Originally Posted by
qr409tz8
I was thinking about this piece of metal a bit more... I was assuming that it was there to align the rim for welding but being that its directly opposite the valve stem could it be in there as a counter weight to help balance the wheel?
No. No manufacturer would leave a loose piece of metal in a rim to act as a counterbalance for the valve stem. Try to take a picture of it and show us and the manufacturer, ask them what to do about it. They might send you another wheel and have you send back that one.