anyone know the benifits of lightweight wheels?

[gaffo]

Originally Posted by Biggie™

Well, there are close to 500 threads in the performance section, and most are looking for the ability to accelerate and or deceleration faster. That doesn't even take into account the hundreds of thread concerned with handling. Lighter wheels will improve maneuverability far more than a strut tower brace. So needless to say, the overall improvement lighter wheels give you would actually be interesting to more of this forums members than you first thought. I also used a 1% improvement in my example for the sake of argument. But again, a calculated rotational total reduction in weight of 80 pound from a 2300 pound Yaris is actually 3.47%. So go back and recalculate using that.

Now on to the real fun, I know this will go a little beyond light weight but smaller and lighter are even better... ;)

Using your reasoning, adding weight in the form of big heavy wheels and tires has a negligible effect. So with all the buckets of cash you get from your high paying engineering job, you go out and get some hot new 20 pound each 18X7.5s, for your luxury sport coupe Yaris. You also get yourself some nice 215/35-18s for that sweet low profile look that all the ladies like... Then there's me, with my job in the auto performance and motorsports industry. I go and find myself a set of 8.5 pound 13x7.5s along with some sweet lil' 215/50-13s.

One of my wheels and tires together runs just under 25 pounds each, while yours are coming in somewhere OVER 45 pounds. My tire is 21.46" tall, stock is 23.74"(we'll use this information later) and yours are 23.93" tall. Use this to determine the large amount of energy it will take you to turn your heavy wheel and tire when compared to my lighter and more compact wheel and tire unit. Don't forget most of your mass is almost an inch further out from center. And that's over 20 pounds per wheel and tire unit, using the simplified 4:1 ratio and multiplying it by 4 wheel and tire units we get 320 pounds! Do you still think the majority of Yaris owners will not notice a 7.2% advantage in acceleration, deceleration and changing direction?

Now, with your advanced engineering mathematics, go back up there and use the tire diameters(heights) I listed to determine my improved acceleration do to the lower gear ratio when compared to your slower than stock acceleration and higher gear ratio. And while we are dealing with tire diameters and such, determine the amount of additional energy the stock brakes will need to use to slow your taller and far heavier wheel/tire units when compared to my lil' guys.

But at the end of all this, the ladies love 18's... Luckily for me, I'm married so she'll just have to deal with my nimble little egg shaped ecno-box. And all those equations should keep you busy for awhile.

Single myself - but if the "Ladies" judge a man by his car:

1. screw em
2. I'm screwed if I'm driving a Yaris - even one with 24" wheels! ;-).

You sold me!!!!!!!!
I know TINY is more fun - period. my tiny 12" Fiesta tires and my 13" Tr7 tires were pure gokart heaven.

Question and recommendations need Sir!

1. that weight you gave 8-1/2 pounds - was that for steel or alluminum (I LOVE Smootie hubcap retro look so have no need for aluminum wheels).

2. any tire/wheel brand recommendations?

3. can we go even smaller on Yaris? 12" maybe?

..................

thank you for such an informative post sir!