Wheel balancing WTF?

[DoubleV]

Why is it that no shops that balances wheels understands or even knows the difference between hubcentic and lugcentric?

I mean damn, places that do tires for a living 'never even heard of lugcentric'? WTF? That's like a mechanic who's never heard of a manual transmission before!

So are there any 'chain' shops out there that can accurately balance my stock Olds rally wheels since they are lugcentric?

 

[Ribbedroof]

OE wheels are almost always hubcentric, what indicates the rally wheels are not? They should fit firmly over the pilot on the axle and hub on the front

 

[pontiacgp]

copy this to you phone to educate the "technician" next time your doing a wheel balance

 

[DoubleV]

OE wheels are almost always hubcentric, what indicates the rally wheels are not? They should fit firmly over the pilot on the axle and hub on the front

I have always been told Olds Rally wheels were lugcentric. Even if I'm wrong the question still stands; why is it that tire shops don't know the difference and never even heard of lugcentric?

 

[DoubleV]

copy this to you phone to educate the "technician" next time your doing a wheel balance

Yep. Problem is, is in the end they still can't balance a lugcentric wheel so you're still screwed!

 

[pontiacgp]

Yep. Problem is, is in the end they still can't balance a lugcentric wheel so you're still screwed!

Lugcentric wheels have been around as long as wheels have been so not to have the proper knowledge and equipment is caused by the shop owner spending as little money on paychecks and equipment as he/she can. Many decades ago ago they use to have left handed threaded studs on the left side wheels so they be tightening as they spun instead of loosening up. Way back when balancing tires was done by static balancing so they had vibrations to deal with which could loosen up the nuts. in Britain they used LHT on the left side on trucks and buses up to 1980....

 

[Ribbedroof]

Long ago when I was involved in tire sales/installation, the only lug-centric equipment we had was for the wide VW pattern. Everything else was done through the wheel center bore

If you got an Alpha, you were screwed for both mounting and balancing. Had to dismount and mount a pair on a Sunday with nothing other than spoons, and couldn't even use the Coats to hold it, the center bore was smaller than the center post on the tire machine.

 

[DoubleV]

I remember reverse threaded lugs. At the time we never heard of them. Nobody could break the lugnuts loose on my friends 70 something Fury until somebody wiser than us informed us of our mistake...

I still find it incredible shops that balances wheels for a living never even heard of lugcentric....

 

[tc1959]

copy this to you phone to educate the "technician" next time your doing a wheel balance

Interesting, I have never seen one of those.

 

[bracketchev1221]

I’ve never had a problem balancing my lugcentric wheels through the center hub. Unless the wheel is poorly made the center of the hole is the center of the wheels.