Wheel Weights - Important?

[wicked677]

I've purchased some 2nd hand alloys from eBay and they are due to be refurbished tomorrow by the Toyota dealer in Stourbridge. The wheels had weights missing i.e the rubber track still there but with the odd weight or two missing. So my question is, how important are these weights? Should I ask Toyota to add the correct ones? Would they know? And do you think I will need to get the wheels balanced again at my local village garage? Perhaps they would stick the correct weights on?

Not sure what to do..

[lexusstuff]

If the seller hasnt had them balanced then it would be worth getting them all done at any local tyre specialist.

[wicked677]

Might be a stupid question as I have no idea about wheels - What does balancing involve?

Do the wheels have to be on the car when this is done?

Do they stick weights on?

[Brucie0000]

No buddy, the wheels don't need to be on the car. It's done on a machine calibrated for the specific offset and width of each wheel and balances them that way. The tyre fitter/mechanic will then fit the weights accordingly.

[wicked677]

Ah ok cheers - this is getting even more expensive... I have read that I need to have the wheels aligned too? I am going to remove all the weight things and just get the dealer to do them up. Then take it to my local village garage and have them do the lot... £145 is looking more like £500 now

[Brucie0000]

You won't need wheel alignment done unless you have uneven wear on your current tyres. Wheel balancing should cost no more that £30-40 really as it doesn't take long to do.

[wicked677]

cheers for that Brucie, I will keep that figure in mind.

[br1anstorm]

Might be stating the obvious, but I'd suggest you make a point of asking whoever does your wheel-balancing to use stick-on weights, not the ones that clip onto the rim.

On some alloys there is no alternative to using stick-ons; but many workshops will automatically try to hammer weights on to the rim if they can. As well as scarring the rim, the reaction between the lead and the alloy guarantees early corrosion.

[alberthaynes]

I went to kwik fit and it was £6.50 per wheel to balance. Not bad really

[sjrainsford]

Are Toyota not taking your tyres off to refurb your wheels then?

You should only balance your wheels ocne the rubber is mounted. Normally when the tyres are fitted after a proper refurb, they then balance them.

[matt-c]

^ This. Tyres fitted, then balanced (adding of weights) then put wheels on car - done

[wicked677]

I have just dropped off the wheels at Toyota Stourbridge they are doing them £50 per wheel as they are badly curbed. They are taking the rubber off them to do this and sanding them, when they have done with that I am taking them to my local village garage who I spoke with about 10 minutes ago and he said he'd do them for about a tenner. I wonder if there is anything else I need that I do not know about? I just hope that after all this it's going to be a straight swap over from my 16" to the 17"

[matt-c]

Once the tyres are fitted and wheels balanced (weighted) then yes, it will be a simple swap over. The only reason a car would need a 4 wheel allignment is if the tracking is out - and changing the wheels won't affect tracking.

Curiously, what are you planning to do with the 16's? I'm contemplating buying a set of IS fitment 16's to put winter tyres on, so were you planning to sell or keep them, and if sell, what price would you have in mind?

[sjrainsford]

If Toyota are taking the tyres off then refitting them, then they will most likely balance them too I'd have thought?

[TigerFish]

If Toyota are taking the tyres off then refitting them, then they will most likely balance them too I'd have thought?

Ditto that. Toyota should definately balance them if they are removing the tyres, if they don't, complain until they do it. It would be really bad of them not to do it straight off as part of the refurb.