will I notice a difference?
 

Hi, currently have lighter than stock rims weighing 17.2 lb each. Looking to get an even lighter set of rims that weigh 14.5. Stock wheels way 20. Something for reference. Do you think in will notice a difference in response, acceleration etc with these even lighter rims? When I dropped from the stock to these 17.2 weight their was a change for sure. Thx

I changed to 3 piece wheels and didn't notice anything, but then again I just street drive and never on the track. Maybe then there will be a difference

take your spare tire out of the trunk and see if you can feel a difference.

That's not even close to the same thing...

Oh! So you have done the experiment! Cool. :w00t:

However you are right.
Shedding 10.8 lbs from the wheels versus shedding > 15 lbs from the trunk are NOT the same.
Removing the spare will make a BIGGER difference.

However I still contend that the driver will not FEEL a difference under either option (hence why I said to do the experiment).

Now - will an experienced driver, on a track, with a datalogger be able to detect the difference between stock rims and rims that weigh 2.7 lbs lighter (using the data)?
Maybe.

How about this experiment: Could a driver (on the street) be able to tell the difference in handing from a set of tires with 20,000 miles on them versus 40,000 miles?
Because that is probably the difference of ~3 lbs per wheel in lost tread....

Unsprung weight make a lot more difference than sprung weight. There's also rotational mass involved with accelerating and braking. losing 10lb unspring weight will make a lot more of a difference than removing your spare for sure.

However, wether you can feel it or not... if you could feel the difference between stock and your current wheels, provided tires were the same weight, then yes, you'll feel a difference going lighter. However, be aware of wheel strength.

you would be dropping weight with the wheels and adding it back on with heavier tires. since the weight is towards the outside diameter, it would actually "feel" heavier. I added about 5lbs each corner and the car felt slower acceleration for the first few days, after that I didn't notice. The improved grip alone out weighed the acceleration loss.

Why would the tires be heavier? No mention of change in wheel size, only weight.

I assumed the op was getting new tires also. My mistake. Not worth spending money on couple pounds savings on wheel weight while that money would be better spent on tires.

Even if new tires, they should be about the same weight. With everything else being the same, a lighter wheel will be more noticeable than over 2-3x the weight savings on sprung
weight. Tire weight is not a factor since you would be using the same tire for both wheels.

If you could feel a change from 20 to 17.2, you will feel 17.2 to 14.5.

I'm assuming op is going from a cast wheel to a forged wheel of the same diameter. Otherwise, if going down in diameter, there are a lot of other factors to consider.

I 100% noticed a difference when I would put my ccw's on, but then again they were 16's. My friend who owns a Genesis also says he can noticed a difference when he puts on his rpf1's compared to his stocks.

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Did you notice the change from 20 lb rims to the 17? Its the same weight drop from 17 to 14.

When I had my 100hp mini I hated putting the stockers back on, felt like I had a sack of rocks in the trunk.

I sure as hell noticed taking the spare tire and jack kit out of mine.

Rear end slides around even easier than before! :party0030:

1. Drive around car as is
2. Switch to lighter wheels
3. Remove spare tire and tools from trunk
4. Run single exit exhaust
5. Notice the difference from nearly 100lbs dropped off the car's overall weight



^That's what I did. I definitely noticed.