Wheel Balancing of 1966-1976 Cadillac Devilles

[EAM 17806]

What would be the best way to have wheels with full wheel covers be balanced correctly on 66-76 devilles?

[TJ Hopland]

Option  A:   
find a shop that has the proper CAX weights which is unlikely since most tire shops took advantage of a trade in program when they 'got rid' of lead weights and didn't re order since they were only used on Cadillac and some Lincoln for a few years. 

Option B:
order CAX weights yourself and bring them to the shop.   They are still available usually in fairly large sizes and the shop can then just cut them down to the size needed.

Option C:
let the shop use the modern stick on tape weights that they often use on aluminum wheels these days.  It really should work and the RWD cars don't seem to be as sensitive to balance as the FWD cars were that used the same weights.

Option D:
have them balance only using weights on the inside.   ALso in theory possible and could work since the RWD's don't tend to be that sensitive.

[Dan LeBlanc]

I balance my own wheels.  On the inside, I use conventional weights, on the outside, I use stick on weights on the flat part perpendicular to the bead.  Has been working fine for me for the last 4 Cadillacs now.

[Scot Minesinger]

These wheels are lug centric, in that the lug nuts center the wheel on the axle.  Most modern cars are hub centric and the hub centers the wheel on the axle.  The lug centric adaptor on a high speed spin balance machine is $700 extra.  Most modern tire shops do not have this attachment.  "Free" tire balancing with a tire purchase is a price leader and generally the least experience, least talented, lowest paid, least valuable, and lowest...etc. performs the balance work.  Accordingly, at many tire shops you get less than you pay for with the "free" tire balancing and it is done hub centric on your Cadillac instead of lug centric.   

To answer your question a tire shop with a lug centric balance attachment that will take the time to do the job right is best.  You can approach a tire shop and be willing to pay the most talented mechanic to perform a lug centric balance while you watch and he does it as if it is his own car that will drive his pregnant daughter to the hospital at 80mph for two hours.

I do my own tire balancing on a Hunter Road force machine with the correct weights and lug centric attachment.  Most of the time the tire balance machine will recommend that the tire be rotated with respect to the rim to insure the heaviest part of the tire is opposite heaviest part of rim which minimizes weights.  Each tire balance takes an hour and almost always includes two tire mounts.   This was an expensive set up to buy, but so worth it.

[bcroe]

These wheels are lug centric, in that the lug nuts center the wheel on the axle.  Most modern cars are hub centric and the hub centers the wheel on the axle. 

I do my own tire balancing on a Hunter Road force machine with the correct weights and lug centric attachment.  Most of the time the tire balance machine will recommend that the tire be rotated with respect to the rim to insure the heaviest part of the tire is opposite heaviest part of rim which minimizes weights.  Each tire balance takes an hour and almost always includes two tire mounts.   This was an expensive set up to buy, but so worth it.

I undertand a balancer being hub concentric.  But how can any car
be hub concentric if it use tapered lug nuts? 

How can you tell where the heaviest part of tire and rim respectively
are once they are assembled?  Should rims be balanced by themselves? 

I was once impressed by on car balancing, but have not yet gotten
some pieces working here.  Bruce Roe

[TJ Hopland]

I too was thinking that lug centric was still common for cars.  One reason I was told is that since aluminum rims are almost standard there are a lot of corrosion issues at the hub so they make the hubs oversize to reduce them getting stuck. 

I do agree that most balance machines use the hub hole and maybe not their least experienced tech certainly not their best.  With one shop during 7 failed attempts to get something reasonably balanced I told them to balance it which they said the machine said it was then set it on the ground then pick it up and run it on the machine again and tell me what the result was.   I asked if in theory it should still say perfect balance with they agreed but every time they did that it said there  was a problem.  After the 7th fail they then mentioned that the wheel would only fit on their machine 'backwards'.    This was a shop that specialized in tires and was named for one of the big tire brands.   And no this was not some crazy oddball car I owned, it was a Suburban with factory steel wheels.   GM truck,  can't get any more obscure than that eh?   And I was not being picky either, this thing shook so bad it would throw the weights off and I had one mirror fall off.

[EAM 17806]

What do you guys/gals think of balancing these full wheel covered rims with the lead weights on the inside of the rim and adhesive weights applicable to the exterior  of the rim.  I know the CAX weights  are the best but it's almost impossible to find any; I've tried everywhere.   EAM

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Ev,
Here are some.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-wheel-weights-NOS-CAX-Eldorado-De-Ville-Lincoln-Thorough-8-pc-lot-/332082944093

Greg Surfas

[EAM 17806]

Ev,
Here are some.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-wheel-weights-NOS-CAX-Eldorado-De-Ville-Lincoln-Thorough-8-pc-lot-/332082944093

Greg Surfas

THANKS GREG!  They are out of stock also, not available; but what do you think about my initial question concerning the different way to balance these wheels?  EAM

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Ev,
I personally have always used the proper weights. I had no success with anything else on my Eldo and haven't even tried on anything else that needs the CAX weights.
Greg Surfas

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Ev,
I just looked at my "stash of CAX weights and if you want them I can sell you 2-1oz, 2-3oz, 2-2.25 oz and 2 2.50z weights (they can be cut down as required) for $50.00 plus the $7.90 for USPS flat rate.
If you want them please PM me.
Greg Surfas

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Ev,

I have no problems with the stick-on wheel weights, and the secret is to wipe the painted surface with a product like Brakleen or Prep Wash, as this removes any contaminants and polish from the spot where you want the weight to stick to.

Plus, if you need more weights than Greg has, I have a good supply of new weights (3 boxes) that I purchased years ago, and these are 2, 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 Ounce.

Shipping them back to USA would be expensive.

Bruce.