So my last post was regarding changing tires with my harbor freight manual tire changer. Great advice there and things are going well.

Well I used to have a "buddy" with a dynamic wheel balancer who would put lead hammer weights on my aluminum wheels instead of stick on weights. He moved on and years later I heard that was a no-no. I am not sure if that reasoning is true and if so if it's just for cosmetics reasons or....

because these weights tend to cause leaks around the aluminum wheel bead.

This is what is happening on several of the rim tire combos he did a few years later. I develop a slow leak and put the tire/rim in a dunk tank. Sure enough, it is always in the same spot. It doesn't matter what vehicle's rim/tire set it is either.

So...I have had fantastic luck with my harbor freight bubble balancer and stick on weights. I always get it right and never get shaking at any speed. I am hooked. I usually use the technique of putting the stick on weights in the middle of the wheel which is supposed to negate dynamic imbalance. Not sure what the theory is but I don't care as long as it works.

My question is this. Some of the wheels/tires he did are not yet leaking in that spot and yet the balance on those wheels/tires is beginning to degrade.

Can I leave those lead weights on there and add stick on weights after identifying a correct balance on the bubble balancer? I only ask because:

1) I don't want to disrupt the bead by removing the old hammered on weights which is SURE to happen.

2) I don't want to dismount the tire manually when I can avoid it. I am getting better at using my mojo tire lever each time I use it, but the process is DEFINITELY intrusive and want to avoid dismounting the tire when I can.

So, can I expect to be able to balance the rim/tire with an existing hammered on lead weight or do they need to come off? It's one of those things that I don't want to *try* 4 times just to find out that it won't work.

Thanks!

I use hammer-on weights on alloy wheels all the time. Granted, most wheels weights nowadays are not lead, but I never have leaking problems, as long as the right style weight is used (I keep 8 different designs in stock).

To address your other question, you are not SURE to disrupt the bead when removing hammer on weights. But,
to more efficiently balance your wheels, you should remove the old weights, but it is not necessary. I don't know how much of a difference it will ultimately make when you're static balancing on a bubble balancer.

When balancing, always remove all weights and start from scratch. You dont dismount a tire just to remove the weights if that's what you're asking. Just pry them off.

I, however, always avoid hammer weights on any alloy wheel. They almost always promote corrosion in the long run. They scratch the wheel faces and bead area exposing the bare aluminum underneath. They also trap moisture and road salts in the winter which expedites the corrosion process leading to bead leaks and damaged/bubbling paint on the face of the wheels.

Thanks guys. A few notes based upon your posts. You are right. I have no idea what will happen on a static balance if I left the hammer on weights intact.

I have balance issues and I notice a tendency to leak around the bead where the weight once was when removing those hammer on weights was what I was trying to get at. Therefore, removing that weight is a risk. I'd rather leave it in place to avoid that and use the bubble balancer.

Hope I make sense...tired.

So I pulled the hammer weights and I am starting over. I hope I don't get any leaks.

Anyways, new question. I am reading that you are are supposed to remove rocks from the tires when balancing (remember this is just a bubble/static balance). How far do you guys go? Do you remove every pebble that you can get to? My snow tires have hundreds like that. If so, what is the point of removing tiny pebbles when the tires will be loaded with them and other rocks in no time at all.

Thanks.