Author Topic: wheel weights  (Read 939 times)

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Offline toysoldier

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wheel weights
« on: March 03, 2007, 02:46:57 PM »
Do you buy wheel weights from local tire shops? What's the going price? I have hundreds of pounds of pure lead (from lead sheet, formerly on the walls of a hospital X-ray department), and just picked up a Lyman quad mold for .45 RN slugs for my Ruger auto. What's a good mixing ratio?

Offline LAH

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2007, 05:56:53 AM »
I offer 10 cents a pound & won't pay over 20. A five gallon bucket will hold appox 120 pounds. I said appox.  Take your bathroom scales with you and a bucket to replace theirs with. Most guys will take 10-15 dollars for a bucket around here.........Creeker
Joshua 1:9

Offline hcarlow

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2007, 08:39:01 AM »
One tire shop charged me $20 a couple years ago , I got some the other day from a different shop and they gave them to me for free.I did notice the ones I just got had a lot of zinc weights mixed in with them so I would take a wild guess and say between the clips and slag and zinc 20% or so is going to be waste, for free I can't complain.I say they are zinc as they don't melt as fast as the lead ones and have a nice painted surface on them, so I just put them aside.

Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2007, 11:42:06 PM »
Ive got a kid at one of the local tire shops that saves them all for me and when he gets 3 buckets he calls me and illl usually give him 40 bucks for three. Hed probably give them to me for free but he doesnt make much money and i know he can use it. Best bet is to single out on guy at a shop and get him to take care of you. That way he will hide them all so nobody comes in ahead of you and claims them. It got to the point where i was only getting a few each trip because there are just to many people asking for free ones. This kid even got permission for the manager to do it. The manager figured what the hell its better for the kid to make a few bucks then to give them away.
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Offline Castaway

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2007, 12:36:14 AM »
I guess I'm pretty lucky.  I get mine for free.  Occasionally I need a tire plugged or have to buy one and also give a box of loaded 38's to the owner, but hey...

Offline myronman3

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2007, 05:30:30 AM »
well i have a question.   i am swimming in wheel weights.  there are a bunch of the gray ones.  i previously thought these were  zinc,  but the guy at the shop insists they are lead with a coating on them to prevent rust.  how do i know for sure?  i would say 1/4 of the weights are this gray kind.  it would be great if he is right,  but how do i know?  anyone got a solid answer to this one?

Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2007, 06:01:29 AM »
all of the zinc ones ive seen so far were rivited to the steel clips that or try putting them in allready melted lead that is at about 650 degrees and if they wont melt there zinc
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Offline myronman3

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2007, 07:31:24 AM »
i guess i was afraid of putting them in with my lead for fear of ruining a batch of lead.   
so you are saying they actually have rivots connecting the zinc to the metal clips?  i dont think i have seen that.   how common are the zinc weights?   

Offline LAH

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Re: wheel weights
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2007, 11:01:15 AM »
Zinc are fairly common these days. Do like Lloyd says. Melt the normal ones and with a thermometer check to see the temp is below 650 and toss them in there. If they don't melt like a wheelweight does, throw them out...........Creeker
Joshua 1:9