Can You Put Wheel Weights on the Inside of Wheel Spokes ?
 

I had my tires and rims mounted and balanced. Each wheel and tire combo has balancing weights installed on the inside barrels, with one row of weights closer to the outer open edge, and one row close to the hub/spoke edge. I have a Wilwood BBK on the car and the calipers are hitting the inside wheel weights. I'd rather not put the weights on the outside of the rim but that will be a last resort if necessary. I asked the tire shop if we could put the weights on the inside of the wheel spokes sitting vertically and they said no they have to be horizontal on the inside of the barrels. I can't believe the clearance was so tight on the brakes in that regard, they clear everything but the wheel weights for god's sake :)

Any opinions or suggestions would be great, I can't change the wheels or tires as they are brand new.

thanks for reading

Joey

You may be able to find smaller wheel weights normally designed for motorcycles. Many are thinner profile (above the rim) and narrower (side to side) to fit on thin bike rims. Typical automobile stick-on wheel weight is 1/4" thick above the rim and fairly wide side to side. Got a photo showing how and where the weights your car shop is trying to use interfere?

-- Chuck

Thanks Chuck , yeah I can post a pic. The weights are pretty thick, at least 1/4 inch I'd say, each wheel has a line of weights right in line with where the calipers would run radially within the wheel barrel. That is interesting about the motorcycle weights perhaps being thinner I will definitely ask, otherwise I may be looking at outer weights on at least two rims.

pic below, I would say the height is over 1/4 inch with the sticky tape. So the line of weights closest to the spokes is the area that contacts the Caliper. Pic of caliper below as well. I don't see why affixing them to the base of the spokes on the inside of the wheel would cause an issue, I read somewhere you can put weights on the spokes, but who knows.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...6cc3d5bf51.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...8cf9e31423.jpg

The position near the hub is pretty much standard.

Just so we're all on the same page, what dimension needs reduction? Common, standard wheel weights are 1/4" High. Would something less High fit? Or a thinner Width as in some designed for the lack of space on a motorcycle wheel? Length is usually what's adjusted to get the exact weight needed with the length separated at break points.

http://www.kbins.com/wp-content/uplo...am-300x217.gif

-- Chuck

Just an observation.....

First is this a shop you have confidence in? Have you used them before?

The reason I ask is that seems like a lot of weight at virtually the same spot on the wheel.. The weights are almost across from each other.

In some cases that can be reduced by breaking the tire down and rotating it 90 or 180 degrees on the wheel. Sometimes the tire is "heavy" in spots.

Good shops know to do this. Some just throw lead at it until it balances.

I am not saying this is your case. But it happens.

Thanks Chuck, the issue is the Height - H, it is too high and contacts the front of the caliper as the tire rotates, cutting it down in 1/2 would be needed but if better if eliminated . The rest of the dimensions are fine.

This is not a shop I am familiar with , first time using them. Thanks for the reply and info on this. I'm taking the wheels back to see what else we can do with them. I think they just threw lead at it to make them balance as you stated. Thanks kindly for the reply. :thumbup:

These claim to be "ULTRA-SLIM LOW PROFILE DESIGN. 0.25oz weight, 0.12"(3mm) Thickness is For Easy Contouring& Preventing From Scraching (sic)." That's half the thickness of what you have now. But you'll need twice as many of them. :)


-- Chuck

Thanks Chuck I will check those out for sure, if they are about 1/2 the size that may just work. Thanks Kindly