A fun and challenging way to find WW lead

[bigjake]

Go to your local self serve auto junk yard with a strong bucket and a pair of WW pliers and hike up and down the aisles plucking the weights off the rims. you can also find other interesting stuff like tools etc.
I usually leave with around 20 or more pounds. Usually they dont know what to charge so they charge a low minimum amount.

[Winger Ed.]

I used to do that when I was in the wrecking yard for other parts.
They'd charge me a couple bucks, if anything.

Often, I'd also find enough loose change under the seats among the old french fries and broken crayons to pay for 'em.

[DxieLandMan]

I did this a few times. Got a few pounds of weights. A relative owns a tow truck company and he lets me get the weights of totaled cars before they are hauled off. I totaled my truck and got the weights before the insurance came and picked it up. Even got the weights off the spare tire.

[tankgunner59]

We have a local tire shop that services everything from compact cars to farm trucks and semi-trucks. I went over three times last year to get tires on a family vehicle. When I went to get tires on the wife's minivan he asked what I was doing for the afternoon. I told him I was going to be making some bullets. He said what and I explained I was casting boolits. After he finished the minivan and came back to the office and I asked what he does with his wheel weights and he said he wanted to talk to me about that. Long story short we made a deal I give 20 bucks for a full 5 gallon bucket. after I sort it I usually end up with about 60 pounds of weights. I have a bucket out there waiting to be melted and cast into ingots. I will keep this deal for as long as I can.

[lightman]

If I didn't have enough weights to see me through this lifetime I would be hitting the wrecking yards. Just a word of advice, buy a quality set of wheelweight pliers. The Chimcom junk doesn't work well. Also, if you're friendly with your local tire store ask for permission to look through their pile of old wheels.

[6mm win lee]

Shooooooooot. (Larry the Cable Guy voice) I find my wheel weights as I walk down the street. Most of the time every car has four of them. Mall parking lots and truck and RV dealerships are excellent places, too. :D

[lightman]

Shooooooooot. (Larry the Cable Guy voice) I find my wheel weights as I walk down the street. Most of the time every car has four of them. Mall parking lots and truck and RV dealerships are excellent places, too. :D

Me and a buddy pick up a fair amount off of street corners and exit ramps. I even carry a magnet on a stick that I can reach out of the window with. Its gotten to be a game with us! But I wouldn't want this to be my main source of lead.

[kevin c]

I can only wish that any of the methods you all described would work out here on the left coast; lead ww haven't been used in years. I go through several hundred pounds of alloy a year, so what comes off the rims of older cars just won't meet the need.

[reddog81]

Shooooooooot. (Larry the Cable Guy voice) I find my wheel weights as I walk down the street. Most of the time every car has four of them. Mall parking lots and truck and RV dealerships are excellent places, too. :D

Truck stops are the best. The big semi weights can be up to 4 ounces and you can get 18 wheels at a time!!!

[RogerDat]

Truck stops are the best. The big semi weights can be up to 4 ounces and you can get 18 wheels at a time!!!

Yeah and truckers generally are so understanding about you prying parts of their rig I bet they want to pat you on the back... with their boots. :-D

I haven't done the auto bone yard collection of weights but I don't mind a small steady supply of any sort. Lead in the garage is lead in the garage. Big scores are nice but as long as you bring in more than you use on a regular basis eventually it adds up. Nice if the budget allows for setting aside a stash of cash just for that great score you might come across.

If you go and buy $10 worth of WW's each week and get 20# set aside another $10 to build up for a good deal when you happen to find it. Also look regularly. You don't find what you don't look for.

If you only cast up 10# a week and buy 20# at the end of the year you have 520 lbs. in your stash in addition to all the bullets you cast.

[BIGOX]

Actually if you walk a truck stop parking lot you will find a distance amount of 1oz zinc wheel weights all over the floors. I have seen a bunch of lead wheels weights on Uhal trucks.

[Rickf1985]

Are we stooping to stealing the weights from rental trucks now?

[Rooster]

Rick, I think they are bending over more than stooping.

[BIGOX]

Lol no not me I'm just saying that uhal trucks are the only large vehicles (that I consistently see with lead wheel weights not zinc or steel) semi truck use zinc usually so their tire shops have lots of them. Maybe we should start asking uhal shops if they balance their own tires. Could be a source for small amounts of lead clip on wheel weights. Did you know you can buy new lead cww from autozone. Turn in enough batteries and you buy them with store credit and use a promo code for a discount.

[Rickf1985]

I have about 350 lbs. of brand new COWW but they are staying with my tire balancer for now! It would cost me more to replace them with new weights then I would have to pay for lead at Rotometals so I will use them for their intended use for now.

[BIGOX]

I have about 350 lbs. of brand new COWW but they are staying with my tire balancer for now! It would cost me more to replace them with new weights then I would have to pay for lead at Rotometals so I will use them for their intended use for now.

Hmm maybe you could work out a trade (in your favor) from a tire shop for some your new coww for some used ones if they have any lead that is. Worth asking a few places anyways if nothing else it gets your foot in the door.

[Rickf1985]

I already have my foot in the door at the one shop where i got all they had and it turned out to be 80% zinc, steel and trash. That is about as good as it gets in NJ anymore I am afraid. I prefer to keep the lead weights for my own use since they are heavier for their size and I do not need a much bigger weight for each size needed. Since I have sold the business and at this time I don't even have room to set up the machines at home you never know, I may sell the machine and if I do I will definitely keep the weights. Anyone need a Hunter 8500 computer wheel balancer? [smilie=1:

[BIGOX]

I saw a large tire balancing machine a about a month ago at a swap meet. Thing looked only a few years old. I went through everything they had but never found a single weight. I've got some good leads for cowws out in the central California. Just have to set up a trip the next time I'm in the area. Almost no luck out here in so cal.