Over weight rims
Thread Starter
Registered!!
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 603
Likes: 0
From: Raleighwood
Rep Power: 0 
Over weight rims I was just wondering what you guys think is too heavy for an 18" wheel. Keep in mind that I am dealing with the fact that my car is not fast, so the track is not a factor. Well, for now anyway 
. I guess stopping distance is my biggest concern. Although I don't want it to take for ever to pull away at a light. If you have what some would consider heavy rims please post there size and your feelings about there daily driving performance. Thanks
. I guess stopping distance is my biggest concern. Although I don't want it to take for ever to pull away at a light. If you have what some would consider heavy rims please post there size and your feelings about there daily driving performance. Thanks 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 3
From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 424 
Well lets put it this way... They're cast knockoffs of forged wheels. In this case, Volk CE28Ns, which the 18x7.5" version tips the scales at 16lbs. Considering that they're taking a forged design and casting it, they need to add strength to it because castings don't hold a stick to forgings in the strength department. So what do you do? Add more aluminum. Considering the way Volk makes wheels, probably add lots of it. I'm going with a bet of no less than 20 Lbs.
Reverse engineering only works well if you improve upon what you find. In the case of knockoffs, you're really reversing it, then going back further. Its really not a winning combo.
If you're worried about braking distance, get smaller wheels. Inertia of big wheels is a bigger enemy than overall weight. Your brake torque doesn't change, but a bigger wheel adds more inertia it needs to stop, so it takes longer. A 25 lb 15" wheels takes a shorter distance to stop than a 25 lb 18" wheel and takes a lot less distance than a 75lb 24" spinner.
Reverse engineering only works well if you improve upon what you find. In the case of knockoffs, you're really reversing it, then going back further. Its really not a winning combo.
If you're worried about braking distance, get smaller wheels. Inertia of big wheels is a bigger enemy than overall weight. Your brake torque doesn't change, but a bigger wheel adds more inertia it needs to stop, so it takes longer. A 25 lb 15" wheels takes a shorter distance to stop than a 25 lb 18" wheel and takes a lot less distance than a 75lb 24" spinner.
I guess I go back to the drawing board. That choice was made on looks alone. 
Autocross Junky
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,211
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Rep Power: 381 Personally I dont really see the point in worring about the weight of an 18" wheel.... as the overall weight isnt the problem, its the Inertia. (the cars not going to be fast with any 18" wheel... so why worry about how heavy it is?)
Thread Starter
Registered!!
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 603
Likes: 0
From: Raleighwood
Rep Power: 0 I really don't know. I have just heard bad things. I don't know much about this at all. It just seems to me that to get a wheel that size and that heavy to start and stop moving would cause the car extra strain.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,318
Likes: 0
From: Boise, Idaho
Rep Power: 328
Originally Posted by HEBEGEBZ
I know those are forged wheels but how heavy are there 18s
Registered!!
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Rep Power: 0 you'll notice that your car won't accelerate nearly as fast as it does with stock rims/tires because of two things:
a) yeah, if the weight of the wheel goes up, then that adds to rotational inertia..a bad thing for accelerating.
b) more of the mass of the wheel/tire will be concentrated further away from the center of the rim, which will REALLY add to rotational inertia (I = cmr^2), depending on how much further away this is than stock.
IMHO, 18's are a little big for our engines. maybe if you swapped a k-series you'd be ok, but I get pissed everytime I have to go up a hill, and I've only got 16's. I'd never buy bigger than a 16" rim for this engine, but I suppose some might be able to get by with 17s, or even 18s.
a) yeah, if the weight of the wheel goes up, then that adds to rotational inertia..a bad thing for accelerating.
b) more of the mass of the wheel/tire will be concentrated further away from the center of the rim, which will REALLY add to rotational inertia (I = cmr^2), depending on how much further away this is than stock.
IMHO, 18's are a little big for our engines. maybe if you swapped a k-series you'd be ok, but I get pissed everytime I have to go up a hill, and I've only got 16's. I'd never buy bigger than a 16" rim for this engine, but I suppose some might be able to get by with 17s, or even 18s.
Last edited by mdb_foxmx; Aug 8, 2005 at 09:13 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Honda Civic Forum
Replies
Last Post
Balkos
Archive - Parts for Sale
2
Sep 11, 2015 11:39 PM
