forklift

I always taped mine until recently and then....started taping them again after reading this post by Bryan: https://rennlist.com/forums/showpost...19&postcount=4

jrok

We always use the aluminum exhaust or muffler tape and buy it at an auto parts store. It may be the same thing as the HVAC tape. My wheels are usually several hundred degrees and if it sticks to a hot exhaust, well... Duct tape adhesive gets nasty.

Techno Duck

Just bought a roll of the tape also, was less than $4 and change at Home Depot. Good tip to have, ive gotten hit in the face with plenty of sand before, i cant imagine getting hit with a wheel weight.

gsparks

Use a plastic paddle like you use for body filler to flatten the aluminum tape down to get it to stick better.

John Veninger

Make sure the wheel is clean when the weights and tape are applied.

Jscaramella

+1 on HVAC tape

Any brake cleaner will brake up the glue or 30 sec with a heat gun to get it off

Willard Bridgham 3

The real reason to use metalized tape for wheel weights is because the heat transfer from brakes/ hot rotors is mostly radiant heat transfer and metalized tapes do better with the radiant heat than racer's tape, for instance.

I have tested with racer's tape, good duct tape and HVAC metalized tape and HVAC tape works, others don't....

Gary R.

I thought so too as Hoosier East put (Hoosier Purple!) duct tape over the weights they installed. That was until I found that a weight had actually blown through the middle of the duct tape and disappeared, leaving a nice purple frame aroung the hole.. Metal tape from now on.

Jeff Curtis

I've been using aluminum HVAC tape for about 4 years, saw it on someone's wheels at the track, asked a few questions and BAM...ever since.

MY issue is that I routinely use trackside tire services and they are getting to where they don't clean off ANYTHING in the way of residue/old tape and that aluminum tape gets NASTY after a weekend or so of racing. I have used brakleen and some plastic spackling knives to remove but brakleen can get expensive and NASTY to use at the track as it basically starts eating the spackling knife (again, plastic) and if it runs onto the tires, melts the rubber and gets black crap everywhere...

Years ago, I recall a product by Camel?? ...a tire wheel weight residue remover, if I'm not mistaken. Does anyone have a better product that can be bought in larger amounts (rather than a can of brakleen) that one could use a rag/towel and dissolve old weight and tape residue??

Brakleen dissolves way too fast, requiring LOTS of it to do the job.

This product seemed to dry up the adhesive quite well and the foam type tape backing would just crumble away, similar to what happens after you use plenty of Brakleen.

SO, I "revived" this thread to get the 3rd issue discussed, being that 1st topic was losing wheel weights, 2nd topic was a solution to use HVAC/Aluminum tape, now what's a convenient way to get it off my beloved Fikses without causing a visit from the trackside HAZMAT team?

complexx

Adhesive remover??

forklift

Goo B Gone works great (I just found this out), but don't get it on your tires becuase it will probably dissovle your tires also....so I would only use to clean the wheels after your tires are toast and they aren't going back on the track.

Jeff Curtis

Goo-B-Gone?? I understand it works OK on wheel weight adhesive/tape but for the adhesive from the aluminum tape?? ...that stuff is almost like Super Glue once it's been "baked" on by several heat cycles, I'll have to check it out if my latest product acquisition doesn't work well.

I went to Home Depot over my lunch break and bought a quart can of Acetone,the Adhesive Remover they had was a thick gel that required chemical resitant gloves, etc. for removing flooring type adhesive - that kinda scared me! Haha.

I understand it might be smart to use gloves while using anything to clean this crap off anyway, but I figure the Acetone is easier/safer and maybe cheaper to dispense rather than dousing a towel with Brakleen via a spraycan...figure I've lost a few brain cells with that method?

Larry Herman

I bough a gallon of Brakleen, and just put a little bit on a heavy duty paper towel. It takes everything off, no muss, no fuss.

Jeff Curtis

Larry, where do you find gallon jugs of Brakleen?

The aerosol cans are just too much for the sinuses...I don't imagine Acetone will be much better, but at least you don't get the fine mist that's difficult to avoid breathing.

Musche

Allright, I have to chime in here as I represent the low buck, play with cars on a budget crowd. The metal duct tape works great and a roll will last for years. I even spray paint the tape white before I put it on my white wheels so it blends better. I remove and clean my wheels after each track weekend so they stay looking half descent. When it's time to remove the weights for new skins, a Goo-Gone soak will remove tape and weights and cleans the rims from the adhesive rather easily. I also take all the weights (in 1/4 ounce squares) and soak them overnight in thinner. Foam falls off and can be easily remounted on body moulding tape for re-use. Of course I have access to an electronic high speed balance machine and can do this myself. About as cheap as it gets.....