Wheel weights... where to buy?

[toastywaffles]

For those of you that do your own wheel changes / balancing, where did you buy your wheel weights from? (stick on or clip on)

I'll be swapping the front wheel soon but havn't been able to source it out yet. Couldn't find any at princess auto or Canadian tire...

oh and no I'm not interested in using dyna beads

Thanks

[zacm7]

you dont need weights to have a balanced wheel just line up the painted dot with the valve stem.

[toastywaffles]

you dont need weights to have a balanced wheel just line up the painted dot with the valve stem.

yes I know that lining the dots gets it 'close' but it's a poor mans way of balancing it... sorta like only using the markers on the swingarm for rear wheel alignment.

[Paul900rr]

Hopefully someone will chime in on this as I could use some weights as well.

[cola_fiend2003]

Auto Zone or any car parts store has sleeves of weights. I get them there. NAPA parts stores, etc...

[Verdegrand]

yes I know that lining the dots gets it 'close' but it's a poor mans way of balancing it... sorta like only using the markers on the swingarm for rear wheel alignment.

that's how I've always done rear wheel alignment.... I feel like a noob now, how do you do rear wheel alignment?

[toastywaffles]

Auto Zone or any car parts store has sleeves of weights. I get them there. NAPA parts stores, etc...

ahhh Autozone... totally forgot about that place... for some reason thought it was only in America... K i'll give em a shot tomorrow after I visit PA and report back with what they got.

that's how I've always done rear wheel alignment.... I feel like a noob now, how do you do rear wheel alignment?

String.

Run string around the back tire towards the front so that it just touches the forwards edge of the tire. Think of it as an 'amplification' of where you're wheel is pointed. Align it based on equal distance between the string and front wheel on both sides. You may also want to rock your forks if they're out.

[weldingglover]

Good theory I should know this , I have used this technique to many times in Fitting and ship building. but i usually have a true measurement from a blue print or a true location. I am thinking just as long as you don't go off the front tire. I would always measure the distance from the swing arm pivot to the center of the axle. In a race time hurry it is usually finger width between the swing arm and tire. I'm a big perfectionist looking for an easier way. I like the string line idea will be practicing this next week on my dirt bike.

Thanks

ahhh Autozone... totally forgot about that place... for some reason thought it was only in America... K i'll give em a shot tomorrow after I visit PA and report back with what they got.



String.

Run string around the back tire towards the front so that it just touches the forwards edge of the tire. Think of it as an 'amplification' of where you're wheel is pointed. Align it based on equal distance between the string and front wheel on both sides. You may also want to rock your forks if they're out.

[weldingglover]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBxK-OQ--fg

will be trying this
and will give a better updated version will do this on my dirt bike and street bike and buddy cruiser

[m.breen]

you dont need weights to have a balanced wheel just line up the painted dot with the valve stem.

If this was true, then we would never have to balance a tire, why would they even make weights and charge us for balancing...Duh....Rubber tires are never true...Duh.

[frekeyguy]

If this was true, then we would never have to balance a tire, why would they even make weights and charge us for balancing...Duh....Rubber tires are never true...Duh.

zacm7 is right, you dont need to balance wheels, especially the rear wheel.

I've changed quite a few front tires, and if they have wheel weights on them, then they didnt need to be balanced.

[08CBR1000]

you dont need weights to have a balanced wheel just line up the painted dot with the valve stem.

Not every tire has the painted dots, plus this doesn't balance the wheel it just gets it close so that you don't have to use as much weight! Hmmm I guess you haven't balanced many wheels before.

[08CBR1000]

zacm7 is right, you dont need to balance wheels, especially the rear wheel.

I've changed quite a few front tires, and if they have wheel weights on them, then they didnt need to be balanced.

I have changed many tires as well. With all due respect Frekeyguy I would always balance a tire. It is always better to have a tire that is smooth and true then a tire that is lop sided and out of balance. I would never ever give a wheel to any of my customers that wasn't balanced!

[08CBR1000]

Hopefully someone will chime in on this as I could use some weights as well.

Paul, scroll through this website and you will find some

http://www.importationsthibault.com/...gue=en&type=23

[Recidivist]

Not balancing a wheel is just foolishness. You spend umpteen $$$ on tires, why not allow them to perform. By not balancing them you are wasting performance by not applying consitent pressure to the road.

Funny thing, yesterday I had a customer drive down from Barrie to buy a front tire(a 20 lap pirelli). It was so far out of balance that it needed twelve sections(3 ounces or 84g) to balance. we peeled it off the bead, and rotated it 90 degrees which made it worse. Because the guy's kid was a hotshoe racer, I scrapped the tire and gave him another one. The second tire balanced with 2 sections(1/2 ounce or 14g).

If you dont believe in balancing, try sticking 3 ounces to your front wheel, then take your bike for a ride!

Of course balancing is included in the install cost, but if someone just needed some weights I'd give them one strip for free. More than one strip, or at trackside, theyre 3$ a strip. Be careful about using automotive weight. The tall profile painted grey ones from NAPA are worst. I guess they arent rated past 100mph, and will fly off on bikes. If you're using automotive weights, you want the low profile unpainted lead ones(I think they're called Quik-tab, or something like that). Also, as a redundant safety measure, you can put a strip of duct tape over your wheight. We do this to every wheel we mount at the track.

The BEST way to balance your wheels is to buy some new Dunlops from me, and have me do it!!!!(sorry, couldn't resist the plug!)

[Fiery254]

Not balancing a wheel is just foolishness. You spend umpteen $$$ on tires, why not allow them to perform. By not balancing them you are wasting performance by not applying consitent pressure to the road.

Funny thing, yesterday I had a customer drive down from Barrie to buy a front tire(a 20 lap pirelli). It was so far out of balance that it needed twelve sections(3 ounces or 84g) to balance. we peeled it off the bead, and rotated it 90 degrees which made it worse. Because the guy's kid was a hotshoe racer, I scrapped the tire and gave him another one. The second tire balanced with 2 sections(1/2 ounce or 14g).

If you dont believe in balancing, try sticking 3 ounces to your front wheel, then take your bike for a ride.

Of course balancing is included in the install cost, but if someone just needed some weights I'd give them one strip for free. More than one strip, or at trackside, theyre 3$ a strip.

You strip for free? No wonder you're popular trackside. Just give me plenty of warning before you do it though. So I can be in another province!!!!!

[Recidivist]

Me stripping isn't a pretty sight. I'm guessing that I'd look like a walrus that got hacked up with Samuria sword. It would also take about 10mins to get my clothes off, but I'm sure you'd wait around for the show !

[zacm7]

so what happens when your weight falls off on a long trip? on the highway, in the city and you dont notice? i think im my 8 seasons of riding i have had weights on my tires twice and honestly there was no difference in how the bike rode....maybe because i had a heavy bike i dont know but its true. cant believe all the hate lol i have been doing my own work on my bikes for years last time i was at a shop for work was to get my rear tire changed and for 80 bucks i gave up on that like 6 years ago and stated doing my own work...its saved me tons of money, and gave me uberloads of knowledge. buy whatever i will keep doing it the way i do it because i know it works.

[08CBR1000]

Not balancing a wheel is just foolishness. You spend umpteen $$$ on tires, why not allow them to perform. By not balancing them you are wasting performance by not applying consitent pressure to the road.

Funny thing, yesterday I had a customer drive down from Barrie to buy a front tire(a 20 lap pirelli). It was so far out of balance that it needed twelve sections(3 ounces or 84g) to balance. we peeled it off the bead, and rotated it 90 degrees which made it worse. Because the guy's kid was a hotshoe racer, I scrapped the tire and gave him another one. The second tire balanced with 2 sections(1/2 ounce or 14g).

If you dont believe in balancing, try sticking 3 ounces to your front wheel, then take your bike for a ride!

Of course balancing is included in the install cost, but if someone just needed some weights I'd give them one strip for free. More than one strip, or at trackside, theyre 3$ a strip. Be careful about using automotive weight. The tall profile painted grey ones from NAPA are worst. I guess they arent rated past 100mph, and will fly off on bikes. If you're using automotive weights, you want the low profile unpainted lead ones(I think they're called Quik-tab, or something like that). Also, as a redundant safety measure, you can put a strip of duct tape over your wheight. We do this to every wheel we mount at the track.

The BEST way to balance your wheels is to buy some new Dunlops from me, and have me do it!!!!(sorry, couldn't resist the plug!)

If you have to put on a strip of weights then you better readjust the tire on the rim. I would never put on that much weight never mind putting on more for 3 bucks a strip!

[08CBR1000]

so what happens when your weight falls off on a long trip? on the highway, in the city and you dont notice? i think im my 8 seasons of riding i have had weights on my tires twice and honestly there was no difference in how the bike rode....maybe because i had a heavy bike i dont know but its true. cant believe all the hate lol i have been doing my own work on my bikes for years last time i was at a shop for work was to get my rear tire changed and for 80 bucks i gave up on that like 6 years ago and stated doing my own work...its saved me tons of money, and gave me uberloads of knowledge. buy whatever i will keep doing it the way i do it because i know it works.

If the weight falls off when your on a trip then you do what you have to do because you don't have a choice, but to make the conscious decision to balance your tire or not when doing the tire change is a different scenerio. There's always a right way and a wrong way, how you install your tires should never be comprimised.

BTW I don't see any haters on here, just some people (that may do this for a living) expressing their educated opinions. Don't always look at the glass as being half empty. The knowledge that they are passing onto you is free, what you do with it is up to you.