Topic: Tire mounting and wheel balancing

[sparky65]

I am getting ready to tackle the wheels so I have a few questions.  I plan on removing the existing tires, valve stems, and wheel weights and having the bare steel wheels media blasted.  Then I'll paint them.  The question is should the area where the tire seals to the rim be masked off before blasting and painting?    Then I need to take them somewhere to get mounted and balanced.  Any special instructions I need to leave them with besides try not to scratch the nicely painted wheels?  Should I buy special valve stems or just specify the length and change the caps later?  What about the wheel weights?  I guess they need to use whatever they have unless there are correct versions available but I haven't seen them.  Can I ask them to keep all the weights on the outside face so they are under the hub cap or do they need to be on the inside so that the hub cap fits?  Do they need any special equipment for bias-ply tires?  I would think it makes no difference.

[CharlesTurner]

When you refinish the rims, be sure to use an epoxy primer on bare steel followed by a nice catalyzed topcoat.

For the valve stems, get the dill ones that NPD sells in their catalog, believe the std. size is 1.5".  Wheel weights can go either way.  Seen a lot of unrestored cars with original tires and no wheel weights on the outer rim and then seen some with them on the outer rim.  Don't think anyone would question either way.

They shouldn't need any special equipment, should install like any other tire.  It will be near impossible for them to keep from marking the inside of the rims.  You can ask them to be careful though.

[sparky65]

Yea I was hoping the valve stems would be available locally so I didn't have to ship them.

So nothing special with the wheel weights?

[TLea]

There were several manufacters. Some have a diamond, MICRO to name a few

[sparky65]

Seems like the MICRO ones are reproduced for the corvette guys.  What do you do buy a bunch of each?  Can they put the wheels on the balancing machine and figure out which weight sizes you need?

[CharlesTurner]

You have to buy different sizes if you intend to have the wheels actually balanced.  Might could clip some large ones down to the weight needed, but be a little challenging to get them to look right.

[sparky65]

Actually found some MICRO weights on some of my wheels.  Whats the best way to remove them so that they can be re-used.  Looks like they just clip on there and you could pop them off with a screw drive but I would like to know before i damage them.

[sparky65]

do you think this is an original or did originals not have the metric numbers?

[sparky65]

When you refinish the rims, be sure to use an epoxy primer on bare steel followed by a nice catalyzed topcoat.

Would this be a good application for powder coating?

[CharlesTurner]

Would this be a good application for powder coating?

Think the build would look too thick and have a somewhat fake look to the surface.  At least that's how most powder-coated pieces have looked to me in the past.

[Brant]

do you think this is an original or did originals not have the metric numbers?

Metric weights were not used back in the sixties.  You need to look for old weights.

[sparky65]

Ok.  Looks like the non metric versions are hard to find.  Would it be better to not balance the tires or to balance them with the wrong weights?  Considering I probably wont be putting many miles on this car.  Just dont know how many points this detail is worth?  I am kind of leaning to go the no balance route while I slowly collect some weights and then try to balance them later.  I figure if I have them balanced with the wrong weights They will destroy the paint if I do find some correct ones.

[bryancobb]

Would this be a good application for powder coating?

Absolutely no powder coat.  I have a hard time keeping air in my Grasshopper tires because air seeps between the metal and the coating and leaks out around the bead.