Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RayG]

I see where we have a few members using the No-Mar Jr. tire changer and wheel balancer.  I plan to look for a used one's locally but if I don't find one I was wondering if anybody has tried to install & remove front & rear radials with the kits they sell.  I talked to a small Indy shop yesterday and he told me he had done them by hand for close to 20 years without any problems.  He then brings them to a shop nearby that just purchased some new balancing tool.  Since I'm still having trouble with cupping tires (now a Metzler) I'm convinced it may it is swingarm related but that will be for another post.  I plan on balancing the wheel and then the tire.  I will go back to wheel weights until I solve my problem.  I'll start with getting the tire as perfectly balanced as possible and study the various swingarm kits available.  This cupping is just ruining my riding comfort.  I never had a rear wheel cup until the dealer did me a favor and replaced the swingarm bushings when I had 41K on her, they also disconnected the True Track telling me that I didn't need it.  Of course I hooked it up as soon as I got home.  I now have over 65K miles, I have the AK-20 for the front and I'm on my second set of 13" Bitubo's in the rear.  I check & adjust my air pressure and shock setting for solo and 2 up riding when required.  I got to tell you this is getting beyond frustrating.   

Thanks

Ray G.

[GregKhougaz]

I've never done it but there are many instructional videos available on You Tube.  Here's one: 



Good luck and let us know how it turns out. 

[kiwihog]

There is no point trying to balance the wheel without the tire mounted ...if that is what I read ..you could have the balance on the rim perfect then mount the tire and the imbalance in the tire may fix the imperfect rim.. if that makes sense . you could try mount and balance the tire, if you feel it requires too much weight to balance break the beads turn the tire 1/4 turn on the rim and inflate and balance again ...keep doing this until you find the best position you would have to have a lot of patience to do this tho

[RayG]

I would like to check the balance of the wheel without the tire.  It can't hurt and it was recommended by a fellow CVO rider as a starting point. 

[LC110]

Back in my early years I mounted a lot of tires for 150 mph plus super-bikes.
I always spun the rim to find the heavy spot and would mark that spot. (Don't put weights on to balance just the rim.)
You maybe surprised how many times it won't even be close to the valve stem. Almost all tires will come with a colored dot to mark the lightest spot on the tire. (I found these spots to be most accurate.)
Now mount your tire with the lightest spot mark lined up with your heavy spot on the rim. (this is not rocket science.)
You may be surprised how little if any weight it will take.
When I did my CVO rear tire the heavy spot was @ 2:00 with the valve stem @ 6:00
It took less than half the weight it came with from the factory with. My 2 cents worth.

[RayG]

That is exactly what I was trying to get at, I'm trying to avoid seeing 6 wts @ 2:00 and 7 more @ 5:00, arranged like a clock for reference.  They could have spun the tire instead of having weights at two locations, plus the tire cupped or scalloped @ 3K miles anyway.  So now all I need is any body doing their CVO tires by hand and if so what are the pitfalls with the exception of hard labor.  Someone must have tried to do this by hand?

[TN]

Ray, I think a no-mar tire machine is the way to go. I would also suggest the static balancer too. No-mar tools are simple but efficient. After doing yer own tires you will agree on the outcome. Checking the wheel alone on the static balancer will show the heavy spot, and trueness too. as stated earlier the heavy spot is not always at the stem. I've been doing my own tires for sometime now, I use dynabeads but always check the balance of the wheel and then the wheel and tire and have never came up over 3/4 oz of weight needed. I then pull the weights off, break the bead again and apply the dynabeads. Works for me. 

I'm not sure I'd do the tire change without some sort of tire machine on todays wheels and tires. Especially the CVO wheels.

Good luck on whatever avenue you choose on getting yer problems sorted out. If you were closer I'd do it for ya. 


TN

[SneakyPete]

Ray, I think a no-mar tire machine is the way to go. I would also suggest the static balancer too. No-mar tools are simple but efficient. After doing yer own tires you will agree on the outcome. Checking the wheel alone on the static balancer will show the heavy spot, and trueness too. as stated earlier the heavy spot is not always at the stem. I've been doing my own tires for sometime now, I use dynabeads but always check the balance of the wheel and then the wheel and tire and have never came up over 3/4 oz of weight needed. I then pull the weights off, break the bead again and apply the dynabeads. Works for me.  

I'm not sure I'd do the tire change without some sort of tire machine on todays wheels and tires. Especially the CVO wheels.

Good luck on whatever avenue you choose on getting yer problems sorted out. If you were closer I'd do it for ya.  




TN

X2!!!  I'm a little closer than TN and I'd do it for you too!

[RayG]

I'm going to put an add in my local Craig's list for both units. I've seen them on the site before, maybe I'll get lucky.  Thanks for the offer, much appreciated