Wheel Weights, Lead Vs Steel

[skeet1]

I just got done sorting through three five gallon bucket of wheel weights that I had picked up in the last 8 to 10 months at a well known tire dealer. The buckets were not got at the same time and I found it interesting to find that the newest bucket had about 25% steel wheel weights and the oldest was only about 5%. There were some zinc mixed in but not a great deal.

The reason I was sorting the weights was I was concerned that there might be a lot of Zinc but was pleased to find that was not the case.

Skeet1

[Cowboy T]

Yep, not surprised about the 25% steel weights. And that percentage is going to go up as time marches on.

Get your lead while you still can.

[Ifishsum]

I sorted and smelted a partial bucket I recently picked up - almost 30% zinkers (along with some steel). oddly enough, 90% of those were the same brand and looked uninstalled, like someone dumped excess unused inventory in the bucket with the scrap. Definitely not what I used to get, in fact if I were offered another bucket with the exact same contents I might turn it down at this point. Only got about 23 lbs of ingots all said and done.

[badgeredd]

My supplier told me that his boss (company owner) is only getting in steel stick-on weights. Just the beginning of the end so to speak.

Edd

[fredj338]

My supplier told me that his boss (company owner) is only getting in steel stick-on weights. Just the beginning of the end so to speak.

Edd
Yep. Especialyl since Kalif banned lead ww. Think about it, there are more cars & tires in Kalif. than in 20 other states combined. The ww manuf are not going to produce lead ww in a dieing market. I would expect lead ww to be completely gone form the roads by 2015, probably banned nationwide before 2020.:groner:

[462]

The increase in non-lead weights, I feel, is due not only to any state bans, but their use by the automobile manufacturers. It would not surprise me if the wheel weight makers have made a 100% switch over to steel and zinc.

[white eagle]

I talked on one guy at a tire company and the store will not let them use lead ww at all .....all steel [smilie=2:

[sljacob]

I must have gotten lucky. I picked up two buckets of ww this summer in south west wyoming and only had 10 fe and 3 zn in the lot...but I did have more stick on weights than I have had in the past

[chris in va]

Couple days ago I visited my local lead source. We got to talking about various lead bans, and pointed out everyone is going to the Fe stick-on weights.

One of the guys brought out a new box of weights and said, "they're still lead, see?"

To which I pointed out the 'Fe' on the label.;-)

[dnepr]

well it is going the same way north of the 49th too, had 2 new tires mounted up for the truck , the bill says " lead free balance " at least I took the old wheel weights off before the rims went in for tires , lead wheel weight are dissapearing , fortunately I have a fair bit of lead and have started using bullet traps to " manage the resource"

[leadman]

Every new car I have looked at recently has had steel, with a few having zinc.

Some of the shops here don't use clip-on weights at all, with most installing Fe stick-ons.

[myg30]

Their saving the lead for the electric car batterys !!

Mike

[mold maker]

I get very few zinc and about 10% fe clip on weights. The stick ons are becoming fe fast, but lots of the iron impregnated rubber also. Funny thing is I find a few zinc stick on too.
Times are a changing and it ain't for the better.

[mac1911]

my last sorting I ended up with a lot of
Iron clip ons and some bright metal stick ons ?