My 300D has chrome rims - stock 14" just chrome instead of the flat gray.

Took the car in for new tires and asked the shop to place the wheel weights inside the rims - so as not to mar the chrome on the outside. Before today, that's how the weights were placed.

Once I got the car back and after driving 13 miles, all of the weights had come off as I drove the car - some rather obvious as I heard the cling-cling-cling.

It looks like the shop used some kind of double sided white adhesive pads to try and hold the weights on the rims - is that what is normally used? Are there other ways to attach the weight inside the rim? I'd appreciate any help so that I can speak knowledgeably w/the shop about this. Thanks

My opinion is that stick-on weights are OK, and shouldn't fly off. My motocycles have cast wheels and use this type of stick-on weight, because there is no way to attach with a clip-on.

My guess is that they didn't clean the rims properly, or at all, before sticking the weights on.

The ultimate in not cleaning the rim is where a shop "balances" a wheel with a big glob of mud on it.

My $0.02

BCingU, Jim

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'96 E300D 60k mi (wife's daily ride)
'95 Audi 90 120k mi
'92 GMC Suburban 139k mi
'85 300SD 234k mi (my daily ride)

Your problem raises a question I've had (two really) about balancing wheels/tires:

1. To obtain a good balance, does it matter whether the weights are placed on the inside or outside? It seems as though I have had them mounted both places (either inside or outside) as well as on the inside and the outside at the same time. If you put weight on only the inside or only the outside, is the tire properly balanced?

2. Is there a certain type of wheel weight that you should use on the outside of a non-chrome Mercedes factory wheel? (to protect the finish) The shop where I normally go use "special" weights that appear to have a flat grey coating on them covering the lead, which would seem to protect the wheel from being scratched. Is that a correct assumption?

Thanks to those in the know.

I have been through this firedrill many times, and my opinion is that the wheels MUST be balanced with weights inside AND outside.

Usually the inside rim is of conventional shape and weights will stay in place quite well. Many alloy rims will not hold weights on the outside unless they are EXACTLY the right type weight.

The best thing to do, is for the balance machine to be set up for weights inside AND out, use conventional weights inside, then use tape weights on the inside diameter of the wheel, as close to the outside of the wheel as possible. If you get someone doing the balance that is willing to do this, you can balance the wheel once, and it will likely stay balanced for the life of the tire.

Again, using weights on ONLY the inside is a bad thing. Unless you get lucky, you will not feel that your wheels are balanced when you're at high speed.

Good luck,

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Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, manual, 533K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

Thanks, Larry,

I have seen factory Porsche 911 wheels with the tape weights on the outside; don't know if they were counterbalanced on the inside though.

Brian

If your tape weights are coming off they were installed wrong. The wheel surface may not have been cleaned prior to install. Centrifical force forces the wheel weight to stay on when the wheel is turning. If the weights are not of a thin design they might hit the brakes and get knocked off. Installed properly the tape weights work perfectly but, it does take a little more time and skill to get the balance completely correctly.
Thanks, Luke

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Luke Pavlick
Performance Specialist (ASE Certified Master Tech)
Please, call me to place orders (800-428-8355 ext. 362)
or mention my name for on-line orders
(click banner at top of the page
to visit Tire Rack web site)

Thanks for all the info., this helps-

Or, you could just take pieces of tread out of the tire instead of using weights...

I HAVE FOUND SOME WHEELS SHOPS (HIGHLINE TYPES) WHICH HAD THE STICK ON WEIGHTS IN CHROME - CONSIDER THIS OPTION AS I ALSO AGREE WITH THE OPINION THAT YOU WILL NEED WEIGHTS ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TO OBTAIN "TRUE" BALANCE OF YOUR WHEEL ESP AT HIGH SPEEDS.
YOU WILL SAVE YOUR WHEEL BEARINGS IN THE LONG RUN AS I HAVE FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY.
AS LONG AS THE INSTALLER PROPERLY CLEANS THE WHEELS PRIOR TO APPLICATION, THE STICK ON WEIGHTS SHOULD HOLD. I HAVE STICK ONS ON MY PORSCHE WHEELS AND AFTER HIGH SPEED DRIVING AND AUTO CROSSING HAVE NEVER LOST A WEIGHT.

HOPE THIS HELPS

TONY

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Tony Malgapo
91 MB 300CE
89 Porsche 911 Cabriolet
84 Porsche 944
92 VW Corrado VR6 SLC
87 Audi 4000S

I didn't know about the stick on chrome. Thanks, Tony-