What Happens If My Wheel Weights Fall Off

Wheel weights are an important part of your vehicle’s wheels. If you want to know “what happens if my wheel weights fall off?”, read further to get the answer.

 

Did you know that wheel balance addresses issues like poor fuel economy and uneven tread wear? The tire will wear down untimely when the wheels are not correctly balanced. 

Keeping wheels in the right shape and maintaining them the right way is essential for you. For this purpose, you have to use wheel weights

Wheel weights are helpful when you want to improve the balance of the tires. It distributes the weight evenly in the whole tire. When the weight is distributed equally in the tire, the tire will run smoothly and give long life. 

But for balance, you need a small weight to attach to the wheel. Read the article below to know more about their importance and understand What Happens If my Wheel Weights Fall Off.

 

What Happens If My Wheel Weights Fall Off

What Happens If My Wheel Weight Falls Off?

Driving for long stretches is one of the major reasons why wheel weights fall. You can experience sudden vibrations, and after which the wheel weights fall. 

The common symptoms for identifying that your wheel weights have fallen off are fast and uneven tread wear out and poor fuel economy. 

You might find that the seat or floorboard will suddenly start shaking when you start driving at high speed. But out of all these, the easy way to identify it is the vibration of the steering of your vehicle. 

When the wheel weight falls off from one tire, the whole vehicle feels imbalanced as one of the tires has no proper balance causing loss of steering control, sometimes leading to accidents because of panic.

 

You might also like to read : Power Steering Only Works When Accelerating

Are Wheel Weights Necessary For A Drive?

To understand the importance of wheel weights, let us see why a wheel requires wheel weights? When cars are manufactured and assembled, tires are installed on the rim. 

While fitting the tires, there is an imbalance in one side of the wheel, making the wheel heavier and lighter on the other. This causes your car to vibrate. 

These wheels will give poor fuel economy, and you can feel the steering vibration while driving your vehicle. To address this issue, wheel weights are added onto the wheel to give out a smooth ride.

 

What Happens If My Wheel Weights Fall Off

Why Do Wheel Weights Fall Off?

One of the primary reasons for this is the wrong pressure on the rim. Though in the beginning, the wheel weights stick firmly onto the wheel, over time, they tend to fall off after usage. 

Adhesive Tapes Falling Off

This is because the adhesive tapes on the weight may fall off from the rim when the pressure that is being applied is not correct. So, to address this, you need to put proper pressure so that the adhesive gets chemically bound with the rim.

Moisture Build Up

Also, while applying the weight, check for the surface where you fit it. Because on a rough surface, moisture will tend to build faster under the adhesive, which will make the bonding lose. This is because the rough surface will not hold the adhesive properly, and it will fall quickly.

The Type of Paint Used

Also, some paints do not allow the adhesive to stick on easily. So, make sure the surface is clean so that the paint allows a chemical bond between the rim and the adhesive.

 

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What Are The Types Of Wheel Weights?

Wheel weights come in various sizes and styles and must be properly attached to the rim

so they don’t move or fall off. 

So, we commonly come across two-wheel weight types for your wheels which are stick-on and clip-on. You can opt for a temporary solution, a clip-on. For a permanent option, choose stick-on wheel weights for your wheels.

 

What Happens If My Wheel Weights Fall Off

 

How Are Wheel Weights Attached To The Wheel?

While attaching a weight, the extra weight is estimated first, and the exact value of weight is fixed to the wheel. 

Weights are permanently attached to the opposite side of the heavy point. Also, some mechanics suggest the rider add the weight when they feel the requirement. Weight is also attached if you remove the rim and reattach it back.

Tips For Attaching The Wheel Weights To The Wheel

You have to place the wheel weights strategically on the wheels to address the imbalance issue. Plan to keep the weights in the extreme outside and inside of your wheel. Keep them more apart as this will help in counteracting any wheel imbalances.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is it OK to drive without wheel weights? 
  1. Driving without a wheel weight may lead to death wobble or cause damage to your vehicle. Death wobble causes oscillation and vibration of the steering, making it sway quickly onto sides, causing accidents. Also, imbalanced wheels put stress on the bearings, shocks, and assembly of the wheels. It will also increase the fuel cost as driving at high speed is risky. So, it is never OK to drive without wheel weights.
  1. Are wheel weights necessary?
  1. Yes, wheel weights are essential for your vehicle. Because this will help to adjust the tire alignment of your vehicle, this will help address the vibrations and wobblings of your vehicle. Proper balancing of the wheels with the help of wheel weights will improve the fuel mileage and tire wear and remove the stress of your vehicle.
  1. How do you reattach wheel weights? 
  1. If you have used double tape from sticking the wheel weights, then scrape them off thoroughly. Now use the glue for reattaching the wheel weights. But this is the case for stick-on wheel weights. If you use clip-on wheel weights, it is better to replace them as they have lost their shape and retention, so getting a new one is the best option for your wheels.

 

What Happens If My Wheel Weights Fall Off

Conclusion

We hope that reading the above article has given you a clear idea of how wheel weights play an essential part when the balance of the tire gets disturbed. Though it is a small and extra thing attached to the wheel, its benefit for keeping your ride safe is very high. 

 

You might also like to read : Power Steering Only Works When Accelerating

 

So get your wheel weights today, or if you are using one, check them to see if they are in proper shape and have a safe drive today!

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