Old wheel balancer question???

JD Seller

Well-known Member
How did the old Hunter wheel balancers work that spun the wheel on the car??? My Father always thought they were the best thing since they balanced the drum/rotor too. I remember seeing them sued but never thought to asked how they worked. I know that the car was jacked up and the unit rolled under the tire and spun it while the tire stayed on the car. That is the limit of what I remember.
 
I vagley remember a strobe type lite, like timing lite, with a cord hooked to machine. Where to install weight is what have no idea.
 
They had some kind of ring that fastened to the wheel. I am guessing that after being spun, it showed where to put the weights. I remembering seeing them at the 'good' garages when I was a kid. Now you have me wanting to learn more about them.

Garry
 
There were several types. One had a sensor that attached to the axle or A frame with a magnet and flashed a strobe at the tire. You put the weight at the top or bottom, the amount indicated by a dial IIRC. The type I used a lot when I was in the business had an adapter hub that expanded onto the wheel (13", 14" or 15") and a device clamped to that. As the wheel spun the operator would hold (from turning) one of 4 small dials. One added weight, one subtracted weight, one shifted weight clockwise and the last shifted it ccw until it stopped vibrating. I didn't think either were all that great but they sure impressed the customers with the show and it was easier to get them to part with their money. I remember once spinning a wheel up to high speed only to find it just rolled through fresh dog crap. Gives one a true understanding of the saying "S**t hitting the fan".
 
I used to use them at the Pontiac dealer in lower SC. There were 4 rings in the center of the unit. You clamped on the balancer and spun the tire. Then you used 1 ring to add weight, 1 ring to remove weight, 1 ring to move the weight clockwise, and the last to move weight counterclockwise. You did this until you got the wheel to run smoothly.It gave you the weight needed and where to put it. If you had a large amount of weight, you needed to split it between the inside and outside.
This balanced the wheel, and tire, and drum and hub together. Once you moved the wheel's position you had to do it again. HTH
 
When I was growing up at my dads garage that's all we had, used it up to the mid 80's.

There was a rubber coated adapter that fit each size wheel, 13, 14, and 15 inch. Had to be very careful putting it on the wheel that it didn't come off, wheel had to be dry and clean. Never had it come off, but could have been really bad if it did!

Then the big red balancer attached to the adapter. There were 4 knobs in the center of the balancer. One knob added weight, the other removed weight. The other 2 moved the weight around the wheel.

With the front wheels jacked up about 2 inches off the ground, you rolled an electric "spinner" up against the tire, and spun the wheel up to the worst out of balance speed. Then by holding the weight on knob, add a little weight, then hold one of the knobs that moved the weight around the wheel until it began to smooth out. Then just played the weight on/off knobs, and moved the weight around until it got the smoothest point. When you stopped the wheel, the balancer had an arrow and a scale that told where and how much weight to put on the wheel. Usually had to do it several times to get it right. It was all done by feel, nothing electronic about it.

To do a rear wheel, you had to have a trusted assistant to run the throttle with one wheel off the ground. For posi-track you had to jack both wheels up and take the other wheel off.

The balancer worked well, took some practice to learn all the tricks. For some reason, with a new tire, you had to put 1/2 the weight on that it called for. Otherwise it would come back bouncing. Never did figure that one out!
 
They worked slick, install expander in rim, put the next piece with the 4 adjustable spools on, throw a grease rag on the fender, spin the wheel, work the spools until the rag quits shaking. Jack up one rear wheel, have somebody drive while you balance, do other rear the same. If it has positraction one wheel comes off. Ever now and then the expander would slip off the wheel and turn into a missile.
Haven't used one in 45 years but that's what I remember.
 
The old guy used to smile when I came in so he could use that "old" machine.He'd open the big door on my '61 Ford and tune it smooth with his hand on the door and really tune it from 60 to 80
 
The hunters worked well so long as the clamp on balancer was properly calibrated and they did require periodic recalibration.

I much preferred the Alemite strobe light system as it never needed recalibration. Though it required more of a learning curve it would balance both statically and dynamically and was more accurate than the Hunter. Of course, it also balanced the entire rotating assembly.

Dean
 
Not true, The Alemite strobe light balancer balanced statically and dynamically. It was a much better system than the Hunter but more difficult to learn how to use properly.

Dean
 
When the disc brakes came out sometimes the pads had to be pryed back to get up to speed.
 
I worked part time at a tire store in the 60's when I was in college. I used one many times. You would jack one rear wheel off the ground, put the retainer ring on rim, 13,14, or 15 inch ring. The balancing device clipped to ring in 4 place. The balancing device has 4 places you would hold with one finger to increase the amount of the weight and move the weight to the place that would minimumise vibrations on car. You would hold other hand on car fender or look at mirror to see vibrations generations.

A person inside the car would increase the speed to 60 mph, 120 mph wheel speed. As the wheel speed would decrease, you may find a harmonic vibration, which you would try to eliminate. Sometimes you you would add a weight and try again. You had no idea if weight goes on the inside or outside of rim, Just guess and try again.

To balance the front tires, you had a motor with an iron wheel that would spin the tire up to 120 mph.

I used to have a dynamic wheel balancer like I used in my College days, but sold it. Only good on the old iron rims. No good on newer style rims.

It takes some time to get over the idea you are putting your hand next to a device spinning at 120 mph. It always made me a little nervous. I never got hurt.
 
I loved those old Hunter balancers. I remember the alignment guy who taught me to use it saying you could use one to make a concrete block run smoothly. One drawback was that you couldn't rotate tires without rebalancing because the brake drum was part of the balance equation and might differ on each hub.
 
My dad was master at one, I never did figure it out, they worked real well, because you could spin the wheel up to about 90.
 

I have a old VW with the big spaced 5 lug wheel. Couldn't find anyone that had adapter for their computer machine or anyone that had the old hunter mentioned above. I read about putting bb's in the tire. I tried and it works good/
 
The latches on the balancer were oriented so that they were dangerous, my dad always told me they would peel my knee cap off if I got into them.
 
the part that mounted to the wheel had 4 little wheels in the center. By holding one at a time it moved a set of weights inside the disc for weight and position and had a scale for the amount of weight and where to put it. They worked the best at the equivalent of about 50 - 60 mph.

My latest hunter balances and road forces at about 3 mph. pretty amazing
 
I worked in a gas station in 1965 that had one with the strobe light. I was a grunt, and wasn't involved with the actual thinking, but I remember the boss balancing a nickel on edge on the front fender of a '64 Olds and running it up to 100+ MPH without dumping the nickel. Seems like the speedo ran off of the left front wheel in that car, and now I wonder if I just dreamed that.
 
I think that you dreamed part of it.

The speedo cable connected to the transmission tailshaft and the motor unit that powered the front wheels would spin the wheels only to somewhere near 70 MPH for both Hunter and Alemite balancers.

Normal practice using the hunter was to rest ones hand on the front fender or quarter panel with the index finger extended. Then one adjusted the knobs on the wheel unit to minimize vibration of the finger. Then add the weight in the amount and location indicated. Of course this only worked if the wheel unit(s) were properly calibrated and they usually were not.

The Alemite required more skill but was more accurate and faster once mastered.

Dean
 
(quoted from post at 09:56:42 01/26/17) I worked in a gas station in 1965 that had one with the strobe light. I was a grunt, and wasn't involved with the actual thinking, but I remember the boss balancing a nickel on edge on the front fender of a '64 Olds and running it up to 100+ MPH without dumping the nickel. Seems like the speedo ran off of the left front wheel in that car, and now I wonder if I just dreamed that.

My grandfather drove Oldsmobiles from that era and I remember them as having the speedometer driven from a front wheel. One also had a speedometer that didn't have a needle but an indicator that moved horizontaly across the instrument below the numbers.
 
I wondered if I had dreamed that about the speedo on the front wheel. No David - this particular Olds was probably an 88 or 98, and I can think of no logical reason for the speedo being driven differently.

Afterthought - I searched "64 Olds Front Wheel Speedometer Drive?" and came up with a couple of sites that for some reason I can't link to. One advertises a replacement cable for 63-64 Olds front drive speedometers ($285). So - I want to think that car had an odd speedo drive, but. . .
 
Toronado has speedo drive on the left front wheel (IIRC) but did not debut until 1966.

Dean
 
Could be.

I have very vague recollections from my service station days about unusual front wheel driven speedometers on rear wheel driven cars.

Perhaps it was Olds. Olds was still somewhat innovative in the 60s.

Dean
 
My father had a 61 olds with the horizontal speedometer.

Similar horizontal speedometers were not unusual in that era but front wheel driven speedometers were.

Dean
 
This is your lucky day!! I have a Hunter, 2 Alemite and 2 Bear balancers which I no longer need. Located in Marissa, IL which is 50 miles SE of St. Louis. Email or call ahead if you're coming by since I could be gone to Florida this time of year.
 
Chevrolet Corvairs had front wheel drive on speedometer. Spindle was drilled and cable fed through from backside. Actual drive was a small rod with a square hole in it on inside of wheel cover. If you forgot cover or weren't careful with install you lost speedometer. Corvairs were rear engine/transmission units, and driving off rear would have difficult. Think they may have driven later models from the rear however. Memory fades after nearly 50 years!
 
Rear engine Corvairs all had speedometers driven from the left front wheel. I had several.

The speedometer cable connected to a brass connector in the inside of the spindle cover.

Dean
 
For the record, I had a couple of '64 Olds 88's with the speedo driving off the left front wheel hub.
 
VW beetles and square backs etc. Had front left wheel as the speedo drive. Little square hole in the bearing greese cap. Cable came through and had a little "C" clip. A bit of a gut wrenching experience is when you are driving in deep slush and all of a sudden the speedo drops to zero. Front left wheel is sliding on the snow. Wakes you up a little bit !
 
I loved that old Hunter system...1966ish. Nothing better then to balance the tire 'still on the car'.
made my GTO run down the road, as smooth as glass.
 
For many years, I balanced my own tires and wheels. For driven wheels, jack up and place blocking under axle. Place a weight, say 1oz, at a spot on the rim and spin with engine. Move the weight and repeat until you find the least vibration. Then vary the weight until you find the least vibration. Balance is balance. Leaving a door open helps monitor the vibration. The mechanical system basically did the above.
 
I watched it done and helped the operator move the discs back and forth and yes 90 mph was the stated speed. Really a trick to see the fender and front bumper bounding up and down or vibrating as the weights were changed. Finally it was smooth as silk. I tried it a few times but was working part time in high school and wasn't able to get educated.

I really doubt they's work on today's tires since they balance both sides of the tire, like my 275/55x20's on alum wheels. 670x15 was the normal tire back then, 710 was a maybe, on occasion an Olds would come in with an 825. No Caddies, nobody could afford one.
 
Deloreans also used the VW style speedometer cable system. I thought that was an odd thing since the car was supposed to be so advanced for its time.
There were 3 Deloreans in Little Rock in the 80's~90's and I worked on two of them. I got the work because I was servicing and repairing Peugeots at the time.
BillL
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top