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Road Wheel Weights Can Affect Your Vehicle's Show...and Go
Wheel style is usually the first consideration when selecting new aftermarket wheels because most wheels are purchased for their different-than-factory styling which helps personalize the vehicle's looks to match its driver's tastes. After that comes the functional requirements of selecting a wheel diameter, width and offset that are right for the vehicle and appropriate for the desired tire size.
While all wheel styles evolve, there are some classic wheel designs that are almost timeless, including some of the basic five-spoke, six-spoke and cross-spoke designs. And since the look of many of these classic designs has evolved from racing wheels, their form follows function. This means that their basic design helps the engineer balance style, strength and weight. On the other hand, there are also fashion wheels which, like clothing, tend to change their look with the seasons. And with many of the fashion wheel designs, their function follows fashion. This means that their designer (not engineer) places emphasis on style over weight. Additionally, because most of the fashion wheels are expected to have relatively short life cycles, the design the engineer receives to put into production places emphasis on the ability to manufacture them economically in small volumes. Unfortunately, this normally precludes using the most recent high tech manufacturing methods.
However, not so obvious is the role that wheel weight plays in determining the vehicle's overall ride, performance and feel. This is why so many new vehicles have replaced the less expensive rolled, stamped and welded steel wheels with cast aluminum alloy wheels.
Ever since the development of the original mag wheels, which actually used a magnesium alloy to reduce wheel weight on the race cars of the 1950s, lightweight wheels, where they are allowed by the rules, have been used to enhance vehicle performance in almost all forms of racing. And while the generic mag name is still used today, most magnesium alloy wheels are too fragile for daily street use and are very limited in their finish options allowing only painting or polishing (and frequent polishing of magnesium wheels is required due to magnesium's willingness to oxidize). In modern times, the most common uses for magnesium wheels are on Champ Cars, Indy, Formula 1 and GT cars where the race team's continuous monitoring and testing can confirm their strength and durability between events. Mag wheels used on modern race cars are often forged or use some other high tech manufacturing process and special magnesium alloys to reduce the weight while they retain the ability to handle the high loads. Fortunately for the rest of us, the wheel manufacturers have also developed lightweight aluminum alloy wheels that provide the appropriate street durability and numerous finish options while they reduce weight.
A vehicle's total weight is the sum of all of its parts and affects its ability to accelerate, brake and corner. Reducing the total weight will enhance the vehicle's performance because less weight needs to be controlled and therefore, less energy is required. Unsprung weight is the weight under the springs which moves up and down as the vehicle rides over uneven roads and leans in the corners. Reducing unsprung weight allows the springs and shock absorbers to be more effective in controlling the suspension's movement. Additionally, a vehicle's rotational weight includes all parts that spin including everything in the vehicle's driveline from the engine's crankshaft to its wheels and tires. This affects the energy required to change speed as the vehicle accelerates and brakes. As you would guess, reducing the weight of any of these rotating components will enhance the vehicle's performance because less energy will be required to increase or decrease their speed."
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"Svi imaju pravo na mišljenje i svi ga imaju pravo izreći, ali ako iznosite mišljenje o temi o kojoj pojma nemate, onda dozvolite i drugima, koji o tome nešto znaju da vam kažu da ste budala."
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