Correct location of tire logo on a 30-31 19" Rim

[SHEC]

For "standards"

Does the Firestone (or other manufacture logo), go above the valve stem or - the "Gum Dipped" signature go there.

Ready to mount up 5 new Firestones on my touring car and would like your input -

Thanks -

Chris -

SHEC

[31Tudor]

It is not specified, but the conscious effort is to center the Firestone on the valve stem.

[Tiny]

Tire logo should be centered on the valve stem. That way you can read it on the spare out back. I had a shop redo my tires after I taught them this lesson. A little attention to details goes a long way.

[J Franklin]

I doubt the cars came from the factory with the tire logo in any specified location.

[Jim Brierley]

I agree with J Franklin. Most tires have a small dot indicating the light spot and that is to be mounted at the stem area.

[DougVieyra]

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My understanding is the same as Jim's. The lightest part of the tire was marked with a red dot, or square, etc. The weight of the metal valve stem of the inner-tube would by aligned with the tire's red dot, and they should be mounted as such. The tire makers name was not a relevant issue, and could wind up anywhere on the wheel.

[31Tudor]

The "Science" aside, I have mounted tires on rims where I didn't pay attention to logos or dots and I have mounted tires with the attention of detail to line the logo up with the valve stem; I have not had any difference in the way the tire ran, tracked, bounced or wore. Nor have I ever balanced a tire. Obviously is doesn't matter to some people where the logo is, but if you do make a conscious effort it is hard not to line the logo up. It has a nice finished look (to some) to have the tire manufacturer , the valve stem and then the Ford on the hub cap perpendicular to the valve stem (which is specified in the Restoration Guidelines.) So, end of the day, it probably really is just a personal decision.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by Tiny

Tire logo should be centered on the valve stem. That way you can read it on the spare out back. I had a shop redo my tires after I taught them this lesson. A little attention to details goes a long way.

Where did you learn this lesson? I have never ever seen it in print! I am told it is an opinion only and not prescribed anywhere. Unless it is in the judging stAndards an opinion means nothing! Wayne

[Mitch//pa]

For judging purposes my Goodyear logo is centered to the valve stem. Then the hubcap upright to that.. As tiny said the spare will have the logo straight up, the stem pointing down and the hub cap readable straight accross.
Don't worry about the dot it doesn't effect crap...

Now talking modern::
We do a large volume of tires no matter where the dot is inside/ outside etc etc the tires take the same amount of weights. Many tires are directional where there is no choice but to put the dot on the inside...

[reggiedog]

I didn't know that these tires could be ballanced as I have always been told ????.
I can't get them balanced anywhere around me where can I have this done is there a certain company that does just this???

Thanks let me know Reggie

[Cape Codder]

I have installed new tires on newly powder coated rims a couple of years ago. I installed the stems, logos, and hub caps according to the judging standards.

[B]reggiedog[B]- I also installed pellets inside of the tubes for balancing of the tires. I only have about 3,000 miles on the tires, but there has been no wear and car drives nicely.

[jw hash]

it used to be in the standards about the good Year boot lining up with the valve stem that was done away with in 2011. now it says the balancing mark is in adjacent to the valve stem.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by jw hash

it used to be in the standards about the good Year boot lining up with the valve stem that was done away with in 2011. now it says the balancing mark is in adjacent to the valve stem.

There is your answer. Good Book says balance mark adjacent to valve stem so any other opinions don't matter. Wayne

[reggiedog]

How can you get the pellets inside the tubes and what type pellets are they ????.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by reggiedog

How can you get the pellets inside the tubes and what type pellets are they ????.

Do a google search for "dyna beads"

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by reggiedog

How can you get the pellets inside the tubes and what type pellets are they ????.

A good project to get the grandkids involved in and if works. Wayne

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

One smart ass told my spare valve stem was pointing the WRONG WAY!---"Take a CLOSE look at it"----------"I LIKE IT THAT WAY"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He didn't even own a Model A, or a DOG, but had a BITCHY WIFE!
Bill W.

[RonC]

I don't think any tires made today have dots that indicate balance points. The Goodyear tires made today have dots but are not balancing dots according to Kelsey tire who makes them.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

One smart ass told my spare valve stem was pointing the WRONG WAY!---"Take a CLOSE look at it"----------"I LIKE IT THAT WAY"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He didn't even own a Model A, or a DOG, but had a BITCHY WIFE!
Bill W.

The self professed experts are the worst kind ! Hopefully the wife gave him a razzing for making a fool of himself! Wayne

[Henry's Lady's Man]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

Do a google search for "dyna beads"

Wow, Mitch... I just read the link on DynaBeads. They sound great, if you need them. It looks like they are actually put IN THE TUBE, removing the valve core, and ALSO put (preferably) OUTSIDE THE TUBE before mounting the second tire bead. Is this correct? Have you used them? Or seen results?

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Henry's Lady's Man

Wow, Mitch... I just read the link on DynaBeads. They sound great, if you need them. It looks like they are actually put IN THE TUBE, removing the valve core, and ALSO put (preferably) OUTSIDE THE TUBE before mounting the second tire bead. Is this correct? Have you used them? Or seen results?

I never needed to balance a model A tire yet using beads or rim weights for me or anyone else.. So no i never used them..many members on here have used them try doing a search on the barn also...if you have true wheels, good shocks, steering, suspension, true brake drums etc many may find there is no need for balancing.

[Kevin in NJ]

Let us learn about Google.

Look up the tire dots and you will find the different colors have different meanings. I got 5 tires with 4 different color dots. What they actually mean I am not sure. I did find a reference for another company where the dots can mean balance, out of round and a couple of other things.

I ignored all of that and put everything together on the wheel and mounted each on a hub with lightly oild bearings. I let the wheel find its heavy spot and observed how fast it found it. Then I move the tire with respect to the rim and tried again. When I found the place where the wheel moved the slowest to heavy I left it there. I put the 2 fastest on the rear and the 2 slowest on the front.

I am not doing a show car so I do not care about where the logo's go. Just trying my best to work with what I got in a smart way.

I have the Goodyear tires and they were all dead on for roundness.

Right or wrong? It is what I did.

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by SHEC

For "standards"

Does the Firestone (or other manufacture logo), go above the valve stem or - the "Gum Dipped" signature go there.

Ready to mount up 5 new Firestones on my touring car and would like your input -

Thanks -

Chris -

SHEC

Makes no difference where the "logo" is located...I do not think Ford cared where it was located in relation to the tire stem/air valve as long as the tire was put on the wheel and sent down the line.

Pluck

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

The little colored dots DON'T MEAN CRAP! Installer was putting new GENERAL tires on my Maxima, made eye contact as he was about to put on an 8" weight, shook my head NO! He ripped it off the wheel & got a different tire.
Bill W.

[Cape Codder]

reggiedog - PM sent.

[SHEC]

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WOW -

Thank you for the quick replies and input. What a response!

FYI - I went with the "good look" and mounted the tires with the Firestone logo directly above and centered over the valve stems. It came down to a personal preference and man what a difference the new tires make over the Wards Riverside they replaced.

The Riverside tires provided excellent service and still show a lot of tread with hardly any cracking. Bare in mind I put those on new in 1979 and the car has been driven regularly the key, (I believe), it is garage kept and out of the sun.................

Size wise, the Firestones stand about an inch and a quarter taller than the Wards - with a slightly wider width that did change the ride quality for the better. Ironically the car was delivered new with Firestones when built in SFA in 1930.

Thanks one and all -

Be well -

Chris

SHEC

PS - I may have 4 good Wards Riversides available for someone(?) I kept one mounted on a back up rim...............

[Joop]

A little late maybe
Ford wanted the valve stem pointed towards the Ford scripted hubcap.


...

[Mike V. Florida]

The question really becomes what do the judges look at? Mitch said line it with the stem and hub cap with the stem as well.

I know you did not ask but here is some additional information for you,

[31 RPU]

When buying a new tire for your daily driver, as a rule of thumb, how much weight is too much weight to get a tire balanced?

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by 31 RPU

When buying a new tire for your daily driver, as a rule of thumb, how much weight is too much weight to get a tire balanced?

How are you planning to balance them? Different methods and different types of computer balancers will call for more or less weight to balance the same wheel and tire. So using a machine like a hunter smart weight your overall amount of weight is greatly reduced. Go to a shop that has this balancer it calculates differently than all other machines on the market. As I mentioned before I have not needed to balance any model A wheels...
http://www.weightsaver.com/smartweig...ghtsaver02.htm
Here is mine

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

The question really becomes what do the judges look at? Mitch said line it with the stem and hub cap with the stem as well.

I know you did not ask but here is some additional information for you,

At the AACA meets they did look for that. So as an example say looking at the spare tire.
Mount the spare to the car with the valve stem pointing down at 12:00, the goodyear / Firestone centered above it and the FORD on the hubcap horizontal with the words upright.

Do all the tires the same way.. If your already mounted you can jack up the wheel, remove the air, then spin the tire to index it without taking it off. The tube will stay put but I go a little past the centering point then back the other way to take any stress off the tube from spinning the tire.

[Bader]

The logo is centered on the stem,when the wheel hangs on the spare tire mount,the logo,the cap can be easily read. If you notice on a deuce to 35 wire wheel there is a small hole by the mounting bolts,opposite the stem,that is a drain so that when it is hanging on the rear mount any water that gets past the cap will drain out.the stem is put at the top so if the tire is flat it won't fill with rain water. This is directly from the service bulletins.

[31 RPU]

My question was about modern cars. What weight would be unacceptable to bring a tire in balance? I have heard people in the past day "if they have to add more than such and such weights to balance a tire I don't want the tire"

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by 31 RPU

My question was about modern cars. What weight would be unacceptable to bring a tire in balance? I have heard people in the past day "if they have to add more than such and such weights to balance a tire I don't want the tire"

I answered your question above... There is no set amount but if you find its more to your liking the rim / tire or equipment needs to be looked at.
I get many rims with a wobble and the hunter smart weight machine calls for way less than the others. I'm talking where 1.5 oz vs 4.0 balanced it

[Bob Bidonde]

You can't be serious re the logo location. In my opinion, there is no way that Ford wheel assemblers made any attempt to index the logo.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

You can't be serious re the logo location. In my opinion, there is no way that Ford wheel assemblers made any attempt to index the logo.

You are absolutely correct ! Wayne

[Joop]

see factory picture #23

[SHEC]

So - on another note but the same loop.................!

How do you keep your hubcaps from spinning or rattling on the rim? Bend the tabs, a spot of clear silicone, or? What works for you folks?

Thanks again -

Chris


SHEC

[mhsprecher]

I read something decades ago that Ford was very particular about the valve stems and hubcaps. Maybe the tire logo, too. Probably something from The Restorer. That may be outdated info. I would rely on the judging stds.

To me, it is one of those details that makes for a job. Toss a coin between the JS and hat you like.

[Cape Codder]

SHEC - I had a horrible experience installing my hub caps. I used what I thought was the ultimate "Special"? tool to bend the tabs. In the process I lost a total of four hub caps. The end result was to still use the 'Special" tool to bend five of the tabs on each hub cap. I then put a very small amount of silicone around the edge of each cap. After installing the cap in this fashion I bent the remaining five tabs from the back all the way down. I have now driven in excess of 2,500 miles with no problems. Extra work but I am now happy with the results. Hope this helps in your decision.

[SHEC]

Thank you for the quick response. I am leaning toward this type of install - the clear silicone being the key. The new tires are great and now we are after that special finishing touch!

Stay warm Cape Codder.

Be well -

Chris -

SHEC

[RonC]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

You can't be serious re the logo location. In my opinion, there is no way that Ford wheel assemblers made any attempt to index the logo.

There were balancing marks on tires back then that were used for placing the tire in relation to the stem

[SHEC]

Further homework on the rim/tire location situation. While at the Turlock Swap Meet, I checked an older MAFCA book on judging standards. It was not specific as to location of valve, brand names, logos - etc.

The specifics came from size, rim construction, tube type etc. Wondering if the current standards are more specific?

BTW - the new tires look great and really beef up the suspension. Thank you Harvey Firestone!

Be well -

Chris

SHEC

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by Joop

A little late maybe
Ford wanted the valve stem pointed towards the Ford scripted hubcap.


...

I'd run Firestones if today's looked like that. Nice looking tire.