Brake Drum Balance Weight - Tire Valve Stem
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06-08-2005, 00:01
Post: #1
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Brake Drum Balance Weight - Tire Valve Stem
I had a recent experience with my 89SP which may be of interest.
I thought I had heard an intermittent clanking noise coming from the right front wheel that sounded like a rock in the hubcap. I found nothing when I removed the cap and the wheel seemed tight. It only happened when rolling slowly. On the outbound leg of my last trip I noted a vibration at 70+ MPH which I thought might be an out of balance tire. I run Equal in my relatively new Michelin XZ2 tires so I could not understand why a tire would be out of balance. Stopped to check tires and all seemed in order. I continued on my way and either became accustomed to the vibration or it diminished. While stuck in stop-and-go traffic in Queens, New York I heard the noise which was now constant when rolling slowly. Also had plenty of opportunity to hear the noise. On return home I took it to the local spring shop that deals with chassis maintenance. The balancing weight on the original (1989) brake drum had broken loose from its weld, was trapped between the drum and the wheel and was the cause of the noise. They R&R the wheel and welded the weight back on. They said this was not the first time they had seen this. In addition to dinging up the rim the weight had beaten up the valve stem and valve cap to the point that the tire valve would have leaked but for the presence of the valve cap. It certainly had the potential to hit the valve stem hard enough to break it off but I was lucky. Depending on where the weight happened to be when I got underway the balance changed and with it the amount of vibration. If you shine a flashlight through the holes in the rim and you can see the weight on the front drum. The rears are more difficult. On walk-arrounds, eyeball the valve stems to check for bends. Once again more difficult on the rears. Moral of the story; when a BlueBird speaks you better listen and not quit trying to understand what it is telling you. |
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Brake Drum Balance Weight - Tire Valve Stem - fred89sp - 06-08-2005 00:01
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