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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Harbor Freight Wheel Balancer

Anyone have experience using the Harbor Freight Wheel Balancer on TD steel wheels? I'm not happy with the job done on my new XZX's and I'm thinking of cleaning/ painting them and rebalancing. Bud
Bud Krueger

I haven't used the HF one, but I did acquire a fifty year old balancer, that looks exactly like the HF one. I balanced the new 60 spoke chrome wires that I bought for my TR3 with it, and I am very happy with the results. Very easy to do, and I used the stick on weights from HF. Runs totally smooth up to 75 mph. That's I fast as I took it up to.

Gary

g parker

Bud. If you have not already, check out Ebay. Less for the same balancer and free shipping.

I have a old bubble balancer and it does a great job on the TD and my wire MGB wheels
Bruce Cunha

I bought the wire wheel balancing cones from MGOC, tire shop used them without issue, all weights inside out of site too.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Thanks, guys. My concern is the use on standard TD wheels, not wire wheels. I'm of the impression that Bruce is using his on TD wheels. It's the issue of the lug-centric aspect of the wheels that I'm concerned about. I'm assuming that the central cone of the HF type is large enough to hold the TD steel wheels. Bud
Bud Krueger

Bud, this ad for a balancer on Amazon states, "Machined Aluminum Head Accepts Heads From 1- ½" to 4" Diameter" Don't know if that is the information you are looking for. I'm looking for a balancer as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006N0GDDO/ref=psdc_15709141_t4_B01B2LI520


Tim
TD26711
Timothy Burchfield

Thanks, Tim. I just measured the center hole on a TD wheel. It's 4 inches on the nose. I have a spare wheel that I could take to the local Harbor Freight dealer and see if I could try it on the cone before I bought it. Bud
Bud Krueger

Is there any reason why a motorcycle style wheel balancer would not work with a little modification? Should be more accurate than the HF type and they are certainly large enough for a T type wheel (some motorcycle tyres are wider). The main issue seems to be mounting the offset hub, but I can’t see any reason that can’t be overcome using a T type hub mounted to the central spindle. Just requires an adaptor to be machined, which I can do.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Dave, that certainly is a solution but why go to the trouble? Machining a part that you don't need with a HF or other (Amazon) wheel balancer is probably beyond the available equipment of most enthusiast. I would guess that Bud, like myself, is looking for a simple solution to the problem. But I do have a question, why would a motorcycle style balancer be any more accurate than a HF type? The MC tire balancer seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTjnA1-LAcI seems to be more guess work than aligning a bubble inside a circle.

Regards

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

The motorcycle method has to be intrinsically more accurate than the bubble method in my view. A slight weight imbalance will be imperceptible in the movement of the bubble in its tiny confined space whereas it will result in the more obvious rotation of the wheel in the motorcycle method - providing the bearings are good. To some extent it can be done on the car if the brake shoes are backed off, but heavily greased, part worn bearings make it less sensitive than it needs to be for static testing.
Yes it needs a lathe to make an adaptor to fit a std hub.
I just wondered if anyone had gone down this route.
I’m tempted.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Dave's right. I'm looking for a simple solution. The machining required for the hub adapter is equivalent to creating the adapter to resolve the lug-centric issue. I can use a jacked up front axle to create an MC style balancer.

I'm unclear as to the function of the spring-loaded disc that bears against the wheel. If it's to keep the wheel horizontal, then it's affecting the balance. Bud
Bud Krueger

Bud, I believe I was the one who suggested you were looking for a simple solution. lol. On the HF type balancer the full weight of the wheel is supported by the cone which rests on a single point under the peak of the cone. Any deflection from the horizontal plane caused by the springs is minimal and would be reflected by the location of the bubble. Adjusting the weights around the rim would bring the bubble to center and the horizontal plane of the wheel back to level.

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

Hello Bud, There is still a fellow here in town that spin balances on the car. If you could find some older tire store perhaps they could do that. Glenn at Glenn's MG in St. Pete started balancing the front brake drums with stick on weights which he thinks helps smooth things out. Not sure how he does it. Also, jack the car up so tire just off of the ground, spin it and see if it is round or wobbling up and down. We had trouble getting the bead to seat on the rim correctly on a couple and had to deflate and move around a bit to fix that. I just searched and there is a Butler tire near you that says they spin balance on the car, which would take care of the brake drum issue too. George
George Butz III

I wonder if the bubble balancer is sensitive enough to detect the imbalance of a drum? Anyone tried this? I've given much thought in putting a set of Alfin drums on to solve this problem, but $1200 is quite a bit, unless a less costly solution could be found. PJ
PJ Jennings

Paul,
You could look for a local firm that specialises in dynamic balancing. I have spoken to a company in Melbourne (Precision Balancing) that advertise balancing of: "tailshafts, yokes, brake drums, flywheels, disc brakes..." in addition to industrial items.
Still not cheap. The estimate I was given was $80-$100 per drum. They are a long way from where I live so I have not taken it any further (yet).
There is a thread on "the other site" under the MGB & GT forum entitled "balancing rear drums". It shows a brake drum with a large number of shallow holes drilled around the inside rim of the drum. I would think this a better technique than adding stick on weights. Others might know better.
Regards,
Michael
M R Calvert

Sorry about that, Tim. One of those senior moments. Plan to go to HF on Saturday and check out the machine. A problem will occur if the max diameter of the cone is 4 inches minus a skosh and the i.d. of the wheel is 4 inches plus a skosh (sukoshi). But, I can picture solving that by gluing short pieces of tungsten rod on the outer surface of the cone.

George, the place that did the installation and balancing will also do 'on the car' spin balancing. But, the price tag is rather steep. And, they aren't happy with my questioning the quality of their work. Or, my having bought the xzx's for a good bit less than they wanted for them. BTW, clunking knee is coming fine. No problem getting into Lazarus now. Bud
Bud Krueger

Bit the bullet and bought one. Yes, a TD steel wheel will fit on the balancer. Used it this afternoon on the two front wheels that I just painted using Steve Wincze's 3x5 card masking system. It would be great if it had more sensitivity. Barely discerns the placement of a .5 oz weight. Took Lazarus for a spin and still had more shimmy at 55 mph than I would like. No handy place to try a higher speed at rush hour time.

The only place around here that does on-the-car balancing is Butler. I suspect that I'm not a favorite customer since I showed them my receipt for the xzx's that I bought from G.B. Butler sells Michelins. Going on a ride with some lbc folks next Saturday. Hope to learn of another good wheel shop. Bud
Bud Krueger

Bud, thanks for doing the research. You saved me some money. I balanced my wheels on the 51 TD using my cousin's tire changing machine. They came out great. But I suppose you've gone that route and haven't had success. This is what my father used at his shop back in the day.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Hunter-Hemmeter-On-Car-High-Speed-Wheel-Balancers-Bear-Manufacturing/202239531655?hash=item2f166a5a87:g:hcMAAOSwRYVakdSH

Regards

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

Bud,
Those wheels have been abused over the years getting thrown on to wheel balancers, and that center hole is bent and banged up.
Using that hole in the center of the wheel probably isnt a reliable idea..
I made an adapter that fits on a modern spin balancer....
I took the bearings out of a spare brake drum,, it fits on a spin balancer using the balancers "cones",,,
First I balanced that drum using stick on weights,,,, then, I mounted each wheel and tire onto the drum which is attached to the spin balancer,, The wheel and tire is rotating as it would when mounted on the car,, I think I got much better results than I have ever had!
Hope this helps
Steve
SPW Wincze

Steve, I've thought about since the first time you mentioned it. I don't have the facilities down here to carry that off. But, I've noticed that my front wheels spin freely enough to always stop at the same point +/- an inch or so if I give them a bit of a spin. I'm going to try to quantify that tomorrow. I'm also in the hunt for another on-the-car balancing shop. Bud
Bud Krueger

Took the balancer back to Harbor Freight today. No problem returning it.
Tried 3 tire stores that Google said used on-the-car balancing. Nope, they don't do it anymore. Bit the bullet and went back to Butler's, the store that did the installation, and balancing, for me. They stopped doing on-the-car 2 years ago. Shimmy starts at just over 50 mph. I'm used to running Lazarus up to well over 70 without shimmying.

There must be somebody in the Atlanta area that does it. I'm planning on going onto a run with some other lbc folks next Saturday. Maybe somebody will be able to lead me to good source. Bud
Bud Krueger

Bub,
Thats the old 50MPH death shimmy,,, bent rims, I found a lot of info in the archives,,,or bent center hole,,,,I even went to a Land Rover dealer to get mine balanced on the Hunter Road Force machine, $$$,, not much better,,, my drum balancing scheme worked the best,,,,

steve
SPW Wincze

Google seems to say that there are a few more dealers in the area who do on-the-car balancing. I'll try some phone work on Monday.

So, for your method I'd need a front brake drum minus bearings and a shop with a decent quality spin balancer and an owner who'd be willing to let me prepare the wheels for balancing.

Steve, doesn't your method assume that the actual brake drum is balanced ala your test drum?

Anybody have a cheap used bearing-free front drum? Bud
Bud Krueger

Bud,
I did not balance each drum,, but I'm sure that would give a better result..
I have been a long time customer at the tire shop where I used my drum fixture,, so they were happy to help...

Steve
SPW Wincze

This thread was discussed between 20/02/2018 and 20/03/2018

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