Tony
Welcome fellow LAT 9 owner. You've discovered the
secret as to why these wheels are rare.
Mounting used to be a pain until modern tire mounting
machines. They can mount a tire on a LAT 9 easily.
Now balancing is a different problem. You have to look for
some facility that has a machine which has a removable
center spindle. Its an option most shops don't buy.
The center spindle is replaced by a plate to which your
wheel is attached. This will not be a cheap balance.
Or do as I do. I have found a shop that still has a strobe
light balancer and someone who know how to us it. He
spins the tire on the car. Once balanced you have to
remember to mark the tire so that it goes on the same
lug each time. I simply used a small file and kerfed the
front spindle where the nose of the Tiger on the wheel
points. A bit of paint on the brake drum has marked
the back for years.
Strobe light balancing is in my humble opinion the only
way to go. I have other LAT 9 owners drive over 100 miles
to my friends shop. On returning, one owner said he now
could cruise at 90+ without a shimmy. On the car balancing
balances the whole wheel assembly as it runs on the car
(albeit unweighted), that's the tire, wheel, hub, etc. Off the
car dynamic balancing only balances the tire and wheel.
Yet the F-1 and Indy wheels and tires are balanced off the
car and they have no shimmy problems.
I am certainly not an expert, but the strobe is the only way
I know to balance LAT 9's like ours.
Above all DONT and I mean DONT cut the heads off. You
will have destroyed a piece of Tiger history.
If you are near Chicago, I can put you in touch with my
strobe light balancer.
Dave Johnson B382002668(under repair) Aurora, IL
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