Coupled Forces

Why using less weight is not a shortcut

In our July issue on page 26, the article titled "Less Weight, Great Balance" (or at www.brakeandfrontend.com) answered a lot of questions, but it also brought up some new ones. The article was on the new technology that many new balancers are featuring that can reduce the amount of weight a tire balancer uses.

The technology comes at a time when lead weights could be phased out in the next two years. Replacement weights will be more costly for shops. Also, when was the last time you were able to increase your prices for balancing?

But, the technology is showing that a better balance can be achieved with less weight. The technology works by giving the balancer software that can analysis wheel forces and rationalize the weight placement in a manner that older balancers could not. Here are two questions purposed be a few of our readers.

"What is the difference between forces and the associated correction weight used to balance?"

Keep in mind that as a force remains constant, the correction weight size must change as a new correction weight location is chosen. The correction weights must become larger or smaller as the distances, widths and diameters of the weight locations change. A good analogy is like having to pull on a short wrench harder to loosen a nut because it is shorter than a socket with a long 'breaker' bar. Flangeless wheel designs are...