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Thread: Those using Keizers - Questions

  1. #1
    Hey Everyone,

    Hope your cars are coming together. Competition is right around the corner!

    Anyone using Keizer Wheels, how much runout do you have? I understand it can happen after useage, but ours are fresh out of the box and we have up to approx 1/8 inch of run out on one wheel. We realized this earlier on in the season, but didn't get a chance to post.

    Does anyone else have these issues? What aspects of drivebility can we expect to be affected. The tire should take some force and dampen the affect of the wheel not being true, but not all of it. Wheel balancing is obviously a must.

    We are rather disapointed with the Keizers.
    B. Bell
    UNH Precision Racing
    www.unh.edu/fsae

  2. #2
    Were the wheels untrue before you mounted the tires? Sometimes the tire changer can cause a rim to go out of round if it is not treaded with care during installation.
    Dustin

  3. #3
    yeah, there's definite visible runout with our keizers. that's unfortunate, but i guess you get what you pay for.

    there's a noticeable trend of fsae teams moving away from keizer, probably because of problems like this, and also because of a lack of lateral stiffness (depending on model).

    there's probably a loss of grip from the inconsistent vertical tire loading with these out-of-round wheels.
    bob mai - yofa42@hotmail.com
    u of manitoba design lead

  4. #4
    After a full season on our first set, they all have a significant amount of runout. The tires are almost always mounted by a tire race shop and I don't believe that they are bending the rims. The wheels are just to weak. I certainly think it would be worth most teams time to spin your own and design a center...

  5. #5
    I've posted about this before but it's been awhile. We had 13x6" Keizers with mag Centers and the maximum offset in 2000-2002. I personally mounted every tire on our 2nd set purchased in 2001 after our first set was showing some serious runout (probably in the range of 1/4"!). We had runout issues from regular track running. I always checked the runout every time I mounted the tires, and tried to get them straight again as best I could. Our endurance sets (when possible) I would measure overall tire/wheel runout and position the tire so we had the least amount of total runout possible (the bias tires have lots of runout too). I used a GSP9000 to measure the assembly runout.

    The car definitely felt better when we ran the sets that I spent more time on, getting the assembly runout right, so I feel it is definitely something that can hinder grip.

    Unfortunately balancing does nothing for this situation, those are two seperate effects. Balancing does not do anything to fix runout, and a bent wheel can actually balance quite well.

    I should also say Keizer has posted here stating that they give teams what they want, and if teams ask for too thin halves and offset that is going to make the wheel more likely to deform, then that's something the students ordering the wheels should take into account before they order them. I guess so... but sometimes you just expect stuff to work. I wasn't involved with our ordering from Keizer back then so I can't say.
    -Charlie Ping

    Auburn FSAE Alum 00-04

  6. #6
    If you're asking for stuff that they can't provide correctly then they should damn well tell you.

    That's like a mechanic solely listening to you and not even checking the car.
    Dalhousie FSAE
    Drivetrain/Braking

  7. #7
    Agreed.

    Also, Charlie, when you said 'get them straight again as best I could.' how did you got about doing this? Are their different methods to fix this? Proper and improper ways? Thanks.
    B. Bell
    UNH Precision Racing
    www.unh.edu/fsae

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