996 Turbo Aftermarket Wheel Weight Concern
 

Greetings!

I have a 2002 996 Turbo with stock 18" "turbo" wheels and am looking to upgrade to aftermarket wheels in a 19x11 rear/19x8.5 front configuration.

The more and more research I do, the more and more I am learning that aftermarket wheel vendors don't offer precise wheel weights. Lots of "about", "around", "depends", etc. I am looking for 19" wheels that are the same weight as the stock 18s or only SLIGHTLY heavier. I DO NOT want to break the bank and buy HREs (as much as I like them).

Can anyone offer any guidance?

What do the stock wheels and tires weigh?

I have been eyeing Avant Garde Ruger Mesh wheels, while they look good, they are cast and I'm concerned they're going to be heavier than I would like.

I don't want to lose a bunch of wheel HP to heavy wheels.

Thanks in advance for any help. :)

Dude heavier wheels are not going to impact you that much. You're not driving a 150hp civic where 5 lbs a wheel would even matter. Get a tune on the car for +80hp and buy the cheap wheels if that works.


If you'll sleep better with same wheel weights, get some used forged wheel from the market place here on 6SO. I bought my Champion RG5s used for $2200, they are 21lbs front and 23lbs rear, about the same as stock.

When I purchased my OZs from tirerack they came tagged with exact weight for each wheel. One of the biggest reasons for me going with OZ was the light weight. These are in GT2 sizes

Thanks Todd.


Pretty surprised to see that level of detail from a wheel manufacture. I'll just continue to look around and report back if I learn anything surprising.


Thanks much! :)

buy oz in 18s x gt2 sizes. why be concerned about "weight" then opt for heavier 19 inch wheels? the car was made to run optimally 18's in gt2 sizing.

Make sure you total the wheel and tire weights. The tires weigh as much or more than the wheels is these sizes. In my size (245/35R19F and 295/30R19R), the tire weights vary by as much as 5 pounds per tire. Wheel weights can easily vary by as much as 5 pounds per wheel. This could be a total of 10 pounds per wheel/tire.

Forty pounds is not a lot on a 3,500lb. car, but we spend a lot of money to get rid of 40 pounds. Also remember that this is unsprung weight. The testing I have seen shows that unsprung weight will affect acceleration/braking by a 2:1 ratio and handling by an 8:1 ratio.

Basically 10 pounds per wheel/tire is a total of 40 pounds and will affect acceleration/braking like putting 80 pounds in the car. You might not feel this, but it will affect your performance. More importantly, handling feel/performance will be like putting 320 pounds in the car. This you will definitely feel on turn-in and how your car/suspension responds to mid corner bumps.

On a side note, adding 80lbs. inside my car on the road-course will typically add approximately one second to my lap times (on a 3.3 mile track). Adding 80 pounds of unsprung weight could easily affect your lap times by two seconds per lap. This is definitely something you will feel.

Here are some reasonably light wheels for reasonable money (it's all relative). :) All of these will be under $3,000/set.

CCW - one piece forged wheels http://www.ccwheel.com
Several O.Z. wheels - multi piece forged and one piece high pressure cast http://www.ozracing.com/
Forgestar - one piece high pressure cast http://www.forgestar.com/v2/
BBS - one piece high pressure cast - http://www.bbs-usa.com/application-guide.cfm

There are several vendors on 6speedonline that can help you with the selection/fitment.

As others have said, also check the classifieds, you can get some very nice used wheel for under $3,000/set.

Later, Steve

Do you have any more pics of your car with the OZ wheels on it somewhere? More angles? Thanks!!

I have a super light set (in the teens) set of Champion RG 184's that are strong (true mono block). PM me if you're interested. They are the set mounted in my sale ad in my sig.

Al

+1 to unsprung weight! I remember when PCCB came out it wasn't just the incredible stopping power but how light they were!


Thanks much.

It's not just the unsprung weight that counts...it's also that the mass is rotating.

If you plan to track the car and every tenth counts, then sure, get the lightest wheels you can...but if you live in a city with roads like Boston or Los Angeles, you're just asking for bent wheels by going lightweight.

Unsprung weight IS rotating mass.

I do agree that light wheels have caveats but just because a wheel is light doesn't mean it isn't strong. I use to live in Boston, am from San Diego, and used to live in Virginia. So yeah, I know what bad roads can do to wheels. Honestly, the road salt damages wheels more than the pot holes.

Just bought these:

http://www.forgestar.com/v2/wheelsf14.php

Thanks everyone and @Steve Jarvis for the recommendations.

these have been great for a few years I've run them and I've literally bashed them thru small boulders ( accidentally lol ) sturdy/light and are soon to be replaced by some oz leggerra's that look great and are in the same weight/price range.

you'll like em though. great wheel.. the f14..for the money.

I believe you will be very happy with your selection.

I respectfully disagree. The brake caliper is also unsprung weight, but it doesn't rotate.

Also, the closer you get to the hub the less the rotational mass matters. For example, dropping 1lb in the rotor doesn't have as big an effect as dropping 1lb from the wheel