I have a question for the group... The last 'sports car' I had was a mazda miata with I use to travel around and road race. When the miata folks get together and talk about stuff we usually wind up talking about how much an option weighs - how it effect performance etc....

I have noticed here that there is very little discussion on how much wheels can affect performance and I have yet to see weight figures for after market wheels.

Is this because the vette is such a hulking beast that it doesn't really matter?? Are after market wheels just better than the OEM wheels and anything is better than GM?? Or am I just in the wrong section of the forum??

 

To my way of thinking most of the individuals on this forum that select aftermarket wheels make their decision based primarily on appearance with other factors like performance coming in secondary. Cost is in there but seems to be very polarized - some will really value that aftermarket wheelset for <$1000 and others will readily pay $4000 for a set of nice forged wheels. Many of us just stick with the stock wheels. In general - from a performance standpoint - the stock wheels are not too bad of a choice. Finishes on stock wheels tend to hold up just as well as most aftermarket wheels and better than many aftermarket wheels. With wheels it truly does seem "you get what you pay for". When you suggested it's more of a non-issue for Vette owners due to an abundance of power you hit the nail on the head.

 

The Search utility at the top will produce many discussions of weight, unsprung and otherwise. But to address your question, yes there are many options available for aftermarket performance wheels/tires. The OEM wheels are very heavy, especially the chrome plated jobs.


My recommendation is CCW.

 

Well most of the time when people upgrade their wheels its to go wider and get better traction. While "some" of us concern ourselves with weight, we are in a very light car as it is for the power we put down. We're at the top of our class when it comes to performance cars.

One of the main gripes about the stock wheels is not just the weight, but the space for big brake kits. It limits what we can use.

 

In my opinion, unless you are going to do some serious racing with your Corvette, wheels are not an issue as far as weight goes. Like was previously said, aftermarket wheels for the most part are for looks only.

 

 

Only problem with the CCW's is that they seem to offer nothing but chrome. Called Zips today to ask about these since I'm looking for wheels to finish my rear widebody and they said no other finishes are available.

 

Not true, in fact they do just the opposite as they focus on performance.

 

Weight of wheels isnt as much a concern in a 400 plus hp car as it is in a Miata. Very little perfomance is lost, none that you can tell SOTP. I put Z06 size wheels(CCW) and tires as well as Z06 brakes( rotors much heavier than stock). I compensated the weight gain with a Super Charger.

My CCW wheels came from them powder coated Comp Grey.

 

This is part of the reason. With the Corvette there's so much power and the performance levels are so high (including the suspension) that variances between weights of wheels will have less overall impact (much less) than when similar changes are made to the Miata. As SimplyPHP indicated, the bigger concern is how to get all of the Corvette's power to the ground, rather than what weight will do to the cars performance.

The concerns are very different when you're working on a 2400lb car with a power to weight ratio of 15 lbs/hp vs. a 3200 lb car at 7/1.

Less weight is always good, but it's less of an issue when you start off with overkill.

 

I believe that the stock painted rims really are not that heavy as some might think.

 

 

My stock split spokes did not weigh as much as the HRE's I replaced them with, same size and width but different offset. I don't think the weight of wheels is a huge deal on Corvettes, unless maybe you are taking them to the track or buying something ridiculous.

I'm not sure what you mean by hulking beast, but in stock trim the Corvette is a pretty light car compared to most. Of course, they are heavy compared to a Miata. On second thought, compared to a Miata maybe a Corvette is a hulking beast, but a very good one.

 

Going for bigger breaks is going to add to the unsprung weight, which is giving you an opinion about weight as well, in a backwards sort of way. Even the base Corvette has very good brakes.

 

What? I didn't even know CCW offered chrome wheels.

 

It's possible that you're not reading the correct section of CF. If you read the Tech section or the racing section, there might be more concern.

My impression is similar to some of the above statements: in the General section, most are concerned with looks, increase in wheel sizes for looks, and/or more traction with wider tires/wheels. Weight is not much of a concern here. And it doesn't have to be to overcome an added, say, 5 lbs. per wheel, with over 400 hp and same for torque.

That said, as above mentioned, the stock base wheels are cast and not exactly heavy. The stock, but optional forged wheels are lighter and stronger but only come in one or two finishes (and only one style).

Unless you/we actually search for, or ask the question, it isn't always easy to find weights for aftermarket wheels that fit the C6. And that is also part of the issue: there aren't a whole lot of different wheels for the C6 in repro land.

I think it's generally understood that lighter (to a point) is better for many reasons. That said, there are some other reasons to go the other way, and there is even a downside to a lighter wheel that can't (potentially) stand up to the rigors of today's roads and streets. Esp. when you combine a super-light wheel with an even lower profile tire that affords very little "tire" separation from the imperfections in road surfaces.

That's my take on it and that's why I have the option wheels originally offered by Corvette. They work for me.

 

HUH??

CCW specifically does not offer chrome wheels.

They will, however, sell you their polished, forged aluminum wheels ready for plating, but you must get them chromed elsewhere and assume the risk.

Do some more research.

 

We don't. We will send them out to a plater of your choice if that is what you want. Currently we offer our high polish, black, clear or grey anodize and black, silver or Comp grey powder/paint. With the powder/paint you can do the entire wheel or just the center of the wheel. Our 3 piece line comes in polished finish, black, clear, grey or titanium anodize.

We are currently looking into Hyper black also.

Melissa
CCW

 

Having just put a new set of rims on my C6, I know the OP's confusion.

Generally, there are 2 ways to look at rims - regular and expensive. The vast majority of reproductions, etc. are "regular" - they are cast and slightly heavier than stock polished or chrome rims from the factory. If looks are what you want, this is the way to go because a set of 4 will run less than $1k. The weight penalty really isn't an issue since (a) our cars are quite light to begin with, and (b) they have way more power than a Miata. Think about it - a stock LS3 has about triple the horsepower of a Miata, but it only weighs about 700 pounds more.

If true performance and lighter weight are what you want, it is available from several sources, but you will pay through the nose for it - $4k for a set, easily. I ran across a set of carbon fiber rims from Germany at over $8k for a set. There is no such thing as a lighter yet cheaper rim in Vette world.

Personally, I'd never pay for a set of rims that expensive on a Vette. But, to each his/her own.

 

Thanks for the info. That's what I thought. With 400+ hp weight wouldn't be a big concern. The miata was lucky to do 120 hp on a cold moist day. My other concern would be inertia.. A lighter wheel can help accel, braking and turn-in... Not to mention unsprung weight can make it easier to control the suspension...