I will be replacing my tires soon on my 88GT that has stock rims. I was wondering if I should stay with the outside clip-on weights or try the less noticeable self-adhesive stick-on weights. Pros and Cons to each?
There are no cons to good stick-on weights. As for the clip-on ones, apart from the ugly visual effects, the lead weight, steel clip, and aluminum rim all interact with each other galvanically (dissimilar metals will corrode each other). Not to mention the steel clip almost always peels paint off and makes a scratch in the rim.
I am sure the original poster wants as much info as he can get , so for his benefit as well as for some of our more senior members could some one explain these stick on weights? ( I mean people like me )
[This message has been edited by kendallville (edited 05-21-2014).]
I am sure the original poster wants as much info as he can get , so for his benefit as well as for some of our more senior members could some one explain these stick on weights? ( I mean people like me )
They are just weights (material may vary) that have an adhesive on one side. They go on the inside of the rim (the flat area, opposite the tire). They are not near the outside edge of the rim. Good quality ones will stay attached. Cheap ones can be knocked off.
You can't keep the weights where they are anyway. If you're having the tires installed at a shop, they will have to pull all the existing weights off and rebalance. Just have it done at a good quality shop, and they will use the stick-on weights anyway, unless it's absolutely necessary to use clip-ons.
If you are installing the tires yourself, they will still need to be rebalanced, so just take the wheels and new tires to a good shop for it. I had tires mounted and balanced for a car recently, and it was only $60. Brought them home and bolted them on the car.
If you are installing the tires yourself, they will still need to be rebalanced, so just take the wheels and new tires to a good shop for it. I had tires mounted and balanced for a car recently, and it was only $60. Brought them home and bolted them on the car.
I like taking just the wheels in.... that way they can't screw up the car
I bought an old service station bubble balancer at a garage sale with a bucket of clip on weights. since lead is so easy to melt, can I just mold my own stickons and use foam double stick tape. Centrifugal force should help them stay in place anyway right?
Good quality ones will stay attached. Cheap ones can be knocked off.
I took a couple sets of wheels in to have tires mounted. One set of wheels was brand new, the other were decades old and a little dirty. The guy did the old wheels first. He quickly wiped off the backside of the wheels with brake cleaner before he attached the weights. By the time he did the second set of wheels, several weights had already fallen off the first set of wheels he had done.
My experience is that the stick-on weights will stay on basically forever IF the surface of the wheels is prepared properly beforehand. So in other words, clean them yourself before you take them in for balancing.
I totally agree with Blooz on this one. Its all I use except on plain cars with steel wheels.
Dratt, I see no reason you cant melt them and make your own. All the store bought ones just have 2 sided tape on them. I try to get them mounted in the center of the rim so its not heavier on the inside or outside. When I was racing stock cars, we always tried to mount tires so they didnt need weights by moving the tire around the rim. Theres always a heavy spot on the wheel and one on the tire. If I remember the tire manufacturer even marks the heavy spot with a red or white dot at the bead.
Theres always a heavy spot on the wheel and one on the tire. If I remember the tire manufacturer even marks the heavy spot with a red or white dot at the bead.
I asked the young guy who balanced the wheels (in my previous post) about the red dots on the sidewall of the tires. He had no idea what they indicated.
I have to disagree with this. Maybe for the consumer there are no downsides, but the next guy who has to balance those wheels will be cursing you the entire time.
Ok gang, try this. With all these high dollar balancing machines, try this. Have them balance your tire. Have them take it off the machine and bounce the tire on the ground and put it back on the machine. I would bet the balance is now wrong. I have tried this at many tire shops after having a tire balance problem on my GT. Every time the balance would be off after remounting the tire on the balancing machine. Many shops bragged about how new and high tech their machines were, yet they were scratching their heads after my request. I could not find a machine that could repeat a balancing job correctly. I mean not ever and I tried this at least 6 different shops. Not sure what this means except don't trust any balancing machines. It is just my experience.
------------------ Red 88 GT T-Top 3800 INTERCOOLED SUPERCHARGED
Remember the manual spin balancers that would clip directly to the wheel on the car. Those seem to do a pretty good job. They would balance the tire, wheel, and even the drive axle on the car...........for that matter, what ever became of headlight aiming machines???? Dagnabbit!
Remember the manual spin balancers that would clip directly to the wheel on the car. Those seem to do a pretty good job. They would balance the tire, wheel, and even the drive axle on the car...........for that matter, what ever became of headlight aiming machines???? Dagnabbit!
Plenty of headlight aiming "machines" around here. Headlight alignment is one of the things that gets checked on the yearly state inspection here.
I usually take my wheels off and take them to have tires mounted. Ive had way too many tire shops ruin wheels, cross thread stud/lugs, or put them on so tight I needed a 5 foot pipe on the wrench to loosen them. Not fun if you have a flat 20 miles out on a back country road. I had one shop do a break job on another Caravan I had. they broke off 18 out of 20 studs putting the wheels back on. I made them pay & install new ones.
On cars that were problematic with balance, I had one great old school shop I used. They could true tires if they were out of round and spun balance the whole brake, wheel , tire assembly ON THE CAR. He would put a cup of water on the hood and spin it like 80 mph till the water remained perfectly still. Thats how you balance them. On my Ferrari kit, I did that because I drove it reallllly fast a lot...and never had to rebalance them for 6 years afterward.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 05-22-2014).]
