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Aftermarket 16 inch wheels & Mileage?
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:00 am
by cptnsolo77
Has anyone put aftermarket aluminum 16" wheels (same tire profile) & seen a increase in gas mileage due to lighter weight over the stock steel wheels?
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:37 am
by Sublimewind
In theory. it should.. The problem is, most aluminum wheels are actually heavier than the steel wheels.. But as long as they are lighter, then you should see an increase... you should also see an increase in acceleration, brake performance as well.. Then there is a problem with tire weight... My wheels on my subie are 14-15lbs, the over all wheel weight is 44.5lbs...!!
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:23 am
by lovemyraffe
I put the Scion tC stock 17" wheels on my Vibe with no change in mpg.
Re: Aftermarket 16 inch wheels & Mileage? (cptnsolo77)
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:12 am
by keithvibe
i went to a 16" aftermarket rim for my first set. Didn't make a diff.
Re: Aftermarket 16 inch wheels & Mileage? (cptnsolo77)
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:22 am
by sagittarius
The difference might be what?... 1-2 lbs per wheel? Less than the weight of a gallon of gas? Wheels roll, and they are attached to a vehical that weighs how much?
Re: Aftermarket 16 inch wheels & Mileage? (sagittarius)
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:03 am
by Sublimewind
Quote, originally posted by sagittarius »The difference might be what?... 1-2 lbs per wheel? Less than the weight of a gallon of gas? Wheels roll, and they are attached to a vehical that weighs how much? a change in 1-2lbs can make a good bit of difference... because it's unspung weight.. where the car is sprung weight... With wheel weight you have to consider angular momentum of that amount of weight spinning a distance from the rotation center.. the further out you get (large wheels) or the heaver it is, the more force is required to start/stop the rotational momentum... I laugh all the time when I see a truck with 22-24" wheels in it and stock brakes... A. those wheels are frikkin HEAVY and B. the rotational momentum of a large wheel like that has got to be insane.. So, when I see the stock brakes, I wonder how the thing manages to stop...lol... Oldschool experiment time.. The weight of a gallon of gas... it weighs what it weighs at rest, you could weigh it with a hand scale and it would weigh whatever, but pick it up and twirl around in circles a few times and tell me what it weighs...lol.. Centrifugal force mang... lol..