So by asking his question I'm sure I'll reinforce that I'm perhaps very handy at best but not a true mechanically inclined 914 owner. Was wondering if the wheel weights on the front face of my fuchs were put there by a lazy installer at some point in the past? I don't think that they need to be there and in most cases I recall they are installed in the barrel on the inside because they look bad on the face.

This is an all original car and I suspect the weights have been there for many years. Would you suggest that I take them off and have the wheels balanced with weights on the back side? I suspect the weights may have marred the wheel under the weights after so many years but perhaps not since the wheels have not seen rough use.

Thoughts? I'd love to have them done right. Any reason not to?

Steve

Click to view attachment

The balance can be closer to "perfect" if the weights are free to be placed on either the outer or inner surface, or both. The back side of the wheel can be problematic in some cars because of brakes and such, but that's not generally the case in a stockish 914.

If having the weights on the outside bothers you, the wheels can be balanced with the weights only on the inside. Most of the time, an installer will offer that option. Usually the difference to the driver is not detectable.

--DD

Lazy installer....no. One who could good give a rats ass about looks....yes. Then again I guess they're the same. As DD stated put them on the inside, you will never notice the difference.

I have BIG problems keeping the weights on the inside of the wheel. Therefore, I install my weights on the outside of wheel - and then tape them too. If you are not driving over 160 mph you are probably ok. How fast does a stock 914 go anyway?

Trev

Balancing beads also work on our cars. No weights needed.

Thanks, guys. Reverend, you're correct, my car is not likely to exceed 80mph so certainly don't need to be concerned about 160. My tires are up there in age so I need to think about having them replaced soon. Too bad because I think they probably have less than 5,000 miles on them but are now 10+ years old. They are not cracked or checked but I know I need to replace. Original owner just wasn't driving it in the later years. I think I'll have the weights repositioned when I put the new tires on. Thanks.

Wait. Now you are Trev? When will the transmogrification be complete? I wish you were just Tony, or even Cracker again.
The name games around here need to be done. It's sofa king retarded.
Settle in on who you are and represent. Stand behind your name. Then build your rep.
Mine sucks! LOL!!! But it's me. And I can't take back all my drunk posts. Ugh. I regret much, but I'll never trade that for skating past being real.

I'm having fun... T + Rev = ...

T Crack Rev

I love ya Tony Trev. In the interest of tightening things down... Let's.

Whatever you decide (balance them on the inside) please do not let the tire shop remove those weights. You should do it yourself so they don't mar the wheels. I would heat the weight up with a hair dryer and then use some dental floss/fishing line to "saw" those weights off and then use some very wheel safe cleaner to remove any remaining glue

That's a beautiful wheel. Unfortunately, there will prob be a stain under the weight. Like the green on the lugs.

You get better dynamic balancing with weights on the lips, but most of the newer aluminum wheels don't have the face to accommodate them. Inside the wheel works just fine, you usually end up with a few extra grams to compensate.

I'm with Cairo, get a plastic lever and remove the face weights yourself. The tire guy probably won't care enough to be gentle. The glue residue should come off pretty easily.

Got it. Thanks.

PB Blaster works very well for removing the adhesive residue. Pull the weights off, soak the remnants with the spray and then use a clean rag to rub off the residue. Won't harm the finish, and any spray left will evaporate off after an hour or so. Also works well for removing undercoating -- won't harm the car's paint (I've gone through several cans on my car, cleaning up after the previous owners).

No, the green paint on the lugs is the factory/dealer marking that the BO Recall was done to confirm that the proper hub-centric -001 p/n wheels were used - NOT a stain.

However, I agree with the consensus - that Steve have the weights done on the inside, & carefully remove them himself. Also, the clip on the rim weights can also mar the rim lips, so I do not like them. Compared to inside or outside - you won't notice the difference if inside, since the wheel' "drum" inner face allows mounting them closer to the wheel centerline anyway, with the stock 40 offset.

In my personal experience over the decade in which mine was my DD, it was lazy doofus tire guys who put them on the outside - rather than inside - even when I asked for inside only!

So you'll need to stand over them when they do the inside balancing.

Good Luck Steve!
Tom
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For a 73 2.0 - 119 mph per the specs from Porsche, but 126 from personal experience though the Virgin River Gorge on I-15 in SW-UT - 2 in car, heading north, late at night, limited traffic in Sept. `79 on the way to the Park City Rugby Tournament!

.... are you RRC folks listening!?

PS - I lost no weights!

PSS - Full disclosure: that 126 mph was downhill & on the flat at the bottom in 5th, then dropped to 105 in 5th on the uphill side (preservation of momentum), in clear/warm/dry weather, with me at 165# then & Phil @ 175# & maybe 50# of gear & bags for the 2 of us, full-ish tank filled in Vegas (less any burn-off), & with the top off & windows up (we didn't put it back on until Green River when it started to rain & we de-tanked the bladders).


Tom
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I knew that tom. Meaning I LIKE the look. Perhaps I'll mimic it on my lugs.

Well I guess your humor, or the way it read, went way over my head.

Cheers!
Tom
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X2 on the fishing line to saw off the weights. CRC Electronic Cleaner works great at removing most residues, it's like brake cleaner that doesn't destroy plastic.

http://www.crcindustries.com/ei/product_detail.aspx?id=05101