rikhek

I keep bending the C7 Z06 OEM wheels under spirited driving conditions. Anybody know if the OEM GS/Cup wheels are any stronger/better? I know they're 3 pounds lighter but the design looks "stouter".

Comments to the effect of "stop driving in potholes" will not prove beneficial...

TIA

Rick

badhabit_wb

Rick how are they bending? Haven't had any trouble with mine but I don't push it as hard as you do either.

Bill Dearborn

Seems like they might be bending across the hub area due to the heavy cornering loads. That would increase run out.

Bill

davepl

I won't tell you what to do. But I will ask what you do. You are hard on parts and cars in general!

So I won't say "stop doing that", as that's your business, but I am curious... how do you break so much stuff? Your roads can't be that much worse than everyone else's!

Is "spirited driving" code for "red and white track curb"? :-)

BTW, this isn't facetious or passive-aggressive... I'm genuinely curious, because SM used to tell people never to drive in Track mode on the street, which I never bought (they said it'd bend wheels). But let's say you drive 100% of time in Track mode, maybe there's truth in there somewhere!

Also curious where they bend (ie: rim edge would be road hazard, hub would be cornering loads, etc).

l2vette

I would like to know this as well, anyone have accurate data?

This would be helpful information as well.

BEZ06

I've got a set of the C7 GS Cup Wheels (exact same wheels as on the anniversary edition C6 GS - and actually mine are from a C6), and I've run at several track events with them. Mine are machined face with gray inside the spokes and rim, but they make them in pearl nickel, gloss black, satin black, and chrome:




I've been banging them over the curbing on the Rolex24 roadcourse at Daytona, as well as last week at VIR. I don't know how you're managing to bend yours!!

Here's a screenshot of Cosworth Toolbox data from VIR, and you can see the lateral G's with stock Sport Cup 2 ZP tires is pretty good. There were several corners where I pulled well more than 1.25 G's every lap, and I was banging over the curbing pretty well when doing it - although the inside wheels were the ones on the curbing, and most of the cornering load is on the outside wheels. I don't have any bending problems that I'm aware of.




And last year I ran the OE C7 Z06 wheels at VIR and a couple events at Daytona, and I never had any bending on them either.

So....I don't know whether the GS Cup Wheels are any stronger than the OE C7 Z06 wheels, but they are a little lighter, and the open spokes show off the big beautiful rotors and calipers better!!

.

YWZ08

^^^ And easier to clean!

MikeyTX

I don't even drive in track mode and I'm already on my second set of stock Z06 wheels. The only track time my car has seen is when I pulled it onto the track at SM before class so I could take the picture in my avitar. Between home, SM and back, I managed to knock three barrels out of round. And I am extremely careful to watch for potholes and or road debris. Sad fact of life, our highways suck. And, the Z06 wheels are too damn soft imho.

3 Z06ZR1

That's the wheel bending secret! TRACK mode!
I run touring mode 90 percent of the time and the rest in sport almost never run track mode.

We really have some nice roads they really having paving the roads.
Here vey nice to cruise here.

pika

Is there still risk of bending wheels while in Tour mode? NJ roads suck and this is really swaying my decision on going for the Z06 or GS and sticking with a regular Stingray... I don't want to keep having to fix them or buy forged wheels

my 370Z had forged wheels from the factory and I whacked a couple potholes and no bends

rikhek

I never run TRACK mode on the street. Typically TOUR or SPORT. I've bent the OEM wheels, rotary forged wheels and true forged wheels on the street.

Last ones to bend were forged and all it takes is a pavement cut for a utility crossing or repair with a "sharp" (i.e., 90 degree) transition/depresssion. I bent 3 forged wheels crossing one of these cuts at 75 mph. The cut/depression was less than 2" deep and I hit it straight on. I've never bent a wheel on track.

Causal analysis dictates accidents/undesired events are NEVER the result of a single cause. The theory in failure analysis is the "Principle of Multiple Causes". Specific to bending wheels on the C7Z there are a good number of multiple causes. For a "bad thing" to happen all of the multiple causes are encountered/occur simultaneously. Several of the many multiple causes that pop to mind relative to the topic at hand:

1. Thin sidewall on low profile tires.

2. Stiff sidewall construction.

3. Very wide wheels resulting in a large moment arm at the outside edge of the wheel.

4. Very tall (i.e., 19" and 20") wheels resulting in minimal structural support at the outside of the wheel. large moment arm.

5. Very wide wheels resulting in minimial structural support/strength along the entire barrel.

6. Thin, lightweight wheels.

7. Inadequate mechanical integrity/strength in wheel design.

8. Stiff suspension regardless of what mode you're running.

9. High speed shock compression is very slow to provide performance.

10. Limited shock travel for handling performance.

11. Roads with surface irregularities.

12. Etc, etc, etc.

Dig deep back into your grey matter to the days of Physics classes and the Conservation of Energy principle. Specifically, "energy can neither be created nor destroyed". The energy has to go somewhere when an event occurs. Typically the weakest part of the system as a whole absorbs/dissipates most of the energy.

Test question: Where is the weakest part of the system in the case of a car traveling on imperfact roads at somewhat high speeds with a stiff shock/spring suspension with relatively short shock travel utilizing tall, wide wheels and tires with stiff, thin sidewalls?

Winner, winner, chicken dinner...

Rick

P.S. MUCH too much discussion and significance is being placed on what suspension setting is being used. It really doesn't matter as it's a relatively MINIMAL contributing factor.

MikeyTX

They still forewarn the class not to run track mode on the street. I for one can understand why. Track surface is a hell of a lot better maintained than our public roads. Between the misaligned expansion joints, potholes, bridge decks that are not level with the road surface and, road debris, I'm surprised I got the 8,500 miles out of the first set of wheels. I am going to forged for the next set. I'm sorry I didn't with the second.