How many wheel balance weights?! 10?????

[jamiehamy 0]

Got my winter tyres taken off last week (Continentals) as they were worn. Had a vibration between 70-85mph which I put down to worn tyres.

 

Got new Toyo's fitted at weekend, but vibration persisted. Checked wheels tonight - the drivers front has a total of 10individual weights, the passengers 8 weights, all of varying sizes!

 

Now, the Continentals only had one on each and the vibration was the same.

 

Are my wheels f**ked? Is 10 acceptable? It was a VW garage that did the tyres.

 

Wheels have a couple of scratchs and small chips, but nothing big and certainly no dings.

 

Thoughts anyone?

[mr lobitos 0]

what does the total amount of weight add up to? if more than 70g get the tyre fitters to spin the round 180 degrees on rim or did they line the red dot on tyre with the valve ,if not get them to do that. your 70 -80 mph shake will be down to the back wheels needing balancing. hope that helps

Edited March 18, 2011 by mr lobitos

[Yandards 0]

Any decent tyre fitting place should remove all the existing weights prior to fitting the new tyres, as Mr Lobitos mentioned the coloured dots on the tyre actually mean stuff, there are light and heavy points on the tyre due to construction so the idea is to align the lightest part of the tyre with the heaviest part of the wheel (where the valve stem sits) to try to remove the inherent inbalance prior to balancing the complete assembly.

[jamiehamy 0]

Any decent tyre fitting place should remove all the existing weights prior to fitting the new tyres, as Mr Lobitos mentioned the coloured dots on the tyre actually mean stuff, there are light and heavy points on the tyre due to construction so the

 

This is the thing. Before I got the winter tyres on, I found a large number of weights so removed them all (previously fitted by VW) - the guy fitting the winter tyres then only put about two on.

 

Then I went to VW and suddenly there are 10 brand new weights! Seems crazy. I'll take them elsewhere for a rebalance at weekend, but trying to work out why someone has felt 10 are required - are my wheels gubbed, or does the boy in the garage not know anything about his trade?

[corozin 0]

I'm not expert but 10 weights sounds like a lot to me. I've never had more than three fitted to a wheel on ANY car I've owned. A proper fitter would use the correct sized weights, and put them in the right position, rather than sprinking them everywhere and apparently hoping.

[davidwort 0]

Tyres may be the problem and not the wheels, some are much better balanced than others new, some makes are also worse than others for balancing up.

What total weight is fitted, innner and outer? I'm assuming they are stick-on weights, If both look like the balancing work is suspect I'd go back and get them to re-balance them, VAG franchise should be prepared to do that.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Tyres may be the problem and not the wheels, some are much better balanced than others new, some makes are also worse than others for balancing up.

 

Yep, glad someone else thinks the same! I've used Contis for years and they've never needed any more than a couple of weights, sometimes none at all, which is indicative of very consistent production and no thin / thick spots in the walls. Every time I've used a budget / midrange far eastern tyre, the wheels have needed a lot more weights! :lol:

[jamiehamy 0]

I'm booking it back in to VW first, but if they don't do anything will take somewhere else for second opinion.

 

Am I right in thinking the balance are really meant to compensate for tyre issues rather than wheels, or it it actually both?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Both, but the tyres are a lot more imbalanced than the wheels are, unless they are really cheap nasty aftermarket ones.

[jamiehamy 0]

Update - took car into local McConnechy's who I've dealt with for years. They rebalanced the front wheels for free using only one weight. Still got the vibration. He suggested the wheels should have spigots - and then it dawned. They are missing!

 

So ordered new ones, I think they've come off/been discarded over the years and only one was left on back drivers. Def needed for my OZ's (60.1-57.1).

 

Hopefully the new rings will solve the vibration.

 

Oh, and discovered the VW garage have put 11 weights on the rear - yup, 11!!! Back to McConnechy's next week!

[mr lobitos 0]

check with the garage that the spigots have not been left on the wheel balancer centre shaft ,speaking from experience on that one.also what speed is the vibration now ,if its above 60mph get the back wheels balanced,hope that helps

[jamiehamy 0]

check with the garage that the spigots have not been left on the wheel balancer centre shaft ,speaking from experience on that one.also what speed is the vibration now ,if its above 60mph get the back wheels balanced,hope that helps

 

Put the only spigot left on the front drivers and the vibration has reduced significantly, which is a good sign. Ordered new ones this afternoon, so hopefully that'll be it sorted :)

 

Thanks, j

[craigowl 0]

My local VW specialist forgot to put back any weights at all, on the front wheels once.

130 mile round trip next day was a real pain - could not go above 55-60mph.

Yes, Alzheimers is alive and well in the young "technicians" in this particular town. doh!