XJ550 Wheel Weights

I have put new tires on my Seca rims and need to balance. It looks like I have some original lead weights that clip to the rim center. What’s the best way to remove and can I remount them if needed? I assume they just crimp on with pliers?

The texture and build of the Seca wheels doesn’t look like a good surface area for stick-on weights.

 

if you mount your own tires, before you put any air in them, check the balance. then you can spin the tire on the rim and maybe not even need weights, or a lot less.
Scotch trim mounting tape always holds my weights on and their really hard to remove

 

Great idea on the pre-inflate! Crap, should have thought about that. I’ve got a good seal, so not go to deflate for now.

 

get something like this for the weights
https://www.autozone.com/sealants-g...=tape&isIgnoreVehicle=false&fromString=search

 

The clip on type are held by spring pressure (the clips are spring steel).
I use adhesive backed weights on the rim, because some numpty at a shop stole my clip-on weights the last (I mean THE very last) time I took the wheels in to have new tires put on.

 

I just had both my tires replaced and the guy puts glass beads inside the tires. I had never heard of this before but it works great no vibration and once you start moving the glass bead's are supposed to roll into the area on the tire to balance it if needed and also helps the tire wear evenly.

 

IMO it's a lazy way of almost balancing a tire, but other people love the things.

 

The nice thing about beads is the tire is theoretically balanced for its life, while using weights clipped or adhered to the rim only balances the tire as it is currently, brand new, full tread which will change, as will the balance. Granted it's only a slight change usually but it all adds up.

 

The beads are working well for me I just had the ol Ladies tires changed and her old tires were worn all funky. I had the bead's put in hers also so We see how it goes.

 

Anyone had any issues with the glass beads? I've seen the ceramic ones clump up and stick in one spot. Debating about going with glass beads over stick-on squares.

 

I plan to try out beads this year. The ones we have at work would take a heck of a lot of moisture to make them clump up. I know ours aren't ceramic but I dont think they're glass either. Not sure, have to check on that.

 

I'll go with a Counteract glass kit probably, just for the test. Will see how it does.

 

In theory with that they will be balanced for the life of the tire

 

In practice they won't balance the tire, and they will wear on the interior of the tire making quite the mess.
But you might like them anyway.

 

I understand the wear part kmoe, but I dont understand how they wont balance the tire? I do understand that for a short period of time starting from a dead stop and coming to a dead stop the beads will simply fall to the bottom of the tire, but I dont understand what you mean. I have no vested interest in balance beads, would just like to understand what you're talking about

 

The wear is minimal over, say 10k miles. I don't expect to get that many miles out of soft rubber tires before I won't feel safe making turns on them. The outside roll of the tires will wear much faster than the center so I don't really see an issue with internal wear. Apart from how the ceramic ones tend to smack together and turn into grit and stick from moisture, I think it's a great idea. Nitrogen fill could help eliminate the sticking part for ceramics, but not the decomposition from impact. The glass ones flow easier and will not decompose nearly as quickly as the ceramic. They also won't wick moisture. The balancing aspect is basic physics so I don't understand why they won't? As the wheel spins the "liquid" will flow outward and collect in areas that are not centric to the mid-point. That's the "low" spot when you spin-balance a tire, which is the same as putting a sticky weight on the rim.

 

Tell ya what. I'll put beads in the front and weights on the rear for accentuating the difference and see if I ever have shaky bars?

 

Beads bounce seperately from the wheel/ tire assembly.
Wheel weights don't bounce.

If the beads worked in any reliable fashion then they would be supplied as OEM equipment.

 

You are right about the bounce and reliability. If the imbalance is large you could have vibration going over bumps. You won't feel it though. Glass should last longer than ceramic but it is not a perfect balancing option. Like you said before it is a lazy option.