Where are the MARKS on the BMW OEM wheels (for proper tire mounting procedures)?

In another wheel-vibration thread yesterday, I found out that both the tires and wheels have marks on them showing where best to mount them for "match mounting" (see pdf attached).
- TIRE MATCH MOUNTING & CUSTOM WHEEL HANDLING
- Tire Match Mounting & Custom Wheel Handling

I knew all about the tire marks (whether red, yellow, or green ... but I hadn't known before the colors mean different things) ...

But I didn't know there were wheel marks.

Googling and searching in bimmerfest was difficult because the terms are so generic, e.g., "wheel marks mounting" or "where is the wheel balance mark on BMW E39".

I'm hoping, with this post, that someone, offhand, already knows where the wheel marks are on the most common OEM E39 wheels.

Do you know how to find the wheel marks on the OEM E39 wheels?

I don't know I always thought the valve stem is the minimal radial runout for the wheel? I also did the "Hunter" road force balancing and I watched closely. On the machine that point (valve stem) did match the theory. But these guys also match the wheels on each corner after road force balancing - quite elaborate process, but worth the $$$. I lost the shimmy once I left their shop, and I tried a couple other tire stores prior to that - they all told me the wheels were balanced. The Hunter guys did a "Pharmaceutical" job with the balancing though.

Bee,

Just because you always seem to come out of the blue (heheh) with this stuff, I went ahead and ripped open the box of one my brand new style 42s and indeed found a tiny black dot on the inside edge of the wheel. Don't know if this is relevant to your discussion and I doubt one remains on a well used wheel, but I did find something.

Originally Posted by AnotherGeezer

found a tiny black dot on the inside edge of the wheel.

That's likely it.

This is the only picture I have of the INSIDE of my wheels, last I cleaned 'em ... and before I switched from Jurid/Textar to PBR/Textar (no dusting anymore on the fronts).

Next time I clean my wheels, I'll look for the little "black dot" (reminds me of when this Roman Catholic kid told me we all had a black spot on us somewhere ... but I could never find it as a kid).

Does anyone have a picture of the inside of their OEM wheels?

I will once the battery in my trusty Coolpix 5200 charges.

Hunter is good equipment but nothing, nothing beats hi speed balancing. A process where the wheels are balanced on the car. I will take a pic tomorrow or Friday to give you an idea.

Originally Posted by bluebee

That's likely it.

This is the only picture I have of the INSIDE of my wheels, last I cleaned 'em ... and before I switched from Jurid/Textar to PBR/Textar (no dusting anymore on the fronts).

Next time I clean my wheels, I'll look for the little "black dot" (reminds me of when this Roman Catholic kid told me we all had a black spot on us somewhere ... but I could never find it as a kid).

Does anyone have a picture of the inside of their OEM wheels?

Here's a picture showing the mark in question on a new style 71 wheel.

check for BBS on backside

Originally Posted by champaign777

check for BBS on backside
BBS meams OEM

Chromodora wheel which is also a BMW OEM manufacturer.

My 42's say BBS

On the side. Where did you get that socket for those center caps? I use those wheels as winter wheels and its painful removing the covers. I knew there was an easier way.

Originally Posted by calwilly1

Here's a picture showing the mark in question

Is it that black thing that looks like the valve?

Or the hole?

Originally Posted by bluebee

Is it that black thing that looks like the valve?

Or the hole?

Haven't seen a definitive answer on either the black mark or the drilled hole. Some folks seem to think the hole is from factory balancing and other think it was cast that way. The black mark still seems to be a mystery for now. Do the BBS wheels also have the same markings?"

"That hole doesn't look like it was drilled after the wheel was produced. It looks more like it was part of the casting. Could be that this hole is used to index the wheel to measure RPM speed when it's bolted up to a QC machine of some sort so that each wheel undergoes a quality control spin cycle to measure circumference and wobble". (jeddc-bimmerforums)

Neither the black mark or the drilled hole location seem to affect the balancing efforts since no one has reported any difficulties getting their new wheels properly balanced.

Just a wild guess but I worked in an industrial paint shop and we always complained to the parts designers that we needed holes to hang the parts in the paint booth.

Originally Posted by repcapale

On the side. Where did you get that socket for those center caps? I use those wheels as winter wheels and its painful removing the covers. I knew there was an easier way.

Comes with the wheels. Not sure if it varies by style...
*******>********>

10	HUB CAP WRENCH		1			36131181948	$4.20
11	SUPPORT F HUB CAP WRENCH		1			36131093549	$7.67

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=DM63&mospid=47585&btnr=36_0182&hg=36&fg=15

Interesting. I will have to pick one up. Thanks.

Here you go, brand new 17" OEM BBS style 42 wheel straight from the dealer. The black dot is clearly visible.

Originally Posted by sidneyj

Hunter is good equipment but nothing, nothing beats hi speed balancing. A process where the wheels are balanced on the car. I will take a pic tomorrow or Friday to give you an idea.

I would like to see this. Did I miss it above, or is it not posted yet?

Originally Posted by sidneyj

Hunter is good equipment but nothing, nothing beats hi speed balancing. A process where the wheels are balanced on the car. I will take a pic tomorrow or Friday to give you an idea.

I have been hearing about this "on the car" wheel balancing for many many years now.

I was NEVER able to find ANYONE in the industry who heard about it, or knew where to go to get one done on my car. (Here in NYC).

I was also NEVER able to get any sort of elaborated explanation of how this is done by any of the BF members here who mentioned it.

It all summed up to "it's done on the car and is really good". Nothing more.

I'm starting to think that this is more of an urban legend than something that is practiced somewhere that you can take your car and have it done...

Meh.

mw

Originally Posted by franka

I would like to see this. Did I miss it above, or is it not posted yet?

Look here: http://www.butlertire.com/services.asp

mw

Originally Posted by BMC530i

The black dot is clearly visible

Ah. I see. It's very clear. A circle of paint, on the inner side of the wheel.

Couldn't be simpler a visual indicator. I wonder if it's on my 2002 OEM wheels, after all this time.

Now I have to figure out what to "tell" the tire mounting guy about it. I'll have to read the match mounting procedure again because it was hard enough to get them to mount the tire with the valve across the yellow dot, let alone this inside wheel dot!

Matwiz, there's a place about 45 min from me. If I get my tires balanced, it will be & there I'll post back.

'On the car balancing' is when for when dynamic balancing is not done correctly.

I've ranted on here before and no more, except to say that more than 50% of the guys and shops doing regular, off the car, dynamic machine balancing, don't have their machines calibrated and/or the operators have never been taught correctly.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

I have been hearing about this "on the car" wheel balancing for many many years now.

I was NEVER able to find ANYONE in the industry who heard about it, or knew where to go to get one done on my car. (Here in NYC).

I was also NEVER able to get any sort of elaborated explanation of how this is done by any of the BF members here who mentioned it.

It all summed up to "it's done on the car and is really good". Nothing more.

I'm starting to think that this is more of an urban legend than something that is practiced somewhere that you can take your car and have it done...

On the car balancing has been around for a long time. Its sorta gimmicky.

Then their is 'force balancing'. Sorta gimmicky too.