I know this is bench racing but i am just trying to get a general idea. I have a crx that i am preparing for sts. I am frugal, but i will spend money if it will makes a significant difference. I am looking at two wheels; the one is $95 and weighs 13 pounds, the other is $200 and weighs 9.5 pounds. I would just like to know what kind of difference in time 3.5 pounds on each wheel would make in a typcial 45 second course. Obviously this is only an estimate. i just want to know if it would be a matter of a tenth or a couple of seconds.

Thanks

 

All things considered equal, the lighter wheel will be quicker. How much? No one will be able to tell you since the biggest variable will be you...the driver.

IMHO, the money would be better spent on more driving time.

 

Ok, so on a mid pack national level driver, how much of a difference will it make?

I have been autoXing long enough to know the most important thing you can buy is seat time. I can only spend so much on seat time as there are only a limited amount of weekends in a month.

 

I can tell the $200 wheel is an Enkei RPF1, the 13 lb could be a few things maybe a Rota Slip? Anyway, check out the Falken Hanabi, it's $100 each and 11.4 lb or so. Good compromise.

By the way, light wheels are a good investment, it WILL make a difference in your times in Auto-X. However, so does more experience...

If I didn't have huge brakes, I'd rock the RPF1's hands down, probably 2 sets

 

$200 for 15x7 RPF1's (=9.5lbs)!? You can get them for less than that.

I too am a firm believer in seat time being the most important investment. However, I don't think purchasing light weight wheels will adversely affect your learning curve.

98specR, who rocks RPF1's and loves them, perhaps enough to even get another set.

 

If you're midpack nationally, you probably know what you're doing behind the wheel somewhat. Given that, since you ARE midpack, it might be lack of car prep keeping you from the front. Wheels are one part of that equation. If, on the other hand, your driving could still use significant improvement, maybe consider an upper-level Evolution school? That's a way to cram way more driving time into a weekend, as opposed to just an autox.

 

As someone once said, "Weight is evil. Unsprung weight is the devil."

I'd go for the lightest wheels you can afford. You'll be using them for a long time.

 

if there are only 1 event per month,, save the money and apply it to other areas that will benifit your driving.

buy a cheap go-kart to practice in!! your driving skills will go up more than you could imagine!!

No doubt the wheels are better being lighter. especially on the front. I just faced this same choice. I bought the wheels , but now i wish i saved the money cause i blew up a motor this weekend!!

 

in a grassroots mag. they did a back to back wheel wieght test, and the times were the same, they did like a best of three lap times. only thing i would think i would change is the how fast the suspension reacts and the other varibles with unsprung weight.

 

What kind of car was this done on?

 

Where at?

 

yes its the rpf1, the other is a knock off (drag dr-21). I can't find the Hanabi anywhere, edge racing is now out of business.

I know it will make a difference in time. My question is by how much?

I don't understand why this is that complicated.

 

Maybe because people are doing things other than back-to-back timed tests swapping only wheels? I'd be surprised if you could find any REAL data to back it up. The physics makes sense, if you're going to do it, I'd base it on that. Lighter = mo' betta.

I'll annoy you a little more and ask this though: is the rest of your car prepared to the limit of the rules? Nice, fresh motor? Lightweight whatevers (exhaust, header, removal of everything possible, etc.)? Blingtastic shocks? I think all those (minus the lightweight business) would make a bigger difference in times. I would think wheels would be one of the last parts of the "to-the-limit-car" equation.

 

Then you fail to consider all the variables involved and I really don't understand how that is possible for you.