Not much luck googling the answer to this one. Since there are automotive guys on here, maybe one of you will know the answer.
Noticed a car with alloy wheels having five spokes. Five spoke wheels could be out of balance during rotation when three spokes are on one side and two on the other. There are also some three spoke wheels, like on some Ford Probes, and in the after market.
How do they keep these wheels in balance? Are there counter weights molded into the rim, between the spokes, that are hidden by the tire? Does the center of gyration play a role?
On review of the parking lot, US brands tended to have even numbers while non-US had uneven numbers.
Chris
Automotive wheels
Moderator: scott
Automotive wheels
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re: Automotive wheels
chris,
whether the spoke count is 3, 5, 7, 9, ETC, the balance will be the same.
We have discussed this time and time again about an odd number of weights or spokes on a wheel. An auto wheel uses the axle or point of axis for balancing just as an odd number in a gravity wheel design.
Now if you move the point of support from the axle to any given point at or nearer the rim. then you have disrupted the balance. You have more spokes or weights on one side of that point than the other. Now the odd number will have an adverse or desirable impact.
I often use and am biased toward uneven number spoke/weight designs, but I also realize that if the center point is not moved or off-center, that odd count is of no value. My favorite number is nine!
Ralph
whether the spoke count is 3, 5, 7, 9, ETC, the balance will be the same.
We have discussed this time and time again about an odd number of weights or spokes on a wheel. An auto wheel uses the axle or point of axis for balancing just as an odd number in a gravity wheel design.
Now if you move the point of support from the axle to any given point at or nearer the rim. then you have disrupted the balance. You have more spokes or weights on one side of that point than the other. Now the odd number will have an adverse or desirable impact.
I often use and am biased toward uneven number spoke/weight designs, but I also realize that if the center point is not moved or off-center, that odd count is of no value. My favorite number is nine!
Ralph
re: Automotive wheels
Ralph why is your favorite number Nine?
I ask this in the broadest sense if there is one.
I ask this in the broadest sense if there is one.
re: Automotive wheels
Michael,
Long ago, I had an idea for a design that called for nine weights, The idea was that one was always static and was displaced every 1/8 cycle.
Ever since then I have been biased for the number nine and have used it in many attempts. I find that it does have some sound advantage in particular designs.
Other than that I cannot give any substantiation that nine will perform any better than other odd numbers. As for out of balance 5 to 4 just sounds better than any other combination of odd configuration. :-)
Ralph
Long ago, I had an idea for a design that called for nine weights, The idea was that one was always static and was displaced every 1/8 cycle.
Ever since then I have been biased for the number nine and have used it in many attempts. I find that it does have some sound advantage in particular designs.
Other than that I cannot give any substantiation that nine will perform any better than other odd numbers. As for out of balance 5 to 4 just sounds better than any other combination of odd configuration. :-)
Ralph