wheel balancing question

That pic is great, now I see exactly what you're working with. Glad to hear you have a good shop to go to! Sounds like you have this thing well in hand.



If it were me, I'd just polish off the sealant (or use solvent) on the whole flat area of the rim. Sometimes they mount the weights farther in/out than you'd expect. I'd just feel safer with the sealant off of there. If the weights did stick to it you'd think everything was cool, but then they could come loose later and be a headache. Just something to consider since you'll be taking the old weights off anyhow. And I'd definitely take the old weights off yourself ;) The kind that I see in the pic come off pretty easily so you shouldn't have any trouble with them.
 
Well it wouldn't be a really big deal to redo the sealant on the backs anyway. I guess I'll just remove the sealant before taking them in for mounting/balancing and redo the sealant after the new weights get put on.

I'll leave the sealant on until then. It can't hurt to have them protected in the meantime.

So these weights should come off easily with the hair dryer? How do I pull them off once the adhesive begins to melt?
 
Very nice wheels, very similar to the 17" 7-spoke TSX wheels I put on my Accord.



Wheel weights will not by place on the outside (face) of the wheel. There may be a need for hammer-on weights on the inside lip of the rim but most likely only stick-on weights very similar to what you have will be placed where necessary.



Also, good idea to replace the valve stems even if they look good. Cheap insurance that could prevent you from getting a flat & then you'd have to break the tire away from the rim to replace the valve stem. Every time you use a machine to break the bead you run the risk of damaging the rim so it's a wise move.
 
The valve stems look to be in good condition, but yes, I was planning to get new stems, and apply 1Z Gummipflege to them as well. This would hopefully keep them soft and supple for a long time. Subsequent applications of Gummipflege would only take a few minutes, so I wouldn't mind reapplying it twice a year or so anyway.
 
Accumulator, I always have problems with the stick-on weights. I have thrown I don't know how many, and I can tell you I have never waxed the back of the wheels (give me time...I haven't even been coming here a year yet!). I do



Last time I had my wheels balanced I bought my own (clip on) weights to make sure they were the coated ones. That was about 2 years ago, I'll see how I made out with the staining/corrosion.
 
Sectec- I've had a few wheels where the stick on ones just didn't want to stay put, most memorably the HREs on the Mallettt C5. Seemed like the anodizing just didn't agree with the weight adhesive. Chuck Mallett finally found a brand of stick-on weights that had an adhesive that worked, but it took a while to get it all sorted out.



There's a big difference between different brands of the stick-on weights. The ones on my S8 wheels are *really* on there!



On thing to remember is to *really* clean the backs of the wheels so there's not contamination that could interfere with the adhesion. Solvents, clay, anything you can do will help.



White95Max- It'll be like pulling a dealer badge off the paint. Just use your fingernails or a piece of wood/plastic to pry them off once they start to come loose. Try one and see, between the adhesive remover/solvent and some heat I bet they'll come off pretty easily.
 
I used a 1" putty knife and a hammer to remove the old weights then I used either paint thinner or Prep-Sol (don't remember) and 00 steel wool to remove the remaining adhesive & 0000 steel wool with the same solvent to clean the entire inside surface.



If the putty knife is any wider you'll run the risk of gouging the metal & I managed to get all mine off with no damage.



In 2 years I haven't lost a weight so this cleaning method worked for me on Acura TSX wheels that are made by Enkei.
 
NYV6Coupe said:
I used a 1" putty knife and a hammer to remove the old weights then I used either paint thinner or Prep-Sol (don't remember) and 00 steel wool to remove the remaining adhesive & 0000 steel wool with the same solvent to clean the entire inside surface...I managed to get all mine off with no damage.
Click to expand...



Didn't the steel wool mar the wheels' finish? Even those wheel-cleaning things that resemble ScotchBrite pads marred mine up a little bit...
 
The 00 steel wool was used manually and only used to remove the remaining wheel weight adhesive on the aluminum inner surface. The 0000 steel wool (also used manually) left the surface with a matte sheen that the new weights adhered to easily.



No need to "white knuckle" the 0000 steel wool, I held it against the surface with my fingertips & used a light, rocking/buffing motion from 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock, rotate the wheel & repeat the cleaning/rotating until the entire surface is clean.



There was no need to grab the 0000 steel wool with my whole hand and REALLY scrub 'cause the surface wasn't that dirty. Also I would never use 00000000 steel wool on the face of the wheels,

wa-a-ay to delicate & I'd futz 'em up for sure.
 
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