It's so hot that... my weights are falling off my wheels?

Emission · Emission's Garage

I walked into my garage the other day to find a wheel weight sitting on the ground next to the wheel. Huh?

Apparently, the "lead" weights (I don't know if they are still made of lead or not) are held on by a double-sided sticky foam tape. Well, the tape can't handle the ambient heat combined with the heat of hard driving!

I pulled the front wheel to see if I could replace the weight myself and realized nearly all of the weights are loose, gone, or have moved (the pic shows how the weights "creep" across the wheel as they loosen). What a mess.

I guess I have to pull all of the wheels, remove the weights, clean the surfaces, and have them all re-balanced. What a PITA.

charleskieffner · 07-25-2006, 09:12 AM

duct tape is your friend!

Emission · Emission's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by charleskieffner
duct tape is your friend!

That's a very good idea.

MotoSook · 07-25-2006, 09:26 AM

Use the aluminum tape, for ducts...not the gray stuff. The regular stuff will fly off with the weights.

charleskieffner · 07-25-2006, 09:27 AM

its a racer thang! and they sell 2 types. the kind that doesnt work nor stick to anything, and the expensive kind that says 200MPH made in the USA and is a GIANT PITA to take off! take your pick. my car is red, therefore my 200 MPH made in the USA tape is red! sold at finer racing stores nationwide!

rusnak · 07-25-2006, 09:43 AM

It gets really hot here too (113 F today) and I have similar problems, except all over the whole car. I found that my wheel weights have to be applied to very clean wheels. I clean them as much as I can before getting the wheels balanced. Then I stick duct tape over them, as recommended. Problem solved, except the next time you have to get the wheels balanced, you have to remove the tape adhesive with 3M adhesive remover.

defcon65 · 07-25-2006, 10:40 AM

That's a lot of weights - three oz on the wheel pictured. My car has only two or three on each wheel. I wonder if the wheel could be better balanced by grinding down the heavy side before rebalancing with weights? Also, it looks like your weights are on the inside and mounted on an angled surface; centrifical force is causing them to slide up the angled surface. The weights on my car are mounted on the flat surface of the wheel on the outside, perpindicular to the centrifical force of the wheel spinning. Maybe that's why yours have the tendancy to creep.

Joe

rusnak · 07-25-2006, 10:50 AM

I thought that was a lot of weight too. Probably a bad wheel, but you're right Joe. The weights would be better on the rim, not on the center section.

Dixie · Dixie's Garage

Duct tape will not work. Use HVAC tape. It looks like thick aluminum foil that's sticky on one side. You can get it at any hardware store.

randywebb · 07-25-2006, 03:52 PM

Yup they are still lead - don't chew on them...

The tape will add a tad of wt. You can re-clean the wheel and add new wt.s or just not worry too much - you probably will not feel the difference - just keep it under 240 mph...

Many animals respond to heat by various means to keep cool. Maybe your tires are evolving some cooling features...

charleskieffner · 07-25-2006, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by randywebb
Yup they are still lead - don't chew on them...

The tape will add a tad of wt. You can re-clean the wheel and add new wt.s or just not worry too much - you probably will not feel the difference - just keep it under 240 mph...

Many animals respond to heat by various means to keep cool. Maybe your tires are evolving some cooling features...

i kinda feel that @ 240mph that lil critter would shed his huevos and everything in his digestive system and not really be concerned about the heat! LOL!

rusnak · 07-25-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by randywebb
Yup they are still lead - don't chew on them...

The tape will add a tad of wt. You can re-clean the wheel and add new wt.s or just not worry too much - you probably will not feel the difference - just keep it under 240 mph...

Many animals respond to heat by various means to keep cool. Maybe your tires are evolving some cooling features...

It takes big balls to drive your Porsche at 240mph.

charleskieffner · 07-25-2006, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rusnak
It takes big balls to drive your Porsche at 240mph.

probably wouldnt be a bad idea for the critter to use 200 mph hour tape with HVAC tape added to compensate for the extra 40MPH and safety wire his huevos also for those kind of speeds! LOL!

rusnak · 07-25-2006, 04:19 PM

I imagine that squirrel is going "Tape? I don't need no steenkeeng tape!"

Gearbox · 07-25-2006, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by defcon65
I wonder if the wheel could be better balanced by grinding down the heavy side before rebalancing with weights?

Joe

It's more likely the tires, unless the wheels are damaged, most of the "inbalance" comes from the tires.

randywebb · 10:34 AM

Gentlemen, You are viewing a male Antelope Ground Squirrel, a critter that is supurbly adapted to its desert environment. Altho you -- like most physiology students - have honed in on one aspect of its ability to cool off, note the tail. It has a high reflectivity to solar radiation and the lil' mutha nearly always keeps the tail up over its body like a parasol.

I am going to forebear any comments on the drag and convective cooling of various appendages. It has, however, been calculated... (not by me - I focus on cold, not hot envs.) -- but there is always a graduate student to bore in on the most unusual aspects of biology.

charleskieffner · 07-25-2006, 06:20 PM

i still think duct taping the squirral to the wheel will get you a trophy if not all the chicks!!!!

rusnak · 07-25-2006, 06:28 PM

I thought you were going to say duct taping a set of huevos grandes to your body to look like the squirrel would get you all the chicks.

randywebb · 07-25-2006, 08:43 PM

might get ya some squirrel chicks...

charleskieffner · 07-26-2006, 03:50 AM

now by duct taping the squirrels huevos, he would attain nirvana while spinning at 240mph. the driver would achieve nirvana thru the inexpensive and removeable "squirrel weight set-up". and at the end of the day driver would not have to deal with that pesky leftover adhesive doubleback tape residual on his beautiful polished FUCHS!

residual squirrel detritus has not been determined as of yet due to the fact we have not found a driver willing to use the "squirrel weight set-up, nor have we found a antelope squirrel that is willing to tape his huevos let alone himself to a 240MPH race car wheel. our lab testing results as soon as we can capture said antelope squirrel will be available soon!

taping weights to inside of wheel with either HVAC or 200 MPH will work very well. just remember to check EACH wheel before racing the next time, to assure yourself none have flown off, from prior race(put this on your track check list). if they have come off use GOOF OFF and the PITA adhesive will melt off and then balance again and apply appropriate weight.