Vintage wheel balancer

[CT Mark]

An old "bubble balancer". Last time I used one of these was back in about 1980 when I was putting Keystones on my 76 big-block Cutlass. A friend gave this to me. It was in the garage of a deceased family friend. He thinks the guy possibly never even used it. He had a garage full of useless stuff. Unfortunately, this was the only thing automotive. It has some rust where the H20 got thru the roof. It's a nice piece otherwise.

[GRB]

We used an even earlier model in the late 60s. They didn't work on wheels with a smaller center hole in the wheel than the top of the balancer. Or on old VW wheels, those 10-12 bolt Pontiac rims, etc. Of course just getting the tires changed on some of those wheels was the first trick!

[COPO 70 RS/Z28]

I used one like that back in 78 when I worked at the Texaco Garage.

Cool

[beater68427]

Man i'd like to have that in my Bar... opps garage

[J_D]

I remember using one a long time ago to when I worked at a gas station while going to college.

Dennis Albaugh who has a Chevy Car Museum just up the street from my business has one similar to that as well.

[GRB]

JD - That was back in the day when people wanted to drive on their new tires for a few hundred miles or so to get the 'set in'. Many of these cheap skates would never come back. They saved themselves a whopping $4.00. It was kind of like when tires went from TT to tubeless. You couldn't convince some of those old farts that a tire would stay on the rim without a tube to save your life!

Actually, TT tires were long gone by '78.

[Mr70]

That's a Great piece!
Nice pix too of Dennis's place J.D.

[J_D]

[ QUOTE ]
That's a Great piece!
Nice pix too of Dennis's place J.D.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks.......................I got lots and lots of pix of Dennis' place ! ! ! ! ! Isn't that right Cumby?