cax wheel weights

[chrisntam]

Are weights re-useable?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

In a word YES.

The trick is to remove them carefully, and with the correct tool, and if they do get bent, the steel bit, it can be straightened so to speak.

I only had used ones initially, and used them for many years.   It wasn't till I had a means of getting the ones I purchased from ATS, that I could get them.   They don't take up much room in a container than has a load limit of 20 Tons.

Bruce.

PS.   If I ever saw any during a wrecking yard tour, in USA that was, I would grab as many as I could before leaving the yard.   The owner usually just let me have them, taking pity on me, knowing full well that I would have to pay any excess luggage fees on the plane trip back home.

[harry s]

I didn't realize these weights were in the commodity category. I have about 20 lbs of them that came with a tire machine I bought at a service station liquidation auction many years ago. I will admit to popping weights off of wheels of parts cars etc and saving them.      Harry

[TJ Hopland]

The standard weights are not worth anything special or hard to find, its the CAX style with the extension that was used on late 60's early to mid 70's Cadillac and Lincolns I think that are getting very hard to come by.  Other than little demand for them the change away from lead seems to be a reason they are harder to find now. 

[Scot Minesinger]

Here is the final result, with Hunter "road force" balanced Diamondback dual white wall stripe radial tires (with CAX weights) and spare on the car - drives great!  Looks authentic, but understand it is a point deduction.  This car has original paint on most of it, lower rear quarter had an old person garage ding to remove.

[Maynard Krebs]

I remember being informed by the successor tire firm that when the previous regime went bankrupt [due to intra-family skullduggery, theft, malfeasance, etc.], the new shop owners found many boxes of brand new 'Cadillac' wheel weights...... and they were all thrown away, as if they were worthless!!   The horror of it!   Quel domage.

[STS05lg]

Scot, be carefull with that tire changer/balancer, see news article below...

SALEM, N.H. (CBS) â€" An employee at a New Hampshire Sears was killed Saturday morning when a tire exploded, police say.Salem Police say Justin Almon, 22, of Sandown, N.H., was working on a tire at Sears Auto Center in the Mall at Rockingham Park when the tire exploded. 911 callers were frantic, with one saying “They were filling up a tire and it exploded!”
“It’s an industrial tire changer, where the tire is mounted on the rim and it seals it into place and then it inflates at the same time,” says Salem Police Sgt. Chad Clark. “So the whole tire and rim came up and the victim was leaning over we think, and that’s when it hit him in the head.”
Almon was transported to Parkland Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Adam Sproud, 23, of Maine was a customer in the store at the time of the accident. He was brought to Lawrence General Hospital and airlifted to Boston Medical Center with a serious head injury.
Initial investigation indicates that Almon was fixing a large truck tire when the explosion occurred.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating the accident along with Salem Police.
Sears issued a statement about the accident:
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of our associate, and we send our deepest condolences to them. We also send our thoughts and concerns to our customer who was injured in this tragic accident. We are working closely with local authorities as they investigate this matter,” the company said.

PS: The SDV looks great...

[76eldo]

Some large truck tires still use the snap rings to lock the rim like on many cars from the teens and 20's.

They are deadly and the damn things should be outlawed.

The normal car and lift truck rims are all solid and d not have these rings to deal with.

Poor guy and his family.

Brian

[Scot Minesinger]

Lynn and all,

Thanks for the concern and I offer this:

1.  The tire changer I have is not inflated and mounted simultaneously.
2.  First the tire is mounted and then it is inflated like any other tire on your own car.
3.  I only will work with tires that are 6 years old or younger.

It is a serious tragedy that a young person died due to a terrible accident.

When I read  that a young person died inflating a truck tire at Sears, unfortunately what goes thru my head is the likely horrible perfect storm scenario.  Need to know more info., experience of 22 year old, age of tire, condition of tire changer and etc. to really know what happened.

I won't work on commercial trucks, just cars, pick-ups and SUV's.  Already removed and remounted 3 SUV tires, installed a set of 5 new tires on the SDV and balanced 6 vehicle tire.  Never a hint of danger.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Second what Brian said.  Split rims as used on trucks were very touchy and if the locking riom or the rim itself exhibited any wear, they could slip if not installed exactly "in the groove".  The tire does not "explode", but all that pressure placed incorrectly on the locking ring is released and the ring takes off in what ever direction it wants accompanied by a loud pop.
Greg Surfas

[savemy67]

Hello All,

The death of anyone working at their profession, let alone someone so young, reminds us how important safety considerations are.  From the article "...an industrial tire changer..., ...Almon was fixing a large truck tire...", it is implied that the tire and rim were not typical of a passenger car tire and rim.  Because of many deaths resulting from the explosive force from two piece rims (as noted by Brian and Greg), some jurisdictions require the use of tire changing safety cages.  I do not know if this is the case in New Hampshire.  There are many Youtube videos that show the explosive force of two piece rims coming apart, and how safety cages help avoid serious injury.

Scot, I think you are OK, just stay away from the ether if you can't get the bead to seat  .

Christopher Winter

[Scot Minesinger]

All,

Have purchased a bead seater, which works great.  Otherwise it is difficult to seat on compressed air alone because it is not enough air volume.  There is not pressure in the tire until the bead seats anyway.  The bead beater insures that the tire does not become over inflated to seat it.

I think my chain saw work is more dangerous anyway.  Here is a tree I cut down in August, my daughter snapped the picture after I was done and onto a few new things.  This three chords worth all came from just one dead white oak tree, and it is now split and stacked in back yard.

I take safety very seriously, however your concerns are noted and appreciated for sure.

[TJ Hopland]

I agree with others, likely the perfect storm of several factors. 

Bigger shops won't mount or inflate a tire over 10 years old now for that reason.  Found that out when I brought some in for new valve stems.  These were on a car that has no engine or trans and has spent the last 12 years in a barn.  For some reason the valve stems rotted out and fell off so it made it difficult to roll it around the barn.  Tires have zero miles on em and have never seen sunlight.  Other than being dusty they look new complete with the blue stuff on the whitewalls.   

Shops that work on split rims are supposed to have and use a 'cage' when inflating them.   Its literally what it sounds like, a cage.   Looks like something you see a veterinarian using to hold a large animal to give em shots so they don't get kicked.    A buddy that worked in a tire shop in the 60's said they would wrap a chain around em when they worked on em so at least when the popped the pieces didn't go flying.   

[Glen]

In the few times I have inflated tire on the split rims I have always taken precautions. The first time I inflated it mounted on the truck with a forklift right up against the wheel.  I also used a clamp on chuck with a regulated air supply and a shut off valve so I could stand well away.  Later times I also wrapped a chain around the tire and rim, going through the rim on two sides.   

[Scot Minesinger]

Thanks to all, I have a good supply of CAX weights now.  If anyone is interested in selling more of them, please contact me.

As often happens we deviated from topic, went from trying to find CAX weights to dangerous truck split rims.  I helped steer it that way.  Always fun to read these and again it worked out for me.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

That's how we learn Scott.
Greg Surfas