Wheel weight movement/ scratch

Mr. G · 09-20-2002, 06:30 PM

GM has used a very small, sheet metal not lead, wheel weight to balance my right front wheel. This is a 2001 C5 Corvette with 12,000 miles. The wheel weight has slowly moved around the lip of my high polished wheel creating a 2.5 inch long scratch. This scratch continues to grow as I put more mileage on my vehicle. It appears to me that the tire must be moving or creeping with respect to the wheel rim as the wheel/tire rotates. From the direction of the scratch on the wheel it seems that the creeping may be occuring during braking??? The wheel weight must be getting pushed around by the tire??? I have marked my tire and rim to determine if they are moving. I have also measured and marked the length of the scratch at this time. The dealer service manager and area GM representative say they have never seen or heard of this ever before. I love driving this car but it is self destructing before my eyes. The dealer needs proof or some sort of expanation as to how this scratch evolved and is continuing to evolve.

Please let me know if you have experienced this condition. I am trying to gather as much data from others to indicate to the dealer that this is not an isolated dream of mine. Are there any service bulletins on this? Who makes the high polished 5 spoke wheels for GM? Maybe I could write to them? Does anyone have a contact person at GM and Goodyear tires that could shed some light on this? Thanks for any help you can supply.
Sincerly, Mr. G

mozin · 09-21-2002, 03:02 PM

Others have had this same problem with the factory weights moving and scratching the wheel. I can't see the tire rotating on the wheel, but I am no expert. If I were you I would head for a good tire shop like America's Tire/ Discount Tire where they have the newest tire balancing machines.

The new Hunter Road Warrior(?) is a good one where the machine tells the operator how much weight is needed behind two adjacent wheel spokes.

Have them use the glue on weights and make sure they clean the area very well before attaching the weights. The front rotors tend to give off a lot of heat and if the weights are not attached solidly to a clean wheel they will likely drop off the wheel as the wheel cools down.

I would be very doubtful that the GM dealer would be of any help.