Fair enough, I'm just wondering if for example, you've compared apples to apples on scales and seen what a particular fitment weighs, and if you've seen failure or lack of, also apples to apples comparison. I know FVD has lots of P-car experience, is a very respectable firm with years of Porsche expertise in Europe, so when someone from there says something, I sort of assume it's based on some data, rather than a flippant opinion being tossed out there. CM hasn't been on the market for a long time, but I don't discount that, because they are very thorough in their approach to racing and equipment development, and they have my respect. HRE also has my respect, as they've been a leader in 3-pc wheels for quite a while, and I know they undergo stringent testing in development of wheel designs so they have a balance between aesthetics/strength/lightness. So, what I'm hoping is that when someone says "not that strong, not that light" from a tuner like FVD, there is something responsible and constructive to present to educate us regular guys who don't work for a tuner.

 

When I post on here it is always my opinion and comments unless I am talking about an FVD product. I have thought of making a seperate name for posting from FVD and using this one for personal, but thought that woudl be too confusing. FVD does not sell either of these wheel companies therefore I can't speak from them, but only from myself.
Sorry for the misunderstanding,
Evan
PS-I did weight my HRE's and I believe they were 28F and 29R while I believe the CM's are in the lower 20's, not 100% sure on the CMs though.

 

No problem whatsoever, and your candor is much appreciated. I weighed some HRE 540R series wheels a few months ago and got mid and low 20's, and heard the new HRE Competition series is expected to dip into the 'Teens. I'm getting a set of those wheels made for my car, so when I have them in hand, I'll weigh them on a digital scale and post the weight and some pics so we have an idea of the weight at a particular size. It'll be 18's and width most likely 8.5's and 11.5's. I'll also track them aggressively and let you know how that goes also, and report back other observations as they occur. As for weight, one thing to consider is that wheel weight varies based on size, width, and even spoke style from the same manufacturer. Additionally, since we're often times talking about custom, build-to-order wheels in the multi-piece examples, the back pad thickness is made greater or lesser depending on the car/application that the wheel set is built to fit on, brakes to be used, etc. Even more weight consideration occurs when one gets a weight quoted to them before a spacer is added, because the wheel wasn't able to be made to correctly accommodate the fitment without having to sandwich in an add-on spacer--yep, adding a little more weight to the scenario. There are other more technical factors too, but I won't get into them here and honestly, I think most people don't really care to become a scientist when they're buying wheels, and either don't understand the engineering behind them or don't really care to spend that much time researching, as long as the things look good and make the car look even better than it did in OE trim. I care about the technical stuff, which is what made me gravitate toward HRE in the first place, but that's personal preference.

Have a happy new year Evan and all you 6speeders out there!

 

Thanks guys for all your input. FYI- I did speak to John Wallace at HRE and he told me that the competition series wheels are about 2-3 lbs lighter than the regular R series wheels partly due to the use of titanium bolts. A 19x11 543R weighs 25 lbs and the comparable "Comp Series" wheel weighs 22 lbs. I think the comp series wheels are awesome, but wish they would come with a straight lip design. I do understand the double lip design is for strength. The only 19" wheels that I have found that dip into the teens are the single piece forged wheels by CM and Kinesis. I am still trying to figure out how much the 997 Carrera S wheel weighs......anyone know??

 

Thanks also to you for your report during your wheel shopping. I have a question -- what happens when you bend a 1pc forged wheel? Does the manufacturer have a way to straighten it, or is it worthless? I know from other types of equipment that when you straighten a bent metal element, heat treated or not, it's weaker than in original form, so it's a bit of a concern of mine. I know a 3pc rim half can simply be replaced with a fresh one, so that's an advantage in the longevity aspect, but what about the 1pc? Did CM or Kinesis offer input on that scenario when you damage the wheel?

 

I haven't asked that question, but I assume it would be best to buy a new rim. Personally I don't trust straightening because IMO it can never be 100% and I would probably be paranoid that the integrity of the wheel is weakened. Therefore, I will most likely go with a 3 piece wheel that can easily be repaired to original specs for a fraction of the cost of the wheel. Back on the subject of strength, I wonder if strength standards for racing wheels differ from everday road wheels due to the fact that racetracks are perfectly flat and even whereas public roads are imperfect. If a race wheel like BBS or other has tendancies to crack or bend on the track which is flat and even...... I wonder how that same wheel would hold up on a public road. My common sense would tell me that HRE's are not used for racing because they are heavier, yet stronger for everyday driving. I am not a wheel expert and I may be wrong but I wanted to share another thought. If the HRE's are substantially lighter than the Lobster fork "S" wheels then I will probably stick with HRE's.... it will be my third set. Check out the 540R closeups on my black 996(sold) on the last page of the "post pic of your fav wheel" thread. Once you've had them it is hard to find a better looking wheel.

 

I'd bet you could show up with a digital scale at a P-car dealer and a parts dept person would let you weigh a wheel if they have 'em in stock. I tried to find the weight for the lobster forks on the net, and wasn't successful. If you find it posted, please post the link.

 

Hey SuperD.... I found out the weight of the standard Carrera "S" wheel is 25 lbs, same as the 19" HRE 540R series. Apparently Porsche's goal when designing the S wheel was to make it lightweight as possible. That is why there are so many of those ugly holes. They literally removed chunks of metal in areas that didn't affect strength of the wheel, thus decreasing weight drastically. This standard wheel may just be lighter than the more expensive, factory option sport wheels. Now I may reconsider a single piece forged wheel like the CM or Kinesis to save weight.

 

Thanks for the update. Let me know what you hear from the 1pc wheel guys regarding what to do when a wheel gets bent. I know there are wheel repair shops in the US that re-heat and re-shape bent wheels, but in my experience, once metal is fatigued and bent, it's physically not as strong in the damaged area as it previously was, regardless of how nice the repair might look. Perhaps there's a new process that I'm not aware of that makes them "good as new"?

Also, what options do you have for custom finish on the 1pc? I hadn't even thought of that 'til a friend mentioned it to me today.

Thanks for your posts.

 

I was told that the wheel is very strong and would take a big pothole to bend it. Depending how bad a wheel is bent will determine if it needs replacement. A minor bend can be heated and straightened, whereas a major bend is best replaced. I am not aware of any new technology that can make a bent wheel perfect again, so I would replace it no matter what the degree of damage. Any bodyshop can paint the centers any color you want. HRE offers you a choice of three standard colors, black, silver, or charcoal.