[07STILimited]

I know Subaru uses the clamp style weights from the factory for STI wheels. I do not like the look of these though and I'd rather use stick on weights. A guy at a tire shop told me that stick on weights don't balance the tire as well because they are only in the center of the wheel rather than on both the outside and inside. Is this true? Are clamp on weights really superior to stick ons? Also, I am aware that the front calipers barely clear the wheels. Can this be solved by strategically placing the sticky weights towards the inside edge of the wheel or would that mess up the balancing? I just never thought clamp on weights were good on anything but ****ty steel wheels. They gouge soft aluminum wheels pretty badly from my experience.

[WESTI]

the clamp on weights WILL scrape off the finish of the wheels leaving an ugly mark. The wheel weights must be on the furthest outside part of the wheel. I have the stick on weights on all 4 of my wheels and theres barely millimeters of space between the weight and the caliper but it does clear. IMO it balances fine and doesnt look as tacky as those clip on ones!

[tyler_sti]

I've run both. Had issues with the stick ons. They cleared the calipers till a rock stuck to one scrapinf the crap out of my caliper. I reverted back to the clamps, honestly looks dont matter that much to me, its a freaking car and I track it. So the stupid little weights are the least of my worries. Good luck with what ever choice!

[Vypurr]

I have always used sticky types on all nice wheels at my shop for the simple reason that they do not scrape up the lip of the wheel.

The problem is that they have a tendency to fall off if they are left on for a long time because the tape is not amazing. They will balance perfectly, and stick for a real long time (longer than your tires) if you put them on correctly though!

[amg destroyer]

I have the stick on ones on the inside of my wheel...they work perfectly for me. The stock ones are nasty. FWIW, there were no marks left from where they were.

[07STILimited]

Originally Posted by Vypurr

I have always used sticky types on all nice wheels at my shop for the simple reason that they do not scrape up the lip of the wheel.

The problem is that they have a tendency to fall off if they are left on for a long time because the tape is not amazing. They will balance perfectly, and stick for a real long time (longer than your tires) if you put them on correctly though!

So you're saying what the guy told me is total bs? He said something about how the clamp ons are on both sides of the wheel so they do a better job of getting it balanced. Also, is it possible to place the stick ons near the inside edge of the wheel so there are no brake clearance issues, or do they have to go in the center area?

[tyler_sti]

The guy didnt lie to you, the arnt as effictive as the clamp style. However mounting the stickies on a 17in. wheel is pretty scetch if you ask me, any little debri that gets caught can cause havok!

[blindfold]

does wheel balance really have that big of effect on performance? I thought it was mainly for comfort similar to hubcentric rings

[tyler_sti]

If you're wheels are not balanced correctly you'll get virbration at high speeds above 70mph possibly leading to severe boble effect.

[blindfold]

Originally Posted by tyler_sti

If you're wheels are not balanced correctly you'll get virbration at high speeds above 70mph possibly leading to severe boble effect.

bobble as in side to side, lateral movement?

[07STILimited]

I have one more newb question about these clamp on weights. On one of my wheels the inside weight is in a completely different area of the wheel than the outside weight. Is this the way some of them should be put on or should the inside and outside clamp weights line up in the same place?

[Vypurr]

No. The way the wheel balance machine works is that you place the wheel on the machine, input all of the dimensions of the wheel, and then press a button which spins the entire thing. While it is spinning, the machine calculates the positions that the weights should be placed.

There are a few different settings you can choose, but the most popular two are either weight on both the inside and the outside, and weight only on the inside. Either way, the machine tells you exactly where on the wheel to place the weight, and it can be anywhere around the wheel.

The type of weight makes no difference at all as long as they are installed correctly. After installation, it is normal to spin the wheel again just to make sure that the machine says to put "0" on both sides (meaning it is balanced). It does not matter what kind of weight you put on, because balanced is balanced.

It is not possible to put them on the lip of the wheel (facing inward towards the car) because the weights are straight metal instead of curved. They would not follow the contour of the wheel and would not stick correctly. I would imagine that if such a weight were made, it would work fine...but remember that all wheels do not have the same lip as out BBS wheels.

[unclemat]

Originally Posted by amg destroyer

FWIW, there were no marks left from where they were.

Because stock Subaru weights use a plastic liner to protect the lip - unlike any other "off-the-shelf" clip-on weights I've seen - and those WILL damage the lip.

[resonant_evil]

Originally Posted by tyler_sti

I've run both. Had issues with the stick ons. They cleared the calipers till a rock stuck to one scrapinf the crap out of my caliper. I reverted back to the clamps, honestly looks dont matter that much to me, its a freaking car and I track it. So the stupid little weights are the least of my worries. Good luck with what ever choice!

i have balanced my wheels many times, and i have used both sticky and the clamp type. i had the same issues as tyler_sti.

i just use one weight on the inside were it will never be seen. works fine. on my jeep i used weights on the inside and outside. looks didnt matter as much and i had to use more weight, so better weight distribution, better balance. wouldnt do this on a car though.

while stickies are not as reliable they work also. you get the same issues as i get with using the inside spot only for the weights.

that being said, i can still get my wheels balanced fine with weights in one spot. optimum no, close enough yes. also scrapes the rim, but is on the inside, site unseen. and i track my car so i dont care.

[boondocksaint]

I have my summer/track wheels and tires mounted/balanced at a very good shop - which does Lotuses, Porsches, Audis, Morgans, and the odd Ferrari. They use the sticky weights. I have never had any problems on the track or on the utter disaster that is Michigan public roads. YMMV