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08-31-2005, 01:25 PM
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#1
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what's the ideal wheel weight?
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No more obstacles
Join Date: Jul 2005
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I currently have 18x8 chrome wheels and i weighed one the other night when i was rotating them. it was a whopping 50 lbs with a 245 tire on it. that just seems like a lot to me. will getting a lighter set of wheels do enough to make a difference? better gas mileage, or quicker accleration??
I'm tired of riding on these gangsta bling bling wheels and want to get a better set IF i can sell mine. what is everyone's opinion? |
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08-31-2005, 11:03 PM
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#2
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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postarama
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Chrome is heavy. Non-chrome is lighter.
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"I'm not driving too fast...just flying too low"
Mine:
-87 ranger- broke
-03 SB Cobra vert- 2552 of 5082 Born 02/25/03
Our's:
90 7up vert - new project
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08-31-2005, 11:32 PM
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#3
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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Consumer of Beers
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Get polished aluminum wheels. They're lighter and they look better than chrome.
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09-01-2005, 02:05 AM
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#4
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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I liek gramer
Join Date: Jan 2004
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I think chrome looks better, but if I was at all concerned with performance I would most definitely go with polished.
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Delta Sigma Phi - building better men since 1899
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09-01-2005, 10:22 AM
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#5
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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WTF^^...
Join Date: May 2003
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my chrome wheels and tires are about 7.5 lbs heavier than my old stock 15's... dont sound like alot I know... but every rotating lb = 10 dead weight lbs, so by upping your wheel weights by 7x4, or 28lbs... thats like adding 280lbs to the car 
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2003 REDFIRE COBRA #3938 of 5082 @ 05/27/2003 1 of 414
MGW Shifter, Stingers, JLT, SS Inserts, MM FLSFC & CC Plates, SS Lines, H&R Race springs, IRS Brace, MRT Hood Struts
ME.com Member #29 - 400rwhp/380rwtq
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09-01-2005, 04:58 PM
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#6
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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I liek gramer
Join Date: Jan 2004
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^ I was gonna say that, but I wasn't positive how many rotating lbs = how many dead weight lbs.
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Delta Sigma Phi - building better men since 1899
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09-01-2005, 05:25 PM
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#7
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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taking a break
Join Date: May 2004
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doesn't it matter where the weight in the rim is distributed? I believe it does, but maybe that's just for rotational inertia, which is rather related here. Like, if you have a very heavy center vs. a very heavy outer rim.
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2002 Sonic Blue GT, 5 Speed
Mods: MGW Short Throw Shifter, Mach 1 Brakes
Black FR500's, Eibach Pro-Kit, Bilstein shocks/struts, Borla Exhaust, Cold Air Intake,
Polished Stainless Steel Inserts, more interior aluminum than I know what to do with
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09-01-2005, 07:32 PM
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#8
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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God
Join Date: Jun 2003
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reduce unspring weight and reduce 1/4mi times. Increase mpg. Increase handling. Increase acceleration.
Wheels are pretty important. Putting lighter wheels on your car will do all of the above. Basically (like Spector said) 1lb rotating mass = 10lb = 1hp. 10lb rotating mass is 0.1sec in the 1/4.
You decide how important weight is 
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**I have sigs turned off, so if you're asking for advice based on your mods, I can't see them**
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10-07-2005, 04:06 AM
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#9
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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jdm mustang dori
Join Date: Oct 2004
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you are waaayyy off my friend.
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/ww.htm
according to this, the wheels alone are almost 10lbs heavier. even if you got the AFS brands, you're still looking at 8 or 9lbs heavier.
overall chrome 17x9's w/ tires are generally 14-16lbs heavier than stock 15x7 wheels/tires. so you figure an ungodly amount of extra rotational mass
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2004 Screaming Yellow Mustang GT
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10-11-2005, 10:25 AM
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#10
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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Registered User
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This topic is particularly interesting to me, and is how I found this site in the first place! I also read the article on Bill Wenger's site, and have to assume that 40 pounds or so would be my stock wheel and tire weight.
After looking at the weights of wheels and tires on TireRack for example, it's apparent that a 10 pound increase per wheel would not be uncommon if you went to 18's. (Some of the wheels alone are over 30 pounds  )
That would be 40 extra pounds of rotating mass = 400 pounds, but would it really mean a decrease of 40hp? I wouldn't want to take that big of a horsepower hit!
All best, and still learning,
Joe
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1998 Laser Red V6 manual . . . Kenny Brown suspension, Eibach pro-kit springs, BBK CAI, JBA shorty headers, Magnaflow duals, GT fogs, Aluminum driveshaft, 3.27 gears, Tri-Ax shifter handle, misc UPR and MGW billet accessories, SS inserts, Redline Goods shift boot
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10-11-2005, 10:28 AM
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#11
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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WTF^^...
Join Date: May 2003
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i put my 95 cobra Rs (oem ford) on the scale and they were 7.5 lbs heavier than my stock 15s. I have no idea about my current wheels, Same specs so most likly same weight within a pound or so~
7.5 per wheel comes to 30lbs, or the same as 300lbs of dead weight. Thats two tenths slower in the quarter~, but the traction you gain may make the difference to actually improve your times depending on what you were doing before.
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2003 REDFIRE COBRA #3938 of 5082 @ 05/27/2003 1 of 414
MGW Shifter, Stingers, JLT, SS Inserts, MM FLSFC & CC Plates, SS Lines, H&R Race springs, IRS Brace, MRT Hood Struts
ME.com Member #29 - 400rwhp/380rwtq
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10-20-2005, 03:49 PM
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#12
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
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OK . . . but does anyone know how much horsepower is lost by upgrading to larger ( = heavier) wheels/tires?
Steeda says their "Ultra-Lite" wheels are 22-24 pounds for 18's and "about 1.5 pounds less than that" for 17's. So if my stock wheels/tires are 40 lbs, and I get their wheels, that's ~5lbs per wheel or 20 more lbs rotating mass = 200 lbs dead weight. That would be like riding around 24/7 with a 200 lb back-seat driver, right? (  well, at least she'd be quiet!)
Since I only have the V-6, I don't want to waste any horsepower at all.
Steeda also says their aluminum driveshaft is 6 lbs lighter than stock. Does this count the same way as wheel/tire weights because it's rotating mass?
Am I worrying too much? Sorry for the newbie questions, but I gotta learn!
Thanks,
Joe
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1998 Laser Red V6 manual . . . Kenny Brown suspension, Eibach pro-kit springs, BBK CAI, JBA shorty headers, Magnaflow duals, GT fogs, Aluminum driveshaft, 3.27 gears, Tri-Ax shifter handle, misc UPR and MGW billet accessories, SS inserts, Redline Goods shift boot
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10-20-2005, 03:52 PM
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#13
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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Eyes So Tight I Pass For An Asian
Join Date: May 2003
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You don't lsoe actual horsepower you lose time off your quarter mile due to it taking more effort to move your car with the added weight. |
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10-20-2005, 04:34 PM
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#14
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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WTF^^...
Join Date: May 2003
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if you wanted a comparison it takes about 120 lbs of dead weight to equal 10 hp~ that is a very rough estimate so just use it as an example~
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2003 REDFIRE COBRA #3938 of 5082 @ 05/27/2003 1 of 414
MGW Shifter, Stingers, JLT, SS Inserts, MM FLSFC & CC Plates, SS Lines, H&R Race springs, IRS Brace, MRT Hood Struts
ME.com Member #29 - 400rwhp/380rwtq
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10-20-2005, 05:14 PM
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#15
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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taking a break
Join Date: May 2004
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I'm sure it matters where the weight is distributed on the rim.... a heavier outer edge of rim, like something with a design that has large amounts of material near the far outer rim, would effectively take more energy to get spinning. I know it sounds trivial, but it really isn't.
__________________
2002 Sonic Blue GT, 5 Speed
Mods: MGW Short Throw Shifter, Mach 1 Brakes
Black FR500's, Eibach Pro-Kit, Bilstein shocks/struts, Borla Exhaust, Cold Air Intake,
Polished Stainless Steel Inserts, more interior aluminum than I know what to do with
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10-28-2005, 10:56 AM
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#16
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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Legacy Member
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yep, the further you move the mass from the axis of rotation, the more inertia an object will have. That's why a lot of flywheels have more weight towards the outside.
The "ideal" wheel weight is zero But being that it's not possible, get some draglites
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11-19-2005, 09:11 AM
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#17
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Re: what's the ideal wheel weight?
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Registered User
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I stumbled across this link via an article suggested by AZ2Kvert:
http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?...d=16&Itemid=32
There is a great Excel spreadsheet within this article and it shows just how difficult is is to improve wheel appearance without degrading its performance!
I weighed one of my stock 15" polished alloy wheels yesterday at 40lbs. Using the weight of the tire (from TireRack.com) as 26 lbs, then my wheels weigh 14lbs!
Where can I find a great looking 18" wheel that weighs that much or less? 
All best,
Joe
__________________
1998 Laser Red V6 manual . . . Kenny Brown suspension, Eibach pro-kit springs, BBK CAI, JBA shorty headers, Magnaflow duals, GT fogs, Aluminum driveshaft, 3.27 gears, Tri-Ax shifter handle, misc UPR and MGW billet accessories, SS inserts, Redline Goods shift boot
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