Wheel Weights

Hello,

Here is sight with more wheel weights then you can imagine. Someone should make this a sticky so everyone can stop asking how much certains rims way. Just makes it easier on everyone.

http://www.wheelweights.net

Just click on wheels and you have all the weights you ever need.

Late,

Yeah, that's a good site. But looks like it hasn't been updated too much lately.

So what do you do if you're trying to find the weight of a wheel that's not in that table? Calling distributors doesn't seem to help, as I have contacted several today and none of them have wheel weight information available. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by jdoug
Yeah, that's a good site. But looks like it hasn't been updated too much lately.

So what do you do if you're trying to find the weight of a wheel that's not in that table? Calling distributors doesn't seem to help, as I have contacted several today and none of them have wheel weight information available. :rolleyes:

i emailed or called up the companys themselves and they have no problem telling me the weights. but when you do, do it a second time because most of the time, they just tell you the weight from the top of their head like idiots so make sure to double check. also make sure hes giving you the weight without the box included. i have asked for many weights and sometimes, they included the box weight with the rim.

this may be more info than most care to read.

i used to design wheels for both an oem wheel supplier and manufacturer. the general rule of thumb, at least for oem car wheels i worked on, is to add 2 to the wheel diameter and you have your weight. example: you have 17x6 wheels. take 17 add 2 and the wheel weighs 19 pounds. this seemed like an optimum weight that would meet the oem requirements yet still be strong enough to pass impact testing. for larger wheels like 20" you should add 3 or 4. there are many variables to determine weight. the style of the wheel and whether it has a button cap or large cap covering the lugs can greatly affect the weight. we used this simple calculation to give us a ball park #.

chrome wheels are typically 2 pounds heavier than the same wheel that is painted or polished. the reason is that the wheels are copper plated, then chromed. even though the plating is thin, both metals are quite heavy.

also, the wider the wheel the more weight. a 8" wide wheel vs. 7" wide will add 1/4 to 1/2 pound.

my point is that if you are unsure if a wheel is "too heavy" just use this simple calculation. if the wheel is few pounds more than the diameter it is a reasonably light wheel.

truck wheels are beefier to withstand higher loads. you could add 5 or even higher to get the approximate weight.

oem wheels are usually much lighter than "california" aftermarket wheels. you know, the ugly wheels with teddy bears and flames. the main reason is cafe standards, second is cost savings. aluminum is $.80/lb. aftermarket wheels do not have to meet cafe standards and have a much bigger profit margin. so they can "afford" to make a heavier wheel. thus they do not go to extreme lengths to lighten a wheel by 2/10ths of a pound like oem's yet still be robust enough to pass impact testing. however, with the aftermarket trend going towards lightweight racing type wheels this should change. racing style wheels should be on par with oem wheel weights or even less.

remember, these are just guidelines. if you want specific weights, then call the manufacturer.

if you really want super lightweight wheels, get a thin 5 spoke. they usually seem to be the lightest vs 6 or 7 spoke. defineately stay away from 3 spokes as they are inherintly heavy-just take my word for it. to get every last ounce of weight out get a wheel that has been rollformed(the rim is spun). this can reduce the weight by a pound. speedline (italy) specializes in super lightweight, yet strong wheels, many of which are rollformed. the aftermarket wheels are named speedline corse.

then of course there are magnesium wheels. mg is 1/3 lighter yet 1/3 stronger than aluminum. however, it is more expensive per lb and dangerous to cast. my boss had c5 mg wheels given to him for his c5. nice!

hope this helps, canuck

That was some really cool info. I wish I could design wheels for a living, that would rule!
jake

5.1 lbs compaired to 60! I gotta go see what those kriminals look like. Chrome without lookin

This is good info. Thanks. I am bebating on 17s or 18s for my 95 Accord. I've hesistated due to the issue with loss of performance going to 18s. I am considering Axis Mod for 18s but they weight 20.8lbs per wheel, compared to 17.1 for OEM 15s on my car. But the 2x calculations means I am increasing total weight by about 60lbs, for performance comparison. No biggee so I might go 18s. I am also considering Kyowa Racing. Their 18inch KR228 is only 17.4 lbs per wheel.

Anybody familiar with Kyowa Racing wheels, purchasing thru www.wheelstudio.com? I am considering the KR228 model in 17 or 18, versus Axis MOD in 18. Thanks!

There's a resonable amount of info out there on wheel weights, but don't forget tire weight too. I am looking at some replacements rims and tires for a Dodge Spirit R/T and have decided to go for 16" diameter rims. My searches have produced rims ranging from 29lbs+ per rim down to 16.3lbs per rim (7" width). 225/50/16 tires range from 29lbs down to 23lbs. Guess what...I chose some wheels at 16.8lbs and tires at 23lbs...combined weight 39.8lbs..much better than the original unresearched option which worked out at 54lbs...ouch!
www.tirerack.com have plenty of info for most.

hey do you know of any more recently updated websites? i am having trouble finding the weight of a particular wheel. Thank you

check out http://www.wheelweights.com/ they;ve got downloadable guides and stuff to help you http://www.photopile.info/img/c/8.gif

www.wheelspecs.com (http://www.wheelspecs.com) has some good info too. ;)
This site is not working. :banghead:

The Yellow/Red Dot on your new tire is the location on the rim/valve stem when
mounting the tire.

Also make sure unidirectional tires are put on right, else tire noise.

Hello,

Here is sight with more wheel weights then you can imagine. Someone should make this a sticky so everyone can stop asking how much certains rims way. Just makes it easier on everyone.

http://www.wheelweights.net

Just click on wheels and you have all the weights you ever need.

Late,

And I thought this thread concerned wheel BALANCING weights! smh

Question:

I've read many articles about aftermarket rims/wheels, and they all agree one this one point: Aftermarket wheels that are lighter than your factory OEMs is always better for performance.

But while lighter wheels enhance acceleration and braking, don't they raise a vehicle's center of gravity?

If they are the same size how would that happen?

If they are the same size how would that happen?

Simple: Lighter wheels shift more weight above the vehicle's metacenter!

Explain that theory, see my race car, that had lite weight Centerline wheels, of course for a split second during launch that could occur, normal street driving the unsprung weight of the wheels will not change static or dynamic center of gravity. Of course you know that metacenter calculations apply to floating structures suspended in water.

Explain that theory, see my race car, that
had lite weight Centerline wheels, of course for a
split second during launch that could occur, normal
street driving the unsprung weight of the wheels
will not change static or dynamic center of gravity.
Of course you know that metacenter calculations
apply to floating structures suspended in water.


It's really quite simple: Let's take a more extreme example:

Replace the 22lbs(US) OEM rims with 12lb alloys at each corner. That right there is a 48lb weight reduction right there, assuming same size and aspect ratio are preserved.

Then, install an aftermarket moonroof, about 40-50lbs.

You've just shifted about 50LBS of weight from close to the ground to approximately 4 1/2 to 5ft above! Even my cats can figger that out.

Add 10-15lbs of roof clips for skis, and, you see where this is going.

Correct, the moon roof would certainly change the center of gravity, not so the wheels. So here we are at an impasse , fun though.

But the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The CG would only move a tiny bit, but the unsprung weight is reduced a lot.