Wheel Weights

Have a couple of questions about wheel weights I'm hoping you fine gents can answer for me. Finally got around to mounting some rubber (Michelin Road 6s) on my Dymag wheels for my S1000XR. Note that neither wheels have rotors mounted on them (to the extent that matters).

So, here goes:

1) Is it generally preferable to use less larger weights or more smaller weights? I've only got the 3.5 gram Motion Pros (7 grams are en route), and it's taking a fair amount to get both the front and rear into balance. That leads into question #2, which is:

2) What is "too much" weight to need to use to balance? Michelin doesn't put light spot dots on their tires, so it would seem coincidental that I happened upon mounting the heaviest part of each tire in line with the valve stem.

3) Do lightweight wheels (these Dymags are my first set) require more weight to balance because of the heavier relative weight of the valve stem to the rim? And/or am I compounding that because of the lack of rotors on the wheels?

FWIW, I've got about 14 weights on the front and 11 on the rear (3.5 gram weights). Both are as opposite to the valve stem (heaviest part on both wheels) as I could get them - on the front there's a spoke directly opposite the valve stem so I had to offset the weights on either side of it.

 

What the hell, that's way too much weight.
Michelins usually balance with very little weight.
Take the tire off and check rims.

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh boy, and WTF? Sorry but we're watching On Patrol Live in a bit. And this will take time to assist your issue, so watch out for Jimmy BBS as he may take you down the wrong road. and WTF you're balancing tires on your kitchen counter? OHHH man do you need help!

FYI wire transfer a shit load of cash to my bank account ASAP and then call me tomorrow around noon EST.

Ciao a tutti

 

That would suck if those wheels are that out of balance.

 

Are the barcodes of the tire at the valve stem? Those are the dots

 

Certainly looks like too much weight to me. I would try breaking the bead and rotating the tire 180° to see how much it changes.
Things to watch out for:
Be sure that the steel screws that hold the balancing cones on the rod offset each other properly so that they "cancel" each other.
Be sure the bearings on the stand rotate smooth and easy and that the rod is also smooth and clean.
Be sure the rod is actually VERY STRAIGHT and stays that way with the wheel on it.

1: Larger or smaller weights never mattered to me, I use soft lead self adhesive type weights and cut them to suit.
Typically clipping off a gram or so at a time until I get it right.
2: Two ounces is pretty much my limit for too much. Very few have required more for me to balance.
3: Light weight wheels typically require less weight, at least in my experience.

Never had any trouble with the lack of dots on Michelins, and rotors or no rotors don't make much difference either, although I almost always leave them on.

 

The first thing that needs to be established is whether you actually know the process of balancing. If you did it wrong, that probably makes solving this easy. Like do you know how to find the spot where the weights go? It is not the opposite side of the valve stem. And do you know how to determine when it is balanced?

 

Very good point, I may have been assuming facts not in evidence. Suddenbraking is this your first time?

 

Nah, I've got a tire changer (thanks @TLR67 ) and do my own tires (and friend's tires). Around 30ish total changes/balances, best guess. I'm pretty damn inept, but I *think* I've got the skills to see where a light spot is on a static balancer.

In an update from the original post, I got less high p) and stopped trying to make something aesthetically pleasing and realized that putting the weight further to the outside of the wheel would reduce the weight needed (physics and shit, yo).

So now I'm down to 42 grams total (6, 3.5 weights on either side). As a sanity check, I looked in the garage where I've got ~8 sets of wheels, some mounted by me and some by professionals and the 42 total grams doesn't seem all that anomalous. This is my first time using Michelins, so perhaps I underestimated the value of having a light spot to line up with the valve. I'm debating flipping the tire around tomorrow to see if that changes the story, but TBD on that.

I would've said "yes" before, but now you've got me questioning myself . And to be clear, I found the light spot of both wheels before applying weights, and both were directly across from the valve.

And to be clear, they are perfectly balanced right now. Absolutely dead on.

 

Huh?

 

Sorry fellow BBS er I'm not trying to be harsh with you so check your DM and if you want we can talk tomorrow

 

You should just keep going to meet them on the other side... You are almost there!

 

too much weight... should have seen where the heavy spot is on the bare wheel.

 

Michelin places the barcode on the heavy spot of the tire. There are no dots on Michelins. They are pretty damn spot on every time you mount them if you put that code right on the valve.. Can’t speak for this year or even 2023 since I switched to Bridgestones…

 

You're a good dude

 

Step one is to find the heavy spot on the bare rim. It has never been directly at the valve on any of the 30 or so rims that I've balanced. Mark that spot for future reference. You can also judge just how bad the rims are by how fast they seek the bottom of the balancer. After you find the heavy spot, put it at 90 degrees and let go. If it takes off like a scalded cat.......If you bought used rims they may have been repaired and.....

 

Take the tire off the wheel and see how much it is out to start with.

Soap the tire good and make sure it’s beaded out all the way when you remount it.
Seldom see those tires needing over 20grams. Never seen one need over an ounce.

 

The bar code that is near the bead? And is it vulcanized to the tire or is it a sticker?

 

I

It’s a label sticker ect… Here is one on a Car slick at bottom of tire on top

 

Ok got it. It's not a sticker it's a label that is placed on the green tire before it's put in the mold then vulcanized to become the finished product. And many tire companies do the same thing.