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-----Original Message-----
From: mblair1@home.net <mblair1@home.net>
To: Military Vehicles List <mil-veh@uller.skylee.com>
Date: Monday, February 07, 2000 11:55 PM
Subject: [MV] Bubble balancer for MV wheels?
>*This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(tm) Pro*
>
>Ok, being the stubborn, independent, hard-headed guy that I am, I have
>decided that I want to service my own 8-bolt M998 HMMWV wheels. I'm
>still afraid of split-ring rims, and I won't dig inside a mechanical
>fuel injection pump, but otherwise I want to do as much of my own work
>on my green trucks as I can.
>
>Now, the depressurize-unbolt-swearalot-breakbead-inspect-
You forgot a wire brush to clean the rust and rubber/seal compound from
the inside of the wheel and bead rim area
reassemble-
>hide-clench-seatbead-searchforsurvivors process sounds pretty
>straightforward, but I also want to get my hands on a suitable
>inexpensive bubble balancer so I can balance the wheels myself.
>
>I've found bubble balancers in on-line catalogs from various sources,
>including Harbor Freight, J.C. Whitney, etc. Most of them seem to have
>identical-looking units, with prices ranging from $70 to $220 (?!).
>J.C. Whitney also carries a second model. None of the descriptions I
>have seen tell me enough to figure out whether the balancers will be
>compatible with my HMMWV wheels' weight, hub hole diameter or bolt
>pattern.
>
>The $70 Harbor Freight one can be seen at:
>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/taf/DisplayItem.taf?ItemNumber=39741
>
>J.C. Whitney carries two models, the first one appearing identical to
>the Harbor Freight one, but selling for $190, and the second one
>selling for $70:
>
> http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml?CATID=5174
> http://www.jcwhitney.com/product.jhtml?CATID=5181
>
>I've seen ones which appear identical to the Harbor Freight balancer
>at one or two other places, selling for around $200. NAPA also sells
>one for around $220. I haven't seen the one they currently offer, but
>I've seen a picture of an older NAPA bubble balancer in an Ebay
>auction a while back, and it appeared identical to the Harbor Freight
>model.
>
Why purchase a bubble balancer when all it is a bubble with a support for
the
wheel?
Go to your local mechanic you frequent and ask the owner if he has a good
used bubble balance unit you could buy. I f he doesn't have one ask if he
knows who might, garage owners do talk to each other. Most garages have gone
to electronic/computerized balancers as they are much more accurate and
either throw in the trash or throw the old bubble units out in the back of
the garage to get them out of the way. Seems you might be able to pick one
up for short money versus new.
>Does anybody know from personal experience whether any of the units I
>mentioned are compatible with my HMMWV wheels? In addition, would any
>of them be compatible with the 200-pound 9.00x20 wheels on my 2.5-ton?
>Are any adapters necessary for either wheel? Will the cheapoid Harbor
>Freight model's high-tech aluminium-Bakelite alloy crumble to dust
>after a few of those heavy wheels have visited?
>
>I figured I might buy an appropriate bead-breaking tool (either a
>traditional tire hammer,
The traditional tire hammer is preferred...You haven't been in a battle till
you try to take off a tire bead that's "baked" on the rim Rust and heat WILL
do that without a lot of miles being driven on them. A slidehammer will
frustrate you and raise your blood pressure very fast when you discover you
have bought the wrong tool.
Hint: Speak to a heavy truck mechanic about tire alignment and he will show
you the easiest way to align tires, requires a spray can of (generally)
yellow paint and a long adjustable board/rod with 2 spikes at the ends.
Essentially simple...jack up one end of the vehicle and spin tire and spray
a solid line on the center of the tire
and after setting the measuring rod/board to the proper length with one tire
spinning set the spike on the tire that is not spinning in the center of
the tread and the other end gently against the tire at an angle to create a
line in the paint which will show you where the alignment is. Simple though
my explanation may not be!!
or the slide-hammer variety) from Ken-Tool
>--
>Mark J. Blair, KE6MYK <mblair1@home.net>
>PGP 2.6.2 public key available from http://pgp.ai.mit.edu/
>Web page: http://www.qsl.net/ke6myk/
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James Shanks
The Line Below is my Ham Radio Callsign
n1vbn@bit-net.com
The line below is my Ham Radio Packet Address
n1vbn@N1VBN @ WB1DSW.NH.USA.NOAM
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