The Nupla Wheel Weight Hammer provides users an easy way to mount wheel weights without marring the wheel surface. This soft face 13 oz hammer has a replaceable hook assembly that attaches into the hole in the metal weight clip to easily remove it from aluminum or steel wheels. The hammer features a chemical-resistant cushion grip handle that provides a non-slip grip surface to prevent it from getting dirty and slipping out of the user's hand.
The Review
Lou Fort, Lead Technician at K.A.R.S. Inc. in Huntingburg, IN, has plenty of experience pinching his hands using a standard wheel weight hammer to remove weights. He has tried everything from gripping the weight sideways to trying to get some leverage under it with a screwdriver. No perfect method of removing wheel weights yet exists.
However, Fort was intrigued by the Nupla Wheel Weight Hammer because it had a solid handle, which meant no pinching. But, would it take wheel weights off as well as a standard hammer? The answer is, yes.
"The Nupla Wheel Weight hammer is an ROI (return on investment) time saver!" reports Fort. "The tool easily saves five to 10 minutes on a four wheel balance job that uses clip-style weights."
How does a wheel weight hammer pull off a weight without using a "pliers" setup? The tool's chrome alloy hook can be changed with different versions that can grip different weight types and have leverage against popular rims. The hammer also comes with a set of directions that inform the user how to change between the three different hooks.
In regards to the instructions, "I call it a 'giggle' factor," says Fort. "As in, if you really needed it to know how to replace the hook, maybe you shouldn't be trying to use it."
When asked whether the wheel weight hammer can grip every single wheel weight out there, Fort reported that he had some issues with a set of truck tires he had to balance.
"The chromaloy (steel) hook had a bit of trouble getting a solid grip in the weight's clip hole," notes Fort. "I think this may be do to the roundness of the very tip of the hook that virtually eliminates the chance of marring the rim's surface. What I have been tempted to do, is take a small file or hacksaw blade and add a few notches in the tip just to see if it would bite a little bit more into the clip."
With this taken into consideration, Fort still says, "A tool with such low cost, ease of use and quick ROI is a must have tool!" He rates the tool a solid "Bingo 10+."
