Do tire shops need to clean wheels before sticking balancing weights on them?

[lizpat]

I think they probably should in order to do the BEST job possible.

When people take their cars in to have their tires replaced, the wheels are most likely covered in dirt and brake dust----I believe as a matter of best practice when you're balancing the wheels you should clean that surface (and just that surface) where you intend to glue those 1/4 ounce balancing weights. To clarify, I am not asking that they clean the whole wheel, just that strip where you intend to place the weights.

HOWEVER, I may be wrong! I had a tire shop mount a set of Michelin Crossclimates a few months ago and they didn't clean that dirty brake dust covered surface before sticking on the balancing weights. The weights are still there. My guess would be that the types of adhesive they use will absorb the brake dust and dirt and make it's way on to the metal surface forming a good-enough adhesion.

What do you think? Trivial topic to be sure but this has always kinda bugged me. It would be easy to have a spray bottle and some napkins to just clean that part of the surface right? That would be a 100% job.

 

[kschachn]

This is a no-brainer. If the surface is not clean then the adhesive is attaching to whatever contamination is on the wheel rather than the bare metal or properly applied coating or paint.

You have a shop that is just blindly sticking the weight to the dirty metal?

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Now that you mentioned it, I would clean them myself 'before' taking it in.

If not cleaned, the Tire Shop would be happy to rebalance and charge you again.

 

[WylieCoyote]

If they're not, they should be. On two occasions after having new tires put on, I took the car home and parked it, and came back out to either find wheel weights laying inside the wheel, or gone completely. Both times I took them back, they said they applied heat to make them stick better. Looks like they should be cleaning a spot on the wheel, and using a heat gun every time.

 

[Lapham3]

I've seen shops wire wheel to clean up the area and also a grinder that cuts through to bare metal. Mounting the weights on a flat surface is important as I've also seen where they mount over a bend area in the wheel and a weight may not adhere well.

 

[atikovi]

I use wax and grease remover on fairly clean wheels and a wire wheel in a drill if there is caked on grime.

 

[cb_13]

I always wiped the surface off with a rag and the same alcohol solution used on rubber before applying a patch. Gotta give it just a minute to dry and then its good to go.

If the wheels are absolutely caked in mud then the customer needs to go to the car wash and come back.

 

[tasch72]

Shops will generally wire wheel or sand the beads of the wheels to help the tires seal up, but I wouldn't expect them to polish everything up beforehand. They aren't a detail shop.

If you want the best balance (and aesthetic) possible, it's your responsibility as the vehicle owner to clean up your wheels before taking them in.

 

[kschachn]

Shops will generally wire wheel or sand the beads of the wheels to help the tires seal up, but I wouldn't expect them to polish everything up beforehand. They aren't a detail shop.

If you want the best balance (and aesthetic) possible, it's your responsibility as the vehicle owner to clean up your wheels before taking them in.

Nobody was really saying that. Application of the adhesive balancing weights falls under the same category as cleaning up the rim where the clamp weights are attached.

If the tire shop is not cleaning the location where the adhesive weights are applied then why even apply them in the first place.

 

[Danno]

I use wax and grease remover on fairly clean wheels and a wire wheel in a drill if there is caked on grime.

Doesn't the wire wheel destroy the clear coat finish that is applied on all wheel surfaces?

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Competent shops will wipe the area where the stick-on weight will go with brake cleaner, surface prep, etc... but I've seen varying results. If it really matters, then clean it before bringing it in. I do that on my newer vehicles, where the rims are still in really good condition. Wash the inside barrel of brake dust, knock off all the stuck bits of tar/asphalt and remove any old double-sided residue. On the beaters, I just bring them in.

 

[tasch72]

Nobody was really saying that. Application of the adhesive balancing weights falls under the same category as cleaning up the rim where the clamp weights are attached.

If the tire shop is not cleaning the location where the adhesive weights are applied then why even apply them in the first place.

It was an exaggeration lol

I have never had a shop clean my wheel lips in preparation for clip weights and I wouldn't expect them to clean the barrels in preparation for adhesive weights. Maybe a quick brake clean and a rag?

 

[thescreensavers]

Pretty much anything with an adhesive requires cleanup before applying.

 

[mclasser]

I'm actually getting new tires installed tomorrow and now you got me wondering if I should clean off the inside of my wheels beforehand lol

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

I worked in the tire business for many years, this is normal practice. Any shop that doesn't do it is going to have a bunch of comebacks for out of balance wheels after the weights fall off.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

When I worked in my uncles full serve gas station and tire store, we ALWAYS cleaned the inside of the wheel/rim before applying the stick on adhesive style tire weights. If you didn't they were sure to come off.
The type that are hammed onto the outside of the rim, if they were dirty (as in dirt on the rim area) we cleaned the area before adding the weight.

 

[atikovi]

Doesn't the wire wheel destroy the clear coat finish that is applied on all wheel surfaces?

If the wheel NEEDS a wire wheel to clean up the surface, it's probably pretty far gone already. Suppose you could just spray some clear back on.

 

[JMJNet]

I think it depends on the person who are doing the install.
Hopefully, the shop train them to clean it before but you never know if a person will follow the training/instruction or not.
Of course, it helps if owner wash the tires and wheels before going to rebalance.

 

[atikovi]

I think it depends on the person who are doing the install.
Hopefully, the shop train them to clean it before but you never know if a person will follow the training/instruction or not.

HAHA, like training an adult to wash their hands after using the bathroom? Hope you don't have to TRAIN someone that they should clean a surface before they apply an adhesive to it.

 

[Jetronic]

I think they probably should in order to do the BEST job possible.

When people take their cars in to have their tires replaced, the wheels are most likely covered in dirt and brake dust----I believe as a matter of best practice when you're balancing the wheels you should clean that surface (and just that surface) where you intend to glue those 1/4 ounce balancing weights. To clarify, I am not asking that they clean the whole wheel, just that strip where you intend to place the weights.

HOWEVER, I may be wrong! I had a tire shop mount a set of Michelin Crossclimates a few months ago and they didn't clean that dirty brake dust covered surface before sticking on the balancing weights. The weights are still there. My guess would be that the types of adhesive they use will absorb the brake dust and dirt and make it's way on to the metal surface forming a good-enough adhesion.

What do you think? Trivial topic to be sure but this has always kinda bugged me. It would be easy to have a spray bottle and some napkins to just clean that part of the surface right? That would be a 100% job.

Can't make the weights we use stick on a dirty surface. I always clean it, either with a dry rag, (if really bad) emery paper or with alcohol/water (screenwash)