Mount and Balance Tires at Home: Manual Tire Changer & Bubble Balancer

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Tire Changer One Year Update Video with Tips & Tricks kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3-naaGVdteBiNEsi=XUwyuzHL1dCcrmhl Manual Tire Changing Series: Part 1 - Manual Changer Overview & Mounting kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zmeto2yqZqihhLMsi=wvgbwoxDUN1l1LLG Part 2 - Duck Head Modification & Tire Removal kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYnWnaKbiZWEnqcsi=4UjZIhoC37FezvoB Part 3 - Mounting & Balancing Tire kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4madamApJx0bqcsi=OTW5yzmpjdq7W5tL Part 4 - Repairing Tire Shop Damaged Wheel kzbin.info/www/bejne/np-TiZV-nNuhfLssi=Sm4y9yX2i7_zWbcm Part 5 - Valve Stem Replacement Without Tire Removal kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqOXk6p_ochpb9Esi=waOAvduaulSryRZl Part 6 - ATV Wheel Hiccup: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJqUeIyeash4mqMsi=qtPFzQtW3nS7iVvj

[@filmaker256]

could i use a little motor oil to lube the core ?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@@filmaker256 petroleum based lubricants will rot out the valve stem if that is what you're referencing as "the core".

[@julesviolin]

If you can get away static balancing at home without taking wheels to the monkeys at tyre shops then all well & good.✅ I certainly would never take my car there as they chip the paint around the wheel bolts.🤬 I only ever take wheels already removed. They drop the wheel centres on the floor chipping them 🤬 They also round the corners of bolt heads etc because they can't be arsed getting the correct size socket 🤬 They cross threaded one of my studs once because they windy gun nuts on instead of starting them by hand 🤬 And like you say they never bother cleaning the rims thoroughly 🤬 #Bodgemonkeys 🤬

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@@julesviolin I could not agree more. They also scratched a good number of my alloys over the years; a couple deep into the aluminum making curb rash look minor.

[@williamgran6285]

Thanks sir

[@retselyarrh3895]

I’ve been doing tires myself, my whole life with a manual bead breaker and an M-60 Micro bubble balancer! Next year I’ll be 60 and see no need to stop 😀😀

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Nice! 👍

[@mycarrysun]

Guessing the tolerance is not good enough for racing applications right?

[@onesikm3]

@@mycarrysunthis is how they mount and balance drag racing tires at the track sooo ya

[@robertk7674]

You don't need a special tool to remove the tire from the rim after you break the bead?

[@onesikm3]

@@robertk7674 two tire irons and a bit of muscle and lube also helps. But totally doable! If I had the space to play around with one I would

[@robinsonsauto]

You didn’t say goodbye to the tire shops, you became the tire shop 😊 👍

[@Rchelicopterfun]

You got that right

[@leothalion3983]

😂

[@mrshawterry6]

That's funny sir.

[@SirUncleCid]

Might as well. If you're going to invest in tools for a job you're going to do every other year or whatever....

[@maxcarter3413]

I used a bubble balance in 1971 at a Mobile Training Center. It was all we had back then. It worked just fine.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep, my experience as well having done 5 sets of wheels/tires now. Thanks for the view 🙂

[@DeanLangley]

I have an old bubble balancer similar to yours. It’s been my experience that I balance tires better than the tire shop. I’m not saying it’s better than a computer balancer but it’s better than a sloppy mechanic with a computerized balancer. The best advice I can give is if the wheel requires much weight to balance use two weights half the size and put them 45 degrees apart centered on where the bubble indicates. If the rims are steel I put half on the inside and half on the outside. I’ve had tires vibrate from the tire shop and checked the balance on my static balancer to find they applied too much weight. Car drives perfect after I balance it. I’m sticking with what works.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Good tips.

[@stephenweston2973]

Beat me to the split weight. Move closet to light spot to give a more accurate balance. Since bubble weights tend to be in the eye of the user. Give a closer balance when one weight it to much and cant get half weights.

[@trentvlak]

but is it dynaaaaamicallly balanced?

[@jkoonce4244]

Mechanics rarely change tires for a living and if they do they're not really mechanics

[@DL101ca]

​@@trentvlakwell it doesn't wobble when driving, I'm not sure what more you could ask for... The electronic machines don't balance the tire with weight on the ground and distorted contact patch, so simply spinning it in the air isn't accurate either, nor true "dynamic" to a tire in use.

[@arte9855]

One thing I learned and always do when seating the beads. I remove the valve core and use the air hose WITHOUT the quick connect chuck installed...this allows more air at a faster rate to fill the tire. Works great on harder to seat tires.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Good tip 👍. I've found that out on a few sets that I've done now (done 5 sets of tires now on this equipment and each one gets easier). Seems the higher the profile the tire is, the more important it is to get the air in fast to get the beads to start sealing; as least that has been my anecdotal experience thus far.

[@benzw2505]

One other thing I do, is use a gripping value stem air chuck with the guts removed. If you have bigger truck tires that have narrow beads you stand the tire up, valve stem to the side and give it kwick née the the opposite side or top to get the beads started.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@benzw2505 - Another good tip! Thanks for taking the time to share it 👍🙂

[@NextLevelAutoDiagnosticsLLC]

Great tips. But why is there danger @ 9:17 in the video? If the tire is new, what can possibly go wrong trying to seat a bead?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@NextLevelAD - suggest you type that very question into a search engine and you will get many sites and articles that go into great detail of the dangers involved in seating tire beads. Many a mechanic have been injured or killed when when precautions are not followed.

[@darkl3ad3r]

I am SUPER stingy about liking videos on KZbin, but very rarely I'll come across a video that just hits all marks and deserves it. You sir did just that with this video. Outstanding work and something I know I'll be coming back to reference in the future as needed.

[@Platoface]

I worked at a Sam’s club tire shop going through school. I learned I could get the balance machine down to .05 tolerance vs the default .25 tolerance. So that’s what I did. Btw, my fav story is the time a guy brought his Honda civic in for 4 new tires. By the time he was done paying for it I handed him his keys back. 😂 you should have seen the look on his face. 4 of us at once worked on the vehicle. He was so dumbfounded he couldn’t talk. 😂

[@aj200415]

Awesome story man! I’d love to seen the look on his face too!!

[@HerrPoopschitz]

Ha. If only all service was that good.

[@FINfinFINfinFINfin]

@Platoface Sam's in Athens, GA scratched my Alcoa wheels on my dually. I had taken pics of each wheel before they started. I also walked the tech around and showed him the wheels were just cleaned and blemish free. Sam's mailed me a check for new wheels. Another tire shop had damaged the wheels on my previous dually.

[@TannerSwizel]

​​@@FINfinFINfinFINfinyeah you never know what might happen. I was a service porter in highschool, still had very little knowledge of cars, especially dualies and diesels. A month into my job our diesel tech was running late one morning and a customer wanted his truck back, but it was 6 feet in the air with the wheels off. My manager told me, of all the people in the shop, to zip it back up and bring it to the front. No scratches but I put the outer rears up front. Looked dumb as hell, but I didn't know any better. Costumer wasn't happy

[@Halon750]

Very well done sir. I was impressed with your video in demonstrating what can be done in my own garage. I worked at a tire shop as a teenager and took for granted having the right equipment.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep, me too.

[@AllanG1914]

Hi John. I'm posting this here because it's your newest video and I want to make sure you saw it. I came across your flight school more than 10 years ago and was really helpful to me getting started. I left the hobby about 3-4 years later but just picked it up again about a week ago. Your videos have become really helpful again - about 8 year later. So, I just wanted to say thank you.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Hey Allan, really appreciate the kind comments and great to hear you are getting back into the RC egg beaters after a wee bit of a hiatus. Happy flights 🙂👍

[@im-that-guy-pal]

Those are the cleanest rims I ever seen

[@1983dmd]

Very impressive road test indeed ! It is such a great feeling to DIY knowing you did a cleaner ,nicer and probably as ( or more) accurate job than most shops where you cross your fingers they don't damage anything ( which they always do 90% of the time !! I've experienced scratches, leaks, wrong side rotation mounted...) Hmmm, that tire balancing machine at $ 1000 also has me salivating.....but is it Chiniseum quality and durability??? As you said, I have 2 cars with winter and summer tires plus 1 or 2 punctures a year so it is beginning to make sense to own this tire changing equipment !! Thanks again for taking the time to make those videos !

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@1983dmd - yep, doing a job yourself has its own set of rewards and value; something unfortunately that many don't seem to appreciate in this day and age. I'm still not 100% sold on the bubble balancer, but with the two sets of wheels I've done so far, I can't detect any vibration whatsoever and it has most certainly exceeded my expectations. Mabey if I took it up to 200 kph, something would show up, but the speeding ticket and possible jail time (which is also almost a 90% certainty with my luck) would then make getting a computerized balancer look like a bargain :) Those Mayflowers and other Chinese balancers do get good reviews so I don't think they are all junk; but no question, they are not the same quality as a $5K+ Hunter or Coats which do show up used at auctions for about half that. I unfortunately don't know enough about used computerized balancers to make an informed decision to purchase one. They may be so far out of calibration, un-fixable, or have other unforeseen and future problems making a brand new Chinese brand the better choice for a DIY'er with occasional usage. Oh well, for now the low cost bubbler will have to do, plus it doesn't take up much room. Have fun if you decide to give the DIY tire equipment a go and thanks for the comment 🙂👍

[@Harold_Callahan]

Last time I had a tire shop fix a flat (on a tire I bought from them) they managed to put another hole in that tire by running over a screw in their lot, which is a mess full of junk that can puncture tires. When I went to pick up the car of course I inspected the fixed tire and saw a new screw poking right out of it. They are the "top rated" shop in my town, but from now on I think I will learn how to DIY most of my tire work.

[@jeffalvich9434]

When I first started working for a gas station as I was working my way through college bubble balancing was the standard for all new tires. Even the Chevron rep who trained us stated that there is almost no reason to ever have to dynamic balance a tire when you're properly trained on static balancing procedures. You must almost always use two weights separated at at least 12 in or so on the side of the wheel. As one of the practices for static balancing.

[@martymiller9802]

I had a similar job during one summer in 1970. This was all SOP.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Nice. 👍

[@dharmadoggie]

I dunno. Perhaps you have good luck with a bubble balancer. In the late 60’s when I first was driving they never seemed to work. Maybe it was a problem with poorly made tires, but I’ll stick with dynamic balance.

[@jeffalvich9434]

@@dharmadoggie many times the tire person didn't have the patience or was lazy and instead of working for zero balance they would just get the bubble within a 1/16" of dead center...this was the way they would upsell spin balancing. The only time we would spin balance was if the tire was so out of balance that it would take 3 ounces or more of weight to balance it...... Most of the time we would send the tire back defective...... The higher end tires literally needed no weighs as the rims were actually out of balance..... But still would only take 2 weights of 1/2 ounce or less.

[@sexyplexie]

so.. am i understanding correctly that if ~1oz counters the imbalance i would use two ~1/2oz weights each spaced 6" off the center of the imbalance on the light size?

[@Snakewild96]

I started working in shop with dad when about 11 in 1981 and back then we used old school bubble style balance mount with bubble. . .this is kool to watch..little effort,at home, done…thanks for video.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching & sharing 👍

[@Trump985]

I’ve had way to many issues with tire shops from scratched wheels to bad balancing. The problem is the turnaround is insane at these places and you have a very good chance of getting the “new guy”. Fortunately I have a buddy who has a shop and lets me use his tire machine and balancer. Unfortunately it’s over 100 miles away from me but it beats the hell out of getting a nice set of wheels destroyed.

[@macdaddybill]

I've had every shop scratch nice factory wheels even though I tell them to hand torque, pissesme off. I would rather do it myself.

[@dubmob151]

​@@macdaddybillhow did hand torqing the wheels during installation prevent scratches? Are your lug nuts getting scratched?

[@bagginn]

@@dubmob151I think he means the socket is scratching the inside of the holes where the lugnuts sit

[@dubmob151]

@@bagginn thin wall sockets vs impact sockets? It's a rare wheel that has so little clearance that it requires thin wall sockets.

[@justgonnastay]

The second I saw the tucked in T-shirt with a belt, I knew I had found my people! I am a DIY guy, but you are a DIY Boss!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

😄

[@youaregodspursuit-47]

Sorry... i would prefer an oily rag in the back pocket, tail of shirt out with taco sauce stains on it, and mysterious things piled in the corner and at least one finger that has duct tape around a wound ... I am afraid of the clean as a whistle, anal, engineering guys. I always feel inadequate after watching them do anything, regardless of the fact that the video was great.

[@bradmottishaw467]

I was really appreciating how clean and well lit your garage was, and then saw R2 sitting there. Now I think this is the most EPIC garage I have ever seen. Very nice video on this subject. Thank you for sharing it.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@bradmottishaw467 - Thanks for watching & commenting; yep, R2 was a super fun DIY build project 🙂 By the way, if you're at all curious/interested about the lighting; I have a video of the LED ballast bypass conversion process from when the lights were ordinary T12 florescent tubes. That little afternoon project made a huge difference in overall brightness of the garage. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6iZYoeKht2mZpYsi=BdcmpmVbjMhga8H8

[@redfly5937]

It was 100% the R2 for me, too!!!!! Best character ever. #r2love4life 😂😂 yeah, I'm a tad obsessed with him.

[@TM-jo4wz]

I’m old school. 69 Watching tires get changed close up. Especially when I was young. They let you watch them. This video is great. He seems to do everything great. Which is good. The people changing my tires did nothing like what he’s showing. But always seemed to work. You could tell they were in it for speed.

[@artlife6210]

Best part is avoiding the inevitable moment the manager walks in and tells (lies to)you that your car needs $4000 worth of emergency repairs in addition to a set of tires.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

👍

[@brianjames4169]

Like they do in company operated Goodyear service centers.

[@NoMoreBsPlease]

They probably aren't lying to you. I can easily find a few thousand dollars worth of pretty necessary repairs you probably didn't even realize you needed.

[@brianjames4169]

Quite correct. I worked in one back from 83-86 & had enough of having to break a commission “BOGIE” every which way I could find.

[@bgable7707]

Nicely done, great example of how easy it can be. I live in the Rocky Mnts and there are a lot of us that have two sets of tires for summer and winter driving. Thanks.

[@what1864]

use to work in a tire shop and this is a very good tutorial on basic tire changing , i will ad that sometimes you need to remove the valve from the valve stem [more air volume] to get a tire to bead properly , will also ad that if you have never manually mounted a tire before it is a lot of work , until you aquire the skills and know how it can be quite a struggle depending on the tire a lot ...

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for sharing 👍🙂

[@alessandrozamboni5274]

Thanks for the info!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thank You! Very much appreciated 🙂👍 Enjoy your DIY tire services.

[@tonymartinez15949]

I love your setup. A half got some new rims and took them to a shop and they Scratch them not happy I need to get your set up. I love it.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I hear you & fully understand the frustration. In fact, just made a video where I repair tire shop scratch damage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/np-TiZV-nNuhfLs

[@bestbuildpc]

I never thought this could be done with the amazing tool. Thanks for sharing. It is the first time I see it. Amazing.

[@chrisstokley7687]

yup- all about CORRECT Way use the tool.. Dont have too strain if your useing correct tool pattern!

[@lynskyrd]

had a tire shop tell me I needed new rims because the new tires they installed wouldn't hold air for more than a week. The front passenger tire not more than 3 days. I took matters into my own hands, one by one, removed tire, dismounted then CLEANED the rim, elbow grease and a wire brush, remounted, installed back on car... Look Ma- no more flat tires. The amount of old rubber and debris left on my rims was not allowing the bead to seat and seal properly. I've always done my own motorcycle tires - now I'm doing my car and truck. I only had old fashioned tire irons- I now use the Harbor Freight 'special' but I modified it to actually work. Plenty of vids on how to make the HF tire changer 'your own'. Good luck everybody.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep, I've been amazed at the amount of unseen damage inside some of the wheels I've done now. Deep scratches on the bead sealing surface (slow leak as well), layers of old tire goo and corrosion, even found one with a rag inside. As the saying goes, if you want something done right - do it yourself.

[@jakelynch5113]

let me guess, you had a layer of "rubber" about 6 cm thick around the face side of the bead after months or years of going mudding or off roading?

[@lynskyrd]

@@jakelynch5113 not too much 'mudding' in a Volvo s60 sedan there genius. There's no guessing here- the tire 'professionals' were simply LAZY... gee, what a surprise.

[@halrichard1969]

I managed Winston Tires for ten years. We had a couple generations of balancers in my time. We also had a Tire True Machine that would actually apply pressure to the tire to then measure roundness according to the pressure. Back then many tires had a seam that would overlap a bit and create a hard spot in the tire. The Tire True would shave rubber until the pressure remained constant when the tire was rotated. I like your idea of the improved and well calibrated Tire Bubble Balancer. Having been on the other side of the counter for all those years I have decided to leave the work on that side of the counter as well. That way I can blame them if something goes wrong. Also if you are traveling you can find a dealer at the larger chains.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

👍🙂

[@mrbonafied78]

You should sell your modded parts for other diy people.

[@Thecalmthefuckdownchannel]

Second this

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Wondering how would that be economically possible? Anyone wanting that service would require sending their low cost bubble balancer to me in a remote area of BC Canada to perform the work since it has to be mounted in a lathe to find dead center. The time, parts & shipping/import fees both ways would be worth more than the balancer is worth. Then add an hour of my time, again worth more than bubble balancer. After all that time & money, still only get a static balance along with a fragile balancer modification that I know some people would end up braking and then bitching demanding their money back. No thanks. Better to do it yourself or take that money saved and put it toward a computerized balancer.

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

You can ask and see if he might sell the modded bubble balancer to you, if you are willing to pay the asking price, shipping, and other fees. Also you could buy a used balancer machine and tire mount / dismount machine, if you got the funds for it.

[@TheKitMurkit]

Gotta find a local metalwork shop with a lathe

[@dubmob151]

Harbor Freight should offer the swing arm attachment for use with their manual tire changer, because that's what changes it from a wheel scratcher suitable only for steel wheels and wheels you don't care for about appearance, to one that could be used on alloy rims. That attachment is the biggest cost and biggest improvement to the DIY tire change setup.

[@JohannesC-c9k]

Self adhesive lead strip used for gold clubs might work if you are stuck. Great video.

[@LogiForce86]

Tip: This is something I saw someone else do that you could try. He called it the Y method to balance the wheel. For which you use two small weights opposite the heavy side with the placement of the weights spread so the three points make a Y shape. You can then adjust the weight placement to make it heavier by moving the weights together more, or lighter by spreading the weights. This works since you change the weight's leverage over the heavy side of the wheel by changing the spread.

[@TK-gd9td]

But now you’re adding weight in the horizontal direction too.

[@jmodified]

@@TK-gd9td Wouldn't that be better in most cases? It's not like there's just a hole in one side causing the imbalance.

[@PackMan-t7c]

The bubble balancer I bought came with instructions on how to do it that way as well. In the shop that is the way we always did it essentially. If your tires and rims are in good shape a static balance should be just fine.

[@5jjt]

From a tire buster, always use new valve stems. Once in a while, leaks appeared at valve stems once the bead was broken.

[@Brocephus77]

Excellent method. No need for expensive equipment. We were doing this over 30 years ago. 👍🏻

[@Brocephus77]

@@Rchelicopterfun sorry bro, that wasn’t cool. I’ll edit my comment.

[@dogsbyfire]

Fantastic video. Thank you! I very much appreciate the thoroughness with which you approached the issues. About forty years ago, I routinely mounted my own motorcycle tires after buying the tires through the mail. No Internet then, lol! I have been curious about doing my own automobile tires, and this video is a huge help. Thanks again.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the feedback 🙂

[@BearHomeOwnerDIY]

JC Whitney! That's where I ordered my motorcycle tires in the 80s

[@benjaminhanke79]

I wasn't sure if this was clickbait but a guy who has a life size R2D2 can't be lying. I have to watch all three videos.

[@konstantinostselios1129]

There is no better balancing than that I use to work in a tire shop and even the best machines they never get it right for zero balance you need manual machine and the way you modify yours is perfect 👍 good job

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@konstantinostselios1129 - Appreciate that first hand experience information 🙂

[@ginfizz20]

I mounted hundred of tires for Indy type cars, using a bubble balancer with no complaints. Also did Grand National stock cars where you have a tire inside the tire and those sometimes were were testy, but it was done with a bubble balancer.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Nice! 👍

[@goobfilmcast4239]

Yea, me, all my neighbors, extended family and friends now do our own tire mounts/dismounts....whether we need to or not ....we even do each others....cuz we can...

[@lowrider9367]

Great Video. I like to see that I am not the only one who likes to do as much as I can at home. I have had horrible luck & experience with the half wits that work at tire shops. I'll be looking at getting one of these before too long. I hate tire shops. Such a drain & waste of time.

[@TRUMPUSA1]

I like the extra steps he took that shops probably never do like cleaning the rims before mounting the tires, etc.

[@1ZZT223]

In California, I worked at Discount Tire/America's Tire. A lot of managers frowned upon me taking the extra time for things like this to prevent bead leaks or even scrubbing the hub of the wheel to ensure a flush fitment without 1-2mm of rust contamination. It's for the safety of our fellow neighbors and others on our roads. Shame that big name stores are lazy when it comes to ACCOUNTABILITY. Not a lot to ask for these days, I think.

[@TRUMPUSA1]

@@1ZZT223 Here in Michigan, BELLE TIRE IS THE WORSE!! I've heard too many bad stories. Imagine buying new tires and they don't even clean your rim beads before they mount them!

[@markholt5817]

I see.shops cleaning rims everyday. All part of the rist system that ALL certified shops must follow.

[@chhansen9813]

@@markholt5817 LOL, YEA, SURE THEY DO!

[@willg2286]

@@1ZZT223Except that the expectation at Discount/Americas is that you should be removing that rust every time.

[@tigerbalm666]

The knowledge, tools, time, and effort needed to change a tire...shops are not short of customers!

[@frankcoffey]

If you want it done right do it yourself. Tire shops can’t even get air pressure right and don’t care about your car.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Agreed 👍

[@garyv6442]

Sounds like you need to find a better mechanic or better tire shop . I've ran a tire shop for 25 years and never once have I ever forced anyone to buy anything.

[@southern_merican]

also getting grease on your seat and door and steering wheel

[@frankcoffey]

@@southern_merican It’s been long enough I forgot about that!

[@miragef191]

They damage your rims and paint!real lowlifes.

[@icebreaka1969]

your idea is good, I bought a set of tire changer and wheel balance from amazon, they are the same kind of machine we use in auto repair shop, fully power by electrics, the balance tire part is perfect as we do in the auto shop. and that total I have spend around $1700, and every time change tires no need to be working so hard to get the tire on and off, all done by machine.

[@bensnipes7288]

Been doing all mine for 20+ years on a Coats 220 and bubble balance. 10 plies suck ass and are damn near impossible sometimes but they still go with a lot of cursing and beers. No bead blaster here...just bead blaster in a can (ether and a torch). Works great when you get the air fuel ratio right and get an explosion and not flames 😂

[@Rchelicopterfun]

😄👍

[@patrickhoyle8357]

I bought a bubble balancer years ago cost £50 but have used loads of times with great results. It's all there was before dynamic balancers

[@ryanchristensen1799]

You should do a video of what the dynamic balance came out to compared to your static balance. That way we know just how close a bubble balance would be to a computerized balance. Thanks and great video! Subbed as well!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the sub Ryan. 🙂 Wish I could accommodate your request, however I have yet to have any tires I've done with the bubbler (20 now) show any vibration and that was even taking one set up to 220 kph . So, I've fortunately had no need to take them to the city and have them computer balanced. I've also put the CAE-3019WB computer balancer I had on order on permanent hold as I no longer see the need to get one now. If I do get one however, I most certainly will do an in-depth follow up video comparing bubble static to both computer static and computer dynamic.

[@pankajmakwana2300]

The simpler unit works fine, so I don't see a need for a computerised one.

[@v65wings45]

@@Rchelicopterfun do you get the rated milage on your tires when you static balance only on your bubble balancer?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@v65wings45 - Been almost a year since I mounted and balanced the first set on the wife's car with 40K kms on them and have used about 3/32nds of tread. In short, they are wearing exactly the same as the previous set she had on that car that were mounted and balanced dynamically at the shop. Not that I would expect anything different since wheel balance is not a component of tire wear; at least so long as the tire is not massively out of balance and thumping down the highway. A pot hole slightly tweaking the toe out of spec however would wear them out way quicker.

[@tredogzs]

get a rock in your tire... wheres the difference

[@davidharrington4591]

This is a great video John. So much so that I spent about $400 on all of the equipment needed to do the work myself. I am noticing that the balancer won't give me repeatable results on the stock pin, so I'm going to modify mine like you did. I found a piece of round plate steel on Amazon along with a 1.5" ball bearing that fits up inside perfectly. I also drew the black 3D printed plug with a CAD program and am printing it out now. I may make those plugs for sale if it seems there's enough demand for others to buy them.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep, the bubblers are hit and miss. Hopefully you find your modification gets it sorted. Have fun doing your own tire services; the more I do, the easier and more fun they get 🙂 If you haven't seen the one year update video - it may give you a few extra tips to make the learning curve a little shorter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3-naaGVdteBiNEsi=hoQ91nBHV3Up7SJZ

[@superargo4701]

For the last two decades I've successfully used dynamic balancing. Super easy by using centrifugal forces. Pour 2 to 4 ounces of plastic beads inside the tire and its good to roll. The beads don't affect any tire sensors.. The tires wear evenly and therefore last at least thirty percent longer then the manufacturers estimated tread life.

[@Jmg831]

😮😮😮 I wanna try this

[@MN-sc2uz]

You mean without actually balancing the tire? The beads are doing the dynamic balancing s the tire is used. Am i correct in that udlnderstanding? What kind of material of plastic beads did you use. This is very very interesting.

[@superargo4701]

@@MN-sc2uz Correct, no balancing needed. Bare tire on bare rim. I use four to six oz of ceramic beads (1/16' diameter). After the tire is loosely mounted but not inflated, I pour the beads in, making sure none remain on the tire bead surface. Then inflate the tire and its good to go. If a tire picks up rocks in its tread, no worries, since the beads will continuously balance out the uneven weight of the tire. This method of balancing dates back to the steam engines and flywheel balancing techniques, where copper tubes filled with ceramic beads were used in parallel for balancing.

[@MN-sc2uz]

@superargo4701 ok so its not plastic beads rather its ceramic beads. How do determine the amount of beads you should add to the tires? Where do you get your beads? Thanks again for the reply backs.

[@zugzug1107]

Just put 3 oz of airsoft BBs in the tire and your done. I've heard of people using steel BBs to but you have to add a splash of antifreeze so they don't clump together in the winter. No more chewed up aluminum wheels from those stupid weights.

[@joehiatt1992]

I have the exact setup & mounted many tires & it works perfect,no more driving to 7 waiting & worrying that someone screwed something up

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@@joehiatt1992 100%

[@sangkang6294]

I remembered changing a tire out when I was 16 with a friend on a junk yard tire. There wasn't enough curse and swearing to get the old tire off and switching it over to the junk yard tire. Busted knuckles and busted knee, spending all afternoon under a hot sun. Ever since then, I just pay my local tire guy $20 to get it done.

[@randythayer8440]

They count on the intimidation factor!

[@KennieFabled]

Absolutely love your modification to the balancer! Mine wasnt to bad, i found some silicone spray made minw move around a lot more freely. One little modification i made to my tyre fitting machine was to drill holes in the plate you sit the wheel on and then pop some countersunk bolts through the mounting holes on the wheel and then just loosely put some nuts on underneath to hold the wheel in place rather than using the threaded fixing part that you put on the top that xan potential scratch the centre of the wheel. This is a great video bu the way

[@caddyguy5369]

I was planning on going this route, but circumstances ended up allowing me to get a used Atlas tire machine with helper arms and balancer. If my understanding is correct, the quality of a bubble balance basically comes down to the precision of the operator. Having dynamic at home is super nice though. :-) I couldn't deal with tire shops anymore and I work weird hours so that further complicated things. It also makes using up used tires off of marketplaces a lot more economical with no mounting and balancing fee.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Well said 👍

[@LucidAutowerks]

Great video! I can’t believe I’m just seeing this for the first time now. I really appreciate you putting a link to my website in the description 👍🏼

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@LucidAutowerks. That was the least I could do considering it was your Duck Head Mod Attachment information on your website and associated videos that first made me aware that at home tire service on costly alloys could safely be done without the high cost and huge floor space a powered changer would represent. I actually did reach out to you back then to see if I could order one of your Duck Head mod kits, but at that time you didn't ship up to Canada (where I'm located), so I had to purchase this one from an eBay seller in Canada. I still think your Duck Head Mod kits are the best ones terms of quality and I mention that in the part 2 dismounting video (this is part 3) where I go into detail discussing the Duck Head Modification Attachments. Anyway, thanks again for allowing so many of us DIY'ers to finally be free from the shackles of overprice tire shops where bait & switch, unnecessary upsells, scratching the hell out of our alloys and a general lack of care and attention to detail is the norm now rather than the exception. Plus, it's just plain fun using these manual changers with the duck head mods and learning a new skill is never a waste! :) I'm still searching for a good deal on a computerized balancer up here, but not many options. No question, I'm getting vibration free static balances from the little bubbler, but it's time consuming compared to an easy & fast computerized balancer. Wishing you continued good success with your awesome Duck Head Mod kits :) -John

[@vim_usr2753]

You had me until 11:53 . Guess I won't be balancing the wheels myself lol.

[@Syncopia]

Same thing I thought. Good tutorial for the hardcore DIY guys though.

[@PeterHernandez-lg2eh]

Same

[@BlackTownie999]

I was just thinking of mounting mine the DIY hard way with some tire spoons, but I think for a long term solution this is very smart.

[@galaxiedance3135]

I use to just brush the liquid rubber seal along that area before pulling a valve through. It would also help prevent oxidation and a future air leak at the valve. I've changed well over 5000 tires at my old p/t job. My tires never came back for a leak.

[@WillysJonathanRoberts]

Excellent video.....I'm just waiting for my bubble balancer as we speak......I love your fix for the centre balance issues.....what diameter crystal did you use...? Thank you in advance.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching. Details on the glass plate & half sphere are in the description.

[@tedcorey3054]

I want to get a tire changer for the same reason as you . I brought my old tires to a shop , bought 2 tires ,had them mounted and balanced ,brought them home and put them on the car . A couple days later one went flat (I didn't drive the car) ,they re-mounted it (cleaned the seat ,I'm sure) ,they wanted to charge me 20 bucks ,I told them I wasn't paying it , they told me to never come back ,I said I wasn't planning to .

[@PWlangford1]

Ha ha funny 😊

[@trickle2257]

John my first video watching you and I don't know what you have done your whole life but it definitely seems like you come from an engineering back ground. I liked how you solved your problems and seems like a great solution.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the view - appreciated 🙂

[@Martinko_Pcik]

It would be interesting to see a dynamic balancing result right after the static one. How close it can get you to the optimum

[@garyv6442]

Will show a different weight each time unless you mount the rim to the balancer in the exact same spot.

[@bb5242]

I had a bubble balancer. It took a lot of back and forth to get the wheels balanced. I ended up buying a Mayflower spin balancer which was under $1000. It works great. The mounting machine he has is cool, it's very similar to the one I built. Doing tires manually requires muscle, you get a workout!

[@chicken29843]

​@@bb5242yeah it's kinda fun

[@genepierson1728]

Thanks for sharing. You've inspired me. I don't need new tires right now, but I kinda wish I did! I'm saving this in my playlist and I'll come back to in about a year!

[@canuckfixit7722]

Great demonstration of carefully installing new tires on alloy rims without scratching. Where did you get that glass half-sphere?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

EBay. Lots of places have them, just use your Google Fu; search for _"half sphere glass magnifier"_ . 1" to 1.5" diameter will work. The ones I got were 1.5" diameter (left over from R2D2's holo projector lenses) and they just fit in the balance head hole with a little wiggle room for centering since the hole itself is not perfectly centered. 1.25" if you can find that size or close would work a little better (more adjustment room). Definitely don't go over 1.5" or it won't fit.

[@seriously195]

Nicely done...thanks for sharing how you do this! I think I will be getting one of the manual tire changers now. You might also consider using beads inside the tire for dynamic balancing. I have a friend that manually mounts his tires for his Hummer H1 (since many shops would not do them or charge an outrageous amount because of the size and the run-flat insert) and he used the plastic pellet gun beads. The are perfectly round, have no residue or dust, and are relatively cheap. I personally have used the glass beads (perfectly round, have no residue or dust, but are relatively expensive) in tubeless motorcycle tires for years and have had good results.

[@MN-sc2uz]

Can you elaborate more on the beads. I'm thinking off doing my own tires too, need more info on the beads going inside the tire. Im guessing they provide a sort of "online" dynamic balancing as the car moves?

[@seriously195]

@@MN-sc2uz Also, search for 'airsoft pellets to balance tires' and a link to the Pirate 4x4 forum comes up with good info.

[@edp9743]

Manual changers are nothing new, as far as the bubble balancer the same , both commonly used in the 50 ,60,and 70's . Tires were also spin balanced on the car both balancing the tire, wheel and drums of rotors. We also spun heavy duty truck tires on the chassis.

[@jojib7621]

Nothing new but long forgotten even by today's pro technicians. You may reconsider you're ire as videos like this help keep at home repair skills alove

[@tedmaui8991]

Hi John. I watch your RC Heli videos. I came across this video by chance. I changed my motorcycle tires myself. I bought a demounter/mounter and static balancer. I found that the tires I bought rarely marked the heavy spot. So I statically balanced the tire and then used ceramic beads for dynamic balancing. It worked well for me.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Great to hear

[@charles979]

As a tech who hates doing tires, thank you.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

😄👍

[@supers0nic77]

As an armrest/cupholder technician

[@charles979]

@@supers0nic77 Discount tire tech?

[@abellsatime378]

I like how you included links. Thanks! Will make tires for drifting more clear minded.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

You bet - have fun 🙂

[@gizzync1525]

Be careful where you put those weights. a lot of brake calipers run a few mm from the inside of the wheel. so always check for clearance.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yes, good point!

[@CHRnorton]

Red and or Yellow dots are on most tires, Red dot is the lightest usually at the valve stem, Yellow dot is the highest point with the most run out upward. Steel rims might have a marking where the high point goes. Aluminum rim are usually very true, no run out.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Pirelli clearly states on the winter tire specifications that I demoed in the video (Ice Zero Asimmetrico), that yellow is lightest, red is max radial runout. Every manufacture is different so always check the tire marking specification if you plan on match balancing; don't go by hearsay or traditional tagging. No, the heaviest part of the wheel is not always at the valve stem. I have no idea where that nonsensical myth started but it's just that - a myth. The ONLY way to know where the heaviest part of a wheel is, is to check the balance of the bare wheel first. Rarely is it at the valve stem (at least on alloys) unless they have heavy metal or TPMS valves installed, but even then other parts of the wheel are often heavier.

[@Jack_Move]

We ALWAYS Clean the rims at work, Extremely important with modern rims as they will Leak much easier then old school Steel.

[@riceburner4747]

U bring back memories. I worked at a Gulf station in early 70's when gas was 29 cents a gallon. ANYWAY, I used to mount tires by hand like u did & I dreaded winter season mounting all those snow tires. 🙄😂🤣 U should get RuGlide bottle comes with their own brush. 👍

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for sharing

[@ollieanthem9213]

for those whos rims don't seat with an air compressor alone, you may have to use a bead blaster to seat the bead. I remember the tire guys telling me my rims were difficult to seat, so it helped me to put together the solve... now I know what those pops were at the tire shop; Wear ear protection...

[@aries6776]

I live in a major city in the UK so I'm always in range of a tire shop but I'm tempted to do it myself after seeing this! Great instructional.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching 🙂

[@actually5004]

Is it even legal to own a tire bar in the UK? That could be a lethal weapon!

[@christopherdekonstrukt444]

I'll buy the duck head adapter for the HF tire changer; I'm tired of the tire shop forcing you to buying their tires and upselling you on new valve stem sensors when you get new tires installed.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I was also tired of them scratching my wheels ☹

[@keithjagarnath5137]

Cleanliness is on point 👌

[@workharddieproud]

Great instructional video !!!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching - much appreciated 👍🙂

[@garyp1930]

Great Job !!!! no one spends the time to do things right .. your one of the few .. A1 perfect video

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Appreciate the view - happy New Year.

[@chadd990]

I added up the cost off all the items in description, the total comes to *~$620* Here's some information if you're considering to do this yourself. This is an investment, but it will certainly save you money in the long run, through-out your own lifetime (if not the car's lifetime). You can probably save $100 if you buy cheaper items, but some of these supplies will need to be rebought frequently. As of right now, the cost of tire installation at wal-mart is $18 ($28 for a roadside hazard warranty) per tire. $72 all four tires ($112 for the roadside hazard (get the roadside hazard)). Although there isn't any information online for a standard price at Firestone, my latest invoice was $97.48 for four tires (no roadside hazard). *Here's my opinion* If you're an average driver, then I'd suggest just taking your car to the shop. You'll likely only need to change your tires once every couple years, unless you puncture it. If you use your car commercially, have multiple cars, or just enjoy working on your car, then I'd highly suggest making the investment. IMO

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for adding it all up. Can't put a price on the convenience factor either; especially if you live 600km round trip to any tire shop you half trust such as is my situation. For me, that convenience of knowing I can replace a tire or perform a tire patch repair any time at home is worth much more than $620. One single city trip avoided &/or one saved scratched wheel has paid for the equipment. 🙂 Not sure what TR413 valve stems you get that are costing $6 each? The box of 50 I got was about $20 bucks up here and I suspect they will last me for the duration of my tire changing days.

[@chadd990]

@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks for correcting me on the valve stems, I'll update my post. The Amazon page says $6 per count, but if you actually read the page there are 100 pieces (50 valves 50 caps presumably) for $24. That's what I get for being lazy. With this revelation in the price, I'd encourage anyone capable to make this investment. I do live in a large city of over 3 million, so tire shops are abundant. I still see the value in this investment. Thanks for the video and the reply, by the way.

[@manFromPeterborough]

@@Rchelicopterfun A friend of mine had european made valve stems that went hard and broke on insertion, I think it was Aligator brand from Germany

[@onoone58]

John covered it all. No questions from me. Good Job👍

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad you enjoyed it & thanks for watching 👍🙂

[@villijs33321]

Just wana say that I have never had tires balanced correct from tire shop (without vibration) always comes vibrations around 100km/H and that's no matter what car I had, the worst was 4x4 car tires. Now thinking to get one for my garage so stop pay for bad job at tire shops...

[@Mitalayeka]

Thanks for the presentation John, crisp clear and the picture is impressive.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Many thanks for watching 🙂

[@patrickzadd5215]

nice video! thanks!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thank you too

[@johnwest6977]

Wow you’re the only other person I’ve seen clean the wheel drop we do that at my job we’re very picky about making sure it’s all done clean

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@johnwest6977 - Wish I had your shop and detail oriented technicians working on my wheels for the past several decades; if I had, I wouldn't have needed to start doing this myself 🙂 Just one example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/np-TiZV-nNuhfLssi=7frPDP3AeI37rs1n

[@richardcote9663]

Nice job on this video. Found it helpful. I especially like the modification for the balancer resolution. I also have that same arm and duckbill set up minus the upper and lower bearings. Another future modification I suppose. As an old Star Wars fan, I have to ask. What is the story behind the R2 D2 in the background? Looks pretty sweet.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yes, my only regret is not getting one of these changers years ago (the money & time I would have saved), but I suppose these duckhead mods for the manual changers are fairly recent. Hope you find your changer and ducky mod as useful. As for R2, it was a build project from last year. The full build series is on my channel: kzbin.info/aero/PLZV8xZm3OCXz8I0FoPzIeU--13oWWJfZv

[@manFromPeterborough]

@@Rchelicopterfun In my 25 years of driving, I never had to go to tyre shops, as an autistic growing up, my first obsession was tyres, before my driving age I used to tinker with old tyres on dad's farm when we were there for school holidays, due to my problems we moved to the city (Adelaide) 400mi from the farm. 1991 was my driving life, I bought a HD Holden, went to auto store and got 2 levers and bead press, hand pump. the car already had tubes in the tyres except one. I got into tubeless in 98 when I got a compressor, in 2000 a mechanic from church gave me a vintage bubble balancer

[@Rebel9668]

We grew up doing it this way on our farm, except we didn't have a tire changer. We'd remove the valve stem, then run over the sidewall of the tire to break the bead and then use a prybar and a long handled screwdriver to coax the tire off the wheel. When we'd buy tires the folks at the store always seemed miffed that we were going to balance and mount them ourselves, trying to talk up their spin balancers and how much better they were. Pappy just said, folks have been using bubble balancers since there have been steel rims and they work just as well now as they ever did, lol.

[@Lejonse]

Hi guys I'm Swedish and I use a different zero cost method. 1 drill a small hole in the very center of the center cap 2 put a string through the hole and hang up the tire horizontally. The heavier part of the tire will be slightly lower than the lighter part opposite in the same way as is the case with the bubble balancer. 3 stabilize and spin the tire slowly and watch for a slight wobbling movement at the rim edge 4 install a fixed stick or something very close to and from above pointing at the rim edge 1-2 mm distance 5 when the wheel is spinning slowly you will see the gap between the stick and the rim edge increase and decrease and thereby telling you where to put your weights Don't spin the wheel too fast. The gyro effect will stabilize the rotation and the movement will be smaller I have tried many diy methods and this is by far the easiest and most accurate one and to no cost at all. Good luck P.S. I have six cars, four motorbikes, two boats and two snowmobiles... so yes I am a do-it-yourselfer

[@liviusuciu309]

Without of video is hard understand the process, send us a video please? Thank you very much!!!

[@tn7198]

@@liviusuciu309 I'm thinking it's like a knotted rope through a dinner plate, then spin it slowly and measure from a known level surface beneath it.

[@vfifty9182]

There is a difference between static and dynamic balancing. The balancing might be ok but with rotation the mass creating momentum. Comparison between DIY and real professional balancing would be very interesting.

[@vegasfordguy]

Can't be any worse than going to Discount Tire. They have the best equipment available and still can't correctly balance a tire to save their life! I've wasted so much time going back to have tires re-balanced time and time again.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

That's been my unfortunate experience as well, albeit with other franchises. Even when they do get get the balance correct, it's a coin toss lately if they've scratched the wheel.

[@FoxFaderWorld]

Find my post on here and read it. You'll never need them again for balancing.

[@11quatro4]

Funny this has brought up, I been to 3 different Discount Tires in my area for the past 10 years with many sets of different tires and technicians. None could ever get it right. Went to Walmart and it would be silky smooth. Im done with Discounts.

[@vegasfordguy]

@@11quatro4 It literally happens at every Discount Tire I've been to. It can't be their equipment, it has to be their employees and lack of training or something. I've spoken to so many people over the years with the same experience.

[@buckmurdock2500]

they are not trained on how to properly use the equipment. For example with balancing, they will continue to add weight until the machine reads zero. They will put weights around 3/4 the circumference of the tire and the lightbulb never goes off.

[@jetrngr430]

Great video John! Very informative. I've been on the fence about these tire changers and balancers for awhile. I think you just convinced me to pull the trigger on these two items.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the view Mitch. Seems to be lots of hate on the little bubble balancers going by some of the comments which I knew I would get going by all the research I did on bubblers before getting one. However, if you are up to any improvements it might need, or if you can find a good used Coats M-60 bubbler, the results, granted being static, are not bad at all. I've done 5 sets of tires/wheels now and all have been smooth as glass, so I've put off the CAE-3019WB computerized balancer purchase (at least for now). It's not just the cost either and shipping logistic hassles to my remote location, it's the space required for one so it's very hard to justify when the bubbler is giving vibration free static results.

[@mitchmiller9658]

@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks John! The helicopter mechanic in me salivates at the “challenge “! 🤣🤣. It would seem my area harbor freight stores are currently out of stock. Not to worry. HF has more sales than a mattress store. 🤣

[@Rchelicopterfun]

😄👍

[@BearHomeOwnerDIY]

@@Rchelicopterfun Tire Balancer project 2.0 -- using a cat toy laser and a translucent "hub cap" cover for the beam to shine on.

[@MrSloika]

I mount my own tires as well. The main reason is I live in the salt-belt which causes the rim beads to corrode. Tire shops will not clean/smooth the rims, they just smear some sealant and hope it's good enough for a few weeks/months before the you get a bead leak. I like to inspect and clean the rims properly before the new tires go on. As for bubble balancing, there are better options. A computerized manual spin machine can be had new for around $1K. I've also found this video of a German-made manual dynamic balancer from the 1960s. Honestly, if I could find one these I'd buy it in a heartbeat. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGa4lJegitiogNU

[@44amanaplanacanalpanama44]

I've had so many bad experiences lately with the largest chain tire store in my area! I got about 5 miles down the road in my wife's SUV before realizing that they hadn't tightened the front lug nuts. The alignment that they charged me for sucks, and I'm going to have to do it again myself. I have always considered tires and alignments a pain to do, but I'm definitely going to start doing them myself. Nobody does good work any more!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I hear ya! Increasingly, the DIY route is the only way to ensure things are done properly anymore.

[@saeko5676]

Don't be scared of mounting the beads I've gone up to like 70 psi on a regular tyre a few times in my shop and although they're scary and loud n some of the wheels were a bit sketchy they never exploded or anything and we were using cheap ass tyres all the time 🤣

[@lg3053]

Man that's a lot of work. Thanks for showing us how its done.

[@Dartheomus]

Really nice job on the balancer modification! Next trick is to maybe digitize it! Should be able to put a digital level sensor on it, maybe you can get higher resolution?

[@adrianmichell2751]

I know nothing about tyres ,other than, taking a tyre off of the rim with levers is challenging when you do not know what you are doing! Have seen balancing beads , advertised for classic vehicles, to be inserted in the wheel and tyre cavity ! Are these beads good, bad, or problematic for aluminium wheels ? Appreciate any experience using them !😊

[@VideoNOLA]

Fun stuff. Probably just outside my comfort zone, but definitely budget-friendly! Thx.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching. Every tire gets easier to the point it's a basic and easy DIY service as explained in the 1-year manual changer tips update video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3-naaGVdteBiNEsi=5Sv7J1cDXb8NBzVo

[@nathanielking4464]

Like how you keep everything clean and neat, nice work! 👍

[@vr6muppet]

Nice work sir. I'm impressed.

[@DJCrisisUK]

6:09 😂😂😂that is a sentence I could never imagine hearing, but here we are

[@Rchelicopterfun]

😄

[@MMikeHD3904]

I seen this home made contraption 25 years ago , i was working up north and this dude named John would fix flats with this ...kinda like this

[@hallo17184]

Thank you. i never heard of bubble balancers before. This should work just fine for my tiny Renault R4 Wheels. Since most Tire Workshops (in Germany that is) dont have balancing machines for 3 hole rims and some of the r4 rims without a hole in the middle I nnow can do it by myself Thanks again

[@hallo17184]

If you think about it ... without the hole in the middle of the rim...

[@user-et1jn7iu5p]

looks like good tool....accuracy could improve if the base is totally level...thanks shop talk...your awsome..