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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Diamond Hell on 22 August 2008, 19:29

Title: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Diamond Hell on 22 August 2008, 19:29
OK, there's an old adage - 1kg off the wheels is worth 7kg off the car.

What this means for your handling is that the lighter your wheels, the more fleet of foot your car will be.

I've experienced this in my Golf - the Sebrings, which I like the look of were noticeably heavier than the nasty looking five spoke SEAT rims my car is currently sporting.  When I swapped them over it made a huge difference to how the far handled.  Instead of feeling lead-footed it felt much more of a piece - tough to try and explain, but lovely to experience.

So, tonight I've weighed a couple of rims.  I'll put photos up in a moment, with the weight of each wheel (I need something more accurate than bathroom scales, really).  Weights don't need to be super-accurate, but the more accurate the better.  So here's the question.

How much do your wheels weigh?

Without tyres only and in KG please.

Let's find out what the lightest wheels out there are in PCD 4*100 15" and 6 or 6.5" wide.  Feel free to add other widths and diameters, but those are the heartland sizes.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Benrevs on 22 August 2008, 19:48
Mine are off the car at mo, and rubberless so good opportunity!   I have some MIM (same design as rh classics) and each they weigh 9.3 kgs.   Is this heavy? :undecided:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Diamond Hell on 22 August 2008, 19:53
Erk, what width are they?

The two designs I have here weighed 8kg for an Adikt rim and 9kg for a poxy Fox-y.

Like I said - I need somethinga bit more accurate to weigh them on.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Benrevs on 22 August 2008, 19:58
Ahh just re-read your first post.. they are 7".    Im disqualified!! :grin:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Diamond Hell on 22 August 2008, 20:02
You is a wide boi, innit.

 :cool:

No problems - it give us an idea of the weights of wheels out there.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: raferackstraw on 22 August 2008, 20:11
i believe what your describing is called unsprung weight and i think its the same as motorcycles

on a motorcycle the weight of wheels,discs,brakes etc has a huge difference in affecting handling in the way a bike will turn because of the gyroscopic forces involved with turning a spinning wheel

because most of the weight of the bike is held on the springs the lighter the wheel the faster the handling

i think its the same for cars, oz make lightweight wheels but usually cost a packet

i am now expecting your usual admonishing  :grin:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Diamond Hell on 22 August 2008, 21:07
Why would I admonish your ass? 

Your ass is reinforcing what I'm talking about.

It's essential to keep unsprung weight down.

Now try finding a list of weights of wheels online....
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: raferackstraw on 22 August 2008, 21:13
duly done try this

http://www.wheelweights.net/ (http://www.wheelweights.net/)
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Mr Blue on 22 August 2008, 21:55
sorry not much help with wheel weight but the jap boys run some seriously light weight wheels.

OZ superleggeras (spelling) in 15's are scene material. They stopped making those.
Enkei being another real light weight wheel

Mazda and Honda forums have lots of light weights in their for sale sections. May be worth a look if your doing track days Diamond Hell?
Bore size is slightly diffrent (fraction smaller) but they are mostly 4x100's.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: nealey on 22 August 2008, 21:59
Would be intersting to know what the lightest of the oem alloys are

I may take some bathroom scales next time i need some tyres
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Diamond Hell on 23 August 2008, 00:04
That wheel weight site is excellent..... shame there's so few VW rims on there.

I might get a proper weighing thing (designed to do around 10kg, rather than scales) to weigh some more OEM rims from the VAG box.

I'm keen to stay OEM as I've had a couple of sets of aftermarket rims that never bloody ran true, so I try to keep something that's fit for the job now (although I might make an exception for O.Z. or something BBS-ey (and cheap).

The Adikt rims (looking for another one or tow if anyone has them/or will sell 1-3 of them if you want them!)

(http://diamondhell.com/images/rsgallery/original/Adikt.gif)

Poxy Fox-ies:

(http://diamondhell.com/images/rsgallery/original/Fox1.gif)
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: JC on 23 August 2008, 00:40
bathroom scales are fine - just get someone to read the weighs out

weigh yourself holding the wheel

then again just u

subtract

Ta da . :wink:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Khare on 23 August 2008, 01:06

OZ superleggeras (spelling) in 15's are scene material. They stopped making those.
the OZ Ultraliggeras i think are one of the lightest wheels around. I think Compomotive do some very light alloys too.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 23 August 2008, 09:54
oem alloys are all heavy, apart from the bbs splits, but they arent ideal for trackdays due to cost/keeping them nice.

the cheapest/lightest seem to be oz superturismo or even lighter and a bit dearer oz superlegga.

i want some dymags. seriously light!!
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: cняis on 23 August 2008, 16:56
forged alloys FTW  :cool:

Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Jay on 23 August 2008, 19:42
Standard steelies, not the G60's.  :cool: Fooking heavy  :undecided:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: sparkplug on 23 August 2008, 21:51
Fill yer tyres with hellium  :laugh:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Conker on 23 August 2008, 22:11
Fill yer tyres with hellium  :laugh:


Don't fit tyres = even less weight.  Its what I like to call a win-win situation.


(We're not helping by the way)

Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Chris-White on 23 August 2008, 23:02
Fill yer tyres with hellium  :laugh:


Don't fit tyres = even less weight.  Its what I like to call a win-win situation.


(We're not helping by the way)



Who needs wheels? just roll around on your discs.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: cняis on 23 August 2008, 23:32
Fill yer tyres with hellium  :laugh:


Don't fit tyres = even less weight.  Its what I like to call a win-win situation.


(We're not helping by the way)



Who needs wheels? just roll around on your discs.

no need to fit coilovers either as you'll be riding low ghetto style y0  :cool:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: sharpie on 24 August 2008, 14:11
15x6 BBS RA's are 8.6kg
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Mrpug on 25 August 2008, 04:07
Like the plate. Also tire weight is something to consider too, I've seen tires close to 16lbs. But those were track slicks. soft compound. If the tire is too heavy then why chsnge wheels, then only a portion of the total and not meet the goal. Also rotational wieght is important. This is just my 2 cents worth.
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: danny_p on 25 August 2008, 13:49
it's all a compromise at the end of the day, were just trying to find the best one.    at the moment the tyre of choice seems to be the toyo tr1,  as a general all rounder.    tyre weight is  a tricky one as tyers themselves are a compromise as well.  you want a tough tyre  but also a light one.  some time ago i had a set of SV stunner's   which were stunningly crap  they were quite light to be fair but so weak i never actually wore one out i managed to rip the treaded section of the tyer away from the sidewall,  and that was just going round a roundabout sideways.   fitting 280mm brakes adds quite a lot of unsprung weight but there worth it as they stop you so much quicker than 239's.   tho at the moment   i'm bumbeling round the suspension world in the dark tripping over things that don't fit.  i think i know what i sort of want just no where sells what i want ( for syncro anyway )
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Mrpug on 25 August 2008, 22:51
 true enough. I would think that to get the total goal ,one would spend alot of green to get there. But hey, the faster you want to go, the more it cost to get there. But it's all in fun. :cool:
Title: Re: How much do your wheels weigh?
Post by: Diamond Hell on 07 December 2008, 22:16
Sebrings - 9.40kg each.  Meh.

I'll not be putting them on the car again, except for the drive home.