The difference a light wheel makes

[Lauren 2259]

So today I've put back on my Rays Engineering Volk Racing TE37 wheels in 17x8 shod with Primacy OEM tyres back onto my car. 

 

IMG_3719 by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

 

My standard wheels with winter tyres were what came off: 

 

 

 

Now the weight difference is this, Rays are 7.4kg, the OEM wheels are 9.2kg. 

 

The Rays are also 10mm less offset so a 20mm wider track and obviously the wheels are an in inch wider. 

 

The difference I find is tangible. The car is more responsive to the throttle, turns better and more quickly. Also braking is better too. It's almost like the car feels lighter on it's 'feet'. I kind of knew this was coming as I immediately noticed the difference when I put them on for the first time last year. 

 

It's certainly something to think about. The biggest problem is that lightweight forged allloys are always expensive, though I was fortunate enough to snap mine up second hand and refurb them. They'll always be worth what I've laid out for them, so that's all good. 

 

But really if you want your car to feel more agile have quicker reactions, then a lightweight wheel is certainly worth giving serious thought too, particularly so if you like to really drive the car. So check your wheel weights!

 

[Captain Duff 79]

That's a useful analysis, thanks Lauren. As you say, genuinely lightweight wheels tend to cost a lot of money, and when you look at a lot of the after-market wheels quite a few people have switched to from the OEM's (Rota's seem very popular) they often weigh as much if not more than the OEM rims (which are actually not a bad weight for OEMs). I'm also guessing there is actually not much around that is as light as 7.4kg for 17x8 sizes?

[Lauren 2259]

It's certainly at the light end of the scale. I think they are actually 7.2kg per rim if anodised (which is how they come from Rays), but mine are powder coated so that adds weight I guess! Mad isn't it? 

 

Well really the lighter the better, though it obviously helps if you can tune your suspension to suit (which I can). You'd certainly need a forged wheel, which does make it expensive, though these wheels do turn up second hand. I just snapped them up quickly when Jonathan (PwrOut on here) had them up for sale! Think he still regrets selling them! So I'd say look at second hand forged wheels and be prepared to jump when they turn up. Then get them refurbed, it won't cost that much more than a new set of Rota's. 

[tonigmr2 39]

Stop tempting me!

[Keethos 842]

But how much of this is down to switching from winter tyres to stretched summer tyres?

[JamesP1991 222]

The car looks awesome with the Rays back on

[Lauren 2259]

But how much of this is down to switching from winter tyres to stretched summer tyres?

 

The summer tyres make the car more precise along with the stretch, but the difference in wheel weight is the most noticeable thing. 

[Captain Duff 79]

Weren't you using Yoko 105s on these last summer Lauren, how come you're back to Primacy's, or am I confused?!

[Lauren 2259]

Yes, I had Advan V105's on it from last June, yes. I've gone back to Primacy tyres as the Advans are too grippy for my liking. It's a power/grip balance. Will see how I get on. 

 

I swopped my Advan's with Jamie's Primacy's. 

[Captain Duff 79]

That's interesting. It indicates that the designers were not daft using the Primacy's over something with more sporty grip (e.g., the Pilot Sport 3 if they were sticking with the same tyre size and Michelin). I wonder if we will start to see more of those with NA engines who have switched to something grippier start to move back to a more 'fun' tyre like the OEM Primacy's over time?

[Lauren 2259]

Well, it's a question of preference. I like to move the car around myself as otherwise all I'm experiencing is grip, not handling. If I can't steer the car on the throttle because there's too much grip, then it dulls the experience a bit for me. 

 

I may even find that I prefer a different tyre, but stick to stock sizes. But, we'll see. Just re-adjusting to the Primacy tyres after low grip winter tyres. Typically it was cold (3C) and a little damp when I went up the Cat and Fiddle yesterday and the A54. The Primacy tyres were no worse than the winter tyres, though the grip levels of tarmac either white with salt or slightly damp was very low indeed, so it made it pretty tricky with understeer and oversteer experienced often in one corner after another. But this just hints at the grip being low really. 

[DaveB 20]

I like it with original wheels (ducks and covers)

[Lauren 2259]

Really, Dave? 

 

Since I put the Rays back on, I'm thinking I need to get a set of lightweight winter wheels, anything to avoid the OEM wheels going back on again!

[DaveB 20]

Yeah it looks good with originals. I got team dynamics 7 by 17 (stock size) v light, steering and rebound much better.

[Lauren 2259]

How light, just out of interest?

[DaveB 20]

7.8 kg I think.