I don't understand why people worry about the weight of the rims because 90+% don't ever race there car. They stress out about finding the weight of the wheels then deciding what wheel they want from there limited choices. Can someone help me understand. I just bought a set of 19" wheels Konig Verdicts that weight alot more than stock and i cant even tell the difference in power or get up and go. Unless you have your car completely gutted with nothing more than a racing seat for the driver and thats it why worry about 30 - 40lbs extra. I am just trying to understand.

It's not JUST the wheels. People interested in losing weight don't just get lighter tires and say that's it. They try and lose weight all around the car, including the wheels. After a few lighter parts, it can really add up.

Go back to 15's or 16's and you'll see why people worry about weight. It is hard to tell a diff when you up-size but you will assuredly notice if you go back down.

It is not only acceleration that is effected but deceleration as well.

What did you start with? If you go from 21-25lbs. stock rims to 25-30lbs. aftermarket you're not going to notice a huge difference, but I guarantee if you slapped on some 15lbs. forged wheels, you would be able to tell.

I'm on my 6th set of wheels of various sizes.

Most recenlty I went from 25lb+ 18" wheels to 15lb wheels.

The first time I took the car out, I was able to spin the wheels in 2nd with no problems whatsoever - which took effort with the 18s.

Pickup/acceleration was dramatically improved. Reducing weight in the car is one thing, reducing unsprung weight seems to be much more dramatic.

I forgot the exact formula but for every pound of weight taken off a corner its roughly equivalent to if you were to remove 65-85 pounds of total weight from the car.

ie you start with a 3500 car with 25 pound 17's then you drop 5 pounds each wheel to 20. That is roughly like reducing the weight of your car 65*5 = by 325 pounds! I can look up the formula and its probably all over the web but its the centrifugal forces that do some damage. Lighter wheels also are easier to slow down as well. So in a nutshell light wheels increase performance, make the car feel lighter, and its a braking mod as well. That is what all the hype is about.

Originally posted by Sitin on 19's:

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I just bought a set of 19" wheels Konig Verdicts that weight alot more than stock and i cant even tell the difference in power or get up and go.

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I consider myself pretty hamfisted when it comes to diagnosing changes in my car's handling, acceleration, and overall performance, and yet the difference was night and day between my stock 15" and the 4lb heavier 16" I originally put on the car. And that was not a race situation with a gutted car. Going from stock to 4 lb lighter wheels was like heaven.

Weight matters. Every pound shaved from total weight is worth more than the last, unlike hp, which is expensive and offers diminishing returns. Rotating weight, throughout the drivetrain, is worth, oh heck, 6-10 times more than static weight. Unsprung, rotating weight (wheels and suspension), affects handling, as well as acceleration and braking.

And no, it's not just for the race track. It's the difference between a plodding, heavy-feeling blvd cruiser, and a nimble, athletic sports sedan. It's a difference even I can feel.