Vonzack

Hi,

I've been looking at a few Scoobs recently and they all seem to have wheel weights slapped on their alloys. Can't Subaru be ars*d to balance them properly or is there a technical reason why they do this.

Does anybody else know of another manufacturer who put wheel weights on the outside of your brand new alloys?

Cheers.

WagonRich

They need weights as the alloy may be perfectly balanced, but the tyre never will be. It's the whole rotating mass (wheel and tyre) that needs to be balanced, not the wheel alone.

Rich

JohnMcC

I think what Vonzack is getting at is that on the OEM Subaru wheels the weights are the type that are on the outside of the alloy - as if they are clipped onto the rim of the wheel - as opposed to the more discrete ones which can be stuck on the inside of the rim and hidden behind spokes etc....


I dont have an answer why they do it though - because its cheaper, is my guess.

John

WagonRich

They don't use stick on weights....ahhhh now it makes more sense. Must be cost surely, that and bang on weights don't tend to fall off.

Rich

Madgord

I supply and fit tyres, yes all wheels need balancing even of they are new,but if i would have done it i would have used stick on weights on the inside of the wheel, this not only hides the weight but does not damage the wheels in anyway!!

Gord

Madgord

And i dont charge extra for stick on!!!!!

AvalancheS8

I have to get the bang on weights on my fronts anyway as the stick on ones don't clear my brakes, but I've noticed that I get a better balance job with these since they are exactly where they need to be rather than compromising the balancing by trying to hide them.

WRX STI 4

Most garages fit clip on weights for two very simple reasons:
They are much easier to balance with and fit
and it costs them less time/money
when I bought new wheels and tyres I had to stipulate stick on weights as part of the sale - thats how much they didn't want to fit them!
One wheel took 15mins to balance correctly !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vonzack

I've been told in the past that it's impossible to balance a wheel using hidden weights. I guess in the whole it comes down to the machines they use, I don't know for certain, but I'm guessing that they only give you the correct weights if you are going to stick them on the outside of the wheel. In other words if you're hiding them behind spokes it could just be guesswork and you're relying on how good the guy is doing it. Anybody know?

I agree bang-ons save time and money and are easier to fit, but they just look crap. Come on Subaru pull your socks up.

Hoppy

Wheel balancing is a bit of an art. They have to be balanced left-right and top/bottom, and the best way to do the left-right bit is with weights on the outside. Hidden weights is where operator skill or trick new balancing machines come in to play.

And wheels go out of balance as the tyre wears. There are high-spots on every tyre and front-rear will wear differently according to camber.

So when you swap your tyres front to rear to even out wear, that's when you find the balance is all bu99ered

Richard.

MKC

I had new Avon ZZ3s fitted to the rear of my UK99 last week.
I had new discs and pads added to the front at the same time.

From 85mph to 95mph I get a vibration which appears to shake the rear of the car, making the rear door cards rattle, but the vibration does not go through the steering wheel.

With luggage and some passengers the vibration is worse.

When I take my foot off the accelerator at 90, the vibration is less also.

Are these the symptoms of a rear wheel being off balance ?
Would the vibration not be the same whether my foots on or off of the accelarator at the vibrating speed ?

Is there anything else that this just might happen to be, which has ocurred at the same time the tyres were changed ? Anything I can check ?

Thanks

Hoppy

Your car was OK last week?

Then it must be the new tyres, and it can only be balance. You feel out of balance more when the supension is loaded.

Richard.

WRBlu

I had 2 new GY F1 on a few days ago - Cutlers (yes theyre back) in Aldridge arranged the tyres when it was in 4 service, as they dont do tyres themselves they have a mobile fitter come in and do it. Got the car back and the wheels were well out of balance - they had removed the outside weights and balanced them only by doing the inside rim. 2nd attempt they rebalanced them and though better were still badly out. on the 3rd attempt they did the inside edge and put stick ons on the outside edge (not rim), this time they got it spot on so yes my wheels are perfectly balanced without banging on clip ons to the rim.
In fairness to these guys they were more than helpfull and the guy sounded like a car enthusiast, does lots of scoobs. Their policy is not to bang on weights to your outside rim ruining the look and causing corrosion - fair enough and being mobile they came to me to rebalance so i was not inconvenienced.