Jet Washing - Be Careful

[Ash]

Whilst cleaning my wheels with the Karcher yesterday I managed to blast one of the wheel weights clean off an alloy.

Luckily I saw it happen so retrieved the weight from under the car, let the sticky backing dry out in the sun, added a thin line of UHU to help and then put it back in place once the whole car and wheels were dry.

It's still there despite a spirited shakedown around the poorly maintained local Berkshire roads.

[PeterG]

I would be a little cautious regarding "sticking back" a double sided tape that has delaminated, Ash. The adhesive surface can very easily become contaminated with dust that you probably could not see which degrades the adhesion of the weight to your wheel rim. I would advise getting a new weight put on which costs peanuts really. I'm also a little surprised that the weight is on the outside of your wheel instead of inside and thus invisible. It could be that the wheel was a bit of a job to get balanced properly, of course.

[k44ent]

I assume you mean the weight on the circumference of the rim closest to the front face? perfectly normal to have two weights per wheel with one visible, one weight will be placed nearest the the back edge of the rim and the other near the front. If it's stuck back on then I wouldn't worry. What I would do is mark it's position with a permanent pen and also note the size. If it falls off then you will know where to stick a new weight on, they are pretty cheap off e-bay. You could get the wheel re-balanced but if it drives fine then no point.

[theig]

Surely the issue is what happens if it comes adrift as you're driving? You'll be largely unaffected, but the guy behind will get the fright of his life when it hits his windscreen. If it's an old one, and the weight passes clean through, then, in effect, you've fired a bullet at him (and might kill someone). Get it reattached properly.

[cj10jeeper]

Although possible I think it highly unlikely that a weight will detach itself at speed since centrifugal force is holding it in place and even if it did come off with the spoke of a wheel revolveing it would head inwards and under the car and bounce along the ground.

I had to have a wheel rebalanced last week by a friend who runs a wheel refurb. shop and he told me most weights drop off when first applied in cold weather (as the adhesive has not activated )when the vehicle is left standing and by the likes of jetwashers...

To your point, IMHO they can never be refixed correctly as the rubber backing delaminates and soon and need replacing.

[theig]

I've experienced a small object hitting the windscreen at speed. I don't know what it was, Autoglass suggested a bullet, but I think a wheel weight, or nut is more likely. It was, thankfully, stopped by the lamination of the screen. Had it not been, the next thing in its path was the centre of my wife's forehead. The memory still gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies.