Fuchs wheel weight placement Options

[bbrock]

After 37 years of 914 ownership, I'm finally about to buy my first all new set of rubber for my 4-spoke Fuchs. I've removed adhesive weights both inside and outside the rims.

Question: Can wheels be properly balanced with weights on the inside only?

Adhesive weights on the outside don't really bother me that much but if they can all be installed inside without sacrificing balance, I might as well request it.

I got curious after noticing the shop that mounted rubber on some junkyard-purchased alloys for my beater SUV placed them all inside without asking. Going to a different shop for the Porsche so count on them just doing it unless I ask.

[76-914]

After 37 years of 914 ownership, I'm finally about to buy my first all new set of rubber for my 4-spoke Fuchs. I've removed adhesive weights both inside and outside the rims.

Question: Can wheels be properly balanced with weights on the inside only?

Adhesive weights on the outside don't really bother me that much but if they can all be installed inside without sacrificing balance, I might as well request it.

I got curious after noticing the shop that mounted rubber on some junkyard-purchased alloys for my beater SUV placed them all inside without asking. Going to a different shop for the Porsche so count on them just doing it unless I ask.

Yes, mine are all balanced on the inside. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[mepstein]

I'm sure no expert but I think the placement matters less with narrow wheels and tires.
I use 3 oz of airsoft pellets inside the tire so no weights needed.

[johnhora]

little info here:

https://e-quipfix.co.uk/wheel-balancing-101...heel-balancing/

[Mark Henry]

My 5-bolt fuchs are balanced inside and center (more towards outer) IIRC

I'm sure no expert but I think the placement matters less with narrow wheels and tires.
I use 3 oz of airsoft pellets inside the tire so no weights needed.

A listing I found on the web said 4oz for my 195/65-15 on my bug rears.
I've used 4oz of airsoft pellets on the wifes snow tires for 4 winters with no issues. Wife picked up a nail last year so I had a tire off, steel rim paint was still good, pellets were still good

Agree with Mark, on wide tires they don't recommend the pellets

[Tom_T]

Brent -

IIRC the Factory Manuals indicate INSIDE the rims, & certainly that was always the way any P-dealer or P-Indy & the knowledgeable tires shops did so. All of the new cars were balanced that way from the factory back in the day whenever I went to a P-dealer over the 914 run (911s too), & all of the dealer brochure & ad pix show no exterior weights on any wheels.

It was only the slap dash tire shops & lazy installers who mounted them on the outside.

So preserve your 2L Finish & get them balanced with the adhesive weights on the inside, & watch that they do so.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////

[bbrock]

Thanks guys. A rare unanimous opinion on the World. Quick, somebody lock this thread before some trouble-making contrarian weighs in!

The guys at the shop I'll be going to are nice, but having had two cars aligned with crooked steering wheels, I don't think attention to detail is their thing. Checking to see if my neighbor has a wheel balancer. He's trustworthy.

[mepstein]

Road force balanced. Not cheap but works great.

[screenguy914]

Depends on the wheel width. Static balancing, only the overall wheel is considered.

Dynamic balancing takes both wheel OD and width into consideration.

You may not like it, but dynamic balancing weights might be be called out on the outer part of the wheel. Moving them inboard is close enough but a compromise.

As the object grows in length, dynamic balancing weights are placed appropriately, wherever needed. Think of a crankshaft. Balancing weights are not on one end (i.e. crank pulley). Your car may not be rotating the wheels at crank speed (e.g. 6000 rpm), but at +100 mph, proper balancing makes a difference.

For you math wonks, here's are some calc links:
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefo...DCAo&uact=5

Sherwood

[Rob-O]

I had them on just the inside (4 bolt Fuchs) and couldn’t get rid of a shimmy (even though tires were okay and rims were straight). Had them dynamically balanced and the car is rock steady at any highway speed.

Well, any highway speed a 914/4 can attain...

[BENBRO02]

If you have nice center caps, you should remove them before you go to the tire shop. 99% chance they will get damaged.