Wheel Weight

Printable Version

Audi Forum >> Audi Models >> Audi A6 >> Wheel Weight

Page: [1]

Login Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>

Wheel Weight - 4/30/2008 8:29:18 PM    Boundries   Posts: 32 Joined: 2/16/2008 Status: offline Just finished my last final and have been searching the net bored out of my mind, when I come across some forums discussing wheel and tire weights. So out of curiousity I take my spare tire out and it weighs in at 47 pounds. Curious if anyone knows how much their set ups weigh? And also what you consider to be too much for a wheel/tire combo? Post #: 1

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/1/2008 4:15:19 AM    NH_USA Posts: 656 Joined: 9/16/2004 Status: offline What?????? Wheel tire weight? In general the weight of the tire, wheel and some suspension parts is called "unsprung weight" that is weight on the road side of the springs. The opposite is sprung weight. If everything else is equal, low unsprung weight gives better road handling because the spring ha san easier time keeping the tire on the ground. Google unsprung weight _____________________________ 1997 A6 Avant 1998 Jetta 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT one High Performance Roller Skate (in reply to Boundries) Post #: 2

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/1/2008 8:17:12 AM    Boundries   Posts: 32 Joined: 2/16/2008 Status: offline What I was asking is the total weight of the wheel. I do a lot of mountain biking and rotational weight makes a huge difference. Example I have a 400 gram cross country tire and a 700 gram downhill tire. You bike down a paved street path with both tires and you notice a big difference in the amount of force it takes to move the heavier tire. If you call it unsprung weight in the carworld cool (I got to get my car lingo down still). Anyways it has far more affects then just handling. A lighter tire will save on fuel consumption and with gas prices the way they are who isn't for that. (in reply to NH_USA) Post #: 3

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/1/2008 8:30:39 AM    Zach_H20ocMD   Posts: 3 Joined: 4/1/2008 Status: offline 1 < Message edited by Zach_H20ocMD -- 5/1/2008 8:39:39 AM > (in reply to Boundries) Post #: 4

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/1/2008 8:34:01 AM    Zach_H20ocMD   Posts: 3 Joined: 4/1/2008 Status: offline - < Message edited by Zach_H20ocMD -- 5/1/2008 8:41:41 AM > (in reply to Zach_H20ocMD) Post #: 5

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/1/2008 8:51:06 AM    Zach_H2OocMD Posts: 14 Joined: 4/1/2008 Status: offline sorry i was on my other login wheels are important get some 24inch tis 01 rims. mmm chrome on an audi (in reply to Zach_H20ocMD) Post #: 6

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/2/2008 1:06:54 AM    NH_USA Posts: 656 Joined: 9/16/2004 Status: offline Ok if you say so - but consider the physics of rotational momentum, rolling resistance, etc. It is not as simple as weight alone. In a vehicle you have to add tire slip angle and contact patch for cornering and even aerodynamics to the thought process. Then there is tread pattern for water removal and noise. Even rubber hardness for life and cord construction-angles for strength/life/cornering/ride quality etc. You have grossly understated the situation. If we only cared about milage we would have steel tires about 2 inches wide _____________________________ 1997 A6 Avant 1998 Jetta 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT one High Performance Roller Skate (in reply to Zach_H2OocMD) Post #: 7

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/2/2008 2:27:13 PM    bmr18t   Posts: 43 Joined: 8/17/2006 Status: offline but a lighter wheel, with everything else in the equation held constant, you will have better fuel economy. Because of the less weight, you will also increase your performance as well, like being able to accelerate quicker and a higher top speed. That the reason racing rims are so light. Also every pound of mass that is rotating is equal to 2lbs of dead wight. so lets say you have a rim that weights 35lbs the you get some  one that weight 30lbs. well you just saved 5lbs per rim. 20lbs for all wheels X2 is 40lbs of weight. Now not only do you save that in weight, you don't have all the inertia of the heavier rims. So it will take less power to accelerate helping your fuel economy. Now i have no idea the real life savings of this but in the theoretical world it will help to have lighter wheels.  (in reply to NH_USA) Post #: 8

RE: Wheel Weight - 5/3/2008 1:37:17 PM    NH_USA Posts: 656 Joined: 9/16/2004 Status: offline Quicker acceleration yes - but a heavier rotating mass holds more energy (Do the physics!) and therefore it takes longer to loose energy when coasting so the fuel economy does not suffer. As for racing cars -- lighter wheels take less energy to get rotating, less stored energy thus less energy dissapation durng braking, and less unsprung weight. - but the calculations don't directly apply to street cars because the difference is so small and your not pushing the edge of the envelope. Furthermore it is not just the weight - it is where the weight is placed on the wheel that makes a difference - weight at the center has a different affect than weight on the rim. Look at the whole sitution instead of only part of it....  _____________________________ 1997 A6 Avant 1998 Jetta 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT one High Performance Roller Skate (in reply to bmr18t) Post #: 9

Today's Posts
Most Active Topics
Make A Donation
Forum Rules & FAQ
RSS Feeds

Audi Prices

Audi Cars
Audi A6 Audi S3
Audi A4 Audi S4
Audi TT Audi S6
Audi Dealers
Audi Clubs

Top 10 Posters
pandaxpress 14385 cincytt 14191 techbod 12536 onepoint8tee 10806 jestnomen 10682 awdaholic 10051 badluckaudi 9131 redgoat™ 8952 chaos92287 8044 i3uddha 7219

New Vendors
AMSOIL - Performance Oil Technology
Penske Audi West Covina
Royal Purple
GetCoolParts.com
K&N Engineering, Inc.