Obviously the heavier the wheel the slower the cars acceleration will be. I've got 17x9.5" 35mm Wedsport TC-005's on my car and they are around the 16lbs each mark. Compared to the stock evo wheels which are about 21-22lbs, I'm saving about 5lbs each corner. How would this compare to say losing 50 lbs of weight from the car itself by throwing out the rear seats or something.

Is there a ratio or a formula for the effect that reduced rolling weight has on the acceleration of the car compared to weight loss elsewhere in the car?

 

The funny thing when talking about reducing rotational mass is that the gross weight reduction is usually the only thing considered, while moment of inertia is commonly ignored.

Picture a merry-go-round with ten, 100lb kids sitting on the edges of it and trying to spin it. It would be difficult. Move those same kids towards the center, and it gets much easier. Both examples involve a system that shares identical rotational mass but each a different moment of intertia.

p.s. Rear seats don't weigh 50lbs.

 

we got any physicists in here?

 

yeah but trying to measure if a 16lbs wheel has most of the weight on the outside of it compared to an 18lbs wheel with most of the weight on the inside of it and which one will have less inertia is very difficult to measure! I would imagine most wheels would have a similar weight distribution anyway.

 

here is a good link to the testing of the horspower gained from lighter brake rotors. https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=210801

 

great link thanks