Whats the advantage of lite wheels for a DD? Will I feel the difference? Im thinking about losing these heavy cobra wheels..... also who makes lite wheels that look good... Ive seen the Steeda lites but dont really like the looks of them.
lighter wheels accelerate quicker and stop quicker - less momentum. They follow the road closer, because there is less mass to move when going over a bump and back down, or down into a pothole and back out. I noticed a difference going from Bullitt wheels to the factory 5-spoke fluted wheels. The original five spoke wheels from 1999 are forged aluminum and weigh ~17 pounds, compared to the Bullitt wheels which weigh ~22 lbs. each. Part of the difference I felt was in the tire, but a large part was the wheel itself being lighter. I'm not saying the car is a whole lot faster because of the lighter wheels, but it is a whole lot more responsive.
I noticed going from 18" Polished to 18" Chrome, mostly in the braking and acceleration. There is actually a chart some where that it shows how weights of wheels effect braking 1/4mile etc.
i went from 17x9 rims with 275-40 tires, to 17x10.5 rims with 315x35 tires, and i lost 5 rwhp and 5 rwtq......
i've read that the tire weight is a bigger factor since it spins farther from the center of the hub so its mass have a bigger impact, but 5 lbs a wheel is big.
I did the rotating mass calculation once and found that each 1lb you add to the outside of the wheels is like adding 2lbs to the car. So if you save 10lbs at each corner, the car will accelerate as if it is 80lbs lighter. That's a lot! Drive around with a 80lb sandbag in the trunk and you'll notice it.
Was going to consider some new wheels but, can't find anything lighter than my 2000's, plus the ones I originally wanted were, it seems, on every honda civic in town. Sheesh, mine are 19lbs or 17lbs. as previously stated. I want them restored.:OT: but, relivant. I say keep your stocks, its a nice badge w/o screamin' I AM FORD!
