If you visited us at the Gaydon rally you may well of seen some of our new TrakLite wheel range.
We are pleased to announce that we are the exclusive European dealer for the Flow Form range which is a manufacturing process that “spins” the still hot casting into the wheel profile, refining the grain structure of the alloy in the process resulting in a very light, strong wheel, much like forging.
Weighing just 10.9lb for the Gear 15 x 7" rim, just about the same as the “hollow” seven spoke OEM wheel, only the vaunted 14 x 6" BBS wheel is lighter, and then only by the weight of a McDonald’s burger.
If you have heavy OEM or after-market wheels, then light wheels, with the right tyres transform the car from sporty to frisky.
Whilst these and the 6ULs look lovely and light, do you also have weights for the tyres that you supply (eg 195/50-15)? Do the Federals, Nankangs and DMacks vary much from an 18.5lb / 8.5kg Toyo R888? Also are ‘ordinary’ list 1A tyres lighter than 1B, and within a category do they vary much or are they much of a muchness?
Since the tyre weight is at the circumference, and typically exceeds wheel weight by some margin, it has the potential to make quite a difference. However, it’s not routinely quoted, unless you search out the spec sheet for each tyre choice.
Andy, it depends on what the question is underneath this.
Just having a light wheel and tyre combination won’t give you speed. At a macro level it would aid acceleration and braking, but that is within the bounds of the tyre’s lateral grip and traction. It is safer to say that for a given tyre, a lighter rim is going to be better than a heavier rim.
I have never weighed the 1B tyres, it is, in almost every instance, an irelevent question, the real question is " how to they perform," what are the lap times, the consistency etc. And there is always a price / performance ratio.
Another thing is that a 195 50 15 tyre will lose about 3/4Kg of weight for every 1mm of wear. If you want a lighter tyre that gives better and more stable dry grip we can shave them to any depth.
Finally, if you are talking competition, then all tyres have an optimal stage, it is through testing that you find out where that is and what you have to do to get to it. Many drivers, even ones that have competed for years are unaware of how to condition tyres and what it takes to get the tyre to where they would want it to be, when to replace it and how not to ruin it before they even get to use it in anger.
Point taken - the rim width is a fixed quantity, whereas tyre tread depth will affect weight (do you mean 3-4lb, rather than kg, per 1mm of wear?). My context isn’t racing, but I’m coming at trackday’ing from a bike racing and occasional sprinting background. Also, have moved from 270-400bhp scoobs to a Mk1 1.6 and am keen to make the most of its limited power!
Right now I have R888s on some 5Zigen wheels, plus worn KU31s on some 5-spoke ‘Clark’ wheels. Looking to replace the latter with a good road + wet track tyre possibly on a lighter rim. Was thinking of Mk2 Sport Enkeis at around 6kg, or spending more to lose 1kg on your wheels, plus a road tyre that’s rated A for the wet like Pilotsport 3, Premiumcontact 5, Dunlop SP sport or (less likely for the track) Rainsport 3.
If you have a standard power car then you don’t want “too” much tyre on it as you just slow them down.
I am yet to be convinced the Rain Sport 3 handles the same left to right on the limit and the despite what people said, the RS2 was not a precise handling tyre on the MX-5.
There are various A rated tyres for wet braking, but it has to be remembered that that is all it refers to and not a measure of lateral grip, the grip that keeps you pointing the right way. The Dunlop Blue Response has an evangelical supporter on Nutz but not many people have tried it yet and it is also performance over the whole life of the tyre that matters. It also depends what it is being compared to. I come back to my old favourite, the Kumho KH31 as making a very good fist of most situations.
As with all tyres however they are not going to develop their very best performance on cold damp tracks.
