapters for older machines are operated as in the photo.
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#17
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Sounds good. I will have to find a shop that can do lug-centric balancing, sounds like the best solution for the honeycomb wheels. Thanks for all your help guy's, I never knew about lug-centric balancing until I asked here!
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#18
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Quote:
We had maybe 5 different size cones, and sometimes I know we doubled up cones and or would take the cup off the retaining nut. His were the only honeycombs I ever did, but never had him complain about the balance. Maybe his centers were good and I just lucked out.
__________________
1973 Formula 400 4 spd 04C build date Norwood assembly plant. |
#19
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Tires Plus has an adjustable lug-centric plate, so I think that I am going to take my wheels there to get balanced. Thanks!
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#20
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I got my wheels rebalanced using the lug-centric method. They put the wheels on the balancer with the weights from the previous hub-centric balancing, and one was pretty close, two were quite a bit off, and one was way off! It seemed like the lug-centric method used less weight to balance, which makes sense as the wheel should be closer to balance on the balancer if rotated about it's true axis.
I put them on the car and it is a huge improvement! No more shaking at 70 mph! |
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