New wheel weights on stock wheels and tires? Please educate me

[metaphysician]

Please pardon my ignorance here but I'm looking for some clarity. I just had my winter tires (Pirelli Scorpions) removed from my stock 20" MS wheels. I put the original stock summer tires (Pirelli P 0's) back on. When I picked up the car, I realized they put wheel weights all over the wheels (at the front edge of the wheel where they are an eyesore). So my question is...stock wheels, stock tires, and I never had wheel weights before (or at least they weren't visible), why do they need to be on there now? Thanks in advance.

[CamaroDreams07]

I think it has to do with when they are balancing them. They actually took some of mine off when I got new tires.

[metaphysician]

Yup, I know it's to balance the wheels, just curious why now since it's the original wheels and tires. What changed that they need weights now?

[Jay_LHD3]

The original weights were probably the stick on type, hidden in the barrel. Sounds like you have clamp on weights now.

[metaphysician]

Originally Posted by Jay_LHD3

The original weights were probably the stick on type, hidden in the barrel. Sounds like you have clamp on weights now.

A...Wheel Barrell? Haha. What do you mean "hidden in the barrell"? The weights I have now are like this, but bigger and uglier.

[Nine Ball]

Your factory wheels did have wheel weights on them. Stick-on type, like shown in that photo above. If a tire place used hammer-on weights on the front of your wheel lip, they just ruined your wheels and should be buying you a new set. NEVER use hammer-on weights on any smooth lip wheels.

[Jay_LHD3]

Originally Posted by metaphysician

A...Wheel Barrell? Haha. What do you mean "hidden in the barrell"? The weights I have now are like this, but bigger and uglier.

Now that there is a photo, ignore my previous post. That is a lot of weight! Did they charge you extra? !!

Barrel is another term for the cylinder part of the wheel. I could be spelling it wrong though.

[metaphysician]

Originally Posted by Nine Ball

Your factory wheels did have wheel weights on them. Stick-on type, like shown in that photo above. If a tire place used hammer-on weights on the front of your wheel lip, they just ruined your wheels and should be buying you a new set. NEVER use hammer-on weights on any smooth lip wheels.

Nope, nothing like that. I would've been smashing windows if they did that.

I bet the wheels did have weights originally, they were just hidden well or placed behind a spoke? My question remains...what changed that they put them on now? If there were weights already on there and it's the same wheels and tires, why did they need to add and/or move them?

[metaphysician]

Originally Posted by Jay_LHD3

Now that there is a photo, ignore my previous post. That is a lot of weight! Did they charge you extra? !!

Barrel is another term for the cylinder part of the wheel. I could be spelling it wrong though.

Not my photo, just one I grabbed from the web for reference. I think it was an article from Jalopnik making fun of Chevy for their wheel and caliper weights.

[Jay_LHD3]

Originally Posted by metaphysician

Nope, nothing like that. I would've been smashing windows if they did that.

I bet the wheels did have weights originally, they were just hidden well or placed behind a spoke? My question remains...what changed that they put them on now? If there were weights already on there and it's the same wheels and tires, why did they need to add and/or move them?

You're balancing the wheel and tire together. Your tire is probably not placed exactly on the wheel as before, meaning that it may be rotated around the circumference of the wheel some. Or, on the opposite side wheel altogether.

Nine Ball will be able to explain it better than me!!

[Nine Ball]

Exactly. The wheel and tire are balanced as a combo, and it also depends on how the tire is situated (rotated) on the wheel. Every wheel and every tire has a heavier point on them, none are perfect. They have to be rebalanced each time you put a new tire on. Your winter tires likely had their own set of balancing weights (hopefully). No two tires are the same.

[metaphysician]

Fair enough, thanks guys. I guess I just have to live with the new ugly weights.

[FEN]

Some shops can balance the tires in a way which allows them to rotate the tires on the wheel to find the optimum balance and use less weights. I believe it's called "road force" balancing.