Okay, so on my 1985 300TDT wagon, i need new tires. what is your opinion on placement of balancing weights? my wheels have a great, new finish and i don't want to continue to put the weights on the rims causing visible, permanent marking. are there other options? what is the best placement overall?

thanks a lot

eric

__________________
1995 E320 Sportline Wagon "Bernard"
black on black leather

http://i.imgur.com/BdZ7jM3.png

Well, to quote LarryBible:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=42431

Eric,

One option is to get stick-on weights. Instead of hammering weights on the outer rim, these weights have sticky tape on one side which allows them to be stuck on the rim. If you later want to remove the weights, you just gently pry the weights off and the glue comes off with adhesive remover (I used goo-gone).

Now the bad news: no way can you take your wheels to the corner tire shop and get you wheels balanced WELL with these weights. They are just too uncommon for the average tire hack to know how to use them and balance your wheels well. Try looking for a high end wheel shop in your area and hope for the best. And remember, no matter who you have install your tires, watch them like a hawk, because most tire shops could give a rats-ass about how nice your wheels are, and will pound, scratch, drop and impact-wrench your nice wheels to death. Furthermore, don't let any tire shop touch your car. Take the wheels off, and bring only the wheels to the tire shop (and still watch them like a hawk with your nice wheels).

Ask me how many good experiences I've had with tire shops!

Another option is to take the wheels to a MB dealer and have them use the Mercedes specific two-piece weights. These are still installed on the outer rim like other weights, but they are designed specifically for the shape of the MB wheels, and are what was installed on your wheels from the factory in '85.



Greg
'84 300D
Arlington, VA

If you use the tape weights, use regular weights on the inner lip and tape weights just behind the spokes for the outer plane of a dynamic balance. If you are talking about the standard alloys for your car, they are a little too narrow for this approach to be easy for the tire guy.

The BEST approach for these alloys is to use the two piece weights made specifically for MB wheels and make SURE they are the exact ones for MB wheels, there are similar systems for BMW wheels, but the weights are a different profile and will not stay on very well.

The MB dealer has these, but they are also available on the aftermarket. alltiresupply.com (or somthing like that) has them. The clip slips in place, then you use a tool to open the clip and slide the appropriate weight underneath the clip, then let the clip apply pressure to the weight. These are the BEST for your wheels and will NOT scratch them if applied properly.

If you elect tape weights, many of the newer balancers will tell the operator exactly where to apply the weights. I have an older computer balancer on which I can do this, but it is sometimes with trial and error.

Regardless of the machine your tire guy uses, it's his ATTITUDE that is important.

Above all INSIST on a two plane, dynamic balance or you will have vibration, PERIOD.

Good luck,

Hello everyone.

Eric -> my wheels have a great, new finish ...

This does not matter in regards to wheel balance. You can have brand new alloys (or classic rims for winter) yet after you put on a tire there is bound to be inbalance due to manufacturing issues with both rims and tires. Besides, when you think of it there is the air valve on one side of the rim, this alone doesn't make it possible to have balance without weights. Tires, all new have a dot on the spot where they should be matched side by side with the air valve. The spot matches the most unbalanced region on the tire. Matched with the air valve the unbalance would be lessened. See, new tires have a dot, the manufacturer knows that even the best made tire comes unbalanced from the works.

As for the weights - there are stick ons (attached to inner side of alloys) and regular ones (hammered on the outter and inner side of the rim).

Stick ons are used mainly for summer alloys, they don't spoil the view. Regular weights are mostly used with rims for winter. Regular weights are more reliable, even for alloys yet I haven't seen a stick-on fall off yet either.

GregS -> Certainly depends on what gadgets the tire shop have but I can't agree that the stick on weights are too uncommon. One can also balance them well 00/00. Before this used to depend on the mechanic's experience because although the balancing machine did indicate where to stick on the weight on the alloy on the vertical x-axis, it could not indicate the y-axis - in other words, the mechanic had to guess, based on experience, how deep inside the alloy the weight should be attached. Now the machines (not MB machines, I don't think they even exist, but generic machines used for balancing, such as Corghi for example) do tell exactly both x and y axis. The mechanic knows exactly where to put the weight. The quality matches the one of regular weights. This technology isn't at all that new, it had existed for at least 6 years as far as I can remember.

Jassper,

The spot is not found on ALL tires, even of the same brand. The spot is only present if the tire has excessive road force variation (stiff spot.) The stiff spot is marked with the paint dab, bar code label or whatever. The valve stem hole is put in the rim at the shortest radius point of the rim. By matching the paint spot (if present) with the valve stem (shortest radius area of the wheel) you are putting the stiff spot at the lowest point of the wheel. This allows the stiff spot to be somewhat offset by the low point of the wheel. The paint dab location has nothing to do with the WEIGHT balance of the tire.

Secondly, if not using tape weights, it is NOT necessary to HAMMER a weight on the outboard rim, scratching the wheel. By using the two piece, clip and weight type weights, you don't have to scratch the wheel at all.

You are right about the newer wheel balancers. They still come in all different complexities and feature sets, but there are many that will precisely locate tape weights. There are even some that can split the weight and hide it behind the spokes of the wheel.

The weights you call REGULAR weights do not ALWAYS stay in place. If they are the correct weight type for the wheel, they will indeed stay in place, but it is common for the tire store jocks to use whatever weight is lying around close by. There are about a dozen different weight types, and it is very necessary to use the correct one if you want them to stay on.

Tape weights will stay on forever, with just a little care. The point where the weight is to be applied must be wiped off with solvent. Once applied they will stay forever because centrifugal force holds them in place. One of the bigger problems is that they are sometimes haphazardly mounted without concern for brake caliper clearance, so they are knocked off immediately.

There ARE MB wheel balancers, but they are basically the GSP9700 Hunter with software specific to the MB line of wheels. They have MB in the part number.

Have a great day,