Who balances aircraft wheels ??

Pilottonny · #1 01-14-2009, 10:42 AM

The manual calls for "well balanced wheels". So, since I am getting everything ready to put the plane on the gear, I have been trying to find somebody that can balance my wheels, before I install them on the gearlegs.

Well, after visiting at least over a dozen Tire specialistst, Motorbike shops, Scooter and Quad shops, the local Aircraft maintenance guy, etc. etc., I found only one place that could do it, but they wanted more money than what the wheels cost, because they have to make two shafts to be able to mount the wheels on their balancing machine.

The balancing machines of all the tire specialists, I went to see, did not accept such small wheels. Where did others get their wheels balanced?

Regards, Tonny.

allbee · #2 01-14-2009, 10:57 AM

I went to the FBO at one of my airports, they were way out, well worth it.

gasman · #3 01-14-2009, 11:01 AM

You may not need to balance.............. I have used GOODYEARS on my Piper for 26 years, and also on the 6A and have never needed to balance a wheel.

I would not even use the tires that come with the kit. Go right to Goodyear FLT. SPEC. You will find that these tires run true and will last 4 to one.

638RS · #4 01-14-2009, 11:12 AM

They have instructions and material to static balance your tires... Our EAA chapter has a tire balance set up with associated weights..

http://www.matcomfg.com/WEIGHTLEADBA...v-3682-44.html

http://media1.veracart.com/matco/ite...it=3663&Ict=23

plehrke · #5 01-14-2009, 11:15 AM

I balanced my wheels and tires my self with a simple static balancer that I borrowed from an A&P. Easy to do and I noticed a difference.

erich weaver · #6 01-14-2009, 11:24 AM

Maybe I was just lucky, but the first motorcycle/offroad vehicle shop I tried was able to balance my nose wheel on their fancy machine in just a couple minutes. I think they charged me $5.

erich

JBPILOT · #7 01-14-2009, 11:56 AM

My 2 cents worth. If you are handy, and want to spend some time ( cheap ), I have done it by guess-work. You can spin the tire up to fairly good speed using a HD buffer with a wool bonnet. ( won't hurt the tire ). Just tape on a weight and see if it is better or worse. Takes patience, but you can get them near perfect. I think the hardest one I have done maybe took an hour. Clean the spot where the weight(s) are needed, and use the self-adhesive type weights.

John Bender

Pilottonny · #8 01-14-2009, 12:48 PM

Erich,

Considder yourselve lucky! Nobody over here could handle these small wheels. I even tried a Cart-center, but they do static balancing on a smal shaft, equiped with bicycle bearings, just to fit the carting wheels. They stick lead on the opposite side of where the wheel "drops" to, until it does not stop at a specific point anymore.

The next thing I am going to try, is calling the balancing machine manufacturers, to find out to whom they sold a machine that can handle these small 5" wheels, in my area.

Anyway, for static balancing you need an exact fitting shaft. Maybe, if everthing else fails, I will have to have some made.

Thanks for the replies,

Regards, Tonny.

Steve Sampson · #9 01-14-2009, 01:00 PM

Tonny, why not jack it up and do a static balance in situ? Steve

John Clark · #10 01-14-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Sampson

Tonny, why not jack it up and do a static balance in situ? Steve

I've done exactly that. Just leave out the seals and lube the bearings with some light oil.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA