[Rolling-Thunder]

Here is a picture of a properly lined up front wheel / hub assembly.

In the picture, you can see that the valve stem is lined up
with the yellow-painted lug nut stud on the hub.

 

[ShadowDragon]

Ack! "Integrity"s I'm never getting those again.

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

I have to agree with your 'Ack' comment. Not too impressed with them.
As they wear, the three middle tread bands with the cross-cuts
become solid, making the car hydroplane and slide easier.

Would appreciate recommendations on an all-season (winter too) tire,
from those who have actual experience with their choice.

 

[ShadowDragon]

I have to agree with your 'Ack' comment. Not too impressed with them.
As they wear, the three middle tread bands with the cross-cuts
become solid, making the car hydroplane and slide easier.

Would appreciate recommendations on an all-season (winter too) tire,
from those who have actual experience with their choice.

Yep, same thing mine did, along with random bulges along those stupid "ribs" on the sidewalls

As for winter I can't help you there, we had 3 days worth of snow last winter.

 

[BlackTbird96]

OK i have a problem. On my car. The valve stem is between the lugs. What do you do for them? they are SVT thunderbird rims

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

Perhaps it is not necessary with those rims. Check with the
manufacturer for their opinion. If you do not have vibration
issues with the front end, then don't worry about it.
This particular alignment is recommended for the stock rims.

 

[GreenBird]

I have to agree with your 'Ack' comment. Not too impressed with them.
As they wear, the three middle tread bands with the cross-cuts
become solid, making the car hydroplane and slide easier.

Would appreciate recommendations on an all-season (winter too) tire,
from those who have actual experience with their choice.

If your going to get two sets, get a winter and a summer set. Get Hakapilitta (sp?) if you've got the $$$ other wise the blizzak is good. I put a bird though a harsh vermont winter with a set of blizzaks...they lasted much longer than the cooper weathermasters.

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

Thanks Greenbird, for the info.

I am looking for all four season use tires. I do not run snows in the winter.
With the proper weight in the trunk (160#) and the proper tread design, this car runs pretty well in the snow.

 

[Slide]

OK i have a problem. On my car. The valve stem is between the lugs. What do you do for them? they are SVT thunderbird rims

I've got the same problem, except I'm running on stock rims. <shrug>

And I've got buttloads of front-end vibration that two shops and one independent mechanic haven't been able to track down.

 

[Serio]

Hrm....

My rims also have the stem between two lugs, as opposed to inline with one of them. They're stock 94 cougar rims. I did have vibration issues, but lining the stem up on the opposite side of the yellow lug eliminated that.

 

[68COUGAR]

From the, "I Gotta Ask, Dept."

If you spin balance the wheel/tire, how can valve stem to lug position, make one whit of difference?

Confused 68COUGAR

 

[ShadowDragon]

Re: From the, "I Gotta Ask, Dept."

If you spin balance the wheel/tire, how can valve stem to lug position, make one whit of difference?

Confused 68COUGAR

The yellow marked lug is where the runoff is in the hub itself, it is minor or it wouldn't pass QC. The tires are very rarely perfectly ballanced to the micron, so putting the valvestem which is a teeny bit heavier and the hole in the wheel which is a teeny bit lighter balances the whole assembly a bit better.

 

[WaLieN]

Mines doesn't have the yellow painted lug... instead, all the lugs are the same. Should this be a concern?

 

[Zero]

About the tire question- when I had stock wheels, I ran Michelin all the way. I live in Minnesota where the winters are extremly harsh. In the winter I ran Michelin Arctic Alpines and in the summer, I ran a set of Michelin X-Ones. Both are great tire and wear very evenly and offer a very nice ride. The Arctic Alpines are no better than a Blizzak, except for one thing. The Blizzak's winter qualities are gone when the tire hits about halfway tread life left, where as the Arctic Alpines are good all the way through. Trust me on this one, I was in the tire buisness way too long Installing these things.

 

[RichardM]

The alignment marks have nothing to do with balancing. The Yellow mark on the hub is the high point of runout of the hub. I believe the standard for wheels is to put the valve location at the low point of runout. Also if you look at new tires, you usually see at least one sticker on them or a mark. If you know how to read them you will see that they have static balance points and some Z rated tires also mark the high runout point on the tire. So ideally if you line all these up when you install the tires then you have the best total runout minimization. Even perfectly balanced tires can be out of round or whatever and that is why you do it this way.

 

[94 Daily Driven 4.6L]

Dots, Holes, and Painted Lugs

I have been told by a tire dealer that the dot on a new tire is the low (or high, can't remember which) spot on the tire as far as run out. The valve stem hole in the rim is the high (or low, can't remember which!!) spot on the rim as far as run out. When the two are installed with the dot and hole together next to each other it is supposed to be as close to round as possible. Has anyone else heard this about the dots and holes? And is the painted lug a balance issue, or a run out issue?

 

[94 Daily Driven 4.6L]

Thanks RichardM

OK, Richard, you answered my question while I was typing!! Are you psychic???

 

[Bradley Blaze]

Attn: Rolling Thunder

Hey, I really like your USAF avatar. Those are the real thunderbirds. I think they look cool,especially from the bottom side where the native American Thunderbird loga is painted. See ya, Blaze

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

Thanks Bradley

I made that image using AutoCad software, and also have an "Official" emblem on my T-Bird as well.

With regard to the yellow painted lug, it has nothing to do with weight. It is there to indicate either the high or low spot of the hubs' concentricity (runout). When placing the wheel with the valve stem lined up as shown, it matches the high spot of one, with the low spot of the other, so that the two try to cancel each other out.