The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop wheel balancing weights

In the latest Hemmings Classic Cars the builder of a Hudson says he put the wheel balancing weights on the inside of the rim to protect the paint. My tire installer says they won't work on just the inside and sometimes has put them on both sides. Is this a fact or is there something missing here?

Thats how they did my nice chrome wheels on my toyota, they put them inside and behind the spokes so you wouldnt see them. The regular rims they just use the clip on type on the outside. I see no reason why you would need to have it so fine tuned that moving it an inch or two side to side is really going to make to much difference.

Then again, I could be wrong. Just ask my wife.

If the balance weight is small, there won't be any noticable effect if the weight is inside or outside. A problem arises with dynamic balance if a large weight is required at one location on the wheel, and the weight is not split approximately half on each side of the wheel. I think splitting weight inside and outside becomes a concern at about 3 ounces at one location on the wheel. And some of that concern is affected by wheel width and wheel speed. A narrow wheel rotating at low speed would not have as much a problem with side-to-side unbalance (dynamic balance/unbalance) as would a wide wheel rotating at high speed. Wheel camber would also be involved, but only slightly with usual camber settings. So I guess the short version of this is that for an ounce or two, I don't think you will have any trouble attaching the weight only to the inside of the wheel.

Harvester

Wheels can be balanced with the weights on the inside (be it using clip on weights or stickys), however, balncing them that way is not as acurate as a true dynamic balance. Many time, balancing with the weights all on the inside can requre much more weight than balancing on both sides. There's also issues if the tech doing the balncing doesn't know how to compensate for puting the weights on one side, especially when using the clip ons on the inner lip. If your conserned about amount of weight and also want them balanced statically, find a shop that uses a Road Force balancer, they're the most accurate available and will reduce inaccuracy and exessive amounts of weights on the wheels.

All of our bulk trucks and trailers have aluminium wheels. We used to stick weight to them. We now use some glass beads that go inside the tire. It's the best balancing I have had in the 44 years I have owned 18 wheelers. They say it can be put in pickup tires too, but I've never tried it. I don't drive my old GMC's fast enough to need balancing and I usually trade pickups I use before the original tires are slick to stay in warranty.

I read that article too and I picked up on that statement. I don't see how it is possible to do the dynamic portion of the balance with weights on one side. I think that maybe there is some sort of compromise which was acceptable to the owner.

Sure would like more information on the glass beads.

They are called Counter Act. We get them from the REMA dealer in Houston, TX. 1 800 343 3661

Here ya go, Gazim.

I haven't used this solution myself yet, but it's on my list of future updates.

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/

Also look up Dyna beads.

I've heard of a similar product, but under a different name (don't remember it right off). It's not very effective in light truck tires as it is on larger truck tires. I have a freind that tried it on his lifted Z-71 w/ 36" Swampers, it worked ok at highway speeds (65+) but not very well at lower speeds. Ended up taking the stuff out and doing a traditional balance, no vibration troubles since.