pmihaltian

What is the best rim size for ZO6 drag radials. Also, are there any strong light weight carbon fiber wheels available for Z06 or 427 convertibles?

P

erick_e

WeaponX has been advertising a carbon fiber wheelset for 8K.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...on-wheels.html

SHovV

Carbon Revolutions. But they're expensive

njk4o5

wonder if you can just get rears for $4k?

I don't see the need for the fronts unless your vette is AWD

SHovV

^^^That doesn't make any sense

MikeOC

Weight on the front wheels creates gyroscopic stability, decreasing turning response.

pkincy

I posed that Q to the President of HRE this weekend at his Corvette Open House. He answered it that they were looking at it, but saw 2 problems; first carbon fibre is strong along the grain but not strong perpendicularly to the grain and wheel force is perpendicular to the grain (potholes etc.). So they were finding that to make the wheel strong enough the wheels were ending up nearly as heavy as a good monoblock. He did mention that a couple of manufacturers were making good CF wheels, but there is the cost. He did like the folks that are making the GT350R wheel for Ford but as yet I don't know if they make a wheel for us.

MikeOC

The previously mentioned Carbon Revolutions is the mfg for the GT350R's wheels. They have already made a set Corvette wheels for the Halltech ULZ700.

Carbon Revolutions wheels passed Germany's wheel tests to include potholes if I'm not mistaken.

Ben@WeaponX

Yes I can do drag radials for the rear and skinnies for the front in carbon if you wanted them.

ESEs are less than half the price right now

Yes you can do just the rears and the weight reduction is 30lbs of rotating mass on rims alone.

Suns_PSD

I'd like to see CF barrels (where the rotational weight is) with different aluminum centers available for looks and offsets. That would be more cost effective.

I can tell you that CF wheels on a Mountain Bike or roadrace motorcycle are just a retarded improvement. It's HUGE. I'd take it over another 100 hp any day of the week personally.

Weight is the enemy when building a high performance car.

pkincy

Yes he mentioned the German test as being the most stringent.

CW4L

Actually that is also available but what we have seen is the thru bolts over time come loose with the Carbon outers. The thru bolt holes expand on the carbon and thus the bolts loosen and all sorts of bad things have happened. But there are definitely full Carbon Barrels available but from what I've seen they as well have not been successful. This is exactly what HRE was going for with the launch of their Carbon series but hiccups over the last few years and never launched. All is perfect in theory but in reality just never been a sustainable Carbon Wheel for a sports car that has held up over years.

I am waiting for the day that it comes about but until there is alot more data and testing we aren't going to be trusting our cars to unknown wheels just too many variables despite the weight savings.



I'm in for a set of Carbon Revolutions if they offer LIFETIME GUARANTEE ON STRUCTURE and also that they won't be out of business in two years. The warranty wont mean a thing if the company isn't there which is why we truly are staying away from this market for now until there is alot more proof, we saw the Dymags and several others FAIL MISERABLY.

Ben@WeaponX

A fine lesson in never take a salesman's word for something when he's selling against it LOL

"To give you a little background about carbon fiber manufacturing, we can only explain how our patented manufacturing process is superior to Carbon Revolution’s. Our patented Next Generation Autoclave Process (NGAP) ensures the strongest mechanical properties in any of our carbon fiber composites, including our wheels. Because we are curing our components in our industrial sized autoclave, before hardening, they are being subjected to high pressures compressing the carbon fiber and resin on a molecular level, eliminating imperfections normally seen in processes that don’t use an autoclave. NGAP carbon fiber composites result in stronger mechanical properties or better yet, superior products.

Why is it a superior product? Carbon Revolution is not curing their wheels in an autoclave. I’m sure their wheels are passing OEM tests as carbon fiber composite wheels should be stronger than aluminum wheels. But when comparing CF composite wheels to CF composite wheels, it is proven that autoclave cured products have superior strength, stiffness, durability and are even lighter in weight.

As per SAE and TUV certification, there is no such certification for carbon fiber wheels, YET. Yes, our wheels have passed all of the SAE tests including the numerous cornering tests. Our head engineer is on the board of SAE (Society of American Engineers) assisting with writing the strictest of rules for a future SAE carbon fiber composite wheel certification. As of right now though, we can only put the wheels through the standard alloy wheel tests that are available.

So to conclude, we autoclave cure our wheels… Carbon Revolution does not. Did I mention that they are also double the price? "

SHovV

Carbon Revolutions does in fact offer a lifetime guarantee on their wheel structure, and a 5 year guarantee on the finish.


http://www.carbonrev.com/faq

CW4L

Carbon Revolution is Lifetime Guarantee, I dont sell any Carbon products and no competition just fact guys. As stated we WILL NOT sell any Carbon wheels till they are proven so no sales talk. We had numerous HRE Carbon orders but there were issues so Ill stay skeptical till a few years goes by, love Carbon wheels and double the money for a proven product used on a production race mustang I believe is worth the expense. If other Carbons were superior and half the cost I think Ford would have liked to save some money too, LOL!! Cant compete as we sell neither line speaking from facts and there at least 3 other carbon wheels in competition but zero history means alot!!!

HRE has been around a longggg time if they had issues I tend to believe its more than just making a Carbon wheel is all.

To Conclude Carbon Revolution Wheels are on Production Race Cars, others are not, whats Superior I'll leave that to each individual to determine. If Apples were compared to Apples and Ford could have saved Millions think they would have?? You make the call on that.

Moving on....

pmihaltian

Interesting; thanks for all the insight & commentary.

P.