reimundo

iTrader: (1)

do racing rim weigh about 11-15 i think ?

blk-majik

iTrader: (6)

that would be the extreem low end. I dont think I have ever seen a 11lb rim.

Freddie1111

iTrader: (3)

Someone weighed the stock rims on this site - it was 23 pounds. The lightest production rims I've seen are in the 13-15 pound range (I think a 15" buddyclub weighs around that). OZ Superleggera (means superlite) weigh about 16-17 pounds - for reference.

blk-majik

iTrader: (6)

23 is a pretty good weight for stockers. dropping 6lb per wheel would be nice.

or....

http://store.miataparts.org/koseik1ts.html

drop 18lbs =] should have a similar effect as having a new flywheel.

IllicitRalliart

You are ight on Honda RIms being that heavy.I worked at honda for a while and the Accord and Civic Rims are 20-30 Pounds.The SUV's are where it gets really Heavy.CRV is about 40lbs and the Pilot Rims are about 50-60 lbs.Mitsu has a habit of making Slightly lighter rims.I believe our Rims are between 18-22lbs. Iwill ask the Dealership tomorrow when I go to get my car inspected.

jdsoren

Lighter wheels will not give you hp to the wheels...ever. It's the same principle behind a light weight fly wheel...decreasing the rotational mass, hence increasing the revolutions per given time. You'll learn this in any engineering class when dicussing torque and horsepower.

silversleeper

hi everyone
just one quick thought if you do decrease your wheel size and go to a larger tire hight to to smaller wheel size you are getting more flex in the tire walls so your handleing would go down some just a thought if i wrong please let me know.

captain150

You want low profile (short sidewall) for good handling. High profile (tires on SUVs, economy cars etc) are bad for cornering, the sidewall bends and the tread loses contact with the road.

pgmike

iTrader: (27)

however with a larger sidewall you will get better traction for straightline launching

turbonutter

to a point... however if you go too large the tire will deform enough that you will actually loose grip, unless we're talking super-gummy drag slicks.

petey pab

iTrader: (18)

this thread seems kinda dead, but the correct equation is: for every one lb. of un-sprung weight you remove, that equates to removing 8lbs. of sprung weight. and i believe for every one hundred lbs. you remove, that equates to ABOUT .5 seconds off 1/4 mile times. so if you go from 23lb wheels and go to 17lb wheels, thats 6lbs off each corner. add it up and thats 24lbs. of un-sprung weight.......multiply it by eight.......and thats just like removing 192lbs. out of the interior of the car! which would ALMOST equal a tenth off your 1/4 mile.

blk-majik

iTrader: (6)

exagerated and inacurate =) doenst factor the car's power. removing 100 lbs off a RA does much less than losing 100lbs in a scion (100hp). and what do u mean by sprung weight? 2 of our wheels are part of the drive system. 2 are just to keep the back from draging =)

petey pab

iTrader: (18)

thats why i capitalized ABOUT, so you could see that i put an emphasis on ABOUT. and sprung weight is anything being supported by the springs. and i was gonna mention something about the fact that these are only fwd vehicles, so i dont know if you could only count the weight loss off the front wheels. but i believe lighter shocks and struts will have a similar effect as lighter wheels, so i dunno? and i noticed earlier you said youd never seen 11lb wheels. i have 11lb wheels.

Myszkewicz

iTrader: (2)

True, the rear wheels only hold up the back end of the car. However, they're still considered rotating mass. Lighter wheels will help, even on the back of the car.

To the original poster: If you get wheels that are too light, they'll probably also be prone to breakage from daily abuse. Potholes, curbs, etc.. The highways around Chicago *suck*, and I try to avoid the holes, but you can't always see them. I've bent several stock DSM wheels in Chicago in the last 6 years. One of my friends broke one of his lightweight wheels on his Maxima.

pgmike

iTrader: (27)

breaking lightweight wheels is more of an issue with wheels that allow for a very short sidewall, so the rim gets more of the force than than with a larger sidewall. so if you get a 15 or 16inch wheel, you wouldnt have to worry about that as much.