Wheel Weights

[ACC]

Where can you get wheel weights these days.

ACC

[Walks]

Check "Selling & Swapping " Some folks here have them to sell.

[Winger Ed.]

You can still scrounge them from some small tire shops, but they have a higher and higher zinc content as time goes on.

It's a pain, but I've cut deals to pull them off car tires in the wrecking yard before.

[rancher1913]

wallmart parking lot, some disassembly required

[40-82 hiker]

ACC, how many pounds are you looking for?

[Went2kck]

If you live by a truck stop that does tires those big ones are lead. Normally most do not have zinc in them but a few do. Getting more and more in zinc as time goes on.

[ioon44]

Finding W W seems to be getting harder, the last 165 lb of weights I brought home only had about 35 lb of lead, this is the worst bunch I have found.

[Hossfly]

You just have to ask, don’t be bashful, I ask while getting lawn tractor tire fixed. They said might be some under stair storage area, found 5 buckets full and old mostly all lead. Some newer buckets had more and more zinc and loads of cig butts, like thousands of butts, they blow away with a fan on the sorting table. More and more stick on weights but the oldest one mostly lead. A few tire pressure sensors, a first for me a couple of tools lost in bucket, just ask you may get a bargain. Even haggled and got for $20.00 per. Some shops glad to get rid of. Also leave some buckets with your name and phone number you might get a call in the future. Be prepared with money and a strong back.

[BamaNapper]

I'll second the comment to look at places servicing big trucks. If you're on the interstate and not in a hurry, swing into a few truck stops and ask. Bring your own buckets and a few dollars for their coffee fund.

[lightman]

Ask at tire stores, mechanic shops, wrecking yards, scrap yards, ect. The smaller tire stores and scrap yards have been more productive for me. Don't laugh, but if you get your exercise from walking, running or riding a bike look along the curbs at intersections while you are out. I find a surprising number of weights this way.

Ask your friends, family and co-workers to be on the lookout too. I call it "networking". I'm still getting scores from contacts that I made years ago.

[Rcmaveric]

Old timer mechanics around town, craigslist, and scrap yards. Pick your poison and keep the price 80 to 50 cents a pound. Less the 50 cents a pound I feel like I am robbing them. More than a dollar per pound then they are robbing me.

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[Reverend Al]

Just answered an ad from a local auto parts recycler that was in our local (online) buy, sell, and trade site. I'm heading out to their yard tomorrow to pick up about 100 or so pounds of wheel weights (pre-sorted ... lead only ... no steel or zinc). I think that the 55 cents per pound that they're asking is more than reasonable these days? They said that they get them on a regular basis from the vehicles that they scrap, so I'm sure that I'll touch base with them about once a month from now on to see how much they have on hand.

[JBinMN]

Just answered an ad from a local auto parts recycler that was in our local (online) buy, sell, and trade site. I'm heading out to their yard tomorrow to pick up about 100 or so pounds of wheel weights (pre-sorted ... lead only ... no steel or zinc). I think that the 55 cents per pound that they're asking is more than reasonable these days? They said that they get them on a regular basis from the vehicles that they scrap, so I'm sure that I'll touch base with them about once a month from now on to see how much they have on hand.

IMO, "Pre sorted", now that is a deal. You may have a "lead mine" there.

[ACC]

That is a great deal. My brother and I used to get tons of wheel weights from Montgomey Wards when we first started to cast our own bullets. 10 cents a pound. Those days are long gone I am afraid.

ACC

[gmsharps]

I have smelted wheel weights it seems like forever. I would scrounge them from local tire shops along sides of the road and etc. Now days the percentage of zinc, iron and pure lead is very high. The pure lead not so bad as I can also use it. The zinc and iron make up the majority it seems. You also have to consider the amount of time sorting, fuel spent smelting and percentage of slag that results for the smelting process sometimes around the 15% range. Unless I find something really special I'm done with wheel weights and will stick with mining some of the ranges or maybe even the rotometal folks. I built a shooting box out of 1/2 inch steel and can recover some of my lead but it getting tougher.

gmsharps

[Froogal]

I just buy my lead from Roto-Metals. I know what I am getting, and I don't have to burn up gasoline and time scrounging for scrap lead that turns out to be 1/3 to 1/2 not useable.

[mha]

Craigslist.

I have decided to start casting again after dabbling a little many years ago, so this year I have been stocking up on lead. When I started fishing again ten years ago I used up my linotype making sinkers.... oops! Didn't realize it would be so hard to find later.

So far, I have found the following on CL:

5 buckets full of mixed wheel weights, plus a big ingot of maybe 40 lbs, for $110. So far the sorting is about half or more lead, quarter or less zinc, quarter or less steel. So probably 200-300 lbs or more of COWW.

400 lbs linotype and monotype at $1/lb.

80 lbs lino at around $1/lb.

Plus other stuff like big ingots over the years at decent prices.

[mebudman63]

With all the EPA / Tree Huggers doing their thing it`s hard now days to even find salvage yards that will sell to you anymore. You need to find privately owned, mom & pop salvage yards then maybe you`ll have a better chance they will sell to you. Also any tire shop same rules apply. Wal-mart, and commercial business don`t waste your time.

[WILCO]

Part of the fun of wheel weights was the hunt.
Like everything else, the government got involved.

[joe leadslinger]

I still find wheel weights at the tire shops


I know they wont be around for much longer so get-em while you can.