Wheel weights

[BlownMGB-V8]

What are the lightest wheels you know of? I'm particularly interested in those that come in the 17" variety.

JB

[ex-tyke]

Well, it would have to be a true Magnesium based wheel (rather than Aluminum based)...how about one from a Porsche Carrera.

[Keith]

If you look at wheels on Tire Rack, you can choose to sort them by weight.

[ex-tyke]

Keith's recommendation of the TireRack is a good source - they can also give you a rim/tire package weight.
Attached is a wheel weight chart to give you an idea of some brand sizes & weights......
http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html#weight

[ex-tyke]

Some more fuel for the fire......Carbon fibre rims




http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/wheel-tire-upgrades/82880-list-lightweight-wheels-11.html#post5051843

 A typical 17"x 8" rim is listed at 13-14lb

EDIT:  Scroll down to post #216 and see a comprehensive listing of OEM and atermarket wheel sizes and weights.

[mgb260]

Jim, Not as space age as carbon fiber but, an excellent lightweight wheel.Spendy though. Maybe you can buy direct.  http://www.kodiakracingwheels.com/wheels.html

[BlownMGB-V8]

How do you search by wheel weight on tirerack? I've never been able to figure out a way of doing that.

JB

[Keith]

Go into the usual "search for wheels by vehicle", and choose the grid view instead of the one with the car - the button to do that is on the upper left, right above the color of the car. The icon is of a grid of boxes instead of the front half of a car.

Once you're there, look on the left side again and you'll see the option to "sort by". You can also filter out different sizes and colors, and the listing for each wheel gives the offset, weight and backspacing. Much more useful than a pretty picture of a car with wheels on it to people like us!

Here's what it looks like for a 1995 Mustang GT, for example: Tire Rack

For tire weights, go to the tire you're thinking of and select "Specs". Voila.

The source of a lot of the wheel weight information found on forums and the like is wheelweights.net. Keep in mind that it won't tell you if a certain wheel will actually fit your application, so I like to work through Tire Rack's site instead.

[BlownMGB-V8]

The real problem is that I want to sort by weight, lug pattern, diameter, width, offset, and then method of manufacture and finally things like style or manufacturer. I could care less what car it fits because that isn't my car. Show me a category for an MGB with a GM 5 lug pattern, 3" of flare and a JAG IRS though and I might reconsider. See the problem?

JB

[MGBV8]

Heh, show me a category for MGB that actually brings up any wheels. That's why back in 1990, I spent nearly six months searching for my current wheels. "MG? No we don't show any wheels for MG?"

I did the plumb-bobs and measured wheelwells. Finally convinced the local Goodyear store to have at there American Racing catalog and devoured the specs of all the wheels that I liked  & thought might be close. I measured some more, then got the store to order one wheel that I thought might just work. When it arrived, I talked them into mounting a tire on this new wheel that I hadn't even paid a deposit on. Well, it fit and Goodyear made a sale on the full set of wheels & tires. I just wish I had known back then, with a bit of masaging those 15X7 American Racing BBS RS look-alikes were do-able.

The point is, in this high-tech internet computer age, we should not have to go thru all that. That would be an awesome database, Jim!

[Keith]

I'm assuming you know another car that already has wheel dimensions similar to what you crave. The MG part is irrelevant, but the GM part is. I know exactly how to search for wheels that will fit my car because  I know what other cars use that sort of wheel. You can zero in fairly quickly if you know something that's probably right, such as a Camaro or a Lumina. Pop that into the Tire Rack site and check to see if the car has the correct offset for your application. If so, bonus.

The folks at Tire Rack have the full database for the wheels they sell, it's just not publicly accessible. It costs a lot of money to create and (more importantly!) maintain, which is why you don't see it online for free. So you might have to actually pick up the phone! Not all the sales reps are computer ninjas. We're a Tire Rack dealer, and I know my guy with the corporate service could look it up. If you want, send me the description of your ideal wheel dimensions (width, diameter, offset, bolt pattern) and I'll see if he can match it to a particular vehicle.

[BlownMGB-V8]

So far the best I've come up with is AR Torque thrust 2.1 to fit a '94 Camaro. 17" x 9-1/2" x 46mm offset. They weigh 20 lbs. That may be light for a 17" wheel but to me it is heavy, as they are replacing 11 lb Centerlines. The offset is barely within my guidelines (40 to 46 and a 38 might work). A Tire Rack guy ran a search for me and came up with that. It seems to me something lighter should be available.

JB

[Keith]

If you're going to run something that massive, it's going to be heavier than 11 lbs!

[tr8todd]

The most popular wheel in SCCA racing that balances cost and weight just might be the Enkei RPF1.  Not sure what the weights for the size you want would be, but for a 15X7, the weight is only 9.9 pounds.  I have 16X8 on my TR8 and they weigh in at around 14 pounds.  With a 225/45/16 tire, they are around 34 pounds.

[Keith]

That reminds me - the 949Racing 6ULR is one of the lightest wheels out there that I'd trust. Their 17x9 is 17-18 lbs depending on offset. The 17x10 is 18-19 lbs. The bolt circle is 5x114.3 for the 17x9, and apparently a 5x120.65 is coming "late 2010" in black. Offsets aren't quite what you're looking for, but spacers can cope with that.

http://949racing.com/17x10-6ULR-Charcoal.aspx

The RPF1 in a 17x9 is 15.5 lbs. Don't know if the desired bolt pattern or offset is available, might be worth another call to Tire Rack.

[BlownMGB-V8]

That's 16.5 lbs for the Enkai wheel in a 17 x 9.5 x 38mm. But they do not have the chevy pattern. Still that's much closer to what I'm looking for. I just have a hard time understanding why a 3 inch difference in diameter should nearly double the weight. The increase in the rim circumference is only a factor of 1.2
Of course there is a width increase as well, from 8 to 9.5", a factor of 1.875 which puts us at 15.7 lbs when starting at 11 lbs for the smaller wheel, plus a bit more material for the web and that puts the Enkai right where I would expect it to be. But I still have to find something in a chevy or Jaguar pattern.

JB

[Keith]

The spokes have to be stronger on a larger wheel. They'll have to be thicker as well as longer. Also, you're going to be generating higher cornering loads with those big tires and they're probably built for heavier cars.

Going back from your numbers, you're starting with a 14x8 at 11lbs? That's a pretty light wheel for that size as well.

Might be worth venturing into a forum that specializes in cars with this sort of bolt pattern. Lots of Mustangs on the track, and they'll know about less mainstream manufacturers such as 949Racing.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Then it'd probably have to be a Camaro forum. Carl, what would be the best bet?

Centerline classics are probably still one of the lightest wheels out there. It all starts with the manufacturing process. You will always get more strength from a stressed material and they start out as a rolled sheet.

JB

[rficalora]

RE: Then it'd probably have to be a Camaro forum.

Maybe, but I wouldn't rule out a Ford pattern.  Most of the wheels in 17" are going to have way more positive offset than you want.  And, you might be able find a wheel that is lighter even with a bolt pattern changing spacer.  I don't see a problem with the spacers that bolt to the hub & have a seperate set of wheel lugs for the wheels (making them safer & allowing for the change in lug pattern).

[MGBV8]

No, Jim, the real problem is that you were spoiled by lightweight drag racing wheels many years ago.  :-)

Street duty 17" wheels are going to be heavier than what you are looking to find. Getting considerably lighter will mean racing wheels with less strength for street or high dollar specialty wheels.  Been on this trail for quite a while. I may may resort to running reasonably priced lightweight race wheels on the street, knowing that I may bend one occasionally.

As for Camaro forums, I haven't been to any in a long time. If you want to search what they are finding, here's some I used to visit:

www.camaros.net
thirdgen.org
fbodyonline.com
ls1tech.com

Wheels to invesigate:

http://www.billetspecialties.com/item.asp?cid=16&scid=251&pid=1009
www.forgeline.com


Gotta go.....

[MGBV8]

Here ya go , Jim.

This won't get you exactly what you  want, but it will get you the names of some performance wheels to peruse their websites:

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Parts/Miata/Wheels-Tires/Wheels.html?id=hd6YYDDd

Wheels galore:

http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/wheels-tires-wheels-c-6424_4542.html

I think I'm about ready to switch to a Miata bolt pattern.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Right. Well, 5 on 4.75 (120mm) isn't so common as it used to be right? Who would have thought. It looks like a 9.5 x 17 x 43mm offset wheel that weighs 15 lbs should be available, and in a nice looking wheel in the $250 range. Why am I not finding it?

JB

[MGBV8]

Did ya see these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-Vette-17-x-9-5-2-Piece-Modular-Alum-Racing-Wheels-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem563f586db7QQitemZ370429947319QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[BlownMGB-V8]

Not bad, wonder what they weigh?

I wasn't planning to go as wide on the front but it'd probably work. Have to check the offset.

JB

[MGBV8]

How about a 17X8.5?

http://www.rotawheels.com/wheels.asp?wheelid=40