How important are wheel weights?

[greenjeep4]

My 88 XJ has the wheel weights missing from the front passenger wheel and also the rear passenger wheel. The driver's side wheels still have theirs on. How important are they and where is the best place to get new ones?

Thanks,
Elle

[Mark910]

The weights on a wheel are to balance the tire and wheel assembly. Not all tires need wheel weights, depending on tire balance. If the tire is wearing or vibrating , then the wheel weights may have gotten knocked off. If this is the case then take your vehicle to someone you trust and have the tires re-balanced. Not all tires require wheel weights and the ones that do will not all require the same amount of weight.

[gtmud]

IF you have stock tires, then your weights should not exceed more than 2.50 oz on one side, if they do, the individual balancing your tires should know to rotate your tire 90 degrees to get a better reading, less weight. If its still high then you could have a damaged rim or tire.( above 3 oz. on stock rims and tires)

[greenjeep4]

The tires are stock 225 size. Is that 2.50 oz per wheel or for both wheels?

[fredjacksonsan]

Per wheel is what gtmud was saying.

Weights are highly important to make sure your wheels are balanced. If you only go off road, you don't really need them. But on-road, they will keep your ride smooth; you can get lots of issues with unbalanced tires at highway speeds, anything from a light vibration, to really bad wheel hop or even Death Wobble.

If the tires have more than 30 or 40K miles on them, then it's a good idea to have them balanced again.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by gtmud

If its still high then you could have a damaged rim or tire.( above 3 oz. on stock rims and tires)

Or a build-up of grease/dirt on the rim, especially the side which faces the axle.
Ask the mechanic to take a few seconds to brush the rim clean before balancing.

[isaacthe8thone]

Wheel weights are really not that important as long as your wheel is balanced. For larger wheels and vehicles zeroing out your wheels really isn't that important as you will feel the road anyway. Try taking your car to a Discount Tire. While you are waiting you will be allowed to watch the technician balance your wheels and ask him about what he thinks. Make sure you get someone experienced! They will know what they are talking about they do this for a living. If you still get vibes your tire may not be round and they will have to rotate your tire so that your wheels heaviest point is opposite from your tire's. If your wheel is bent and its steel they can usually bend it back, but it still won't be as round as it was brand new. For aluminum wheels, you can get them machined or just buy new ones. Its expensive either way. Just don't hit curbs, make sure you replace your tires when they start wearing out, and get them rebalanced every 6-8000 miles. The amount of weight doesn't matter unless you feel like replacing your wheels all the time.

[fredjacksonsan]

Welcome to AF, Isaac. Hope you hang around awhile.

Please check the dates prior to posting...this one was dead since last October.