How to balance your tires at home and how to modify your Harbor Freight/Amazon bubble balancer!
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- Опубликовано: 16 июн 2023
- On this episode of Mad Ginger Customs we take a Harbor Freight/Amazon Bubble Balancer, and we modify it to work amazing!!! One simple trick and the best part is it's FREE!!! Do it yourself and save your hard-earned money!!
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My grandpa taught me how to use one of these almost 30 years ago, I finally bought one at harbor freight today and I'm glad you saved me a ton of of precious brain power to make it work right
Hope this helps! Thanks for watching!
I can absolutely confirm- this WORKS. I watched this vid last night, it 'sorta' made sense but I told myself, I'll try it tomorrow and see what happens. I widened the hole about 5/16" being careful not to go too deep because I didn't want to disturb where the actual 'head of the pin' was going to rest. I just left enough room so the little shaft didn't run against anything. ONLY the point was touching the cone assembly. Well- right away, I could tell there was a huge difference. The cone assembly didn't 'settle' right away- and that was without the wheel even being placed in position. Then I put on a wheel that was supposed to be 'balanced' - not even close. I removed all the weights I put on and started all over only this time, with this 'new' setup- I got it right. I did both front tires, took the car for a ride- no vibration @ 50MPH- no vibration @90MPH. I was beside myself. Anyway- THANK YOU for making this vid.
Thanks for coming back and commenting after trying it!
My Harbor Freight balancer is sitting in the shed this past 20 years because I couldn't get the damm thing to balance right. Use to do static balancing at a gas station during college. Thanks for sharing the moods to the tire changer and balancer.
Thanks for checking out the video!
If your bubble is inside that circle, you are good to go. There is so much unsprung weight in those old wheels and suspension that you don't have to be perfect. Most balance issues will show up at the 55/60 mph mark. If you are smooth there, you are good. Bubble balance takes care of the static balance which is 95% of the issue. Splitting the weight between the inside and outside takes care of the dynamic balance for the most part, the last 5%. Great video!
Great, thanks for watching!
@@madgingercustomsthank you very much. I have one and gave up on it due to the same problem. I could not get repeatable results. I will drill mine out now.
Man, it's best car channel i found in my life. The exact thing regular guy do in garage. Thank you. I was looking for diy tire change vid for a while and finally ended up with here.
Thanks for finding us and the kind words!!
Old school here love it. Restore
I just did this to mine. What a difference. It swings for days now and centers perfectly. Thank you brother🤙
Glad this video helped!!
Thank you. This is another one of those videos that provide great information.
Thanks for watching!
Jess is the cutest little bubble balancer on RUclips! ❤
Awww thank you! 😊
@@MadGingerJess 🥰😘
Shouldn’t it now be Mad GingerS Customs?
@@bradfindley470 hmmm probably. But it doesn't have the same ring to it!
You guys make a great team, and awesome mod. Thanks.
Thanks for checking out our video!
Excellent job.very helpful.thanks you guys
Thanks for watching!
That was beautiful. I like it. Great job and makes a whole Lotta sense whole Lotta sense.
Thanks for checking out our video!
Top work, well explained, Cheers.
Thank you sir!
Great modification , thank you man
Thanks!
Great video! Entertaining and informative !
Thank you!
I just received my bubble balancer. I knew from watching several of these videos that it was basically a "kit" I would have to tune. Your video gives me hope that won't be too onerous a task. Thanks much!
I LOVE THIS. Thank you sooooo much!!!
Thanks for checking it out!
Great video! I love the budget-friendly approach and the friendly tone. The gratitude section at the end of each video is is pretty classy too. Cheers!
Love your comments!! We appreciate you!
Thanks for this, big help.
Thanks for watching!
Greeeeaaaaaaattttt video! Thanks! Great to see non-spastic, non-quick edit videos by real people. So much better than most videos on youtube! Keep up the great work!
Thanks!!
So much good info. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Great mod. I've seen several mods and this is by far the easiest and least expensive. This is only the second video that I have watched of yours and I have just subscribed. looking forward to seeing more of your stuff. You both make a great team by the way.
Thanks for subscribing!
I appreciate you getting back to me. Thank you….
Thank you for sharing,good job
Thanks for checking out our video!
You guys are adorable 😂 and absolutely love the diy content
Thanks for checking out our video!!
Thanks!! ❤
Thanks for the tip !
Thanks for watching!
The editing is hilarious! The explosion after hitting the weight had me cracking up.😂
And thanks for the mod knowledge. I came for the mod, I stayed due to the good energy, concise info, and the edits!
Perfect balance of entertaining and informative. Pun intended.
Good work!
Mental note, add more clips....... Got it! 😁
Pretty Kool 😮 I got the new HF Black tier changer still in a box, Awsome job drilling it to balance better.
I wonder if the black one is any different besides the paint? 🤔
Awesome video Great work !
Thanks!
Thanks I'll try it
Awesome
Best tip I've seen in some time. I just completed this mod and it's insane how much difference it made.
Awesome! It's amazing how much better it is than stock.
Great video guy's, thank you 👍
Thanks for checking it out!
Great static balancer!!!!
I've been changing my own tires for a couple decades to save a dime, and have recently noticed a very slight vib at around 70 mph in one of my vehicles. I have one of those harbor freight balancers, and am considering trying it out. Thanks for the pointers.
It's great to see how well you two work together! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Thanks for watching! We appreciate it.
Great job, on the modifications to the tire machine and wheel balancer ..
Thanks for watching the videos!!
Thank you for charing a great modification. I love how you both cooperate ♥️. I wished my wife was interested like your.
She will be on Mondays video. Hope to see you then!
Love it. You guys did great, and explained everything very well!!!
Thanks for checking out our video!
Thanks for encouraging all of us, I spent a few hours replacing 4 tires on aluminum rims today, using your videos as a great source of tips. I made a "contraption" to mount the duckbill similar to yours, and it really works well. I drilled the center of my balancer as well, works like a charm now. Thanks again
Awesome!! Glad it worked out!
Good stuff guys ,much respected
Thanks for checking out our video.
I just discovered your channel and what a great, informative, and entertaining channel for the DIY'er. They get 30 bucks a wheel here in long island and and now I see how I could use these tools and mods to do a pretty decent job on my 66 stang time and time again. Thank you both sooo much!
Thanks for the kind words!! We appreciate you spending time with us.
Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
You two work so well together, my wife and I are the same way. Love your content. I was actually wondering about that balancer and how well it would work and now I know. Thank you for doing this video and showing how easy the mods were.
Thank you for watching it!
Outstanding.
Thanks!!
Great info, brother. Watched the tire machine and the balancing. Jess is a keeper, too!
Thanks! And yes she is!
Hey thanks! I guess I'll stick around..😂😂
I'm 67 ... I was mounting and balancing tires (on a bubble balancer) when I was 15 at our local Western Auto! 1970-ish😜 (Would you want a 15 year old kid mounting and balancing your tires today unsupervised? 😁 ) Great memories! Don't remember anyone ever bringing tires back for balance issues! Another great video!!! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!! And I'm sure you were the right guy for the job, 15 years old or not!
That reasoning right there is why I decided to just get the tools and balance them myself. Over paying 40 bucks a tire for some kid to do it. Everything pays for it's self after the first set on my camper.
Well done! This is the second vid of yours I've seen, the first one being the tire changer mods.Great ideas and plan on reworking my HF tire changer. One mod i made on mine was putting a spring on the bead breaker. That way i dont have to hold it up and out of the way while I'm sliding tires in or out.Thanks for the vid and keep up the good work!
Thank you!
Wow! i just ordered one on Ebay. Will check for this point issue, and use the drill if its off. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for checking it out!
I've used mine on all my wheels with success so far and it's paid for itself easy , thanks for video great advice.
Thanks for watching!!
nice and simple.
It works well now. Honestly, 10 minutes to make it work way better!
Just found your channel tonight. You have a new subscriber
Thanks for subscribing!
No doubt that Jess is a champion. She is definitely a keeper brother. The looks she gives you sometimes are priceless. Thanks for sharing her with us. Thanks for the video👍👍🇨🇦
Thanks for watching! ❤
Good job
Thanks!
Great video good content. Keep it up!
Thanks for watching our videos!
Very nice video on how too use old school tools I’ll be getting one of those thanks
Thanks for watching!
Thank you Sir 👍
Thanks!
Liked you’re video!
Thanks!
Bought everything you folks have from princess auto up here in Canada 🇨🇦 works amazing after I did the mods
That's awesome!! Glad it's working for you!
Thank you 👍
Thanks for checking out our video!
Mine wobbles for a long time out of the box. This is a great idea for the ones that don’t !
I bet its just inconsistency in the brands and manufacturing. Some are way better that others! Thanks for checking it out!
I got one of them had it cents 1978 or before it’s old but still good. Great thinking again never wood of think that to do to it. But I’ll check it out thanks again for showing telling see ya next time see ya bye.
Thanks for watching!
That was a good tip......
Thanks!!
Just found your channel, enjoyed this video. I can't remember if it was in high school shop class, or the gas station I worked at while in high school. The bubble balancer I learned was pretty cool, because it had a lever to lift the bubble assembly to balance, after finding the weights needed, you would move the lever to lower the bubble assembly to a solid surface to hammer the weights on without having to take the tire off and back on for the recheck.
That sounds cool. Thanks for checking out our video!
So this is the second of your videos with the tire changer being the first and I just have to say, you have a great wife my friend. I imagine you two have a great time together as best friends busting each other's chops.
That's correct. She's hilarious!
You got yourself a subscriber! 👍🏽
We appreciate you!
I hope to get lucky with my china made wheel balancer I just ordered. I really wasn't expecting to make any modifications to anything when buying it. Thank you very much for making this video
Thanks for checking out the video!
I did what you did and drilled it out a bit, and now it wobbles long time rightly. Thanks again!
Thanks for checking in after trying it!!
The 14" set i put on my sons corolla dint have the red dot but the 17s of nexens did have the red dot i dont have a balancer yet so had to get them balanced the 17s i couldnt mount broke the changer and the tool that came with it i had alredy cut the ends off and welded them to a solid steel benh press bar thats made to hold a lot of weight and bent the crap out of trying to mount the 215/65/17s was going to buy a amazon install bar but after i watched your last video im going to go that rout. Thank you again for a great video!!! Have a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!
Give it a shot, it certainly makes it easy.
Nice one 👍
Thanks!
It nice job
Thanks!!
Just found you keep up the great content
Thanks for checking out our video!
Great fix to make a cheap product usable. I like to use balancing beads now, much easier and no need to rebalance. Used on 5 motorcycles and one car. Always have a smooth ride, even after 30k miles on a set of tires.
Yeah I think we will try balance beads next!
He is so excited over that marker. She is adorable
It's the little things in life.
Aw thank you! 😊
I'm buying one on my home from work. Great video and buy the way your wife is a keeper and has beautiful hair.
She is a keeper!
Thank you! ❤
Glad I got to see your video on this. I'm going to do that to my balancer. I thought that's what was wrong with mine, but I just wiggled and spun my tires a few times just to be sure that they will center each time. After 3 times then I marked the spot and then put my weights on. I balance my tires every time I rotate them.
I feel it works much better like this!
@madgingercustoms most definitely. Nothing there to bind it up.
You are the best couple on RUclips. So great to see Jess killin' it on the tires - and welding and all the rest of the actual real help she is!! You have convinced me to just buy a machine and a balancer, that's it, I'm doing it. I pay SO much money it's SUCH a waste of money taking wheels to a shop every time I want to do a change. I'm convinced with the mods you've show on the tire machine and on the balancer that it's WORTH IT. Thank you!
Thank you, so glad you enjoy the videos! 😊
You guys make a good couple
Man this brings me back. When i was a teen with no $$ my dad would make me change my truck tire with two large tire irons and a can of starting fluid to bead her up. The first time my friend and I worked on it for hours to no avail and my dad shook his head grabbed the irons and removed the tire and replaced it in just a few min bit i never could get it down it always took along time for me. Great channel btw keep it up.
Thanks for the kind words! Thanks for checking out our video.
It's too bad your dad was not better at passing his skills on to you. I was very fortunate in having a dad that was great at that.
Been watching for a while and the content just keeps getting better. Keep it going man
Thanks so much! We appreciate it!
OD Green Daluth. Very nice Army Veteran approved.
I love Duluth! 😊
i use an 1/8 inch ball bearing works great also raze the height of the bubble on a aluminum shaft about 4 in makes the bubble have a greater swing
Thanks for the tips!
Genius🎉
Thanks for watching!
I did read the patent filed 1957 for the Y method, the purpose was to enable a tire shop to only need to stock 3 different weights and still be able to balance any wheel. 0.6 oz & 1.6 oz & 2.25 oz. With normal balance method a shop would need to stock many different weights.
Thanks for the info!!
In 1964 when I was 19 and working at a gas station we balanced with a bubble balancer and never had anyone come back with a vibration problem. Now at 78 and still working on old cars I might just get one of those balancers and use your modification. Lefty
Awesome, thanks for watching!
good video
Thank you!
You two are awesome,if you have wife that will stop and help you hot or cold you hang on to her for dear life,just found your channel,keep the videos coming
Oh, I'm holding onto her!
Outstanding video! I've watched countless video's on how to fix the HF bubble balancers and saw everything from glass to lasers used to retrofit the things to get them to work when all we have to do is step drill the hole up to 3/8". Simple fix that doesn't cost anything but my time. Thank you for showing us this mod.
Thanks for watching it!
@@madgingercustoms Thank you for making the video. I did your mod on my bubble level today and it took all of 10 minutes and the results are perfect.
@@scottbeverly188 thanks for letting us know!!
Alright, you guys got the job. I'll be by next Tuesday with a set of Michelin's 🚗 😉
Sounds good!
I like the way your wife does the heavy lifting. P.S. Jess you look awesome in the coveralls. 👍
Thank you! 😊
She handles all the business.
Lead weights are very soft. They can be easily cut with a hacksaw to customize the weight amount.
Absolutely!! Thanks for watching.
Job's a good'n. 👍👍🙂
Thanks!
I got two things from this one I'm going to do it now and second if you were my neighbor it would be awesome
I like helping the neighbors! I'm an HVAC guy by trade so usually it's that and not car stuff.
really great video . Thank you !
Thanks for checking it out!
Another great video! Please keep them coming.
Thanks for sticking with us!
Good thing you timed the way it came. There may have been some confusion!
Thanks for watching!
I have had one of those bubble balancers for several years and had problems with repeatability when moving the tire in a different position on the balancer. I am going to drill out the center pivot point and try it. Thanks for the info.
I think it will work out better. Thanks for checking out our video.
There are tons of arguments for spin balancing. All are fine to a point, but, weights can only go where they can go. Also, tires spin while being pressed to the ground by the weight of the car, not in free air, as a static spin balancer would do.
The best I've used, car tire to semi tire is as follows;
With steel wheel hammer clip weights;
You can pre check rims for heavy side if you like
Determine a slightly heavier weight than needed. Use 4 weights. Place two each way from center placed together. Move them out equa-distance until balance is achieved. Crayon mark the tread at those spots.
Pull off the tire, place a weight at each mark on the back, put the tire back on, set the remaining weights up front loosely again at the mark. Fine tune the balance using the equidistant movement again.
Attach the weights there, and you're done.
The pendulum effect of the weights carry through the spinning motion of the tire rolling on the ground, which is a dampening effect of the spinning weight.
Just found your channel, Very well presented! If you work on cars yourself, this is reality.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment!! We actually just used balance beads in the video coming out Monday. They seem to be a great option as well!
@@madgingercustoms they use something like that on my dually bucket truck back wheels. At speed its smooth, when it's cold and low speed, you feel it for a little while.
Thank you for doing this video. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I like that you put Jess in there too. We all can do it. I will try this. I ordered the parts you had on here. Great information!
Awesome!! Thanks for watching.
Great video!! I use my balancer a lot now I have to go out and start drilling it out to make it better. I also spray some WD on the shafts where the springs go through it helps to center the wheel.
Great!! Thanks for watching!
I had never seen this mod anywhere before, so I tried it on a brand new balancer, and after I balanced four tires, threw them on my Ranger, I can scream down the highway at near 80 miles an hour, and the things as smooth as silk
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for checking it out!