73jst4fun

Just some more info for all on weight on steel OEM wheels and tires measured with scale today:

stock OEM wheel 15" x 8"- 29.5 lbs

P225/70R15 BFG TA's with OEM wheel- 53lbs

trying to use TT11's either 16" or 17" with tire combo to be lighter.....

Jughead

Well, you're probably going to save at least 10-12lb. My 16" TTII's weighed in at 17lb.

Schmucker

They may be lighter, but then factor in that the weight is out further, thus more leverage. It may still be less than the stock. I'd be interesting to calculate.

PRNDL

I was about to post a similar topic. Anyone know what the stock late 70s aluminum wheel weighs compared to the steel rally wheel? i still need to buy 2 wheels to mount drag radials on and I would like to save weight if possible.

Mako72

I've got my drag radials mounted on the vet alum wheels also. I neglected to weigh the bare rim beforehand. If anybody out there has a bare rim, could they weigh it. I'm curious as to the weight of the alum rim now that we have a weight on a steel rim.

flynhi

See the archives for a piece I did a year or so ago that compares a couple dozen wheel tire combos.

zwede

My 17x8 American Racing CL205's weighed in at 21 lbs. However, high performance 17" tires weigh more than 15" passenger car tires. A 255/50-ZR17 weighs in around 27-30 lbs. So all in all you're not saving much weight.

pgtr

I'd be interested in a 'calculation' that shows how a 17X8 wheel w/ -1/2" offset is "out further" and has more "leverage" than OE steel rims?

Excellent points! I'd 'guestimate' a high performance Z rated 15" tire at around 27ish and a low performance passenger tire commonly used on most 15" rims today to be 25ish (???). The low performance passenger car tire mentioned by 73jst4fun above appears to be about 24 lbs - that's even lighter than I expected for tires of this ilk.

73jst4fun

Tried to find your info Flynhi but had no luck...

1979toy

The information that Flyinhi posted was of enough interest that I saved it.
Thanks for doing all of the work involved Flyinhi.

16" x 8" Torque Thrust IIs - no tires = 17lbs
15" Centerline 806 no tires = 18 lbs
15"x8" American Racing 5 spoke no tire = 21.5 lbs
15" x 8" Repro knockoffs w/ hub and spinner no tire = 25 lbs
GM 15 " x 8" steel Rallye w/ trim ring and cap no tire = 29lbs
Wheel Vintiques 17" x 8" - no tire = 35lbs
17" Torque Thrust IIs with Falken 245/45/17 = 35lbs
PS Eng. 17" Alum/Mag w/ spinner cap and Yokohama 255/40/17 = 45.5lbs
GM 15" 1980 Alum w/ BFG 245/60/15 = 45.5 lbs
GM 15" steel Rallye w/ trim ring and cap and BFG 235/60/15 = 47lbs
15x8 Cragar TruSpokes w/ 275/60/15 = 47lbs
GM 15" 1980 Alum w/ BFG 255/60/15 = 47.5 lbs
spare and carrier = 52lbs
American Racing TTII's 17x8, Falken GRB-FK451 245/45/17's, weight per wheel and tire = 35lbs
Wheel Vintique's 17" x 8" Rally Wheels Wheel (no tire) = 35 pounds.

zwede

The entry for a TT2 with falken tire in the list above is incorrect. It cannot be 35 lbs as the tire alone is about 30 lbs!

Here's a list of tire weights for Bridgestone tires. Note that a 255/50-17 is 33 lbs.

A 245/40-17 is 27 lbs. 6 lbs saving by going to a smaller tire.

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tires...productid=1075

pgtr

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

Q: Are all the wheels that don't list width going to be 8" wide presumably?

Q: WHICH Wheel Vintiques 17X8s? Ralley in Steel or Billet? I presume the steel @ 35 but...?

Q: Anybody have a website for 'PS Engineeering' wheel specs?

zwede

The 35 lbs wheel vintiques was the 17x8 steel version.

MotorHead

Convo Pro's are only 14 lbs I guess that's why you see them on race cars.

zwede

Those are the ones that are not allowed in any road race event and not recommended for street use, right?

73jst4fun

Stopped by my buddies tire store and he suppiled me with some additional numbers:

Bridgestone Fusion Z rated tire P255/50-17 27" dia. 30lbs.

Toyo T1-S P245/55-16 26.6" dia. 26.9lbs.

TT11's 16x8 18.4lbs (called Amer. racing rep. to find the weights)

TT11's 17x8 19.5lbs.

When you look at these weights and compare with the OEM wheel and a P225/70-15 and trim ring at 53lbs. there is some savings, but the handling factor is night and day......I guess the biggiest savings would be using the stock OEM tire with the TT11's in 15"

Vette-4-Life

I have 4 factory aluminum wheels off my 80 sitting in the garage and they weigh 17.5 lbs ea

The 17's i put on were cragar ss 8" width 34 lbs ea
Tires are Fuzion ZRI 255/50/17 33 lbs ea

Mako72

[QUOTE=Vette-4-Life]I have 4 factory aluminum wheels off my 80 sitting in the garage and they weigh 17.5 lbs ea]

Thanks Vet4life. Looks like a 46 lbs savings when switching from (4) GM vette 15 X 8 rallye wheels to (4) GM vette 15 X 8 alumnium wheels.

pgtr

The decision between a 15" alloy wheel w/ a low performance lightweight tire vs a 17" tire/rim combo w/ a stronger high perf tire ... well it wouldn't even be close in my book.

zwede

Very true. And if anyone needs more convincing, I was watching a BFG Radial TA (255/60-15) while under full throttle on a dyno. The entire sidewall wrinkled and looked like it was about to come off the rim! Meanwhile, a 255/50-ZR17 Bridgestone was not flexing at all as far as I could see. Big difference between the sidewalls of an S-rated 15" tire and a Z-rated 17.