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Heavy/light wheel weight change experience
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Frizbal
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:37 am    Post subject: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

I’m trying to decide on wheels right now, but wanted to check on peoples experience with going to/from heavy/light wheels.

I’m between either Cragar SS, or Torq Thrust II. I like the look of the Cragar better, but the TT seem to be MUCH lighter.

I’m running a mostly stock 1500sp on a 69 IRS, so I don’t have too strong of a motor. Has anyone made a switch in wheels and felt any noticeable difference? I’ll be running 14x7 185/70 front with 15x10 275/60 rear (my current size). See any issues with a 30lb+ wheel in the rear?
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BIGMIKEY
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

A lighter wheel and tire will help with acceleration and braking. Racers know this. Whether you will feel it in a street car is the question. If you go from a very heavy wheel/tire setup to a very light one the difference will be noticeable to a stopwatch. Maybe not so much to the seat of the pants. One thing that I did notice when I went from wide mags on adapters with huge tires on a beetle to 165-15 radials on 5.5x15 Riviera wheels on my street car was how much better the ride was especially on rough roads.

Personally, I would choose the lighter wheel.

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oprn
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

Heavy wheels and tire definitely give a harsher ride all else being equal.
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Frizbal
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

That surprises me that the ride is harsher. I would have thought more rubber on the road would soften the ride. But then again you have a larger contact patch to hit more area.
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woodoctr
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

On my kit car builds I like to run wheels in the 14 to 19 pound range. The cars always ride better, less bump steer, accelerate better, and just generally feel more "tossable." I've borrowed some buddies heaver wheels over the years and man, no way. Felt like I was dragging lead boots around. Unsprung weight is a huge deal in lightweight cars. Keep your wheels as light as possible.
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vwracerdave
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

Tire pressure is what effects ride smoothness. Wheel weight has nothing to do with it. A tire with a taller sidewall will have a smoother and genteler ride as the sidewalls act like shock absorbers.

Digging back thru my racing logbook from 20 years ago my race Bug with a 2007cc engine ran .3 second quicker in the 1/4 mile when I switched from heavy cast aluminum wheels to lighter Centerlines.
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oprn
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 6:17 am    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

As woodoctr says it is about unsprung weight and the energy transfer that occurs whenever that wheel and tire accelerated up and down over the bumps. The heavier the wheel the more force is transferred to the car.

Yes tire pressure and sidewall height play a part too.
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clonebug
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 8:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

Weld Draglites are pretty light compared to most other wheels.

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It's a matter of taste whether you would like them.

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Frizbal
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:20 am    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

Well, I said the hell with weight. Went with Cragars. These bastards are HEAVY!!

Will be mounting them up soon when I get a break from the sub-freezing weather.

Now I just need to justify a larger motor Smile
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slalombuggy
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:20 am    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

I went from really heavy wheels and R-compound tires (40lbs each corner) to a light weight wheel and slicks (15lbs each corner) and noticed a huge difference in the way the car transitioned in corners. Never did a thing for ride quality though. that has more to do with sidewall height and springs that weight of rad wheels. If anything lighter wheels and tires will give you a rougher ride due to the fact that they react to the road faster and harsher and to smaller imperfections than a big heavy wheel and tire.

As far as a road car goes, you might see some improvement in braking and acceleration with a lighter wheel but not enough to make you go WOW!

brad
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57BLITZ
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:31 am    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

slalombuggy wrote:
. . . lighter wheels and tires will . . . react to the road faster . . .

That sure sounds like a good thing to me!

I am leaning towards using something other than the American "Daisy" wheels I have been saving for my buggy project. Those 15X10 with huge B.F.G.s are a back-breaker!
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slalombuggy
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:47 am    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

57BLITZ wrote:
slalombuggy wrote:
. . . lighter wheels and tires will . . . react to the road faster . . .

That sure sounds like a good thing to me!

I am leaning towards using something other than the American "Daisy" wheels I have been saving for my buggy project. Those 15X10 with huge B.F.G.s are a back-breaker!


A.R. Daisy's? Owww, been thinking abut looking for some for a project. All 3 of my buggies have Centerlines.

brad
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oprn
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 5:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

Breaking and acceleration are more effected by tire/wheel height than weight. Tall rubber = poorer acceleration and braking and yes weight will effect it to but unlikely enough to feel.
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Frizbal
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:24 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

Wheels in and tires mounted. The Cragars are heavier, but only slightly more than the steel wheels they are replacing. So I won’t have the benefit of lighter weight, but at least I’m not going heavier.

Here is the mock up.

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andygere
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

The Cragars look great, excellent choice.
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Frizbal
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:26 am    Post subject: Re: Heavy/light wheel weight change experience Reply with quote

andygere wrote:
The Cragars look great, excellent choice.


Thanks, I agree. A little nervous about the ride though. Rears are same size, but they stopped making 195 r14 tires so had to go with a 215 which is over 8".
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