lighter weight wheels

[LDB]

I'm currently running 35 psi against the door jamb plaque saying 33 psi so slightly more but not a whole lot. You'd think you could find the weight of the wheels online, and you probably can but I haven't yet. I found a few I like that are 16-19 pounds each. I'm just not sure how much that would save.

[trollbait]

Reducing the unsprung weight does have a bigger affect than removing weight from the car body or cabin.

[Matt715]

Pull one of your wheels off of your car and weigh it. Then find the weight of your tire from the manufacturer's website and subtract. It should get you pretty close to the actual weight of the wheel.

[JockoT]

My tyre manufacturer's web site gives me everything about my tyres, bar the weight.

[R.I.D.E.]

I went from 14x4.5 to 15x5.5 wheels on my Mirage. The wheels were lighter but tires were heavier, total about 27.5 pounds per wheel-tire combo, versus the stock 26. 5.8% decrease in revs per mile.

I lost about 2.5mpg average, but the handling is superb now. I still have a set of tires, hubcaps and my OE wheels with valve stems. That way, if the car gets totaled I can just put the sensors in the OE wheels and the original tires back on the car and move the rims, tires and valve stems to the replacement car as long as it has the same lug pattern.

[luv2spd]

I used this website to play with wheel sizes and tire sizes for a long time now, the program can also estimate the rim weight based on the size:

Custom wheels, rim tire packages

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by luv2spd

I used this website to play with wheel sizes and tire sizes for a long time now, the program can also estimate the rim weight based on the size:

Custom wheels, rim tire packages

Hmmm. I checked out that website, but it's confusing. When I go from 165 x 70 to 155 x 80 my TRUE mph will be 39mph instead of 60mph. (shrug)

[luv2spd]

Originally Posted by ChewChewTrain

Hmmm. I checked out that website, but it's confusing. When I go from 165 x 70 to 155 x 80 my TRUE mph will be 39mph instead of 60mph. (shrug)

If you are using a 15" rim then : "When speedometer reads 60mph (96.6km/h) actual speed will be 61.6mph (99.2km/h): 2.7% faster."

[LDB]

Well, I've learned the stock Honda wheel and tire weigh about 49.45 pounds per corner. That's for 225/50-17 with Michelin Energy A/S tires. I could go to a 16" Enkei wheel with a Continental True Contact 205/65-16 tire weighing about 32.7 pounds per corner, a savings of 16.75 pounds per corner or about 67 pounds total.

I think the ride on 65 series would be enough better to notice compared to 50 series. I think over 16.5 pounds less weight per wheel to get rolling and keep rolling would be enough to make a difference in stress on the system as well as also when braking.

The tire being 20mm narrower means a smaller "wall" to be pushed through the air causing a little less air resistance, another possible mpg improvement although again who knows how much. I guess the same also applies for the smaller contact patch size and the friction resistance from it.

The cost is about $330 per corner. Option B wheel is about 2.7 pounds per corner heavier but $118 per corner less expensive. I'm not sure what I could sell my current wheels/tires for. The wheels are $308 each online and the Michelins are about $197.

[Draigflag]

With fuel so cheap, I'd doubt the cost of new rims would benefit you in the short term. If you do go that route, I'd keep the stock rims and tyres clean in storage, and put them back on when you sell the car, it will be worth more unmodified. Then you can sell the aftermarket rims separately.