Wheel Balancing for track / race / auto-x
 

Do you guys do it? I know some people who swear by it and others who swear it's unnecessary. Searched, but didn't find anything on the 8 forum specific about it... I know that the tire is going to slip a little on the bead, and wear isn't always even, so I was thinking that it's probably not THAT necessary unless you're trying to diagnose a vibration perhaps?

I ask because I was running a friend of mine's 17x9 +45 Enkei RPF1s, and the wheel weight stickers don't clear the brake calipers - it lead to a clinking noise on one side, and on the other, the brake caliper grabbed the inside weight, ripped it off, and it was wedged between the caliper and the wheel, gouging the paint on the interior of the wheel. I took those wheel weights that the caliper was hitting off the wheel, and have run a few trackdays without any noticeable issue.

I'm debating running without wheel weights on the side of the barrel closer to the face of the wheel, or without wheel weights altogether (unless there is some super low clearance wheel weight I can get).

Thanks in advance!

PCS

I never bother to balance auto-x only tires. For street tires where I drove to/from (and sometimes between) events, I have run into the same thing where the stick-on weights on 17" wheels "tick" against the brake caliper. I just pulled them off and have not noticed any difference in smoothness. I now ask the dealer not to add balance weights in that region, which probably means they are not 100% balanced, but again I can't tell any difference.

I just have the guys at the tire store place them inboard of that area about 2 inches and never have an issue. I run 17 x 9's Enkei's also.

ajrrx8 - are you talking towards the face of the wheel? or towards the centerline of the car?

It's toward the centerline of the wheel. Just enough to clear the caliper. I said 2 inches but I would have to go measure to get an exact distance.

I balance my tires with one stick on weight on the inside in the area away from the brake caliper. But I don't stress about it... with racing you pick up so much rubber it's almost pointless to balance anyway.

I had a noticeable vibration on one of my last set and always seemed slower with it on the front. I think it put me off a bit in high speed corners. I've also lost wheel weights and not noticed any difference though. Generally rubber pickup has not been very noticeable for me either, although I have pulled a larger chunk off on occasion at an event and also pull them off after a weekend.

I do balance, and with the weights as close as possible to the outside on 17x9 rpf1s I don't have any interference. I also cover them with aluminum duct tape so they don't fall off when the brakes heat them up.

Maybe I'll just have the wheels on the car when I go have the tires put on - that way if it doesn't clear, they can correct the issue or put the weight in a spot where it clears on the spot.

Any movement in the wheel / tire will throw it off, obviously, but from what I'm gathering, it's better to start balanced and get worse than to start unbalanced and get worse, haha.

I balance the wheel by itself with no tire. Most don't require any weights. Some might take one or two.

Road course use only.

You can pick up/shed so much rubber that it is pointless. Also if you put a grease pen mark on your tire that lines up with the valve stem, do a couple sessions and you'll notice that the tire may have moved on the rim, even up to 180 degrees out over the course of a weekend so balancing with the tire on is definitely pointless and a waste of time/money/effort.

Huh, I have an event coming up on Aug 10th. I'll have to try the grease pencil thing w/ my RPF1/G Force Rival S setup.

I'll get them balanced this time and if I see tire movement on the rim I'll know not to bother with it next time. Not sure if the price difference would be that much though.

Tire pickup seems to be relatively evenly spread ime.

Rumble strips (gentle vs harsh) and how much I used them (quick hop on/off vs riding it out) seemed to be biggest factor in how much rotation of hoosier vs wheel for me. Got more rotation at some tracks than others.

ymmv on all of that though.

Street tires, gentle HPDE appropriate driving style, no curb use, may not see any or very minimal tire rotation vs wheel.