Okay, this may be a dumb question= can I use inside balancing weights on my factory 15" aluminum 97 F150 wheels? The weights on the outside rim edge scratch and mar the soft aluminum surface and I would like to polish them to a chrome like luster this summer, and don't want to use the outside balancing weights on my polished rims. Any pros or cons to using the inside weights?

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97 F150 Reg Cab Short Bed
4.2L Auto
Current Performance mods=
Accel 9000Series Race Plug Wires
Motorcraft Platinum Plugs 60 Series Heat Rating
K&N Air Filter(Modified Stock Airbox)
Flowmaster 40 Single in/out.
B&M Shift Improver Kit(highly recommend!!)
Current Musical Improvements=
California Profile3600 running two front Pioneer5x7 three way speakers and a single 10" Cerwin Vega in my homebuilt port tuned box.
Pioneer Cassette/cd control head unit with matching Pioneer 6 disc changer.
1/2 Farad Stinger cap.

My other truck is an in the works 1950 Ford pickup.

 

I'm not sure, but I have the same complaint on my Baja rims. I plan on gettin some new rims soon, and would like all the weights on the inside to keep those rims lookin nice. Hope with them on the inside they still do a good job.

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98 Black F150 S/C 4x4 ORP 5.4

4" Rancho lift, 14 KC lights, lots of other goodies. Check out www.F150World.com/Mudder for pics and all the info.

 

When I worked at a gas station, we'd apply the weights to the side of the rim closest to the mounting hub, but if we had enough time we'd perform a 4 way balance. you take the weight you need, say 2 ounces, and apply half the amount to both the front and back rim in the proper location.
This was a fairly common practice, but no one who mounts my tires has ever heard of it. Also, wheel balances using the machine that spins the tires while they're on the vehicle are the best.

 

The answer is YES, have the weights put on the back, not only is damage to the front wheels surface eliminated, it just flat looks better! The computerized wheel balance machines of today have that option when the balance information is keyed in. I'm picking up my new Weld Racing Typhoons today with 285 Bridgestone Duelers mounted. I have a customer who manages a Discount Tire store and he always mounts my wheels/tires himself, with the weights completely on the back. For that matter, he does the same thing for his truck too. Normally, he uses the stick on weights for this procedure.

 

I was told that by putting the wheel weights on both the inside and outside of the rim they could get a better balance. Makes sense, the weights not only correct tire out of balances but also wheel runout.

I have the weights on the inside of my wheels. I didn't ask for it that way, they just did it. They were balanced on a Hunter 9000 (best balance machine made IMHO.) They are balanced pretty good for a 33/12.5 tire. Not perfect, but pretty darn close. I wonder if they could have gotten it perfect by putting the weights on both sides of the wheel...

Like most things, you balance looks with feel! (no pun intended)

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Supercrew 4x4 Lariat
Solid Black , 5.4 Triton, 3.55 Limited Slip, 6750# GVWR Package, Skid Plates, Moon Roof, Sliding Rear Window, Trailer Tow - Class III, Cargo Cage, Grey Leather Captains Chairs, 6-Disc CD Changer

Mods:
305/70/16 Goodyear ATS
American Racing Atlas 16x8
Chrome Westin Steps
Flowmaster, Delta Flow 50 SI/DO
Cranked Torsion Bars 1"
Mobil 1 @ 1,000 miles
Concept II Deflecta Shield

Planned:
Toneau Cover
Expedition Console Mod. (Been there, done that - didn't like it so I sent it back!)

Another great Ford truck site -www.fseries.com

Truck Pictures

[This message has been edited by kkirt1 (edited 04-26-2001).]

 

Knocking the dust off of my "Mechanisms and Dynamics of Machinery" text book I found the following:
You have two different issues here. One is a static balance - this is what you get with weights on one side only. The other is a dynamic balance - this is where you balance on both sides of the wheel. If you had a very skinny tire, like a motorcycle tire, a static balance would work. This is because the mass is distrubuted close to the vertical centerline of the tire. But when you go to wide tires, such as those we are talking about, the dynamic balance becomes more important. This is because a significant amount of mass is located away from the vertical centerline of the tire. A static balance could feel like a good balance, but the tire wear could be more because of the non-dynamic balance.

Whew, enough work for today, my head is starting to hurt. Time for a beer.

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Mine:2001 1/2 F150 Super Crew, Lariat, Oxford white w/silver lower accent and Med. Gray Leather Captain Chairs,4x4 ORP, 5.4L, 3.55LS, 17" Chrome wheels w/GY AT/S LT265/70/17, auto, 6 CD,Towing package, alarm, Westin Chrome nerf bars, Seat Savers and Husky mats for hunting, bed liner, white tail light lens covers.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...1294&a=3025874
Wife: 1999 Explorer Limited,pearl white/tan leather,4.0L,4:10LS,CD,sunroof,towing pkg.,alarm. Bought new Sept. 1999

Previous: '65 Mustang 289 HiPo, '70 Chevelle SS 396, '70 Vette Conv. 350/350, 72 Datsun PU,'74 Vette TTop, '79 Blazer, '81 F150, '83 Bonneville, '84 Gran Marquis '89 TBird Super Coupe 3.8L SuperCharged, '93 Explorer 4.0L, '97 F150 SC XLT, 4x4 ORP

 

Sorry, kkirt. No amount of weight will correct runout. Whether vertical or lateral.

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98 F-150 XLT 4X4 ORP Super Cab Short Bed, 4.6, Auto, 4.10's, Mag-Hytec diff. cover, Magnacharger supercharger, K&N FIPK, Superchip, Gibson single cat-back, 80/100w German head lamps, 80w amber fog lamps, Warn HS9500i winch with semi hidden mount, Wrangler dual battery kit with red & yellow top Optima batteries, 285/75R16 Goodyear MT/R's, 16x8 Center Line Hell Cats (JUNK WHEELS), Rancho RSX shocks, B&M deep aluminum trans pan, Rhino bedliner. Needs one more door.
http://hometown.aol.com/ninetyeightfword

 

I stand corrected!

 

My good friend (a diesel and top notch auto mechanic) has his wheels (on 2000 lariat SC FS 17" ORP rims) balanced with balancing powder. He swears by it and I am going to start using it when I get my 285s. His wheels balance perfect and no ugly weights to worry about palling off or wrecking the rims. The explorer just had the tires changed and the rims are wrecked because the factory wheel weights corroded the aluminum.

Jimmar

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2001.5 SuperCrew XLT 4X4
Silver Clearcoat Metallic
Deep Wedgewood Blue (accent)
5.4L V8
Chrome Tubular Step Bars (Ford)
Captains Chairs
Power Moonroof
3.55 LS
6750 GVWR
Class III Towing Pkg

Mods:
Harley Davidson Exhaust
'01 Lightning Head/Tail Lamps
Pioneer DEH-9200r
Boston Acoustic Components & 5X7s
Box Liner (Ford)
Splashguards (Ford)
Bug Defector Doubles as Rock and Sand/Salt Deflector in these snowy Canadian winters

To Come:
17" Rims/Tires
K&N Air Filter

 

Thanks Zach. My only concern is will those weights fall off fairly easily or with extreme heat or with cleaning solvents? I take my truck on dirt roads once in a while, and wash it religously with Turtle wax car wash, and out here in Oklahoma the summer heat easily and often reaches over 100degrees Farenheit.

 

Off topic but... mudder, when you get new rims, if you sell the old ones let me know. I might buy them off of you.

 

I immediately had the wheel weights removed from the outside of my aluminum rims and placed on the inside -----I did notice a small area under each weight where the weight had made small indentions in the wheel clearcoat. If you wait until the tires wear out and have the weights installed on the inside only of new tires I think it may be too late as the weights will already have corroded the rims

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2000 F-150, XLT, SC, 5.4, 4X4, 355 LS, ORP, Black/Silver, class III, single CD, sliding glass, med. gray, keyless, elect. shift, engine date 8-18-99, Superchip. 2.02" corrected radiator-F75Z-8005-GA --- '93 Harley Fatboy Black & tons of chrome

 

Same thing as bubba here...If you whine to ford like I did, they'll replace them under warranty. (you have to be REALLY picky for this to happen, like me)

Anyway, I work in a tire shop so Of course, I spent a plethera of time on my own vehicle. I have the 16" clear coat allums and ran a dynamic balance. I used stantard hammer weights on the inside of the rim, (who cares about it anyway) and tape weights for the outside portion of the dynamic balance. I just put the tape weights right inside the rim, behind the "spokes". They barely clear the calipers but it's all smooth sailing here!

As a side note, we all drive TRUCKS here all with rather heavy suspensions. Even if you're balance is off, you probably won't be able to tell if it's the wheels or just the road IMHO

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2000 4.2 Supercab XLT
What I've done: K&N filter, Magna flow custom exaust (From where cat's join, 3"in, two 2.5" out the rear), Michelin LTX M/S 265/75/16's, MTX Thunderform custom box with two 6000 series 8" subwoofers and Mtx 120 amp.
Plans: Lund hood deflector, superchip, Poweraid, Xenon sport Flares, (custom ram-air idea?)
New: Pioneer DEH-P6300 Head unit (I definately reccomend it!)

 

Balancing your tires the right way may require some time. For you off roaders with the great big mud tires and lifted chassis, don't look for significant improvement. Lowered and factory vehicles, will have alot more "fine tuning" available to them. The absolute best way to balance your tires is to do a match mount. This involves determining the balance weight of the wheel and then counter balancing using the tire before applying weights. It is a time consuming process and considerably more expensive than the "balance and rotate special" Offered at the local NTB and discount tire but you will be glad you did it. And for those of you who will complain about the ride, no matter what...PUT THE OEM stuff back on or deal with it.
Thank you,
RW