Did this just fall from my car?

[sg0]

Hi all, I'm just looking for advice.

I just got my left rear tyre replaced and whilst driving back home I hear a piece of metal hit the floor after going over a speed bump. I pull over to investigate the wheel which looks ok, then I take on the road and found this. Don't know what it is or if it came from my car? Should I be worried?

Thanks for reading.

 

[joey1211]

Isn't it used for balancing the wheels?

 

[JonRGV250]

It’s a wheel weight, you need it.

 

[GhostWKD]

It’s a wheel weight, you need it.

*as long as it's off your car

Didn't even realise hammer on wheel weights were still a thing tbh!

 

[JonRGV250]

I’d say it’s off his car, it’s a new weight.

 

[sg0]

Thanks gents. I forgot to mention my car is a Seat ateca. I cant see these on any other wheel tho

 

[tom_e]

Assume you've got alloy wheels? If so it's not yours if it's hammer on, unless they've done your spare as well as it's found it's way out the bottom of your boot.

 

[Demon]

Thanks gents. I forgot to mention my car is a Seat ateca. I cant see these on any other wheel tho

That is a very old design of wheel weight, one that goes over the rim section.. these days they use stick on wheel weights that are on the inside barrel (behind the spokes)..

Of course, if it's of unknown origin then it could be an alien artefact of course.. have you had any sudden time loss experience?

 

[JonRGV250]

Knock on weights are still used on alloy wheels.

 

[phil-k]

could be off someone else's car and you just ran over it

 

[sovietspybob]

Yeah wheel weight, lots of places still use that style on the inside of alloy wheels.

I'd get the wheel balance checked.

 

[pepp77]

Go back to where you had the tyre replaced, show it to them and say you think it fell off. They should sort it.

 

[dave28]

Get it checked, its a wheel balance weight. They spin the wheel on a machine to check it is in perfect balance. If not they add a weight.
That is my understanding of it anyway but i could be wrong.

 

[Rroff]

Knock on weights are still used on alloy wheels.

Haven't seen them being used in a long time personally, though see them on my colleagues cars, etc. everywhere I use these days uses stick on ones.

 

[tom_e]

Knock on weights are still used on alloy wheels.

Learn something new every day. Thought they were exclusively for steelies

 

[JonRGV250]

Haven't seen them being used in a long time personally, though see them on my colleagues cars, etc. everywhere I use these days uses stick on ones.

If the wheels are old and the paint/lacquer is in poor condition then it's impossible to use stick on weights as they'll just fall off, hence using knock on ones.

 

[JonRGV250]

Learn something new every day. Thought they were exclusively for steelies

The pic the OP showed is an alloy wheel weight (they have a larger "hook" to go over the rim) steel wheel weights are different and can't be used on alloy wheels & vice versa.

 

[Diddums]

Chuck it on the road in front of @nlel1975's drive.