Why do we still use steel weights to balance wheels? I just read that the largest lead polluter in California is wheel weights. We still continue to use them and there are several alternatives that are very close to the same price. Stainless steel being the most obvious and they would not react with aluminum wheels the way lead does. There is also a powdered weight that I don’t know much about. They are both a quality replacement at about the same cost. I do think that car washes are at the root of the problem as the wheel cleaning brushes tend to remove the weights. They do still come off due to improper installation and they do not attach as securely to the thinner wheels on many vehicles today. I would think there would be a attachment method that would be more secure but, and I may be wrong here, NASCAR uses the same method at around 200 MPH. 3M also has a new system as they call it that looks like the best alternative, I couldnt find a price but it comes as a kit and they glue on.Years ago when I was younger I used to balance my tires by turning the tire on the rim until it became very close to balanced. I finished it with a small weight always on the inside, when necessary, as I didn’t like the appearance of the weight on the outside. I don’t recall ever doing this for a customer as the cost would probably been higher than the tire. I do agree that we need to protect our environment for our grandkids but we tend to let some things slip through the cracks and others we expend to much energy.