Wheel balance on steel wheels

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sclrkuk
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:00 pm

Post by sclrkuk »

I took my new Life to get all seasons tyres to replace the ones that came with the car. When I picked it up, the garage (not a VW dealer) had put balance weights on the outside edge of the wheels so that the wheel rims / hubcaps are no longer flush.

I asked about this but was brushed off.

Does anyone know if that's right or wrong? I may call the dealer tomorrow and ask what they would do if they were replacing the tyres. It just looks bad and I find it hard to believe I'm not the victim of poor workmanship.
VW ID.3 Life

BevTowcester
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:05 pm
Location: Towcester

Post by BevTowcester »

Hi yes a very shoddy job.
It should not have been your responsibility to ask for hubcap to fit flush.
I always get steel wheels balanced as though they are alloys, effectively having adhesive weights fitted on the inside of the rim. Not because of hubcaps, but because visible clip on weights looks unsitely.
In the old days wheel weights ( for steel rims) were held in a wide variety of types, different diameter wheels should have different weights ( due to different radius) French cars rims required a a different style. The problem today is many garages try to hold a one style fits all and the quality of fitment of the weight to the wheel rim is compromised.
You could see if the garage is a member of a trade body and copy your complaint to them.
Or you may tell as many people as you meet how poor garage xxx is, and go elsewhere.
You could try a member of Pirelli Performce Centre, PPC and request the adhesive weights.
What you may also find is that even when correctly balanced you get mild vibration, this will be because as an OE fitment VW will have forcematched your tyres to the rims. Most aftermarket workshops don’t understand this, and don’t have a road force balancer. A forcematched assembly is one where the tyre road force high spot is placed in the wheel rim low spot.

Search on Hunter GSP9700 where I am sure there will be lots of posts to review
Hope that helps?
My ID3 was due this week - now next week.
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