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  #1  
Old 03-09-2015, 11:07 PM
RFSchaller RFSchaller is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 2,820
Default Wheel Balancing

I'm doing my annual and decided to balance the tires. I got the HF motorcycle wheel balancer with a set of weights using double sided tape to fix them. The main wheels went fine, but how do you guys who are doing this balance the nose Wheel? There doesn't seem to be enough surface to work with to attach the weights. Are you guys using the clip type? If you are where are you getting them?
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  #2  
Old 03-10-2015, 06:22 AM
JBPILOT JBPILOT is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Jesup, Iowa
Posts: 1,657
Default As I recall - -

I taped them in place to be sure I have them where I wanted them. I then GLUED them in place. 5 Minute epoxy if I recall from 5 - 6 years ago.
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  #3  
Old 03-10-2015, 06:50 AM
EllisMcgaughy EllisMcgaughy is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Fayetteville nc
Posts: 23
Default Wheel Balancing

I once had fits trying to balance relatively new, good quality name brand tires. I fly mostly off of grass and knew I had not flat spotted the tires in any way. I spoke to the tire manufacturer at Oshkosh and they suspected that I had let the tires sit on the airplane for a while in one spot and they (the tires) were slightly deformed.....and recommended I fly a few times before trying to rebalance. This advice was proven correct. If you find yourself having to add lots of weight, you might need to go out and fly / land a few times and check again. Most mechanics I've seen use RTV to glue the weights on the wheels. Balancing the nose wheel helps reduce / eliminate "shimmy" on free castoring nose gears so don't give up.
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  #4  
Old 03-10-2015, 07:00 AM
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tomkk tomkk is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Port Orange, Fl
Posts: 931
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RFSchaller View Post
I'm doing my annual and decided to balance the tires. I got the HF motorcycle wheel balancer with a set of weights using double sided tape to fix them. The main wheels went fine, but how do you guys who are doing this balance the nose Wheel? There doesn't seem to be enough surface to work with to attach the weights. Are you guys using the clip type? If you are where are you getting them?
Which balancer did you use? I only saw two HF balancers and they were static balancers. I'm surprised they work well with our small diameter tires.
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Port Orange, Fl
EAA #51411
RV-12 N121TK ELSA #120845; first flight 06/10/2015; 700 hrs as of 02/2020
RV-12 N918EN ELSA #120995 Eagles Nest Project; first flight 05/18/2019
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  #5  
Old 03-10-2015, 08:29 AM
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rvbuilder2002 rvbuilder2002 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Hubbard Oregon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomkk View Post
Which balancer did you use? I only saw two HF balancers and they were static balancers. I'm surprised they work well with our small diameter tires.
Static balancing on light aircraft wheels/tires is a common practice and works quite well.
It may be because of the small diameter (compared to car tires) has a lower moment of inertia at a similar speed?

We use the H.F. motorcycle wheel balancer in our shop.

To balance the nose wheel on the RV-12, we stick the weights to the wheel inside of the pass through holes.
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  #6  
Old 03-10-2015, 08:51 AM
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Jetguy Jetguy is offline
 
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Location: Texas, Fort Worth
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Default

These are the ones I use. They are a .25 oz each and are small enough to peel and stick just about anywhere. They can be stacked on each other to.

http://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-Sil...l+Wheel+Weight

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RV12 N1212K
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  #7  
Old 03-10-2015, 11:36 AM
RFSchaller RFSchaller is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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Thanks. I tried putting them inside the holes, but as Murphy would have it the solid structure is exactly where I want to put them. The RTV idea sounds interesting. The surface of the metal doesn't seem as "adhesive friendly" as the main wheels no matter how much degreasing I do.
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  #8  
Old 03-10-2015, 11:54 AM
johnfurey johnfurey is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 233
Default

Does the HF balancer do anything that having the wheel on the axle without the nut on would do? I don't get either wheel to move when I do this and I doubt that they are that good?
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  #9  
Old 03-10-2015, 12:48 PM
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rvbuilder2002 rvbuilder2002 is offline
 
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Location: Hubbard Oregon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnfurey View Post
Does the HF balancer do anything that having the wheel on the axle without the nut on would do? I don't get either wheel to move when I do this and I doubt that they are that good?
Yes.
The rotating mechanism of a good static balancer is ultra low friction.
The friction of conventional roller bearings with thick grease in them, (particularly the style on RV-12 wheels that have integral rubber seals) is much higher. You probably wouldn't detect even a badly out of balance wheel condition with the wheel installed.
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Opinions, information and comments are my own unless stated otherwise. They do not necessarily represent the direction/opinions of my employer.

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Van's Aircraft Engineering Prototype Shop Manager
Hubbard, Oregon
RV-6A (aka "Junkyard Special ")
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  #10  
Old 03-10-2015, 12:49 PM
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rvbuilder2002 rvbuilder2002 is offline
 
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Location: Hubbard Oregon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RFSchaller View Post
Thanks. I tried putting them inside the holes, but as Murphy would have it the solid structure is exactly where I want to put them.
No big deal... just split the weight between the two holes to either side of that point.
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Opinions, information and comments are my own unless stated otherwise. They do not necessarily represent the direction/opinions of my employer.

Scott McDaniels
Van's Aircraft Engineering Prototype Shop Manager
Hubbard, Oregon
RV-6A (aka "Junkyard Special ")
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