07VistaChicago

So I am stuck between a rock and spending a lot of money. So my question is, how much will a heavy wheel degrade my handling compared to a same sized light wheel, I would say in the range of going from a Saleen wheel to a True forged wheel at probably half the weight? Will it degrade my handling to the point it is worth spending 4 times the money?

I have a set of wheels that I really like, but they are heavy. I am not doing any track racing, but for around town handling, how much will I notice? Will the heavy wheels play into the spring choice? or degrade the strut/shocks faster?

scapegoat

not positive on handling... but a heavier car can't handle as well as a lighter one. its additional weight that needs to be tossed around

heavier wheels will also decrease acceleration. even if a wheel is 5lbs heavier than another, rotational mass is going to multiply that number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia

07VistaChicago

Yeah I definitely understand that it will affect it, I work at Fermilab LOL! some physics going on here, but I am wondering how much in the seat of the pants. I am putting down 450/450 to the wheels so the power is there.

scapegoat

at that point i'd just say get whatever you like better then. you're not looking at shaving tenths of a second off of your times, right?

Argonaut

I've used 3 different wheels: stock, heavy AM bullets and light weight 5Zigen FN01Rs on my GT.

On a road track there is no question you can feel the difference with the lighter wheels and tires (DOT-R tires are a little lighter than street tires). Mainly I'd feel it in acceleration (stock HP level here) but overall I'd describe the car as "lighter on its feet". The difference isn't huge but it is noticeable.

On the street...not so much. That will be even more true at your HP level. Lighter is always better but is it worth 4x the cost....to me it wouldn't be.

eolson

When I lived in LA I did a lot of aggressive canyon driving with my wider after market chrome bullit wheels that weigh around 28lbs F 29lbs R. I had the Nitto 555's 285 and 255 on them. My stock 64W 8.5x18's weigh about 27lbs according to Sam Strano, and I had Goodyear F1 eagle D3's 2555-45-18 all around on those

While I was still in LA, a friend of mine had a set of Enkei RP03's(40mm offset) 9x18's that weigh 18.3 lbs each and he had the Pilot sports on them that are also only weigh 27lbs each. He called them his moon wheels as they were so light compared to his wide bullit wheels.

I put those on my car for a day and went canyon driving, and there was a huge difference in sway and pull of the car, and lighter feeling in the steering as well.

The Enkei's will never look as good as the bullit wheels, but from my experience of a rotating mass that weighs only 45.3 lbs on each corner as opposed to a staggered set up with 28+31=59lbs Front and 29+33=62lbs Rear there is a huge difference with any kind of hard cornering. The Enkei's sell currently for $1365 a set.

I am currently taking as much weight off my car as I can with available equal performance light weight after market parts. My goal including the wheels and tires and the suspension, engine compartment and trunk is 236lbs. I'm well on my way. Erik

Norm Peterson

Adding 60 lbs of weight to a 3600-ish lb car might cost you about 0.01g of maximum grip on a smooth flat road, which I doubt you'd notice.

It's going to be more of a "feel" thing and it might be worth a little more then 0.01g on a real road with real roughness. With lighter unsprung mass, the unsprung mass frequency goes up, as does the percentage of critical damping.

I wonder whether gyroscopic effects play any part in the "lighter" steering feel.


Norm