Wheel Weight Question With Pics

Hey:

I was out looking at my truck yesterday and saw the following. I think I have a missing wheel weight on my right front wheel/tire. Is that what happened? I do not think i have ever lost a wheel-weight before and am puzzled.







Do all stock aluminum wheels come with the clip-on wheel weights on the outside of the tire?? All my tires seem to have them. It seems strange that they use those instead of the smaller glue on ones. The last picture shows one on a different tire.

What does this mean for my balance, ie do i need to get it replaced now or I will fly off a bridge overpass and die or will ruin something on my truck??

How the heck did that happen?

Will i need to have the tires balanced or is this a simple fix? Anyone ever had this happen before? what does something like this cost?

Thank you for any help.

 

You did not lose a weight. I think that is either a very small weight or on there for some other purpose. Mine has one just like that as well, as does some other Tacomas with stock tires on them. As to your question about stick on weights, they are usually only used when there is not a lip on the wheel to attach the clamp ons to...although I have seen stick on weights that go along the lip. All it means for us is that our rims get gouged every time they are balanced.

 

The way it looks, or if you have weight in one spot on one wheel and not on another has nothing to do with the tire/wheel being balanced. The wheel weights are placed on the wheel based on exactly where the balancing machine tells the installer to put it. i.e. the machine may say to put 2 ounces worth of weight on the inside of a particular wheel and none on the outside of that same wheel.

Bottom line is there are different size weights and most likely not all of your wheels weights will be of the same size, in the same location etc.. on each wheel.

If you think one fell off the only way to know if your wheel is truly out of balance is to have it checked on a machine.

 

I would take those weights off. Take them to a tire shop and tell them you want them balanced with the weights just on the inside. Or else you will start to get corrosion starting behind the weights and make the wheels look bad!

 

Thank you for the replies and sorry for the crappy pics.

Wolfpack 5150 - The thing I thought was a weight holder is just stamped with a "5" on it. Nothing else. It looks very much like the thing that is holding the wheel weights on the other tires and this is the only tire that does not have a weight, only that thing.

Come to think of it how would i lose the weight without losing that thing as well??

Matts11 - thanks, it is good to know other trucks have similar looking items.

Well, the truck does not shake or have any other vibes that recently came about, i just saw it and was puzzled. I am glad there weren't a bunch of other members complaining about lost wheel weights so it probably isn't a issue.

JB

 

Sure looks to me like you lost a weight and all that's left is the clip. As long as you don't have vibs/steering wheel shake just have it checked next time you get the tires rotated (should be every 5,000 miles.)