[sailfish11]

Any thoughts on a set of good looking, lightweight wheels for my EV? I've looked around a bit and wheel dealers don't seem to publish the weight of their wheels. Any suggestions?

[bblocher]

I haven't gotten to the stage where I'm ready to replace my wheels yet, but it's coming so I've thought about it a little bit. Any aluminum rim will be much lighter than a steel rim. You may already have a light weight wheel on the vehicle. Hard to say how much weight you could save without weighing one of your rims and then heading down to a tire shop with your scale for comparisions

It would also seem the smoother the rim design the less rotational wind drag it would have. Not sure this accounts for much compared to body design, wheel wells, etc. though.

[sailfish11]

I've heard that rotational weight is somehow 'heavier' than simple weight. Maybe some engineer-types could confirm that?

I'm limited to shopping over the internet, so directly comparing weights isn't an option for me right now. If anyone knows of a good wheel site that lists the weight of its wheels, that would be appreciated.

[TX_Dj]

Well, I'm no engineer... but yes... The heavier and/or larger diameter of a rotational items, the more energy it takes to accelerate it.

I.E. the barstool example. If you sit on a barstool with your arms and legs outstretched, it takes far more energy for your friend to spin you up to a certain RPM than it does if you pull your arms and legs in to your body. The same is true if the diameter is the same, but the weight is increased.

Bigger or heavier wheel/tire combos require far more force to accelerate than smaller or lighter wheel/tire combos.

When I first bought my Tacoma, I didn't like the tires it came with. They had no wet traction to speak of, and lots of sidewall flex. I had some heavy-duty 10-ply all-terrain tires left over from my previous truck, which I had mounted in place of the stock tires. Immediately I felt the effects of the added unsprung weight, in addition to the extra rotational mass.

I drove with those tires another 20,000 miles before I finally wore the rest of the tread off of them, and then replaced them with a lighter tire that had better characteristics than the stock tires. I noticed immediately the reduced unsprung weight, and the reduced rotational mass. The truck felt peppy and spritely, unlike any of the previous 20,000 miles. The reduced unsprung weight made the ride incredibly more comfortable.

I would recommend using the absolute lightest and most aerodynamic wheels you can find on an EV. Every bit of weight and drag that you can save will have a direct impact on your range and performance.

[Evan]

Just to add a funny story, I used to own a '97 Ford Escort one of the lower HP cars made for the American market. I got it used from some very nice Canadians. The funny thing is that it came with magnesium alloy wheels. It saved gas but those wheels cost, I one of them was ultimately almost done in by a Cambridge pothole.

[sailfish11]

Dj, thanks for using an example I can relate to, barstools! I shouldn't joke about that, right now I'm in Kuwait -- no alcohol.

That makes sense -- even from a non-engineer.

Is aluminum the best choice then, or are there lighter alloys?

[Coley]

I have some light weight aluminum wheels, that I ran on my V8 Vega (now there was a fun car - 350 w/4 speed).

The only problem is that when I could really use the weight savings, as in winter, the aluminum wheels corrode so badly, from the damn salt they put on the roads.

I ran some magnesium wheels for a while, but they would even corrode in the summer.

If you don't live in the rust belt, they would probably help....

Yup, those big ugly 22" Chrome Rims are costing their owners a bundle at the pump. Very high rotational weight. Rim size is a component in design. Don't disregard that fact. Stock stamped rims are actually pretty light. Keeping the proper size they are not any worse than installing some larger rims that will increase the rotational weight. So it kinda negates the fact that some aluminum rims are lighter in weight. Not all aluminum rims are lighter than the stock stamped steel rims. Stock is perfect for my application. Looks good too. Better than most aftermarket rims. Again for my application.

Pete : )

[EV'er wannabe]

Originally Posted by sailfish11

Dj, thanks for using an example I can relate to, barstools! I shouldn't joke about that, right now I'm in Kuwait -- no alcohol.

That makes sense -- even from a non-engineer.

Is aluminum the best choice then, or are there lighter alloys?

Magnesium.
The real Mag wheel.
Jerry

[sailfish11]

Hmm... corrosion would be a problem. My EV will be a daily driver and I live in upstate NY -- you may have heard, we get a lot of snow up here (and a LOT of salt).

Does anyone know of a website selling wheels that publishes their weight?