Anyone here a auto tech-I am trying to balance a wheel & need to find top dead center

AF 4.2 · 08-05-2007, 03:12 PM

I bought a wheel balancer (Ranger DST-1000) for my garage (my house not a shop) and I have learned the process but the biggest problem I am having is finding top dead center (12 o clock position) to place the wheel weight. It is tough to tell while it's on the machine, especially the inside weight.

Any advice or are there any tools I could buy to help figure this out ...

I try eye'ing it & I tried using a stick of wood (about 3 feet long) and looking at it from the side which I then place a peice of tape using the tape as a marker to where I think the top dead center is ...

I would think there might be a tool that might be able to tell me the highest point which is where top dead center would be.

thanks for any advice ...

99FewteRC5 · 08-07-2007, 02:03 AM

Just eye-ball it. that will get you close enough. Then respin it.

c4cruiser · 08-08-2007, 07:51 PM

Find the centerline of the shaft that holds the wheel and then hang a string from the ceiling so that the string is directly above the center of the shaft.

A carpenter's plumb bob from Lowes or Home Depot will do the trick. It has a weight with a point that hangs vertically so that the point can be directly over the centerline of the shaft.

Where the string hangs will be 12 o'clock on the wheel rim.