How do you do it? Todays balancers won't work and I don't even remember if a bubble balancer will do it. Thanks for your help.
I took mine to Coker in Chattanooga for this very reason.... That doesn't help you in Ohio though. I had considered buying one "wide 5 to a standard bolt pattern" adapter from Speedway just in case I ever needed tire help on the road. Sold the car though. JH
Some guys used a thick steel adapter to run wide-5 rims on regular pattern hubs, at least back in the day, I think they're obsolete now. Check with some racing guys and see if anyone has some old rims with an adapter on them they want to get rid of - my buddy was able to pick up three of them a while back for like $20. Rims, tires, adapters and all. Guys with the Pontiac 8-lugs have the same problem, had me wondering if the same adapter could be drilled for that pattern, but I never measured the circles to see for sure.
There's someone selling an adapter plate for Pontiac 8 lugs so they can be balanced on a modern machine, I see them on eBay from time to time. I'd think any competent machinist could make one, it's just a flat disk with lug bolts around the edge and a hole in the middle. Something else that can be done with the Pontiac wheels, at least for the rear ones, is to take the brake drum off the car and put the whole wheel drum ***embly on the balancing machine. Don't know if that's possible with the wide 5 wheels and drums, though.
got a circle track near you ?If you do find out who their tire man is or just take your wheels and tires to the track.Ford wide 5 is the same wheels run on modifieds today.the other possibility is to find a tire shop that balances on the car we had Bear Balancers at 3 shops I worked at that were for this the upside of this is everything that turns gets balanced in one shot.Off the car the speedway will be your best shot.you can also get wheel adapters for wide 5 rims from somebody like Speedway motors then the wheels can go on any tire machine!Pick up a copy of Stock Car or Circle track magazine for circle track dealers
He's right, you can purchase the adapter from SO-CAL.. From the wide wide 5 to Chevy or small Ford, What has worked best for me in long lasting, and high speed,, is having the tires cut across the top TRUING them, them F@!$#!ERS AINT ROUND! any Sprint car shop can do this, or Bonnievill guys sometimes have the set up, trust me, it does wonders. ~S
The old Ammco bubble balancers had a VW 5-lug adapter. If you could find one, maybe the pattern is the same as the wide-5?
I've got a Wide-5 to Standard-5 adapter that I leave with my wheels and tires when I have them mounted and balanced. With my race tires, I just do it by hand with s****s. You'd be amazed how quickly you can mount/unmount a tire after you've done them that way for a while, even if you have to break the bead off the wheel. Performance street tires are a different story though, there just isn't enough sidewall on most of them to mount 'em by hand. I've tried, but I always end up taking them to someone with a machine. Just not enough flex and stretch in the carcase. I usually try to find shops with those new fangled tire machines that grab the rim of the wheel to secure them down for mounting, instead of using that big*** nut through the center. Those machines can break down/mount wide-5 wheels no problem, without any adapter at all. For balancing, I usually just tell them to spin the adapter plate onto their balance machine and cinch it down. You then just mount the wheel/tire ***embly with the lugs like you would to a hub. They can leave that adapter on the machine and just swap out each wheel for balancing. It works pretty good, but you're gonna have to explain the adapter to them on the first go-round. Every shop I've taken Wide-5 stuff to, the tire man has looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears when I first showed him the wheels. Usually followed by something akin to, "What the hell's that fit?".
I drove my car to a guy that does big truck front end work and he had a spin balancer that spun my tires on the car.
Is this what you are looking for? Wide five adapter with correct 1/2" studs. Can be purchased as pair or individually for wheel balancer.if interested pm.
I took a wide 5 mechanical brake hub and cut the drum off on the lathe,then cut a new hole in the center and use it on a bubble balancer.
I'd go with the guys who say take it to a shop that has an on the car spin balancer. There is one model that uses a strobe that doesn't have anything attached to the wheel that can be used to get a perfect balance job in the right hands. I'm not sure that the Hunters had 16 inch adapters to hook the balancer unit to the rim. Check with the older tire shops in town that have been in the same location for the past 30 years or so. After doing a search, a truck shop or truck tire shop may be your best bet these days. http://www.hunter.com/PUB/PRODUCT/balancer/900T-1/index.htm
Freebie alert! I own a single wide 5 hub with no drum; too dirty to use as a doorstop, utterly useless except as a possible balancer adaptor. Free to anyone who wants to pick it up. Don't even ask about shipping. NONONO. My life is now utter hellish chaos, no time at all except work and medical ****. If anybody wants it, tell me and I'll leave it on my porch. Bruce
Why wouldn't you just mount your drum/hub combo and balance the whole deal? Many balancing issues are attributed to brake drums, balance them too. I know that rotating the tires will be an issue, but since most of our cars run big and little combos, what problem would there be in rotating the drum and hub at the same time?
Bruce, I'm just getting started on my build and will be going with the wide 5 wheels. If no one else grabs it, I'm interested. I'm south of you, a little over an hour. J. Clear
J. Clear...you have it. Just let me know whenever you have a chance to drive up this way. Part can be close to rte 287 or close to 78/24 as needed...
That's what I did, hangs in the garage till I need it. Or anyone else that I know. I have a spare so I don't need to carrying it with me.
Mines a little different, but not much. I've gotta have 5/8" studs 'cause of the wheels and hubs I'm running. A-Dapter: Wheels & Tires I had mounted this week: They're dirty and wet 'cause it was raining like a mad ******* when I brought them back from the tire shop.
Contact Speedwaymotors.com or call 1-800-979-0122 and order: PN# 91658253 Wide five wheel adapter $50.00 and (5) lug nuts /fine thread PN# 91003913 $.65 cents each. Any shop will be able to spin balance them!! prices are from 10/1/2011 $$$$
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