NJDave

OK. As you may recall, my 89 Convertible was stolen and the wheels were taken. My local mechanic (I refuse to let the local Mazda service departments touch it) is pretty good, but he took a short cut in balancing the wheels, I believe. Specifically, he just stuck lead weights on the machined lip of the BBS rims. It looks absolutely horrible (to me, anyway). Have you ever had anyone do this? I can't remember how my wheels were balanced in the past - do they balance them from the inside? or do they put perimeter weights around the very rim of the wheel?

Thanks!

Dave

maxcooper

You now have "crimp-on" weights on the rim. The other way to do it, that people with nice wheels tend to prefer, is for balance to be acheived with "stick-on" weights. Stick-on weights are just little pieces of lead with adhesive on the back that are stuck to the inside of the rim (not inside the tire, but on the inside of the cylinder that the rim defines.

NJDave

Thanks!

Those stick-on weights are what my mechanic used - of course they just stuck the weights on the OUTSIDE of the BBS rim, right on the polished lip! I wouldn't have minded the crimped ones (I think that's what I had previously), but this looks horrible. I'm going to take the car back and have them re-do it by putting the lead weights inside the rim.

Thanks again,
Dave

NJDave

Thanks!

Those stick-on weights are what my mechanic used - of course they just stuck the weights on the OUTSIDE of the BBS rim, right on the polished lip! I wouldn't have minded the crimped ones (I think that's what I had previously), but this looks horrible. I'm going to take the car back and have them re-do it by putting the lead weights inside the rim.

Thanks again,
Dave

maxcooper

Now I am confused about what you have. Crimp-on weights are crimped onto the edge of the rim and do not use any adhesive. "stick-ons" may be in front of or behind the wheel disc, but always on the "inside" of the rim (the tire surrounds the rim on the "outside"). Think of the rim as a cylinder or tube; the stick-on weights go on the inside.

It sounded like you got crimp-ons at first, but if they are held on with adhesive they are stick-ons. They might need to be on the lip to get the best balance, and it is not uncommon for the balance to change as the tire wears. So they may not have been needed in that spot before, but may be needed now.

-Max

ARD T2

iTrader: (22)

I know what happened Max, you know how the 95 and up M3's have 17's w about a 1/2 in to an 1 inch lip, depending on year, and from the factory they always put weights on the outside lip rather than on the inside of the "inner" cylinder, as well as the outside of the "inner" cylinder. That's the type of balancing it sounds like he got.

When you get to the balancing machine you need to select your method of balancing. You'll have three different options from what I've experienced.

1. The "crimping method", which is a lead weight that get lightly hammered onto the outside lip of the wheel. This is almost guaranteed to leave defects in the rim of the wheel.

2. To balance with the stickies, one set on the outside of the inner cylinder and the outside lip, "deep dish" part of the rim.

3. The third and most desirable is, I believe, the static balancing method in which stickies are placed on both the outter and inner part of the inside cylinder of the wheel.

METHOD 3 is what you want in order to keep the weights from being SEEN.

Your BBS probably had crimps on it from the factory, but whoever said you had to keep what was factory. Technology changes with the times and the old methods may not always be the best, to keep wheel looking nice.

NJ, you did kind of confuse us with a slight contradiction in words, but that's cool. Tell your mechanic to do #3, you don't want them seen from the face of the wheel.

GOOD LUCK, Rishie

Some mechanics just don't give a **** that you give a **** and end up spending more time correcting their misdecisions.

NJDave

Yes, I can see how my wording was a bit confusing. Sorry.

ARD T2 nailed it on the head, however. When mounted on the car, on the viewable exterior of the rim, there is a highly polished lip, surrounding the mesh center of the BBS wheel. This lip forms a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 15" and a depth of approximately 1". This is where square lead weights were stuck, with adhesive, on the exterior, polished surface of the wheel.

I did have crimp on weights around the very edge of the rim. Now, there are lead weights stuck directly to the aforementioned polished area. These weights are easily seen as they are stuck to the viewable exterior of the wheel.

I want what ARD T2 discussed in the third option, which the Mazda dealership actually said they would do, when I called. My mechanic has since agreed to re-balance the wheels by placing weights inside the wheel on the non-viewable inner cylinder.

Thanks again, sorry for the confusion.

Dave