Skywagon
Well-known member
I posted in the other wheel topic about changing my wheels to lighten up rotating mass. The photo of one of my stock wheels on a scale shows how heavy they are (21 lbs):
I went back and forth on which wheels I wanted for the car debating cost vs. weight savings vs. appearance. I finally found a for sale posting for this set of Rays Volk TE16's that were in excellent condition; and still had their original white coating on them. After getting them here I quickly changed my mind on the white color as it clashed with the pearl color of my car. I had them powder coated in a dark silver. I weighed them after coating and they are 10.5 lbs each. I have dropped 10.5 lbs per corner in rotating/unsprung mass. I have only put a few miles on the car tonight but I can tell some difference in the power required to accelerate. The same throttle input/KW power to the motor yields a little quicker acceleration. I can now accelerate with a little less power and help my range. It will take a few days for the car to "relearn" my driving habits and I am curious to see how much gain I will have. I drive the same route almost every day and it is on surface streets with stop and go traffic. Considering what dropping wheel weight has done for hybrids I have had in the past I am hoping for a minimum of 5-8% gain in efficiency/range. Here is a photo of the wheels on the car this evening:
Before anyone asks, no, I will not be selling my stock wheels. I am cleaning them up to put away. Also, yes, the wheels do not have center caps. I am debating whether I want to source the proper size ones from Rays as I am not that concerned about them and they are expensive.
As far as what other wheels will fit the car for weight savings, I am not the authority on that. In some cases you will have to work with a wheel company/tire dealer to source a set to test fit. The main clearance issue is the front brake calipers contacting the wheel spokes. Certain wheel designs will require a lower offset (wheel further out) to have proper clearance. The TE16s I am running, and the same would be for their newer version TE37, would need to be in the 25mm range minimum to have enough clearance. My wheels are at a 20mm offset (20mm further outwards than the stock wheels). Also, note that the stock wheels are 16"x6.5" and most replacements, including the TE16s I am running, are 16"x7". The stock tires fit great on the 1/2" wider wheels.
I went back and forth on which wheels I wanted for the car debating cost vs. weight savings vs. appearance. I finally found a for sale posting for this set of Rays Volk TE16's that were in excellent condition; and still had their original white coating on them. After getting them here I quickly changed my mind on the white color as it clashed with the pearl color of my car. I had them powder coated in a dark silver. I weighed them after coating and they are 10.5 lbs each. I have dropped 10.5 lbs per corner in rotating/unsprung mass. I have only put a few miles on the car tonight but I can tell some difference in the power required to accelerate. The same throttle input/KW power to the motor yields a little quicker acceleration. I can now accelerate with a little less power and help my range. It will take a few days for the car to "relearn" my driving habits and I am curious to see how much gain I will have. I drive the same route almost every day and it is on surface streets with stop and go traffic. Considering what dropping wheel weight has done for hybrids I have had in the past I am hoping for a minimum of 5-8% gain in efficiency/range. Here is a photo of the wheels on the car this evening:
Before anyone asks, no, I will not be selling my stock wheels. I am cleaning them up to put away. Also, yes, the wheels do not have center caps. I am debating whether I want to source the proper size ones from Rays as I am not that concerned about them and they are expensive.
As far as what other wheels will fit the car for weight savings, I am not the authority on that. In some cases you will have to work with a wheel company/tire dealer to source a set to test fit. The main clearance issue is the front brake calipers contacting the wheel spokes. Certain wheel designs will require a lower offset (wheel further out) to have proper clearance. The TE16s I am running, and the same would be for their newer version TE37, would need to be in the 25mm range minimum to have enough clearance. My wheels are at a 20mm offset (20mm further outwards than the stock wheels). Also, note that the stock wheels are 16"x6.5" and most replacements, including the TE16s I am running, are 16"x7". The stock tires fit great on the 1/2" wider wheels.