A good deal on stick on weights


funnelfan

funnelfan

Member
This is for you guys who like those A-line stick on weights but think they are a bit pricey. The weights are actually "tape weights" that are used to balance car and motorcycle wheels, but forget about buying them from your local chain tire shop (seems they don't want the troubles of selling a LEAD product). Napa Auto Parts seems to be the only place willing to sell them, but your local store more than likely will have to order them from the warehouse. The box I bought had 15 strips of lead divided into 24 0.25oz segments. But there are many styles of these tape weights with various weight increments. Now the good news is that all wheel weights are on sale. The box I bought was normally $46, but was on sale for $23. That works out to a little more than 6 cents per segment, or $1.53 for the same strip that A-line sells for $7. I'm going to go order another box of .5oz weights and that should keep me supplied for quite some time.
 
I did the same thing when I found them on sale, figure I saved the railroad a scale 1.8 million! I've yet to have one come loose in a car, guess that's because they are made to hang on at high speeds afterall.
I also found some small lead shot in a hunting store cheap as it's no longer used for hunting. (but still used for fishing, weird!)
It's great for weighting flatcars and other tight areas!
 
I've picked up pine car derby weights, since I could get one that was 2 ozs (instead of using 4 or 6 A-Line weights). The hobby store was giving them away, well, almost. They're for my closed door boxcars (because the weight is big).

Thanks for the tip about the motorcycle wheel weights. The pine car weights aren't as versatile, since many different cars need weight.
 
funnelfan said:
This is for you guys who like those A-line stick on weights but think they are a bit pricey. The weights are actually "tape weights" that are used to balance car and motorcycle wheels, but forget about buying them from your local chain tire shop (seems they don't want the troubles of selling a LEAD product). Napa Auto Parts seems to be the only place willing to sell them, but your local store more than likely will have to order them from the warehouse. The box I bought had 15 strips of lead divided into 24 0.25oz segments. But there are many styles of these tape weights with various weight increments. Now the good news is that all wheel weights are on sale. The box I bought was normally $46, but was on sale for $23. That works out to a little more than 6 cents per segment, or $1.53 for the same strip that A-line sells for $7. I'm going to go order another box of .5oz weights and that should keep me supplied for quite some time.
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Lol. NAPA.

Sorry, I work for CarQuest. I'd probably burst into flame if I walked into a NAPA. :D

I take it you do not mean the type of weights that clip on to the wheel rims?
 
You can go to JC Whitney and buy them by the box. "Coated Adhesive Wheel Weights", part 314-30, 30 strips of 12, 1/4 oz segments. I think I paid $32. Way cheaper than anywhere else I found.

Each strip is 3 oz, so that's 90 ounces total.
 
Managed to get ahold of a box today for $18. Employee discount for the win!

The ones I got are half-clipped into little squares of 1/4 oz each.
 
Im a professional mechanic and I figured this was obvious those weights were the same as what you find to balance tires. I would have posted this trick months ago. But in any case, it is nice to find an alternate source for another product. To buy those weights from a model RR source just means another reason to gouge hobbists.
 
I get mine off Ebay through an auto parts distributor. Drop shipped so the shipping is free. They come in 1/4oz and 1/2oz increments. Being an O scale modeler, ok actually a Hi-Railer these days, I go through a ton of those stick ont things. A fraction of the cost compared to getting the A-Line ones or any brand at a hobby shop.
 
ChevelleSSguy said:
Im a professional mechanic and I figured this was obvious those weights were the same as what you find to balance tires. I would have posted this trick months ago. But in any case, it is nice to find an alternate source for another product. To buy those weights from a model RR source just means another reason to gouge hobbists.
Click to expand...

same profession here, i just get what i need through work :)
 
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