anyone know the benifits of lightweight wheels?

[CaysE]

Originally Posted by dallas

Removing weight helps acceleration as it takes less energy to move the mass but beware of diameter too. If you go with a 17 wheel even if its lighter than the stock steel wheel (not many wheels like that) you have moved the mass 3inches further out from the hub (based on 14 wheels) so it will take more enery to turn the wheel. I have 205 50 15 tires on light weight 11lb wheels , the stock steel wheel and tire are still lighter.

This is not necessarily true, because you're not taking the tires into account. Tires can typically weigh between 15 and 20 lbs, and if you maintain the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo, a lighter weight wheel with a larger diameter would require a tire with a shorter sidewall, thus a lighter tire. Depending on the actual weights and wheel design, the mass can even be moved inward.

[dallas]

I did consider the tires in my weight, and yes the shorter sidewall helps, but the mass of a wheels weight is not in the spokes so if you move it 3" further from the hub even thought the tire tread is the same diameter away as the 14wheel, you have added more mass further from the hub over a stock 14" wheel. I have yet to find a 17" wheel tire combo that I can afford that would weight less than the stock 14 wheel and tire combo.

Originally Posted by CaysE

This is not necessarily true, because you're not taking the tires into account. Tires can typically weigh between 15 and 20 lbs, and if you maintain the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo, a lighter weight wheel with a larger diameter would require a tire with a shorter sidewall, thus a lighter tire. Depending on the actual weights and wheel design, the mass can even be moved inward.