I have finished fitting new disc brakes to the front of my '79 Mini 1000. I had some tires fitted to my minilite rims and had them balanced at a local Belle Tire store. Other than the usual are these golf cart tires remarks - everything was fine until I refitted the wheels to the car. I have attached some pictures and as you can see there is barely an clearance between the caliper (area by the bleed valve) and the rim. In fact rotating the tire rips off any attached wheel weight on the inside of the rim. One of the wheels actually drags slightly in on the caliper on one spot. I believe that this is easily corrected with a metal file.

The tire store claims that they cannot balance the tire and wheel assembly without using interior weighting. Any stick on weights would have to mount directly behind the spokes to avoid clearance issues. Is the store correct? Understandably there would not be much clearance with disc brakes on 10" wheels.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.....

Link to pictures....

http://s451.photobucket.com/albums/q...hodson/Brakes/

Thanks, Graeme

 

Yeah, they're probably right ... they can't properly balance the wheels without using internally-mounted weights.

My recommendation - go to another shop. I've had luck with a local race shop that uses their own balancing equipment and they're happy to balance the wheels to your spec. Unfortunately you're stuck with either out-of-balance wheels or externally balanced wheels with your setup. That's just the situation with 10" wheels and disc brakes on Minis.

Did you ask the shop if they would even be willing to externally balance the wheels even though it may not be 'adequate' as far as they're concerned? Just be frank with them and tell them your brake/wheel setup doesn't allow for internally balanced wheels. Perhaps they'll be willing to externally balance, but my experience is they've made up their mind and won't change.

Good luck,
Jeff

 

what brakes did you put on?

I have Cooper S disks 7 1/2 inch - and my 10" x 6" wheels fit fine. I have standard 'clip on' weights on inner and outer rim as needed. BUT it is my understanding that only the 7 1/2 work with 10" . . . don't have experience with other set ups, it is just what I've read.

They sure are purty tho . . .

(you found a regular tire shop that had a machine that would recognise 10" diameter! Good 4 U. I drive to see a fellow Mini guy who has an old balance machine he saved from scrap just because modern machines won't recog' a 10" ...... or so I've experienced where I live)

 

I agree with Capt bj. For 10" wheels I believe that only 71/2" S or the old 7" disc setups will work without clearance issues. If you keep the larger brakes you may need to go to 12" wheels- or change to the 71/2" S brakes.

 

I purchased 7.5" cooper S disc brakes thru MiniSport. They were aware of the 10" minilites that I was already using. I am confident that I have the right assemblies....

I ultimately tracked down a tire shop that had an old balancer. The original shop was telling me that they had to static balance the tires and that is why they had to use wheel weights on the inside of the wheel and could not balance anywhere else. There was apparently no option to balance with weights on the outside of the wheel.

The new shop told me that their new balancer would not even recognize a 10" tire. With their old balancer they were able to spin the wheel assembly and using sticky weights directly behind the spoke of the minilites they were able to balance the tires.

Thanks for the responses.....

 

Good that you got it sorted. You'll LOVE the new brakes I'm sure ...
Jeff

 

A set of 3mm spacers would fix the problem as well.