CaberneTT

effect of say an additional 5lbs per wheel, or 10lbs per wheel...If I have a APR 93 chip, lets say my 225QC will go 0-60 in 5.8 seconds(open to debate)...if each wheel/tire ways 5 lbs more would the 0-60 go to 5.9 or 6...conversely if the wheel/tire weighs 5lbs less, will the 0-60 go to 5.7 or better? Or are we talking about an even greater effect?

gtt

j/k. You are better off lighter if not losing strength. Buy what you can afford.

jgriff

Say your wheel tire combo is 40# if it is heaviest at the perimeter and lighter in the center it will take more energy to accelerate it than if the weight is located near the center and lighter at teh perimeter.

So in practice you could go to heavier wheel tire combo and gain performance if the lighter setup is perimeter weighted. So the short answer is that the total weight is not the only factor to consider, you have to consider the rotational inertia as well to determine the performance.

2953

...<font color="003366">a tertiary problem with ride/handling and braking being primary and secondary, respectively. Increased unsprung mass causes significant ride/handling problems that are noticeable long before any deterioration in acceleration is as apparent.

F=MxA (force=mass times acceleration) means any suspension deflection (jounce <i>or</i> rebound) generates appreciably more energy as mass increases. This means the effect of a given spring rate is altered to the detriment of both ride comfort and handling. The energy the shocks must dampen in increased, functionally reducing the dampening characteristics of the shock/strut unit as well as the service life of the same.

This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the effects of heavier wheel/tire systems on a car's vehicle dynamics. What you have here is a very long and, at times, complicated subject.

Trust me, while heavier wheel/tires will compromise your car's acceleration (assuming same static loaded radius, rotations per mile as the baseline unit <i>and</i>, most importantly, cocnstant controlled conditions) the deleterious influence on handling and ride is far more significant.</font>

joe@vwvortex

It would seem to me that a few pounds here and there aren't gonna make a big difference IN THE REAL WORLD. I also doubt they would have that much impact on how the suspension works as well. I think if you can go lighter than 21lbs - your doing pretty damn well and I would avoid anything much over 27lbs as well. Also consider that tire weights can vary from 2-5lbs depending on the manufacturer.

INTT

You have a lot of things that are not consistant. Mostly all related to the driver. Clutch, shifting, etc. Best way to test this is to do timed runs useing RPM. Stay in one gear and measure the time it takes to go from 2500 to 5000 RPM. Time should increase with the heavier wheels. How much this would increase or decrease with a 5 pound difference, I have no idea. An increase or decrease of a tenth of a second might make as much difference as a car length on a quarter mile run. Would be interesting to find out.

Later, INTT

bldn10

this forum w/ 5-spokes would be bragging about their 0-60 advantage over those w/ 6-spokes, and I haven't seen it. .235 is a significant improvement and I just don't think it would go unnoticed by the enthusiasts on this forum if it were the case. I think it does have some effect but not that much. I wish!

ElemTTRo

I think we should not worry about 1/10 of a second. the debate "what is my 0-60" is irrelevant
for the most part few of us could ever duplicate 0-60 times posted by professional drivers. I know I would smoke the clutch and break my something trying.I base my mods on looks and quality of the products. if it weights 1 kilo more its ok as long as it looks good and makes my car run good.

Jim TT

You may be right but I seem to be one of the few who are weight obsessed

Jim TT

..will accelerate quicker, there is no question about it, yes it may be imperceptible but it is never the less a real gain.