View Full Version : Question about wheel weight
Greetings, I am looking at the endless possibilities of rims.. I am noticing that weight various a lot ..currently I am looking at the OZ Ultraleggera (16.7 LBS) or the sexy VMR V708 (25.5 LBS) .
Two questions:
Does the weight really make a difference to me ?
With the OZ wheels, can I still use the Audi hub insert ?
Thanks in advance.
Stone825
03-10-2009, 06:10 PM
Depends if you are going to be racing or not. Having a lighter wheel means less rotational inertia which means that your 1/4 mile time will be reduced.
This also applies to stopping and acceleration in general. It will help you coast longer in N but that's about it.
ataylor
03-10-2009, 06:31 PM
Depends if you are going to be racing or not. Having a lighter wheel means less rotational inertia which means that your 1/4 mile time will be reduced.
This also applies to stopping and acceleration in general. It will help you coast longer in N but that's about it.
shorter 1/4 mile time, sure.. but is the difference in weight he mentioned enough to make a noticeable difference in daily driving / flying around?
A4A4A4
03-10-2009, 06:35 PM
Of course 40lbs of unsprung weight is going to make a difference. If you're just planning on using this car as a daily driver and aren't planning on taking it to a track, then I'd say for your case, it probably won't make to much of a difference getting the VMR's. All you have to do is ask yourself if you are willing to sacrifice some performance to save a little green, and get the wheel (I assume) you think looks better.
And yes, the Audi hub insert will fit on the OZ's.
Stone825
03-10-2009, 06:50 PM
shorter 1/4 mile time, sure.. but is the difference in weight he mentioned enough to make a noticeable difference in daily driving / flying around?
The 1/4 time will be noticeable but otherwise the other attributes will only be noticeable if you're using your car at the track. In other words for daily driving (even street racing) you aren't going to notice a difference unless you're looking for it and even then unless you are taking your car to the extremes you won't notice.
So in other words unless you're worried about the 1/4 times it doesn't matter.
Lets simplify your question, because racing has little to do with it:
Which wheel will improve handling, traction, acceleration, ride quality and overall safety of a car? In each one of these areas, the lighter wheel will win hands down. This is a simple law taught you in science. "Mass and Inertia", where bigger is not always better.
Heavy wheels may offer slightly better durability due to their build, but even this can be debated, as a light wheel will respond more rapidly to impacts, where the heavy wheel is forced to stay put and get slammed by the potholes.
My 2 cents
Vince
Sucks the VMR wheels are so heavy. I was just about sold.
Stone825
03-10-2009, 07:03 PM
Sucks the VMR wheels are so heavy. I was just about sold.
But as said before since the weight difference isn't huge it shouldn't matter that much. If you really want to find the difference you're going to need to do math. Don't be put off by the rims because of what you heard but us (we aren't wheel experts). There are tons of people here who roll on VMR's so just because you might lose a little performance doesn't mean you don't buy them.
Hell if you want to play by that rule then you should just buy ultra light 15" wheels with larger tires to save weight. Get my point?
audidrver
03-10-2009, 07:10 PM
Hell if you want to play by that rule then you should just buy ultra light 15" wheels with larger tires to save weight. Get my point?
If you play by that rule then you shouldn't have bought a mini tank. haha
Good points all of you. I will be in Irvine next weekend,so I will probably stop by and decide then . again thanks for the reply's.
BriAnders
03-10-2009, 07:37 PM
tenths of a second don't mean anything when it comes to everyday use. go with the ones that you think make your car look better.
9Hooker
03-10-2009, 08:10 PM
Hell if you want to play by that rule then you should just buy ultra light 15" wheels with larger tires to save weight. Get my point?
I actually did this. Remember Racing Hart CP-035's? 8lbs for 15" wheels.