Effects of Wheel Size/Weight on Performance

[crossbow]

I recently updated the **** of unsprung weight links and decided to share it with a variety of forums. Feel free to keep, chuck, yell at, or do whatever you want with it. I figured since it took so long to gather all these **** links, it might be worthwhile sharing. Hopefully this won't offend anyone. Its just an **** of available information for those interested in investigating it.

Articles


Size Matters
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~greghess/sizematters.pdf

Finding Free Power
http://www.nerocam.com/SCC_TAPnew.asp

Bicycles and Unsprung Weight
http://www.softride.com/bike/cornering.pdf

Fixing the 350Z: Why Lawyers Want Everyone to Run Staggered Setups
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/projectcars/0404scc_350z/

Picking the Right Wheels For You
http://www.grmotorsports.com/wheels.html

Big Wheels, Big Trouble?
http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/15/pf/autos/w...day_big_wheels/

Wheel Weights Can Effect Your Vehicles Show and Go
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/road_wheel_weights.jsp

The Danger of Dubs
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Featu...rticleId=104526

Automobile Ride, Handling, and Suspension Design
http://www.rqriley.com/suspensn.htm


Threads

How much does wheel weight really matter?
http://corner-carvers.com/forums/showthrea...rung+and+weight

Are 18" wheels and tires bling bling or a performance advantage?
http://corner-carvers.com/forums/showthrea...heel+and+weight

How much will 17" wheels slow you down
http://www.sccaforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/7/303 ?

Effect of Lighter Wheels?
http://www.sccaforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/7/301 ?

Bigger Wheels and Tires?
http://www.sccaforums.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...ic/7/863#000004

Rotational Advice
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...=3;t=002795;p=1

If larger wheels are bad...why do sports cars have them?...
http://forum.miata.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb....ic;f=3;t=005169

Wheel Weight, Who Cares?
http://forum.miata.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb....ic;f=3;t=007412

1 Lb of unsprung weight =?? Static weight
http://forum.miata.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb....f=3;t=006390;p=

Wheel Weights....Can They Make a Difference?
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010655#000000

33.5 lbs/Corner Too Heavy??
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010570#000002

Don't Small Wheels Mean Heavier Tires?
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010479#000009

Whats With Huge Wheels?
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010436#000002

18" Wheels too big? Take a Look!
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=008412#000031

I'm Finally Completely Convinced About Lighter Wheels and Tires
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010379#000000

Do Wider Tires REALLY Provide More Traction?
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010206#000034

Unsprung Weight 101
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010206#000034

Unsprung Weight Effects Performance?
http://forum.miata.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb....ic;f=3;t=008986

WO! The Joy of Lightweight Wheels!!!!
http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?...t=010108#000033

0-60 simplified wheel physics and garfield's wheel test
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?...3730#post279748

Spreadsheet blows lid off lightweight wheel debate!!!
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14738

Lightweight Wheels
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?...unsprung+weight

In Defense of 17's
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?...unsprung+weight

16 or 17 Inch Wheels?
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?...ht=wheel+weight

18 or 19 Inch Wheels?
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?...ht=wheel+weight

Effects of Wheel Size on Acceleration (TimeSlips)
http://forum.mazda6tech.com/viewtopic.php?t=1762&start=0

6tech Article
http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option...id=16&Itemid=32

Wheel Weight and Performance
http://forum.mazda6tech.com/viewtopic.php?...der=asc&start=0

Some Wheel Weight Sites
http://www.wheelweights.net
http://www.wheelspecs.com
http://www.miata.net/garage/garagetires.html


I'm on a variety of car forums, and thought this might be useful for anyone whose interested in learning more about the effect of unsprung weight/rotational inertia on the overall effect of the car. Basically this is an collaboration of urls arguing against plus sizing. Since the argument is frequent and rather heated, I've been collecting these urls for quite some time.

 

[slugsgomoo]

very interesting. Some of it has good points made on both sides (non performance cars being better off with smaller, less easily damaged wheels for one) but some of it is just plain F.U.D.**

Like the CNN article. Obviously they never grabbed a scale, or read a spec sheet. But metal is always heavier than plastic or rubber materials isn't it?

What a moron. (many of his other points were fine, but that crap bugs the **** out of me. I call it lazy journalism).

** Fear Uncertainty Doubt (coined in reference to IBM's predatory fear mongering about other platforms in the 80's)