Hey Richard

I agree with what you're saying. I dont think there's a HUGE difference in 0 - 60 times; in fact, from 0 - 60, wheels that are too light could theoretically make the car spin more and increase 0 - 60 time. What I am saying is that less unsprung weight will make the car exit corners faster when accelerating say from 4,000 to 7,000 rpms: less mass, more particularly unsprung weight, therefore better acceleration.

Of course, the difference isnt half a second from 0 - 60 or 3 seconds less for a 1 mile track; it's a small difference, like adding 30 bhp to your car. But all the small improvements added up make quite a difference.

BTW, good to hear you didnt roll your car (have you got a roll cage?), but why do you drive on the grass? LOL

 

Richard - look at Honda's Type R cars as a good example. How many manufacturers have the ***** to stick flyweight 15" rims on? Most would rather 'upgrade' to 18" for showroom 'pimp' factor.

Also if you look at almost all 'big brake' aluminium kits, they invariably make more of the weight saving than they do the the fact it aids heat dissipation. Prodrives 330mm kit for example.

I'm certainly not advocating we all go out and spend 000's on reducing our kerb weight, but if, at the same time as upgrading your wheels or brakes, you can shed a couple kilos, then you would be mad not to.

All the people I know who have done this have claimed a huge difference in their driving 'feel', particularly on bumpy b-roads (which is my road of choice, rather than trackdays...give me Snakes Pass over Craner Curves any day!!) and I will give you MHO next week when mine (finally) get fitted!

 

BTW that Snakes Pass vs Craner Curves thing wasn't a coded attack on track days, which I love (although yet to do one in the Scoob) it was merely stating my preference

 

Well I can't argue with that, because we all agree Except to say that I think Claudius if referring to reduced reciprocating mass in improving accelleration, not unsprung weight. I'm sure that's what you meant to write?

And I do have a roll-cage - one of those clever removeable ones. I've never needed it but I've seen a rolled Scoob (Kryten's RB5 at Dono) and it's not funny at all. He now drives a Beemer and doesn't do track days.

Claudius, I often take to the grass in search of the best racing line If you look at a plan of Donington, you will see that a straight line from Redgate to the Old Hairpin is much shorter than going all the way around Craner Curves

Cheers,

Richard.

PS Ed/Claud, thanks for a good debate raising some interesting issues, without us resorting to the unpleasantness of some other technical threads recently Now **** off LOL

 

Richard / Claudius, yeah I was going to say what a refreshing debate earlier but I didn't want to tempt fate!!

 

Can someone please tell me the weight of an SO2 so that I can deduce the weight of my existing wheels?

 

CarMan, lower usprung weight is always good, but you'll not be able to notice any improvement by just losing a couple of kilos on the wheels. It's a relatively tiny amount.

And unless you're paying mega-money, I believe there is a direct relationship between weight and strength I have several buckled ones in the garage Now running Prodrive P1 wheels

Richard.

Edited to add, make sure the off-set is correct!

[Edited by Hoppy - 2/5/2003 1:19:59 AM]