Stock weights are on the outside of my L wheels, I'm afraid this may damage the wheels over time. Is this the way all L wheels come from the factory? Is this cause for concern?

I have experienced damage to factory aluminum rims, which I think was caused by wheel weights, on my 92 S-10.

[This message has been edited by mracer (edited 10-26-2000).]

 

I had mine relocated to the inside a couple of months ago. The original weights did scratch the edge of the rims slightly, but it is better than those ugly weights. The scratches really aren't noticeable unless you really look for them. I haven’t experienced any noticeable balance problems, but then again I haven’t been over 90 MPH since then.
I just wish there were some better tire stems than those factory curb feelers we’ve got.


------------------
Mark
'00 Lightning
'79+ Corvette

 

You cannot properly balance a tire by only putting the weights on the back side of the wheel. Todays dynamic spin balance machines tell the service man which side to put the weight. Yea they screw up the paint. Life in the real world.
noelvm

 

They don't just put them on the back side, they use a flat weight with an adhesive that sticks to the inside near the front. The balancers that Discount Tire use take two or more passes to get it right using this method. I stood right there and watched to make sure that by the final turn they were completely neutral. This doesn’t leave them 100% balanced inside-to-outside, which can upset the gyroscopic effects, but that really only comes into play if you are turning while going faster than 100mph or so. In this truck, going 100+ and turning is not something I tend to do at the same time.

I had the inside weights put on my Corvette when I got new wheels and I've been up to 155 mph without vibration. I thought I felt something at first, but that turned out to be my pulse.


------------------
Mark
'00 Lightning
'79+ Corvette

 

An L owner here just took his truck into ford for amoung other thinks clinking noise in the front end at low speed. They removed the tires and found those adhesive weights,installed by Discount Tire, rolling around inside the tire.


[This message has been edited by noelvm (edited 10-27-2000).]

 

How did they get inside the tire? Balancing is done with the tire on.

 

Yea, I know. It's a mystery to me, but I know the service writer he went to and thats what he told me. Really strange............

 

They aren't inside the tire, that's obviously not possible. Unless you are just trying to balance a bad rim. The weights go on the flat area on the inside of the rim (the portion that would hit the caliper if you put a Bremebo kit on). They are taped on. Mark_2kl is right that it is not as good of balance. But, I've had two vehicles done this way though, and both are very smooth at hi speeds. Get them moved inside,
your wheels will look alot better in the long run.

------------------
2000 F150 XLT 4x4 Short Bed. Amazon Green, 5.4L, SuperCab, ORP, Tow Package, Sliding Rear Window, Electronic Shift, Keyless Entry, LT265-70-17 Tires, Clarion Pro Audio, Herculiner Bedliner, Air Silencer Removed.

1994 SVT Mustang Cobra. #1032 of 6009. Black coupe with black leather int., 3.73 rear, Bassani Exhaust, Aluminum D/S, Bridgestone RE-71 255-45-ZR17

My Home Page

 

Go to your local Sears Automotive and tell them you want a center static balance. They will set the spin balance machine to center balance. it will give them one reading for weight... not outside and inside. They clean the inside of the rim near the center with brake cleaner and then apply the weight.

All the Corvette owners in this area use this method. They also use Sears for mounting new tires... the machine they have here does not touch your rim except on the back side where it locks it down for tire removal.
Just my 2 cents worth

------------------
Ron B.
Kathleen, GA.

*Red 2000 Lightning
*ARE LSII
*Speed Liner (color matched)
*PSP Filter and Outer Ware
* PSP 4 way chip
*Bear Tracker
*Valentine Radar Detector
*Dual Flow Masters Delta 50s
*Tinted Windows
*4 Pioneer TS-A6895 speakers
* Wet Okole seat covers
* Bug Deflector II (color matched)
* 1/4 mile 13.501 @ 102.01 mph

 

My 2000 also came with weights on the outside of two of the wheels. I think I may do as Mark did and have the tire rebalanced and relocate them out of site.

 

Mracer,

FYI, I'm going to go back to just having the inside + outside weights. Just had the adhesive ones put on today on two new tires (at Sears--they did a great job overall and even matched TireRack for me). Unfortunately, both weights fell off later at the car wash (I think I sprayed them right off by accident). Maybe this just means you have to keep the car dry for a day or two for the adhesive to work, but I'm going back to what I know works, even if it doesn't look good. If you do stay with the clamp-on weights, just be sure they use new ones. I went in for a tire repair once (at a different place) and they just slid the weight around...now THAT scratches wheels.

Good luck in any event,
-a

------------------
Good day to be alive!
00 Black Lightning
"Stampy"

 

ElectroStaticDischarge,
Try the stick on again, make sure they clean the surface, and apply Duct tape over top just to make sure...
It sounds like they didn't clean the surface.
I've been involed with "stick-on" wheel weight testing, and you would be suprised to learn, that they are actually 5-10 harder to remove then clip-type weights when applied correctly. (ie clean surface and NOT hammer shocked during installation...)