Bubble Balancer

[Cincinnati Guy]

Was thinking about picking up a bubble balancer and balance my tires myself since all the shops wanna charge more than what the machine costs. I can get the balancer for $50 and all shops want 15-20 a tire to balance, although Im told by one of the shops you can not use a bubble balancer to balance a 33.5 tire. Any one have insight on this, I bet there just blowing smoke to get me to go to them.

 

[Brimmstone]

They're blowing smoke. We used to bubble balance 44s all the time as no one had a machine big enough to handle them.

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

Figures, well Im sure there are different type of bubble balancers, the one I was checking out only went to 4" hub size and my hubs are like 4.75" I bet if I bought it I could fab it up to do mine.

 

[Dave7.3]

Wally world charges $5 a tire...

 

[Brimmstone]

We turned a piece of aluminum down so it fit tight to the rim and could be bolted to two of the holes. The inside was turned to match the taper of the balancer. I think we had maybe 200 total in it once we were done. Just for laughs we took the 33's on my old jeep in to be checked after bubble balancing them. All 5 tires showed as perfect.

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

OH boy gotta love wallyworld. I looked it says $5 a tire, so I guess its no matter the size. Ill be giving them a call in the morning.

 

[Brimmstone]

Good luck with Wally world. Make sure they use a torque wrench to install your wheels. I've dealt with numerous vehicles in several states where walmart goofs did tire work and either broke,stripped,or galled lugs. Others left them loose and destroyed rims.

 

[Devilish]

Good luck with Wally world. Make sure they use a torque wrench to install your wheels. I've dealt with numerous vehicles in several states where walmart goofs did tire work and either broke,stripped,or galled lugs. Others left them loose and destroyed rims.

Lots of shops damage lugs/studs. Especially Brake Team or whatever they're calling themselves this season.

 

[Double-S-Diesel]

used to bubble balance my tires before, ended up with less weight on them than when spun.

 

[Brimmstone]

Lots of shops damage lugs/studs. Especially Brake Team or whatever they're calling themselves this season.

Walmart though tends to do it alot more than others. I had to replace every lug on a customers 07 f150 after walmart over tightened them and he made it two miles before the lugs on the right rear tire snapped. Had to use a 1 inch impact to remove the others and none of my impacts put out less than 900 ft.lbs

 

[DragRag]

Walmart though tends to do it alot more than others. I had to replace every lug on a customers 07 f150 after walmart over tightened them and he made it two miles before the lugs on the right rear tire snapped. Had to use a 1 inch impact to remove the others and none of my impacts put out less than 900 ft.lbs

900ftlb? I am sure they were over tight like you said, but I doubt wally world has a gun that would out down 900lbs.

 

[Brimmstone]

I doubt they would also, but when they tighten the lugs down so tight they deform the threads it will lock the nuts on and nothing will take them off. The reason the 1 inch was used was because it had enough power to snap the lugs off. All were tried with three different 1/2 inch guns but wouldn't move. The big gun was brought out because it has 3000 ft.lbs of torque. It snapped all the remaining lugs so new ones could be installed.

 

[Worstenemy453]

Good old 1" Impacts. MY grandfather used one when he did all his tractor trailer work. I want that old girl. Thing could do anything.

 

[Brimmstone]

Tell me about it. I have at current time 23 impacts in varying sizes and powers. The big daddy is a giant bluepoint. I tend to collect them. The newest ones coming are the impact ratchets from ingersoll and a cordless makita

 

[Dave7.3]

Safest thing would be to check em before ya leave the garage I guess. Or be one of those guys watching like a hawk right outside the door with your arms crossed! Working in the auto garage it used to bug me, but I can understand after watching over my own rig and stopping guys from doing things their own way. I figure if I'm gonna pay good money, they are gonna do it the way I want it. Well, unless their idea is better than mine.