• On TechRepublic: 10 cool USB flash drive tricks
August 22, 2008 11:13 AM PDT

Lead wheel weights banned in California by 2009

by Antuan Goodwin

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in Oakland, Calif., announced it has reached a legal agreement with Chrysler and the three largest producers of automobile wheel-balancing weights (Plombco, Hennessey, and Perfect Equipment), requiring the companies to end the use of leaded wheel weights in California by the end of 2009.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), about 65,000 tons of lead wheel weights are in use on cars and trucks in the U.S., and it is estimated that at least 3 percent of wheel weights fall off of cars and trucks. USGS states that the discarded wheel weights are ground by traffic and the particles are dispersed by wind and rain, eventually finding their way into the water supply. By the CEH's estimates, an annual 500,000 pounds of lead are introduced into California alone due to lost wheel weights.

Lead wheel weights have been banned in the EU since July 2005, and Japan and Korea are phasing them out. Yet EPA has refused to enact a ban, instead relying on voluntary industry action. Washington, Maine, and Massachusetts have considered such legislation, but the CEH settlement creates the first binding statewide ban on shipments from the major wheel weight suppliers.

Under the settlement, Plombco will end shipments of leaded wheel weights into California by the end of this year; Hennessey and Perfect Equipment agreed to end shipments by the end of 2009. Chrysler is now quickly phasing out the use of lead wheel weights nationwide, due in part to CEH's action. Also under the agreement, Chrysler is required to eliminate its use of leaded wheel weights on 55 percent of its automobiles by the end of July, and the company says it has already exceeded that goal. The settlement requires Chrysler to fully eliminate lead in wheel weights on cars intended for sale in California by July 31, 2009.

Recent posts from The Car Tech blog
143: Ford puts airbags where? Hybrid Humvees, and a ride in the X5 M.
Award-winning tech at the 2009 SEMA Show
Peugeot's funny, little, electric concept
Dartz Kombat T-98 vs. Hummer H-1
Denso eyes standard hybrid parts
Rolls Royce Drophead, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano spotted in Paris
Tuners embrace Hyundai Genesis at SEMA
Matte black Lexus LF-A is stealthy super car
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (4 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by Lerianis August 25, 2008 2:10 AM PDT
What are these wheel weights used for anyway? I honesty cannot think of anything I know of that they would be used for on a car.
Reply to this comment
by scifidaddyo August 25, 2008 4:38 AM PDT
Wheel weights are used to balance the wheel and tire assembly. Consider the following: a wheel rim that is 17 inches in diameter and a tire that has a profile of 3 inches. The total diameter of the assembly is 23 inches. The circumference of this assembly is 72 inches. In 1 revolution, this assembly will travel 6 feet. During manufacture of the wheel and tire and other components (valve stems, internal tire pressure monitoring units) there are differences in weight distribution. Driving at 25 mph may not seem like a big deal, but once you hit interstate speeds (60 mph, just to make the math easier) your wheels and tires are now revolving at 880 rpm. If the wheel assembly were 'out of balance' then you will notice handling issues and uneaven tire wear. That is why any new tire should be 'balanced'.
by Engineeringtech February 15, 2009 5:19 PM PST
One of the biggest problems with our society is we have millions of people who use technology without the slightest grasp of how, or why it works. Along comes Mr. Biologist (or environmentalist) with the latest crusade to save the cuddly, cute whatever, and a sate or nationwide "ban" is promoted without the slightest intelligent discussion on the consequences of that ban.

People don't realize leaded steel is used in countless fasteners in millions of products ranging from wristwatches to automobiles. It is the only type of steel readily available from which these fasteners can be machined. They don't realize that lead is necessary to virtually every automotive, cycle, marine, and industrial battery. They don't realize that lead is necessary for many types of lubricating oils and greases. They don't know that lead is the only thing we can use to shield us from radiation. That circuit boards destined for high flying aircraft must have leaded solder, or they will fail. (My employer makes these boards.) They don't realize that hunters use lead to kill game because the subsitutes environmentalists try to force on us are more likely to maim or injure animals than kill them.

Remember the ozone hole? It eventually closed up on it's own, and scientists discovered from drillings of artic ice cores, that it is a cyclical occurrence throughout history. The kneejerk reaction of the environmentalists and uniformed public was to push for a ban on R-12 refrigerant in our car air conditioners. The substitute, R-134 has not been proven to be safer. It is less efficient, and because of this, our autos have to burn mor gasoline to keep us cool. So the "fix" foisted on us is actually CONTRIBUTING to more carbon emissions.

Instead of reacting to the latest touchy feely campaign for a cute furry animal, people should start educating themselves on the technology they use so they can make intelligent, informed decisions on bans. Ask an engineer or technologist if there are feasible, economical replacments BEFORE you demand the banning of something we all depend on. Otherwise, we may go back to living in a stoneage, agrarian society.

The end game
Reply to this comment
by iriszhang April 14, 2009 7:38 PM PDT
Wheel balance weight is still essential for automotives,People can choose steel and Zinc wheel balance weights as alternatives, they are more competitive in price than lead weights and innocuous to the environment!

Iris from metalfederal
Reply to this comment
(4 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next

Search Car Tech

advertisement
Click Here

About The Car Tech blog

CNET's Car Tech blog covers the latest developments in the automotive industry, with commentary on car stereos, hybrid and concept cars, GPS, and much more. The Car Tech blog offers the latest news and reviews from CNET's Car Tech reviews channel.

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Car Tech blog topics