34 Ford build

enjenjo · September 27, 2014, 01:14:37 PM

I have a 34 Ford here that has a problem with wheel tramp between 52 and 54 mph. He has installed new rotors, new tires, twice, new wheels, no change to the problem.

Any ideas?

wayne petty · September 27, 2014, 01:23:32 PM

yes...

do you have access to a wheel spin balancer... or a static balancer..

http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-balancing-stand-98488.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-wheel-balancer-39741.html

that will allow you to check the balance of the brake drums/discs..

when worried about small block ford and other flywheels.. i have taken them to the tire shop to see if they spin up to the same out of balance.. a quick and easy test to verify that it won't vibrate your teeth out when you start the engine.. 28 ounce inch verses 50 ounce inch differences..

Digger · September 27, 2014, 01:28:44 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"I have a 34 Ford here that has a problem with wheel tramp between 52 and 54 mph. He has installed new rotors, new tires, twice, new wheels, no change to the problem.

Any ideas?

I have run into a couple of cars with what felt like a wheel vibration or shudder feeling that actually turned out to be the lockup converter acting up. It was always between 50 and 60 mph. (just a thought)

enjenjo · September 27, 2014, 03:12:01 PM

Quotedo you have access to a wheel spin balancer... or a static balancer..

Yes, I will take them over monday. I would like to find someone who could spin them on the car, but no luck so far.

QuoteI have run into a couple of cars with what felt like a wheel vibration or shudder feeling that actually turned out to be the lockup converter acting up. It was always between 50 and 60 mph. (just a thought)

No lockup convertor, 73 model trans. It shakes the fenders, and you can feel it in the steering wheel. Straight axle, Mustang steering box

phat46 · September 27, 2014, 03:42:48 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"
Quotedo you have access to a wheel spin balancer... or a static balancer..

Yes, I will take them over monday. I would like to find someone who could spin them on the car, but no luck so far.

QuoteI have run into a couple of cars with what felt like a wheel vibration or shudder feeling that actually turned out to be the lockup converter acting up. It was always between 50 and 60 mph. (just a thought)

No lockup convertor, 73 model trans. It shakes the fenders, and you can feel it in the steering wheel. Straight axle, Mustang steering box

I'm sure you've checked the wheel bearing and kingpins, but that's all I got.

wayne petty · September 27, 2014, 03:55:55 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"I would like to find someone who could spin them on the car, but no luck so far.

creative power tool use..

got an angle grinder.. or angle polisher you might be able to find something like a foam pad to touch the edge of it to the tread to spin the tire up your self to isolate the wheel..

you might even be able to spin up just the rotor and hub with the wheel removed.

a hole saw and arbor.. with a section of straight radiator hose over it and clamped on with several clamps ONLY to the hole saw blade. in a decent sized drill placed against the bearing dust cap to spin the wheel up. pressed against is the key word here.. kinda like starting a model airplane with the spinner cap ..

kb426 · September 27, 2014, 05:44:15 PM

I'm with Phat46 but is there a chance that there is a crack in the frame or something strange that when the harmonics are just right, the vibration happens? If you put it into second instead of 3rd, does it do the same thing? Have you coasted in neutral with the engine shut off?

enjenjo · September 27, 2014, 05:58:22 PM

The plot thickens. I pulled the front tires to check spindles and bearings, and I can find no wheel weights ion either wheel. It could be he has a really nice pair of wheels and tires, but I am not buying it.

Charlie Chops 1940 · September 27, 2014, 10:30:12 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"The plot thickens. I pulled the front tires to check spindles and bearings, and I can find no wheel weights ion either wheel. It could be he has a really nice pair of wheels and tires, but I am not buying it.

BINGO! I don't think I've ever had a pair of tires and wheels that didn't need balancing - much less even a single.

wayne petty · September 28, 2014, 11:28:15 PM

many many many years ago.. i did it...without weights..

i match marked the tires.. so i knew were they were.. i figured out where i needed to add weights and used less but marked the weight on the tire and added about 1/4 of the needed in tire patches glued inside the tire..

yes.. i demounted and remounted them a bunch of times.. but i got it perfect.. without weights on the outside.

i actually spent a while with my buffer on the tool for the coats 40-40A so it was perfectly smooth and these were steel wheels.

why only 1/4 the weight.. because the tire patches were much farther out and far more effective..

i watched my school teacher balance the hollow aluminum front wheels on his streamliner.. no rubber.. he came back and said that the scta was kinda upset with him.. as he had already gone well over 200 MPH before they saw them on the car in the pits.. he had spun them up to some crazy RPM on a lathe as i recall prior to putting them on the car.

enjenjo · October 07, 2014, 01:22:33 AM

Update on the 34. I took the tires in to be balanced today. One was dead nuts on, and within .020" of being perfectly round. The other was out of balance by 2 1/4 oz, and out of round by .100". My tire store buddy balanced the one tire, and put 4 oz of tire beads in each one. We'll see if that does it.

I am also replacing the front spring to get rid of the lean to the right, readjusting the 4 bars at each end to get the bind out of it, correcting the angles on the rear upper links,and reworking the drag link for sharper turns.

wayne petty · October 07, 2014, 08:04:08 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Update on the 34. I took the tires in to be balanced today. One was dead nuts on, and within .020" of being perfectly round. The other was out of balance by 2 1/4 oz, and out of round by .100". My tire store buddy balanced the one tire, and put 4 oz of tire beads in each one. We'll see if that does it.

one last thing... about the run out.. once you get the car reassembled..

take it out for a run.. get the tires worked in.. so the flat spots are gone... have the tire shop set up a pair of floor jacks while you do the loop around the block a few more times.. as soon as you stop at the shop. they should be jacking up the car to get the weight off the tires so they don't end up with flat spots or seemingly out of round issues because of one section resting against the floor cooling off or taking a set because of it.

i know this sounds like the stuff you flush.. but .. i have tried to rebalance cold tires before..

enjenjo · November 12, 2014, 10:22:57 PM

I got back to the 34 today, I had not worked on it since I changed the perch pins. I started putting the front end back together, and found that the panhard bar bracket interfered with the sway bar links. It was also on a bind when connected to the frame. So I reworked the bracket so it will clear every thing, and move without binding.

enjenjo · November 13, 2014, 07:47:38 PM

I went to install the Panhard bar in front, the adjusting end was frozen in the bar. Heat, oil. paraffin, nothing would loosen it up. It finally broke off flush. I had to drill and retap the bar, as it would not come out even after I drilled to the threads. So I am now at the same place I was yesterday, ready to install the Panhard bar.

enjenjo · November 15, 2014, 08:34:27 PM

I was supposed to be splitting wood today, but some one had stolen the splitter from the tool rental, so I put the front end of the 34 back together. Now I get to start on the rear.