Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Balancing M3W Front Wheels

Needed to have one of the front wheels balanced on my M3W recently. However, I could not find anyone in my area able or willing to balance it. The motorcycle (Harley Davidson and others) guys said that it won't fit on their balancer and the car tire places said that it wouldn't fit on their machines either. Even if they'd been able to fit the wheel, none of them had the proper "cone and cup" set up for wire wheels. So, out of frustration, I purchased my own equipment - a motorcycle tire balancing stand (large enough to fit that 19" wheel plus the tire), a Moss Motors' wire wheel cup and cone set, and some round, rubber spacers (sold as Neoprene Round Anti Vibration Isolation Pads - 1.57" OD, 0.47" ID, and 1.57" Thick). The rubber spacers fit snugly around the 0.5" rod / axel of the balancing stand. The 1,57" OD means the rubber spacers holds the cup and cone pieces firmly centered on the rod. Seems to work well.

Sharing a couple of photos for comment and feedback. Suggestions for improvements welcome. What do other people use?

Some years ago I bought just the cone and cup set for both 42 and 52mm spline diameter wire wheels (which covers all the common British makes). I take them with me when ever I have tires mounted and balanced, and it's worked well for the shops I've used.

There is the solution to do it without removing the wheel from the vehicle by spreading the brake pads to free the wheel this works well if the bearings with the oil seals have mileage, currently I do it with spare parts that I have in duplicate without oil seal and bearings lubricate with wd40 all tightened in the vice fixed on the workbench,
5 grams can make the wheel turn.

Same here. Works really well, I just push the pads back or take them out if I'm feeling like cleaning the calipers and don't even need to WD40 the seals, the bearings turn so freely.

I'm sorry to hurt your eyes with all the mess in my workshop.

That's quite a setup!

I have been using something similar to this for several years for the M3W front wheels. They are not wide so inner and outer rim balancing is not an issue. Pretty crude but it works well with our narrow front wheels.

I use one on my trads and it actually works!

I know this will be considered “snake oil” but I use “dyna beads” on the Morgan and the MGA and they work great. Just a bit fiddley to pour down the valve stem. 3 ounces per wheel.

Interesting. So do you put the Dyna Beads into the tube or into the tire?