8-Lug Wheel Question
 

I just bought some BF Goodrich Redline Tires for my 1964 Catalina. The car has 8-lug wheels on it, and my question is how do you balance the tires? Do you use the rear drums and mount each rim and tire and hope for the best, or do you use a bubble balancer?:confused:

There's actually a plate that mounts to the rim and allows it to me mounted to the balancer.

If you search this forum there'll be a picture of one.

Probably the best way to balance them is on the car.

Mike

Those balancing plates show up on eBay every so often, someone is remanufacturing them. The other choices are to use one of the rear drums to mount the wheel on the balancing machine, or as Mike mentioned find a shop that can balance the wheel on the car. It'll probably have to be an old time shop for them to have the right equipment, I don't think your Discount Tire employee will know what you're talking about.

Use a rear drum...........
 

I don't recommend the lightweight plates that are sold, as they are more appropiately used as a spare tire mounting plate. Shops that still have a working on-car balancer are few and far between: use one of the rear drums to balance all 5 wheel units off the car on an electronic balancer.

Les

Are you sure, Les?

I thought I saw a CNC version from Fabcraft or somewhere that was heavy enough for mounting/dismounting as well as balancing (which I agree the spare tire plate is not heavy enough for). I bid on it on ebay but did not win it.

K

The balancing plates and the spare tire hold down plates are two different animals.

This plate.

Ah - very nice.

http://mainelycustombydesign.com/index.html

Do you suppose that's heavy enough to use for tire mounting as well?

K

That is correct, and my balancer plate is a heavy duty thick gauge steel………

More info..................
 

The plate that I am referring to is the one manuf. & sold by the gentleman that makes the custom offset/width/diameter 8 lug rims. This is the most common piece that I have seen for sale @ Norwalk and various POCI National Conventions. It's nominally 3/8" thick aluminum w/ 8 short wheel studs pressed into the perimeter and a 4" hole in the center. It looks like a lighter duty version of the above pictured Mainely unit.

The spare tire hold down plate is a black-painted stamped steel disc, w/ a notched perimeter to fit around the wheel's stud positions, and is available from our Host for $39.

The Mainely unit in post #7 appears stout enuf to do the job, but why not use the existing drums for balancing and save the extra expense since all modern tire machines clamp the lower bead of the wheel rim to anchor the rim for tire changing?

Les

8 lug balancing
 

:)The 8 lug balancing plate was originally produced by Roger Reihl of 8 lug rebuild fame. He passed away several year's ago. When he was doing the hub relining, he came up with a plate that was about 3/8" thick to use for spin balancing on the newer balance machine's. Those plate's had just four lug bolt's to attach the wheel's instead of the newer one's with eight. They were also steel & not aluminum so a little bit heavyer.
According to Roger in conversation's we had, the original thinner spare tire hold down plate was used for bubble balancing since there was no way to balance the wheel without it. So it actually served two purposes, the spare tire hold down & a bubble balance adapter.
Which method of balancing is better I can't say but you have several alternative's to chose from based on the message's posted here. Good luck.:)

I'll chuck in some of my experiance with this matter:

If you don't have a heavy weight balancer plate, use a rear drum by all means but BEFORE you mount the rim to the drum, spin up the drum first. You might be surprised that the bare drum is out of balance.

Next balance a front drum but I couldn't find anyone who could do so with the rim and tyre fitted. So we mounted the front drums using a small Japanese car sized alloy wheel adapter, (take the wheel bearings out), spun them up and noted any balance discrepancy. Mark the drum balance spot using a small piece if masking tape so you know where to align the rim and add any weights required.

Now you know if your drums are out of balance and you can weight the rim accordingly after you spin them up using the rear drums. Carefully add the weights as required.

It's all very time consuming but it was the only way I could finally achieve a good (read great!!), balance on my wheels. Well worth it in the end but I'm not looking forward to when I have to buy new tyres!!! Got to go through all the motions again....:(

:ausflag::ausflag::ausflag:

I picked up one of those older on-car balancers... It needs a new power cord and a good cleaning and lubrication but it will get the job done.

Having a 'reference drum' that's been zero-balanced on hand for balancing 8-lugs seems like a good tool to have around!

There ya' go. I'll just go see Matt when I'm ready to have some tires done. ;)

Re: "Reference drum" - might be a good usage for a drum that otherwise is no good, like one where the lining is shot for example.

K

Seriously, Matt. How much will you be charging to balance a Darksider? :)

I went to a local tire shop last summer. It is part of the Tire Factory franchise. It has been in business at least 35 years. Not sure when it opened. I asked them if they knew what Pontiac 8-lug wheels are. He said "yes, and and we have an adapter plate to fit the modern spin balancer" I went back to the shop and he showed it to me. It was a little dusty, but is was the real thing. Very heavy steel plate with four threaded holes for lug bolts.
I had them balance my wheels before my trip to the convention. They also found that I had one bent rim. Still had a vibration, so had my driveshaft checked, and found my driveshaft was also toast. So after having a new shaft made, everything was smooth as glass. Made the trip to Spearfish and back (about 3000 miles) a great experience.

BTW, the name of this shop was Gary's Tire Factory, But I have seen others with other first names using the same franchise logo.
Les

Um, OK, uh, ZERO.

Just show up and we'll get you wheelin' straight.

I would drive 125 miles to have my 8 lugs done correctly on my car. I bought new fronts drums from Arrowhead last summer, waiting for the rears, should be any day now. Not looking for any freebies here, seriously if interested let me know what you would charge to do all 4.
Joe

joeg & the group: Maybe later this year (May, June) we can have a "B or B" (Balanced or Bent?) cookout at my place. Get your 8-lugs balanced and make a donation to a coffee can to cover the cost of wheel weights and/or bratwurst.

I'll do my best to resurrect this idea (or joeg, remind me) in a few months when I get time.

Sounds great! Thanks!!

The "on car" method is by far the best way to balance an 8 lug.

Well it didn't happen last year, with my wife ill with cancer and the tri-state tollway a mess with all the construction. Do you think maybe we can make it happen this year?

joeg & the group: please see my thread called "Got Eights?"

[email protected] Todd Zimmerman, Greenbush, WI.,aka.TAZ Parts, makes and sells an 8 lug balancing plate for $65.00. Phone # is 1-920-526-3454.

I stumbled across a balancing plate at chief8lug.com this morning. Looks like the gold one pictured earlier. $159.

What happened to Arrowhead...was there repops any good?

He closed up a few years ago

I have the Roger Reihl 4 lug heavy balancing plate and a computer balancer. While I agree using the old SW/Alimite or the Hunter Mexican Hat on the car balancers are still the very best way to balance 8-lug wheels. They balance the entire wheel, drum assembly at actual road speed. Nothing could be better. But very few of those balancers survive. The off the car method with the plate and computer balancer is the second best choice. I can also balance the rear drums separately on my computer balancer. The front drums are the only component I can't balance because the wheel bearing hole is too small for my balancer shaft to pass through. If the car still has the shakes after the 4 wheels and tires are balanced and the rear drums, then the front drums will need a balance. Possibly a Harley dealer or other motorcycle shop with a small shaft computer balancer could balance those 8-lug front drums off the car. I have been loaning my balance plate out for postage cost + $10.00 if someone needs it. They cost $100-125 when you can find one for sale. PM me if you need it.

Hey, I just joined. I recently bought a 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix. It’s straight not a lot of rust except trunk which I just ordered a 3 piece pan. It has a 455 YW code and turbo 400, haven’t looked more for year. The guy I bought it from out front disc brakes on it with new booster. It came with 8 lug wheels but fronts are missing. I’m debating on going back to 8 lug set up. The 60-62s are different and since I’ve got the rears I would have to find matched fronts. What kind of problems am I asking for?

You will find a number of threads concerning the trials and tribulations of 8-lug wheels. They have lots and lots of issues compared to using regular iron drums and in your case front disc brakes. IMO, you would be best served keeping the disc brakes and running them with aftermarket wheels and changing the rear to iron drums at least for now. Finding a good set of 4 8-lug wheels, drums, trim rings, caps and lug nuts is a needle in a haystack deal now days, IMO. Lots of pieces to have issues and 14" tall tires are hard to get and expensive. Everything about the 8-lug experience is big $$$. All that said, if you really want to run them, because you want "that look", plan on spending several thousand dollars on all the needed parts to get a good, complete set on the car. Good luck with your car.