Weights for balancing wheels: does anyone have them on the outside of their rims?!

JonnyCrash · 09-21-2005, 10:26 PM

I checked out a couple of cars at the local dealership, and noticed that they had the wheel balancing weights wrapped around the edge of the rims, so that the weights were half on the outside (out-facing surface) of the rim! I'd seen this before on steel rims, but never on alloy wheels: I'm used to the weights being afixed to the inside of the rim so that they are invisible. This looked incredibly cheap and cheesy, particularly on a bimmer. Does anyone know if its just this dealership, or whether BMW is actually shipping cars like this? It's downright shameful!!!

deutschmann59 · 09-21-2005, 10:31 PM

There are weights on the outside of my rims too. Hasn't really bothered me though...I mean, mine blend in fairly well.

Edit: No, no they don't just blend in. I just went out to look at them again and they really do look pretty bad. Thanks for calling this to my attention. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen this before either...always just on the inside.

JamieA · 09-21-2005, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Abulia

I checked out a couple of cars at the local dealership, and noticed that they had the wheel balancing weights wrapped around the edge of the rims, so that the weights were half on the outside (out-facing surface) of the rim! I'd seen this before on steel rims, but never on alloy wheels: I'm used to the weights being afixed to the inside of the rim so that they are invisible. This looked incredibly cheap and cheesy, particularly on a bimmer. Does anyone know if its just this dealership, or whether BMW is actually shipping cars like this? It's downright shameful!!!

I wouldn't think BMW would be this lax. I bet the dealer is just lazy

JonnyCrash · 09-21-2005, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieA

I wouldn't think BMW would be this lax. I bet the dealer is just lazy

I really hope it is just individual dealers who are lax... that way I can go to one who knows their stuff! Sharp 1183, I'm glad it doesn't bother you: it would REALLY tick me off! (But then, I'm also REALLY vain.)

deutschmann59 · 09-21-2005, 10:37 PM

No, you're right! They do look pretty bad! (I edited my first post)

David328M-Sport · 09-21-2005, 10:38 PM

No visible weights or clips or anything on my car. Same with my office next door neighbour's 530i (previous model to the current one). No weights on his 17" rims either.

JamieA · 09-21-2005, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Abulia

Sharp 1183, I'm glad it doesn't bother you: it would REALLY tick me off! (But then, I'm also REALLY vain.)

It should sh!t me off certainly. You buy the car is for its design integrity as much as its onroad performance. Having the weights on the outside of the wheel ruins the whole look originally intended by the designer of the vehicle and is therefore in my book sacrilige - but then again I am a design purist at heart.

- Paul - · 09-21-2005, 10:41 PM

I've got them on the outside on mine aswell. Never really noticed but now I have, they look awful!!! Thanks

ward · 09-22-2005, 10:40 AM

only the 16" have the hammer on weights,
not uncommon on alloys, but the design of all the other wheels prevents use of hammer on weights

my E30 had hammer on weights

nexus66 · 09-22-2005, 10:46 AM

It depends on whether on not the alloy has a rim on the outside. I'd suspect that only the 16" wheels can be balanced this way - the bigger alloys don't seem to have a rim to hammer them onto. Still pretty crap looking though! They can always be removed and rebalanced on the inside though...

EDIT: Just checked the wheel images and none of the 17" or bigger wheels have a rim to allow weights to be hammered onto. Definately only a feature on the 16"s

Atty · 09-22-2005, 02:15 PM

Didn't know you could put them on the inside rims. True with all wheels? All my life I've been getting them on the outsides and, man, do they f*=K up wheels.

One of the most frustrating things about getting a new set of tires is how installers destroy your wheels. Every time I've gotten new tires, the installer has managed to put deep scratches in them (I'm not talking just BMW's here either). Then good luck fighting with the stores about it, they try to deny everything and/or offer to have the wheels refinished or will buy you used replacement wheels from the local chop shop.

Lead weights will always destroy your rims. If you have your tires balanced regularly, you'll begin to notice several markings on each rim where the weights used to be.

Can someone who knows more about this give a brief primer on wheel weights? Can you always get them placed on the inside?

Thanks.

E90Fleet · 09-22-2005, 02:34 PM

Its only on the smaller alloys. Many manufacturers do that with particular shape rims

northerncalguy · 09-22-2005, 02:55 PM

Does anyone have a pic of the 16" with the weights on the outside...I ordered a 325i with 16"s...damn it. :mad:

timlang · 09-22-2005, 02:59 PM

This is a picture from Brandon's 325i - you can see the weight on the back driver side wheel (at the bottom).

voltron1011 · 09-23-2005, 07:23 AM

Yeah, usually you get a better ballance on the rim if you can put the weights on both sides. The tire ballancing machines tell the operator which side to put the weights on. They will only put weights on the outside if your rims have the little weight-lip on them (like our 325 non-sp rims). I wouldn't sweat it.
To get a quality ballance on 17'+ rims, a lot of places also use tape weights that attach to the inside-middle of your rim. These are especially good because they won't fall off from centrifugal force and since they sit right in the middle, you get a real good ballance out of them.

09-21-2005, 10:26 PM	#1
JonnyCrash Driver 170 Rep 447 Posts Drives: VW GTI, BMW X5 40i M-Sport Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	Weights for balancing wheels: does anyone have them on the outside of their rims?! I checked out a couple of cars at the local dealership, and noticed that they had the wheel balancing weights wrapped around the edge of the rims, so that the weights were half on the outside (out-facing surface) of the rim! I'd seen this before on steel rims, but never on alloy wheels: I'm used to the weights being afixed to the inside of the rim so that they are invisible. This looked incredibly cheap and cheesy, particularly on a bimmer. Does anyone know if its just this dealership, or whether BMW is actually shipping cars like this? It's downright shameful!!!
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09-21-2005, 10:31 PM	#2
deutschmann59 Captain 184 Rep 737 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: e90post.com iTrader: (0)	There are weights on the outside of my rims too. Hasn't really bothered me though...I mean, mine blend in fairly well. Edit: No, no they don't just blend in. I just went out to look at them again and they really do look pretty bad. Thanks for calling this to my attention. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen this before either...always just on the inside.
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09-21-2005, 10:37 PM	#5
deutschmann59 Captain 184 Rep 737 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: e90post.com iTrader: (0)	No, you're right! They do look pretty bad! (I edited my first post)
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09-21-2005, 10:38 PM	#6
David328M-Sport Brigadier General 107 Rep 3,566 Posts Drives: F30 M-Sport 328i Estoril Blue Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Melbourne Australia iTrader: (0)	No visible weights or clips or anything on my car. Same with my office next door neighbour's 530i (previous model to the current one). No weights on his 17" rims either. __________________ 328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
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09-21-2005, 10:41 PM	#8
- Paul - Major General 791 Rep 7,308 Posts Drives: see above. Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Yorkshire, UK iTrader: (5) Garage List 2005 320D SE [10.00] 2005 645 [9.00]	I've got them on the outside on mine aswell. Never really noticed but now I have, they look awful!!! Thanks
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09-22-2005, 10:40 AM	#9
ward Major General 163 Rep 6,158 Posts Drives: F Join Date: May 2005 Location: T iTrader: (0)	only the 16" have the hammer on weights, not uncommon on alloys, but the design of all the other wheels prevents use of hammer on weights my E30 had hammer on weights
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09-22-2005, 10:46 AM	#10
nexus66 Second Lieutenant 64 Rep 239 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0)	It depends on whether on not the alloy has a rim on the outside. I'd suspect that only the 16" wheels can be balanced this way - the bigger alloys don't seem to have a rim to hammer them onto. Still pretty crap looking though! They can always be removed and rebalanced on the inside though... EDIT: Just checked the wheel images and none of the 17" or bigger wheels have a rim to allow weights to be hammered onto. Definately only a feature on the 16"s __________________ Drives: BMW F80 M3 - Sahkir Orange
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09-22-2005, 02:15 PM	#11
Atty Second Lieutenant 19 Rep 239 Posts Drives: 09 X5 48i M-Sport Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 (September bui ... [0.00]	Didn't know you could put them on the inside rims. True with all wheels? All my life I've been getting them on the outsides and, man, do they f=K up wheels. One of the most frustrating things about getting a new set of tires is how installers destroy your wheels. Every time I've gotten new tires, the installer has managed to put deep scratches in them (I'm not talking just BMW's here either). Then good luck fighting with the stores about it, they try to deny everything and/or offer to have the wheels refinished or will buy you used replacement wheels from the local chop shop. Lead weights will always destroy your rims. If you have your tires balanced regularly, you'll begin to notice several markings on each rim where the weights used* to be. Can someone who knows more about this give a brief primer on wheel weights? Can you always get them placed on the inside? Thanks. __________________ Attorney E90 330i 6MT \| Black Sapphire \| Terra \| Burl \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| Navi \| Sirius
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09-22-2005, 02:34 PM	#12
E90Fleet Lieutenant General 1359 Rep 10,187 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Africa iTrader: (0)	Its only on the smaller alloys. Many manufacturers do that with particular shape rims
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09-22-2005, 02:55 PM	#13
northerncalguy Throw your hands in the air, if you's a true playa. 80 Rep 436 Posts Drives: 2006 325i, 2014 435i Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NorCal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 325i [0.00]	Does anyone have a pic of the 16" with the weights on the outside...I ordered a 325i with 16"s...damn it. :mad:
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09-22-2005, 02:59 PM	#14
timlang Private First Class 4 Rep 114 Posts Drives: 2018 330i Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC iTrader: (0)	This is a picture from Brandon's 325i - you can see the weight on the back driver side wheel (at the bottom). __________________ 18' 330i xDrive M Sport Edition II - Mineral Gray/Black (Canadian Model 'eh!) 14', 13', 11' & 08' 328i xDrive - Mineral Gray/Black, Steptronic, PP, Nav (Canadian) 06' 325i - Sparkling Graphite/Black/Burl, Steptronic, PP (Canadian)
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09-23-2005, 07:23 AM	#15
voltron1011 Colonel 129 Rep 2,909 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, FJR-1300 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wiesbaden iTrader: (2)	Yeah, usually you get a better ballance on the rim if you can put the weights on both sides. The tire ballancing machines tell the operator which side to put the weights on. They will only put weights on the outside if your rims have the little weight-lip on them (like our 325 non-sp rims). I wouldn't sweat it. To get a quality ballance on 17'+ rims, a lot of places also use tape weights that attach to the inside-middle of your rim. These are especially good because they won't fall off from centrifugal force and since they sit right in the middle, you get a real good ballance out of them.
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