[s-cars] wheel / tire weights

[Paul Krasusky]

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Marc Manifesto'ed:

Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 19:14:25 -0500
From: CyberPoet <thecyberpoet at cyberpoet.net>
To: s-car-list at audifans.com
Subject: [s-cars] Tires/Wheels

You know guys, I've been thinking about this whole tire/wheel obsession
that everyone seemingly has, and I have a few questions and a few
statements.

1. It is given fact that the lower the unsprung weight, the better the
handling and performance. Among other things, lower unsprung weight
means that the wheel returns contact the ground faster after moving
over anything that causes it to move upward. This translates into
serious value for potholes, snow and poor-/off-road surfaces.

2. Conversely, the bigger the footprint of the tire, the better
traction is established any moment of contact if the read/tire
interface is clean (in snow, rain, a smaller footprint exerts more
force on the area and therefore helps move away or crush the
interference agent). This is in general relevant only in situations of
high traction requirements (high speed turns, very hard acceleration,
extreme braking).

Traditionally, then, for dry weather driving, the ideal would be to get
as light a tire/wheel combination as possible with as big a footprint
as possible (within reason). Now comes the question(s):

A) How come wheel manufacturers rarely place the weight (mass) of their
wheels in their listings, and no one on the list ever makes any
comments about the weight of their wheels? Ditto for tires...

B) Why do you all automatically assume bigger is better (since bigger
usually means more weight... "More Weight!" cried Giles Corey)?

Just some little thoughts... anything better than another tirade by the
list's incoherent childish member(s)...

Cheers!
=-= Marc Glasgow








Oh contraire oh wise one.  Over the past year there had been MUCH talk about
the weights of various tires, wheels, rotors, childish list member's brains,
etc.  You may have missed them if you joined recently.

I should know.  Like how my ohsopurty 17x8 Avus' *only* weigh in @ ~ 28 lbs.
per (IIRC).  Or how  my Stage II A8 slotted rotors weigh in at a *mere* ~ 21
lbs. (IIRC).  Hey, at least I'm not running the *Atkins Diet* Potenza S03s
(another 26 lbs. IIRC?), I'd have a trifecta of hefferness sported on each
corner of my already porky car.

And, yes, the buttometer definitely detected the switch down to 16x8 Ronals
mit snows.  Fer sure, she got her edge back.  Also, me thinks one goes and
runs heavy corners, adds chip, hammers on 100k car, and one can quickly rear
non-hardened 1st gear disease.  YMMV.

If only dem Avi (plural for Avus?) didn't look so darn good on dere.  Que
sera sera I 'spose.  I WILL likely upgrade to the 993 rotors at some point
though, saves a good number of pounds per, weighing ~ 16 lbs. per (again,
IIRC).

BTW, dunno about others, but I've enjoyed reading your detailed informative
posts, always seem to convey valuable info in a non tarnished manner, all
while managing not to delve into the techno geek speak abyss (TGS).  Keep up
the good work.  Whatchya do down there in sunny FLA anyway?  Inquiring minds
wanna know...

-Paul
'95 //S6 with downright offensive amounts of USW
'58 TR3A how much can 60 spoke wires mit 'plus-size' 165s weigh anyway?