can rims change performance?

[flipstylex]

just wondering, im planing to buy rims for my ms3. im thiking bout getin 18's. But might get a lighter rim than the stock ones. question is,if the rims are lighter, will it chage performance, like the tires will spin more often ????

also, if i get wider tires, will it also change performance ??? help neone thnx

 

[flipstylex]

bump ???:=/

 

[guy_incognito]

You waited a whole 1 minute before you bumped your own post?

Yes, changing rims and tires will change performance. Less weight = less inertia and wider tires = better traction

 

[JCell]

roffles, a 1 minute bump is a first


heavier rims will make the car feel heavier, accelerate slower and brake distance will be increased, it will turn differently as well.

 

[GoProtege]

If you are truly worred about performance, then get the lightest rim and tire combo that weighs the least. Larger tires will help with gripping the road

If I remember correctly, then for every 2 1/2 pounds of rotating mass = 1 lost HP and 10lbs of weight = 1 HP lost

 

[mcspeed]

Wheel weight matters. Low cost wheels tend to be much heavier. Light weight wheels tend to cost a lot more. Forged are strong, light and expensive. True two or three piece can be light as well but crank the cost even higher.

If you read many car forums, performance minded enthusiasts dont go with big diameter rims...they tend to go more moderate ....17-18" depending on the car. Those going for the look do the opposite,,,,big diameter.

I've also seen dyno charts where larger diameter or heavier rims result in less rear wheel HP.

Whatever blows your hair back.

 

[Ryz]

Lighter wheel/tire combos reduce unsprung weight which has more bearing on handling than people realize.

 

[SwampAss]

I noticed an immediate difference when I went to an 18lb wheel vs. the stock 24lb. The performance you gain is in acceleration, braking, and handling.

 

[meha11]

i can only comment on the effects of bigger heaver wheels and tyres but it falls in line with what these guys are saying.

i put 31" mud grips on my jeep with a wider wheel and it is noticeably slower now, braking is also considerable worse especially when towing.

i,m looking forward to installing lighter wheels on the MS3 once i decide which ones i like best.

 

[drledford93]

For every 1lb of unsprung weight saved, that's equivalent to 7lbs of total weight savings. So, if you have 16lb rims in place of the 24lb OEM, then:

24-16 = 8*7 per wheel = 56*4 = 224lbs effective weight saved by reducing wheel weight.

Kinda crazy, but it works. That's why F1 and other racing series' tire and wheel combos are so light...

Unless someone wants to trade me a nice set of 16-18lb 17" rims for my stockers, I will not be buying any new rims for a while...(pissed) Just ask my wife!(poke)

Daniel

 

[Craighjr]

Going to a smaller rim and tire overall diameter would help off the line acceleration. Overall or final gearing would change and mass would be more centralized to the hub and accelerate quicker. This is at the expense of top end speed and speedo inaccuracy. I personally don't need to drive 155mph but I don't want my odometer to read 25000 when I really only have 20000 miles.

 

[fourthmeal]

For every 1lb of unsprung weight saved, that's equivalent to 7lbs of total weight savings. So, if you have 16lb rims in place of the 24lb OEM, then:

24-16 = 8*7 per wheel = 56*4 = 224lbs effective weight saved by reducing wheel weight.

Kinda crazy, but it works. That's why F1 and other racing series' tire and wheel combos are so light...

Unless someone wants to trade me a nice set of 16-18lb 17" rims for my stockers, I will not be buying any new rims for a while...(pissed) Just ask my wife!(poke)

Daniel

This is unfounded.

Why did you use this equation?

Granted, I will absolutely agree that rotational, unsprung mass is important to reduce, I disagree (politely) with your equation.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to equate rotational mass with static mass equivelants. That is because a wheel (or anything else that spins) has a different concentration of mass throughout its radius. This means that each wheel design has a different rotational mass equality.

Look at it this way: A wheel that weighs 22 lbs, but has 90% of its mass in the center of the wheel (not possible, but play along) will behave differently then a 22 lbs wheel that has 90% of its weight in the rim section.

One thing that is true is that the total weight of the wheel, regardless of where the weight is placed, will have an effect on the unsprung weight. This will change the "feel" of the steering and other effects, and make the car behave a lot more different (is that an actual phrase?) from sprung weight changes.

These changes are really noticeable on a motorcycle, but a car can be affected by these gyroscopic effects as well. The total "weight" equation, however, is not a solid exchange. You can say without any doubt that reduction of weight is paramount to enhanced performance. I also would say that I'd prefer a wheel that has less weight on the rim.