Carrera GT

Don't use any type of brake cleaner or products like brakleen on wheels -- it will discolor anodized surfaces and it will dissolve clear coat or painted wheels. No fun. If you get that stuff on a wheel, rinse it with soapy water, then a cleaner wax.

For applying wheel weights, use a 3M surface cleaner with a label that says "safe on all painted surfaces" and check for anodized wheels to find a safe cleaner. Things like "goof off" can suffice.

For the weights, there's a process for applying to either the inside or outside radius to get a good balance. Years ago, static balancing was the only game in town, but I've long since forgotten the process. I remember my father made a little "hanger" to preposition the weight to see where it should go (inside, outside) and another hanger to sit diametrically opposite to offset the weight of the hanger itself. It was more art than science -- at least that's a good excuse.

Personally, of all the jobs in a typical shop, the last place you want to be is around the tire mounting and balancing. It's a dangerous job, powerful equipment, huge forces and no safety, plus the chemicals -- not fun. The idea of a simple static balancer in the trailer makes sense. It's "good enough" and since most performance tires tend to be reasonably well balanced, symmetrical and round, the weights don't have much work to do. I can't quite image trying to get the static balance of a 345/19 on the back of a 911 ... you might end up with a lot of weights. Just remember to keep the weights in lines as close to outside of the rim (tires never has "spot" weight imbalance, it's always going to be an average over an area.) Having a can of 3M surface adhesive and adhesive remover would help with any trial and error.

007DT

I have CCW's too and it does the same thing. Funny story about the above..

Last minute I need tires mounted and it is the end of the track day on a Saturday.. No place is open around Road Atlanta. I go to WalMart and give this poor guy 2 315/30/18 track tires and run into the store to get Hair Spray.. (It of course comes in a purple bottle ) I hand it to him and say use this to mount the tires. Poor guy works on this for an hour.. He eventually gets them on, with only hairspray. It works great.. They don't rotate as easy.

2 weeks later my wife opens my trunk and here is a 1/2 bottle of purple hairspray.. (and you thought the guy at WalMart gave me a funny look )

BTW they mounted my track tires at Low Low Wal-Mart prices... It was $22 for both.. If I didn't feel so guilty I'd probably go back.

Leigh2

Thanks for the tip on the solvents...nasty stuff.
I have done rears and they are HUGE but it still works; it's usually the fronts that misbehave and need the most attention.

mikymu

Great feedback guys. Looks like this is a very common issue especially with forge wheels. I was told by a tire shop that some times people will sand blast the inner rim of forge wheel to give it more "bite" on the bead of tire. I can just imagine doing that and cause endless slow air leaks. I like the hair spray and 3M cleaner idea. I will save lubricant jokes for another day

Placement of weights on inner or outer rim of wheels with portable bubble balance is an art of guesstimate ....

By the way, knowing a good tire shop will save you major $$$. My Porsche dealer charge $300 to road force balance 4 tires. I use Tire Pro at Folsom California and it only cost $15 each to road force balance. I still think rotating tires 1/2 way through tract session can help even out tire rotation

mooty

tire, like wheels, are not evenly weighted about the circumference. when they balance the wheel, the tire wit is accounted for. so... if your tires rotated on the rim, in theory, your tire/wheel combination is not off balance.

TRAKCAR

FWIW, I always had my tires rotate on the rim withmy VOLK wheels, but never on my monoblock and 3-piece BBS..

I just wish the weights would stop flying off.. I have to tripple tape all of them..

mooty

why dont you just drive slower

TRAKCAR

I don't know what it is, my shop puts the same weights on the same BBS wheels as the CUP cars, they don't lose them but I do, every time, first session I lose at least 2 wheels?? What could be different?

malmasri

Great discussion...thanks to all

Leigh2

Trakcar this seems to be a common problem with VOLK wheels.
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-gt2-...highlight=volk
Might be worth a call to the manufacturer for suggestions....

TRAKCAR

It was worse with the VOLK and I knew it was a common problem, so I hoped it was no problem with the BBS. But same problem.

It is weird, because they use the same wheels and weights on the CUP cars and they don't lose them!

996FLT6

Now do cupcars use tirewarmers much like f1 does? Mike

mdrums

My tires (Toyo) on my CCW wheels spun too but I fixed this problem.

I had my shop (Vortex Motorsports in Tampa) bead blast the wheel bead and mount my tires dry. No more problems with the tires spinning around on the wheel.

mikymu

Any problem with slow leak issue when you bead blast the wheel?

mdrums

Nope they hold air. It's not really a rough surface, just not slick and/or polished like the wheel bead on these and other wheels normally are.