Centramatics won't clear front calipers?!?

[HLewallen]

Any of you guys with centramatics have a problem with clearance on the front? Yes, I am using the correct balancers for the front - the not flat ones with the tubes outboard. Oriented like this the disk touches the wheel mounting surface and the tube touches the backside of the aluminum rim, giving maximum clearence for the caliper. The driver's side cleared (after grinding flat the casting seam on the caliper) but the passenger side does not. Prelim torque of the lugnuts to 50 ft-lbs and the balancer is being held to the rotor by the wheel and acting like a lathe when I turn it by hand.



What's the deal here? You guys with Centramatics - did yours fit no problems? You guys have factory aluminum rims? Do Balance Masters use a smaller diameter tube that might clear? I am uneasy about using a 1/8" spacer like the directions say, and so is the tech/engineer at Centramatics. Dodge made the thing with hub and lug centric wheels, and I would like to leave it that way.

 

[kscheffler]

I talked to guy at Balance Masters last week and he warned me of these problems with Centrematrics. He claimed no bushings/shimms required for BM product. I would like to know the answer to this isssue also; good luck. I think it is the old you get what you pay for. BM are twice as expensive as the Centramatrics...

 

[MMcClane]

This is very interesting. I was about to buy those on the group purchase. Now, I will have to think about it. I sure don't want to have to do any grinding or add a spacer to make them work.

 

[Bjewell]

Bjewell

I just installed a set (4) of centramatics and they work great, the only problem that I had was that they shipped the wrong balancers for the back (DRW) but as soon as I called them they shipped the correct ones and arranged for the pickup of the first ones. After I installed them I took to the road to try them out and was very pleased with the handling, any hint of viberation was gone and now I don't have to worry about" loosing a weight "and havng to rebalance while traveling. I would rate them A+ as far as accessories go. The customer service was some of the best that I have ever had to deal with.



2005 Dodger 3500 DRW, permatec bed liner, Drawtight signature series 5th wheel hitch,Nerf bars,bumper guides,Condenser guard,Mopar rubber mud flaps,

Prodigy brake control,Centramatic wheel balancers, Vortex valve, Tool box,Geno's Exhaust extension

 

[HLewallen]

Customer service is fine - the guy I talked to just couldn't help besides telling me to send them back. I am annoyed, however, and think maybe he should come over and help me pull them all back off the truck. And I am still out shipping one way for a product that will not work on my truck. DRW trucks are a different application and may work just fine. I bet steel wheels on a SRW would work also.

 

[bpenrod]

Mine worked flawlessly on my 03 SRW. Installed the fronts as described above and the rears the opposite way if I remeber correctly. I don;t pay much attention to them as they have been working great. I pulled the weights off the rims and no vibrations all the way up to top speed. They did make a slight swooshing sound at low speeds and hot weather, just until the centifigual forces spreads it all around.

 

[Dieselnerd]

I found that I needed to use the ones that the instructions said were for the front on the rear and the rears on the front. Both fit OK on the rear but only one fits on the front. I do have aluminum wheels. The balance tube should face outward and will contact the wheel all the way around but nothing bends when you torque the wheel. This has been mentioned on the TDR before. It worked fine for me. Mine clear the calipers by quite a bit on the front. The balance tube can face to the inside on the rear since the hub is far enough out to easily clear the calipers.

 

[EB]

Mine fit fine, no problems, but I don't have aluminum wheels.

 

[steved]

So has everyone had good results with their centramatics... thinking about getting a set through the group buy...



steved

 

[HLewallen]

Dang! I guess the production tolerances on my truck are doing it to me again. There is just not enough room between the caliper and the wheel on the pass front for the tube to be there - regardless of orientation. My truck must have been built on a monday morning or something.



Dieselnerd - You say in your post only one fits on the front, but then later say there is plenty of clearance to the calipers (plural). Are you running centramatics on 3 or 4 of your wheels?

 

[Dieselnerd]

Heath, bad grammer on my part. I'm running on all 4 wheels. I meant both types provided in the kit (Dished and Flat) would fit on the rear but only the dished worked on the front. My instructions called for the flat ones to go on the front and that didn't work at all. Your pads or calipers must be slightly thicker than most. I didn't measure my clearance when I installed them but before writing this post I went out to my truck and tried to pass a 1/8 piece of wire between the caliper and the Centramatic. It didn't fit so the gap is less than 1/8 but it doesn't rub. Tough to see in there with the wheels mounted. Maybe you can grind a little more off your calipers.

 

[steved]

Well then, I guess I'm not buying these... if they only fit half our trucks, not worth the money or aggrevation.



steved

 

[Dieselnerd]

Steved, this is the first case I've heard of them not fitting. I really doubt it's half the trucks out there.

 

[PHeadings]

You have to use the spacers provided in the kit with the factory wheels.

 

[rbattelle]

This is interesting. I just received mine from the group buy today. I have a SRW with factory aluminum wheels. But I don't plan on installing them for a couple months... No way am I using any spacers on a hub-centric wheel.



Dieselnerd - what's going to happen when you put new pads on the front!?



BPenrod - do you have factory aluminum wheels? Ever replaced the front pads and still fit the Centramatics?



-Ryan

 

[Dieselnerd]

There were no spacers in my kit, if others got them mine were either missing or an addition to the kit after I got mine.



Ryan, I installed mine when the truck was new so I had no pad wear. Unless they make them thicker I should be OK if I stick to OEM.

 

[PHeadings]

This is interesting. I just received mine from the group buy today. I have a SRW with factory aluminum wheels. But I don't plan on installing them for a couple months... No way am I using any spacers on a hub-centric wheel.



Dieselnerd - what's going to happen when you put new pads on the front!?



BPenrod - do you have factory aluminum wheels? Ever replaced the front pads and still fit the Centramatics?



-Ryan

If I recall any wheel studs that use acorn lugs are lug centric plus on the front the hub don't extent out like on the rear for the rim to sit on. The spacers that came in the kit were 1/8 or 3/32 thick and were only used on the front since the media ring faces outward. Most aftermarkert wheels require no spacers on the front.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

BM are twice as expensive as the Centramatrics...

For that difference, I plan on giving them a try before the 3/14 deadline. I'll just make sure I can return them if they don't fit.

 

[JTryles]

Fit like a dream on my 2006. Balance "ring" out on the front as the instructions said. My kit came with spacers also but I didn't have to use them.

 

[rbattelle]

I'm a bit confused now. I checked out my truck and there is a HUGE clearance space between the inside of the wheel and the caliper. There is significantly less clearance between the wheel and the caliper adaptor. What's rubbing, Heath, the caliper or the adaptor? If mine rub on the adaptor I have no qualms about grinding that down, but it seemed like there would be more than plenty of clearance unless the media ring lies directly in front of the adaptor. Is this the case?



-Ryan