Will tracking the car "damage" my wheels?
 

I own a set of Gramlights 57CR bronze limited edition. I use them for daily but I will start tracking the car from time to time. These wheels are very limited and almost imposible to get in Europe, so I am worried about wearing out or damaging the wheels in excess because of the tracking

I would buy a set of wheels like Autec WIZARD only for tracking. But I really don´t have space at home to keep them. Also I will be moving out of the country in 2 years

So my question is, would you advise me to not track the car until I am able to get new set of dedicated wheels, or should be fine to use my beloved wheels for that? How much can the wheels be worn out during several track days?

Decent wheels that are TUV or JWL approved should last practically a lifetime of street/casual-track usage. I would expect Rays/Gramlights to be fine.

Always a good idea to inspect hem periodically! Do a search on them to see if they're known to develop cracks, and if so where.

I had a set of aftermarket "racing" wheels (not Ray's or any other major brand) that were fine, but after I got them learned that some had cracking issues. Sure enough, after a couple of seasons on them I found tiny hairline fractures in a couple of them, right where they are known to crack... Never would have noticed if I hadn't cleaned them and inspected critical areas closely...

I also would expect them to be fine. Being a limited colour (which I presume you like) you'll want to clean the brake dust off in a reasonably timely fashion after your track day. Can get rather ingrained in the wheel finish and 'stain' them sometimes.

I would think you would be more likely to damage your light rims on the street.

Read this on a wheel manufacturer 's site years ago. Doesn't really answer your question, but something to think about.

Wheels are similar to shoes that we wear. We have shoes for running, hiking, office, and cross training. Each require specific design considerations to optimize their respective performance. So why not wheels? Wheels that are subject to road use contend with constantly changing load, road imperfections, higher volumes of hot cold cycles, and real world conditions that often require added fortification to ensure consistent performance over a longer duration than that of a race wheel that will usually have a shorter lifespan with a focus on the lightest possible weight. Similar to race engines that require rebuilding in shorter intervals than street engines, a racing wheel should not be considered over a street wheel with the sole consideration of weight. In fact, weight savings of 30 lbs or less end up yielding minimal gains in performance vs the limitations it presents to the proper use of the vehicle.

They will be fine as long as you don't have a bad off, and an off like that would likely damage a lot more then the wheels.

Keep on the track and avoid the kerbs that are less than friendly. A good wheel is fine for track duty

Bear in mind that an off-track excursion will likely chip the paint on your wheels.

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I disagree. I've been off the track many times over the last 20 years and the only wheel damage I can remember is from hitting a wall. Sliding sideways through rocks is a different story, of course.

Thank you all for the answers!

Nice! Now I am more confident to go to tracks until I can get a dedicated set of wheels for that

Fair call, Pat. I should've said possibly, instead of likely.

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@J95 The wheels likely won't wear out from track days, but there is a real risk of bending them going over bumps or dropping them in ditches that they aren't meant to go over (depending on what course you go to and the track condition there).


You never intend to go off-course, but if you're pushing it the risk is always there. It could be as simple as cutting the corner of an apex.

When you start tracking, your wheel becomes a consumable.

If you buy *racing only* superlight wheels, yeah. They're not designed for a tremendous number of load cycles. Or if you buy sub-par aftermarket wheels that haven't been properly analyzed and tested, also yeah. But *good* aftermarket wheels will last a *really* long time for street and track duty.

For sure "they're a wear item!" is the number one go-to excuse for aftermarket wheel designers (more stylists) who haven't put in the analysis hours and the test miles to prove out their designs.