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Anyone fit Volks in oem sizes for massive weight savings?

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powerslave7

Contributing Member
Joined
5 July 2007
Messages
141
Location
N Ireland
HUge savings in weight- 15/16 wheels by Volks are 2+kg per wheel lighter then the oem rims.

16/17 rims are still significantly lighter than the factory 15/16 set up- which is forged aluminium!

Anyone do this swap and if so what did you notice in terms of handling and acceleration?

Or do people always size up? I tried 17/18 and it looked good but handling was very negatively affected.

Any input welcome!

Jamie
 
What 17/18 did you try that you say handling was negatively affected?? I doubt anyone has done 16/17 Volks. Most people are too looks concerned to do that.
 
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Scorp965's 16/17 Volk TE37s. They were temporary back in 2008.
DSC04009.JPG


I've sized up for a few reasons:
1) New BBK doesn't fit anything smaller than a 17" front
2) 16/17s look super wack in comparison to 17/18 or 18/19
3) You either go BIG or you go HOME! :biggrin:
 
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Hey bro!
They were like an old style racing hart rim. Lovely to look at but seemeD to really slow the car down.
When I switched back to my oem combo, with cut slicks, it handled like nothing else, on and off track. Seemed much more accelerative too.

Saw that a 15/16 combo in Volks was 5 lbs lighter per wheel! The 16/17 Volks are still 3 lbs lighter than the oem 15/16 combo, but I wasn't sure if it was worth going to the inch larger size. I care only for uniform performance in the car.

The other thing is the tyre weights are heavier too when you go up in rim size, so even going to 16/17 Volks could end up heavier than the 15/16 oem size due to the tyre weight.

I'd love to have you fit 15/16 oem rims with cut slicks with your current set up to get your opinion, as you track a lot!

I've found nothing better.

Jamie
 
powerslave7 said:
I'd love to have you fit 15/16 oem rims with cut slicks with your current set up to get your opinion, as you track a lot!

I've found nothing better.

Jamie
Click to expand...

Hapa88 said:
I've sized up for a few reasons:
1) New BBK doesn't fit anything smaller than a 17" front
Click to expand...

I'd be interested in trying it out, but I can't. :tongue:
 
^ It would be interesting to see how would 17/16 combo do for track use. If I recall correctly the JGTC cars were running 18/17 setups just to cover front brakes...
 
That's kind of perfect to me ( scorps car)

Adrian, go FAST or go home :)

I leave the posing to the f guys! Seriously though, I have updated lines, discs and pads with some funneling to keep the air flowing into cool and I rarely run out of brakes, even on straights coming into 90 deg right handers. I'd rather just burn through oem size updated pads and discs at a quicker rate - still cheaper than bbk and the associated costs of replacement and updated wheels and tyres needed to make it all work.


Peace

Jamie
 
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I'm glad to see people are seeing the light with smaller lighter wheels.

If you think 16/17 are good, wait until the 15/16: sidewalls of a tire are a suspension component and they do make a difference in ride quality.

Maybe a vendor will offer a run of 15/16 OEM spec TE-37s with enough interest.
 
How much do they weight in 16? Because a 17" RSII is in the 14's.
 
powerslave7 said:
HUge savings in weight- 15/16 wheels by Volks are 2+kg per wheel lighter then the oem
Jamie
Click to expand...

I realize that people always want to try to achieve maximum weight reduction but I have to admit that I am a little puzzled at this being described as a "huge savings" in weight considering it is the rough equivalent of putting 2 less gallons of gas in the car.

I dont mean to insult anyone but for everyone who is putting their nsx on a "diet", do any of you actually race the car or is all this expense just for bragging rights?
 
RSO 34 said:
I realize that people always want to try to achieve maximum weight reduction but I have to admit that I am a little puzzled at this being described as a "huge savings" in weight considering it is the rough equivalent of putting 2 less gallons of gas in the car.

I dont mean to insult anyone but for everyone who is putting their nsx on a "diet", do any of you actually race the car or is all this expense just for bragging rights?
Click to expand...

That's not entirely true, please read this thred:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165769
 
Brylek said:
That's not entirely true, please read this thred:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165769
Click to expand...

But my question was directed at those members willing to shell out money just to shave 12 pounds when they don't race the car. If it is just for driving on the street I don't understand spending the money on wheels for weight rather than for show. I can't believe a street driver will ever notice any handling difference by dropping 3 pounds on each corner.
 
I don't race but do a lot of track work and road rallies. I suppose it depends on the type of driver you are, buT I do feel quite intimate with the behaviour and handling of my car and, as such, feel I notice changes, particularly with differences in unsprung weight.

Jamie
 
RSO 34 said:
But my question was directed at those members willing to shell out money just to shave 12 pounds when they don't race the car. If it is just for driving on the street I don't understand spending the money on wheels for weight rather than for show. I can't believe a street driver will ever notice any handling difference by dropping 3 pounds on each corner.
Click to expand...

The cheapest way to try this out, if you have a pre '97 with 16/17 or larger wheels is swap OEM wheels with a 91-93 for a day.

I went form 16/17 to 15/16 and it's a night and day difference. Especially without power steering. The best way I can describe it is the ride is a bit smoother, but with faster response.

The 15/16" OEM wheels are the cheapest bang for the buck, anything lighter is just bonus. Aside from general lower costs of 15/16" aftermarket rims, equivalent performance tires, if they're available in that size, are generally cheaper than larger ones, too.
 
RSO 34 said:
I can't believe a street driver will ever notice any handling difference by dropping 3 pounds on each corner.
Click to expand...

It depends on your definition of handling. If you mean roadholding, no. If you mean steering response, there is a noticable difference. Depending on what you compared it to, there may be a noticable difference in acceleration too. Depending on what the suspension is, there can be a decided difference in ride quality. If you are on the track, then braking comes into play as well. 3 pounds per wheel, a total of 12 pounds rotating mass is probably a measurable difference.

You have to be tuned to your car... but I can guarantee you Bob, even someone with hands as numb as you :biggrin: would notice a difference in the steering feel and response over bumps and into transients, fast quick changes... if we took you from a 17/18 or heaven forbid an 18/19 combo down to a 15/16 with the same caliber of tires. The car is lighter on its feet. Bumps absorbed quicker... suspension response... faster... steering feel... sharper. I know this because I have felt it first hand in other cars. No other change but a wheel/tire change. It was very very noticable on the street, nevermind the track. Honestly I was pretty shocked.
 
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Some of these 19 inch wheels are 25-27 pounds. These are the lighter ones. Going to a wheel that is 11.... thats a 16 pound weight savings.... That's 60 pounds of difference on 4 wheels... rotational mass. That is most certainly going to be felt. But that is the extreme of going 18/19 down to 15/16.
 
Different car but when I subtracted 3 lbs per corner I could tell the difference on my 94 Miata. Not in acceleration but the way it handled, especially in roadholding on poor roads.

TURBO2GO said:
It depends on your definition of handling. If you mean roadholding, no. If you mean steering response, there is a noticable difference. Depending on what you compared it to, there may be a noticable difference in acceleration too. Depending on what the suspension is, there can be a decided difference in ride quality. If you are on the track, then braking comes into play as well. 3 pounds per wheel, a total of 12 pounds rotating mass is probably a measurable difference.

You have to be tuned to your car... but I can guarantee you Bob, even someone with hands as numb as you :biggrin: would notice a difference in the steering feel and response over bumps and into transients, fast quick changes... if we took you from a 17/18 or heaven forbid an 18/19 combo down to a 15/16 with the same caliber of tires. The car is lighter on its feet. Bumps absorbed quicker... suspension response... faster... steering feel... sharper. I know this because I have felt it first hand in other cars. No other change but a wheel/tire change. It was very very noticable on the street, nevermind the track. Honestly I was pretty shocked.
Click to expand...
 
I think that the designs of the Volk wheels really suit larger sizes, whist in 15/16 sizes they look very small, especially due to the spoke design, beside the oem rims and their chunky spokes. Maybe that's part of why people don't do it!

Anyone compare tyre weights? I'll try to when the weather dries up here.

I prefer the feel and response of the oem set up, as opposed to the sheer mechanical grip of larger rims and lower prifile tyres

Jamie
 
Hapa88 said:
Scorp965's 16/17 Volk TE37s. They were temporary back in 2008.
DSC04009.JPG


I've sized up for a few reasons:
1) New BBK doesn't fit anything smaller than a 17" front
2) 16/17s look super wack in comparison to 17/18 or 18/19
3) You either go BIG or you go HOME! :biggrin:
Click to expand...

And they look so sexy!!
 

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