Goof Off vs 3M Adhesive Remover vs Brake Cleaner for removing sticky stuff

I`m too chicken to try that It sounds like I`m going to have to set aside plenty of time for this once I get my new tires
 
Also kinda off-topic, but keep an eye peeled for "balancing indicator dots" and have the tech try to align them with the valvestems. Astounding to me that so few "Professionals" know to do that...had to educate my guys, and they`re people I consider good (well, good enough to be the only guys in those shops allowed to touch my vehicles).
 
Just to back Accumulators comment it should also be understood that manufacturers of both tires and wheels use dots differently and many wheel manufacturers do not use dots, some tire manufacturers only use one dot. My experience is that high end wheels ususally have a mark, this is particularly true with 2 and 3 piece wheels. I assume that this is because of the possibility in stacking tolerances that can potentially result in additional runout. High end tires often have 2 marks. Not all manufacturers of wheels mark a low spot on the wheel leaving the valve stem as the only point of reference. If the wheel and tire both use an index mark the process can be a little different but many don`t use the wheel mark either out of habit or convenience, they just use the valve stem.

The red dot indicates the high spot on the tire and is to be used as the location for measuring tread wear, theoretically this is where tire wear should be measured as opposed to just using wear bars, high spots wear the fastest. The yellow dot represents the lightest part of the tire, sometimes called the point of maximum force variation. The yellow dot should be lined up with the heaviest part of the wheel, theoretically the valve stem. This practice is called phase aligning the tire.

There are a couple of mounting options however depending upon on both the tire and wheel manufacturer`s use of dots. One way is that the yellow spot (sometimes white depending on manufacturer) should be mounted on the heavy spot (valve stem) on the wheel. In which case the red dot would be the high point on the tire, and wear the fastest, indicating the need for replacement sooner that other places on the tread. The other option is to place the red spot (high) on the low spot (valve stem) on the wheel, or if the wheel has a separate low spot mark from the valve stem, then try to match the red high spot with the marked low spot.

This all said, if you don`t see a dot above your valve stem I wouldn`t get too worried about it. Modern wheel balancers can make most any mounting combination, regardless of where the dots are mounted, balance to a point where there is no discernible vibration.

Unless of course you have a set of tires that are matched perfect in staggered spectrum that is. ;)

 
I`ve used goof off and it`s worked but goof off gel worked better think being that it`s thicker and I let it soak in
 
GearHead_1- Thanks for expanding on the "dots". I can`t recall seeing `em on any of my wheels, but I`m going to keep an eye peeled from now on.

But yeah, while seeing the dots *not* indexed bugs me, the actual balance works out OK if the tech does his job. It DOES bug me though, it`s like marring or curb-rash...says "Hey world, I don`t know what I`m doing!"
 
Accumulator said:
GearHead_1- Thanks for expanding on the "dots". I can`t recall seeing `em on any of my wheels, but I`m going to keep an eye peeled from now on.

But yeah, while seeing the dots *not* indexed bugs me, the actual balance works out OK if the tech does his job. It DOES bug me though, it`s like marring or curb-rash...says "Hey world, I don`t know what I`m doing!"
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Your welcome and I get that completely. It`s kind of like, well you could have, why wouldn`t you? Marks on the wheels are usually on the inside bead on the face side of the wheel. Many of these marks don`t make it through the first set of tires.
 
I would have used a pin-stripping removal wheel to remove the weight adhesive since you had taken the wheels off and had easy access. Try using Stoner`s XENIT next time. I find it works even better than the 3M.
 
While I`d never use/allow the use of the Wheel on exterior paint (yeah, I`ve seen those "doesn`t this look fine? Whaddya mean `no` ?!?" type results) I`d use it on the inside barrels of certain wheels. Not the ones I care about though.

DBailey- Huh, interesting that something works better than the 3M!

GearHead_1- Come to think of it, some of my German wheels have green/tealish dots on the innser lips...IIRC at least...
 
DBAILEY said:
I would have used a pin-stripping removal wheel to remove the weight adhesive since you had taken the wheels off and had easy access. Try using Stoner`s XENIT next time. I find it works even better than the 3M.
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Thanks for the tip on Xenit. I did see a YouTube video with a Dutch guy using a wheel. I can see how I would mess that up...
 
Accumulator said:
GearHead_1- Come to think of it, some of my German wheels have green/tealish dots on the innser lips...IIRC at least...
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I had a set of Enkei`s quite a while back that came with a sticker on the face bead of the wheel to mark the spot. The stickers would of course peel right off. I knew what it was used for when they were mounted and used it accordingly. That said, I can see how it can literally be a one use benefit unless you remembered to mark the wheel using the tire spot when changing tires out. Sometimes the dots on the tires don`t make it until it`s time to change tires. Other manufacturers spots can be very difficult to remove from off the rubber. I have a pretty good memory but I suspect many don`t think that far "down the road", literally. You`d also have to be standing over the tire tech`s shoulder to explain what it is you want done.

A lot of tire mounters would think you were nuts if you had them put a crayon stripe on the wheel to match the old tire and then match the new tire to that mark on the wheel. Let`s face it often times the turn over rate on tire techs is high. Just about the time you get one trained to really understand all the nuances of mounting and balancing expensive wheels and tires, they`re moving on to greener pastures. I guess what I`m trying to say here is that it`s understandable that the common practice is to match the valve stem to the tire, that`s something just about everyone can remember.
 
Uh oh given what I`ve read so far, I`m not looking forward to getting new tires. I highly doubt anyone around here is a perfectionist enough to mount them as good as described above
 
Bill D said:
Uh oh given what I`ve read so far, I`m not looking forward to getting new tires. I highly doubt anyone around here is a perfectionist enough to mount them as good as described above
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It would be my hope that the most important thing any would gather from anything I`ve related in this discussion is that a good wheel balancer and a tech that knows how to use it will make a tire ride and perform very well regardless of a dot here and a dot there. :)
 
Maybe I can mention about the dots but not expect them to actually line them up. I might jump for joy if some how I do get an Autopian tech :)
 
GearHead_1- Heh heh, the only guys who touch anything on my vehicles know me well enough to be used to the "oh, he`s nuts...just humor him" ;) I learned my lesson about using "the TireRack recommended local installers", learned it the hard way so my wheels/tires travel a ways to be done by somebody I trust.

The dots on my tires have always lasted the life of the tires, still see `em on tires that`re [so old I won`t post it :o ] which contributes to my dismay when they`re not lined up, seeing `em for years...

Are Hunter balancing machines still the [stuff]?
 
Been a while since I`ve been in the middle of it Accumulator. Hunter and Coats were pretty well respected balancers in the day. We used both. I think Rotary and Bendpac are in the game these days too.
 
GearHead_1- Should I, heaven forbid, have to find somebody new it`d pay for me to stay current :D Tires for the Tahoe and Crown Vic (wheels & TPS for that one too I`m afraid) are in my future. Been keeping the rubber companies in business lately, just did the `93 and `00 Audis last autumn.
 
GearHead_1 said:
It would be my hope that the most important thing any would gather from anything I`ve related in this discussion is that a good wheel balancer and a tech that knows how to use it will make a tire ride and perform very well regardless of a dot here and a dot there. :)
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Agreed. I send my friends to the local shop that does race setup and alignment. It isn`t just the tires and wheels, it is all the rest of it. Worth the extra $s.


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