SM79512455 / SM7951245S Advanti Storm Black/Silver 17x9 et45
1790BAT505112G72 TSW Bathurst Grey 17*9 et50 (going to need some spacer to clear calipers in front)
7
LIGHTWEIGHT Wheels
- Thread starter MidKnight7
- Start date
SM79512455 / SM7951245S Advanti Storm Black/Silver 17x9 et45
1790BAT505112G72 TSW Bathurst Grey 17*9 et50 (going to need some spacer to clear calipers in front)
theBrandler
Ready to race!
- Location
- New England
You know reading through this, I've just felt more and more overwhelmed. The first real question is, "does dropping 5lb/corner really make that much difference on the road, no tracking or auotocross?" because if that answer is "no", then my search stops and I just want a pristine set of Austins because I love how they look on the car, but mine are beat up.
If that answer to lightness is a definitive "yes" then the next question is, do I really want to fiddle with hub rings and custom bolts to get Konigs or Enkei or anything else when Neuspeeds just mount to the car with stock bolts and no adapter rings and are only ~$300 more for a set?
If that answer to lightness is a definitive "yes" then the next question is, do I really want to fiddle with hub rings and custom bolts to get Konigs or Enkei or anything else when Neuspeeds just mount to the car with stock bolts and no adapter rings and are only ~$300 more for a set?
No they will not make any difference if you aren't driving the car hard in autocross or track.
If you don't buy nuespeed or a hub centric wheel you WILL need the hub rings & you will still need the proper seat bolts as well.
Since you missed my previous post, I'll only repeat this sentence:
You are over complicating this.
Lighter weight wheels and tires improve ride quality, allow the suspension to work better, can improve gas mileage, acceleration, etc. Lighter weight does not mean ticking time bomb, and all of the brands you are looking at make a quality wheel with good structural warranties if you do have a problem.
A lot of your questions have been answered, or can be answered by a custom wheel and tire retailer like Tire Rack, etc. It's their goal to sell you wheels and tires, and most include or recommend the appropriate hub rings, bolts, etc. to install them if you're ordering online. If you go to a shop, they do that there with your vehicle.
Getting overwhelmed modding your car is not fun. Let someone help you that wants to sell you something and relax a bit!
dunkelweizen
Go Kart Newbie
- Location
- Great White North
You will 100% feel a difference of 5 lbs less rotational weight per corner in everyday driving or your butt dyno is completely broken. The driving dynamics will be improved along with acceleration (both feel and actual - as long as you have the tires to let you hook).
As for hub rings, if you get proper ones, you will not have problems. I've been running just plastic hub rings for 3 years and have zero issues nor vibrations at speeds up to cutoff. And there are many others just on the forum that are running hub rings trouble free.
If you want absolute peace of mind and you like the Neuspeeds well enough, then pay the $300 premium. Otherwise, get the light wheel you want.
Or just stick with Austins. No shame in that (okay maybe just a little if you're passing up some nice light wheels, haha).
100% disagree, maybe you aren't sensitive to ride quality but there are definite improvements aside from handling removing unsprung weight.
theBrandler
Ready to race!
- Location
- New England
Thanks everyone. Sorry I didn't look hard enough through this forum. Kinda in info overload.
Doesn't help I currently have an out of round Austin on the car now that I need to replace soon so I'm trying to replace that as cheaply as possibly so I can keep saving up for the Neuspeed Rse10s I really want. IMHO those wheels in either black or gunmetal are about the most gorgeous wheels for this car I've yet seen.
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Doesn't help I currently have an out of round Austin on the car now that I need to replace soon so I'm trying to replace that as cheaply as possibly so I can keep saving up for the Neuspeed Rse10s I really want. IMHO those wheels in either black or gunmetal are about the most gorgeous wheels for this car I've yet seen.
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Clem604
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Vancouver BC, Canada
- Car(s)
- 2018 VW GTI
I agree with you 100%, the improvement in braking and acceleration was felt immediately when I swapped out the stock Milton wheels. The improvement I can measure the most clearly is on fuel economy. I drive a pretty long distance to and from work on the highway so I always observe my L/100km (or MPG's for all the American members) I have noticed a change in economy even when going from my 17lb Neuspeed wheels(winter setup) to my 18lb OZ summer setup. Long story short is I can hit economy numbers that I couldn't even get close to on my stock wheels.
victorofhavoc
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Kansas City
highway fuel economy is affected by drag, tire, wind, weather, GVW, ride height, and a million other things.
Lighter weight wheels will improve acceleration, braking, and tendency to turn (a tiny super light gyro you can rotate with your hand, a suitcase sized gyro with a 50lb lead outerweight you won't be able to turn). The degree to which you feel this is based on how hard you drive the car.
Truthfully, I'd argue a lighter weight wheel kills highway fuel economy because there's less momentum to carry you up hills/ramps. Also, less overall spoke will cause more drag and reduce fuel economy. A wider wheel introduces more drag too, and also hurts fuel economy. If your goal is fuel economy, you want the least grippy, most narrow, and tallest tire you can find to fit.
BTW, winter tires always hurt fuel economy. They're heavier, produce more drag, and have softer sidewalls. Aren't you also running a very different size winter and summer tire? Do you change tire diameter settings via obd11 or vcds when you swap wheels/tires?
OP, You also have to consider tire weight. If you lose 5 pounds in wheel weight, but you gain it back because you went to a much wider and taller tire, then you're really not changing your overall weight per corner, are you?
I think it would be MUCH more difficult to measure fuel economy increases, but if you did at least it's a quantifiable improvement! True that wider tires (section width) is going to increase drag so that's going to cancel out some weight benefit. A wider wheel however with a similar width tire shouldn't change much, outside of slightly affecting section width. Fuel mileage is not on top of my list for benefits of lighter wheel/tire combos at least.
Everything else that is advertised as far as ride quality, handling, etc. is harder to measure but most should immediately feel. Braking would be measurable as well, but that can be much more significantly affected by tire choice.
Tire weight is another HUGE point, most wheels we're talking about here are 18" wheels that are between 8-8.5" wide and would likely have a 235/40-18 tire mounted on it. That size tire can range in weight depending on brand and model from low 20lbs up to 25lbs or more.
Continentals ECS are my go to for light weight tires that perform well and have a reasonable cost (summer tire). In a 235/40 size they are 22lbs according to Tire Rack. Pilot Sport 4S are the same weight but $50 more per tire. Another reasonable choice would be an Indy 500, but they come in at 24lbs.
In an all-season, a DWS06 is still at 22lbs, but a Michelin Sport A/S 3+ is 25lbs.
If your goal is to remove unsprung weight, you definitely need to consider tires as well as wheels. All tires are not equal.
theBrandler
Ready to race!
- Location
- New England
I checked tire weights. You do have to watch it, but if I stay with 225 width then I'm same weight as stock with most good tires, 21lb for 18 inch tires, 23lb for 17 inch.
Considering something like an rse10 is 6lb lighter than stock at 18x8 that's a win of 6lb a corner.
If I wanted to go nuts, and if I could find them in black, 17x7.5 RPF1 would drop nearly 10lb a corner for wheel, but gain 2lb a corner for tires for a net loss of 8lb per corner.
So yeah you have to watch it because those smaller super light weight wheels don't quite save you as much as you think when factoring in tires.
However given that they are cheaper than neuspeed and I think in black they look good in 17" I might consider them. They look awfully fragile though. I've poked around on here but I don't see anyone attesting to the robustness of various wheels.
I want wheels that are pothole resistant - so I've been seriously considering 17s which puts more rubber between rim and road. Unfortunately if I ultimately decide to go with 17s, Neuspeed is out of the running, they don't make 17s in rse10.
The Enkei PF07 is another beautiful wheel, possibly my second favorite to the rse10, and it comes in 17x7.5 which perfect. Enkei doesn't list the weight though, and their website says they are special order so I'm having trouble finding them. Looks like they might be more expensive than Rse10s.
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Considering something like an rse10 is 6lb lighter than stock at 18x8 that's a win of 6lb a corner.
If I wanted to go nuts, and if I could find them in black, 17x7.5 RPF1 would drop nearly 10lb a corner for wheel, but gain 2lb a corner for tires for a net loss of 8lb per corner.
So yeah you have to watch it because those smaller super light weight wheels don't quite save you as much as you think when factoring in tires.
However given that they are cheaper than neuspeed and I think in black they look good in 17" I might consider them. They look awfully fragile though. I've poked around on here but I don't see anyone attesting to the robustness of various wheels.
I want wheels that are pothole resistant - so I've been seriously considering 17s which puts more rubber between rim and road. Unfortunately if I ultimately decide to go with 17s, Neuspeed is out of the running, they don't make 17s in rse10.
The Enkei PF07 is another beautiful wheel, possibly my second favorite to the rse10, and it comes in 17x7.5 which perfect. Enkei doesn't list the weight though, and their website says they are special order so I'm having trouble finding them. Looks like they might be more expensive than Rse10s.
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You can go nuts trying to find the lightest, but you could make compromises in other areas. RPF1s are good wheels, strong and light, and Enkei is a stand up brand. If that's what you like, go for it. 17" tires do tend to be heavier than a similar sized 18" wheel because of the amount of sidewall. That can often wash wheel weight loss.
Enkei lists all of their weights in their size guides on their site:
http://enkei.com/shop/wheels/racing/rpf1/
15.25 lbs
Their 18x7.5 size is spec'd at 16.9lbs, and you might break even or better with an 18" tire that is 2-3 lbs lighter.
Bottom line, buy a wheel you like the style of, comes in a size you like, and put a light tire on it. You'll get benefits from it without needing to go to extremes to track down the lightest of light.
Enkei lists all of their weights in their size guides on their site:
http://enkei.com/shop/wheels/racing/rpf1/
15.25 lbs
Their 18x7.5 size is spec'd at 16.9lbs, and you might break even or better with an 18" tire that is 2-3 lbs lighter.
Bottom line, buy a wheel you like the style of, comes in a size you like, and put a light tire on it. You'll get benefits from it without needing to go to extremes to track down the lightest of light.
theBrandler
Ready to race!
- Location
- New England
Enkei doesn't list a weight for their PF07 in that spread sheet. That whole column is blank.
Edit: the more I look, the less I find, Enkei doesn't list weight for most of their Tuning wheels. Looks like they only list weights for racing wheels.
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Edit: the more I look, the less I find, Enkei doesn't list weight for most of their Tuning wheels. Looks like they only list weights for racing wheels.
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Shop though Tire Rack, they sell Enkei and list weights. If Enkei doesn't list them or provide them to Tire Rack, they weigh them.
theBrandler
Ready to race!
- Location
- New England
Yeah I noticed that. However I've found TireRack's overall selection to be quite limitted. They don't carry half of what Enkei offers, no PF07, nor do they carry Konig or Neuspeed. But then they carry a dozen other brands I've never heard of...Maybe some of those brands are good too, but I don't know.