I love the look of the wheels without those unsighty balance weights. I'm going to have my tires rotated this week, and I wonder how important it is to have them balanced also. In that they are now wearing evenly with my current alignment/balance, I wonder if I can get by with just the rotation?
Thanks

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory.

 

skydive69, balance is very important, you may develop nibble or other adverse effect if the wheels are not two plane/dynamicaly balanced. But you could have the tire shop use stick on wheel weights, on the inside of the wheel so you will not have to see them.

 

Thanks Steven. I guess you must be excited about your forthcoming toy. I can't tell you how many cars I have owned over the years, and this one is at the top of the fun heap.

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory on Jan 7th

 

Hey Sandy,

You might be able to have the weights be put behind the "spokes". I was looking a "rice-a-roni" one day and had big rim and low profile tires and i saw inside the rim behind the spokes there was aliitle wieghts, i thought they were for balancing but was not sure, and ways let us know how it was done because im going to have to have it dont here soon too.

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WHITE BEAST

*WHITE 99.5 LIGHTNING
*6 DISC CD-CHANGER
*CLASS 3 TOW PACKAGE
*SOFT BED COVER

 

Those are the stick ons.

 

The Goodyear shop where I will have it done is real good. They did not even charge me for rotating the tires on my Trans Am because they were Goodyear. I'll ask their advice unless one of our resident experts shows up with definitive advice.

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory on Jan 7th

 

Sandy,

If you don't have any vibration then you can just rotate the tires. However, I always have them spin them up while they are off the truck to see if they have shifted. I only have them replace remove the existing weights and re balance the tires that need it.

Regarding clip on weights, I always use them. The rims we have are designed for them. I can live with the look to have the wheels correctly balanced in both planes. If you just can't stand the look then make sure they set up the machine for a "custom" or "inside" application. The machine will adjust for the offset of the weights from the outside edge to roughly the middle of the wheel. Have them still use the clip on weights on the inside. The less double sided tape they use means the less chance of them coming off at 100 mph on the freeway.

If you're really **** (like me) then you can go downtown to Nix and Black (Orlando) and have them balanced on the car. They pre-balance them on the machine then do a final check, tweek, after they mount them. It takes all of the vibration out since it balances the entire sprung portion of the suspension.

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Mark Whatman
mwhatman@worldnet.att.net

• 99.5 White Lightning (stock)
• 99 Buell S3 Thunderbolt (not stock!)
• 98 F-150 Lariat (Flowmaster)
• 96 26' Velocity Offshore Race Boat (far from stock!!!)

 

Thanks for your input Mark. I'm going to have the tires rotated in Apopka on Friday after my factory installation (scheduled for 10:00 AM) at Superchips in Longwood. My Airaid air box should be here this week also, so by this weekend it should be fun city. I probably will take it to Bitlo while the weather is cold to see if I can get a low 13 run out of it.

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory on Jan 7th

 

Sandy,

I should get my PSP chip and air system this week also and was also thinking about a trip out to Bithlo but, lo and behold, the weather turned hot again. Over 80 today! I think our central Florida winter was last week.

Mike

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Mike Philpott
Orlando, FL
'99.5 Black Lightning
SVT #2190 - Build Date 6/9/99
NLOC #361
6 CD Changer, Class 3 Hitch, A.R.E. LSII Lid, BedRug Liner, Invinca-Shield/3M Scotchcal protective film, Wyldman's Clear Lexan Fog Light Covers, 16% Window Tint, LoJack, Val-1 (Sal's PSP Chip & Air Filter Kit on order!!)

 

Mike:

You, I and Mark will have to get together, and see what we can stir up down there. I know that Mark's stuff is due to arrive soon also. What part of town are you located in? Mark and I are rather close (Apopka & Wekiva).

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory on Jan 7th

 

Sandy,

I live on the SW side of Orlando, off of Apopka-Vineland Rd and between Sand Lake Rd and Conroy-Windemere Rd. Officially, it's unincorporated Orange County, just a couple of blocks from Windemere.

Bought my L from Gaylon Black Ford in Apopka. Good dealer.

You're right, us 3 (and I know a couple of other local '99 L owners) need to get together. Also know a Gen 1 Lightning owner here in town and, in addition, the present owner of my '91 Syclone. The 7 of us could stage a pretty good meet all by ourselves.

Mike

 

skydive69, I would strongly recommend that you have your wheels dynamical balance, this is how your wheel/tire assembly comes for the factory. Like Mark said, make sure they can balance to the "near" mid plane (inside surface of the wheel), if they can not, and you still do not want clip weights, have them do the balance, and place 1.5-1.6 * the outside flange (clip weight) recommended weight, on the inside inline with where the outside clip weight should be placed. And the inside clip weight will like be 1.2-1.5 * the recommended inside clip weight. then recheck balance.
It will make life a lot simpler if the can mid plane balance, most tire shops that sell flangeless or Euroflange wheels will be able to do this.

 

Mike, Sandy,

I should get my chip and air box this week but I leave on a 2 week business trip on Saturday. It will probably stay in the box until I get back. If you go to Bithlo then post your times. I can check the board while I'm away. If you want to wait until after the 21st them I'm there but I will need a day to put my old tires on the rear. I can't bear to burn out with the new shoes, at least until the credit card bill is paid off.

We certainly could put on a good show of Detroit Iron. Sorry, Ontario Iron.......

------------------
Mark Whatman
mwhatman@worldnet.att.net

• 99.5 White Lightning (stock)
• 99 Buell S3 Thunderbolt (not stock!)
• 98 F-150 Lariat (Flowmaster)
• 96 26' Velocity Offshore Race Boat (far from stock!!!)

 

Thanks Silverbulletonorder and Mark, I believe I will just have the wheels balanced. Mike: I work fairly close to where you live. Perhaps you can stop by some time. I am VP-Sales for SimCom International, a company that trains pilots in various simulators. We are at 7500 Municipal Dr., which is what Carrier Dr. dead ends into. (Carrier is the first signal light South of International Dr. off of Kirkman). If you are into flying at all, it is a fascinating place.

------------------
Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory on Jan 7th

 

BTW, Mike, I also purchased mine from Gaylon Black. They sort of murdered me on my Trade - a 97 Pontiac Trans Am Convertible, but then again, I didn't have to trade it in. (-: Mark: We can certainly wait until you return. It will be colder by then - I want nice cold air!!

------------------
Sandy (Spider) Scott
99 White Lightning #2091 DOB 6-8-99
Coming soon: Airaid air box & Superchip to be installed directly at the factory on Jan 7th


[This message has been edited by skydive69 (edited 01-04-2000).]