I need to know a couple of different types of rims that would be recommended for use on the track. I'm looking for something light weight that has reputiable name.

 

Kosei K1's

 

Lowenhardt......preferrably 22" or larger.

 

Dayton's

 

How about Honda?

Seriously - unless you are running in sanctioned races, just about any wheel will connect tires to your car. The money would be better spent on the tires themselves or on additional track time.

Kirk

 

possibly inexpensive yet durable enough and light-
enkei, rota, kosei and cast wheels from some of the mfg'ers below.....

more expensive-
racing hart, volk, weld, panasport, work, buddyclub, spoon/desmond, mugen

 

Contrary to popular belief, all wheels are not made equal. It's down-right silly to think that they are. The type of wheel to use depends on the application (of course). If you are an aggressive track driver, then I highly recommend you pay a little bit more money and stick with a wheel manuf. that has a name in the business. If you are more the type to do the occassional auto-x for fun, then most wheels will work fine.

I personally have my RSX shod with BBS wheels (about $600/ea), here's why: When I have her out on the track, I fully intend to drive it 10/10ths. Now figuring that a 3000lb RSX will impart a side load on the wheel of 2850lbs at 0.95g and 3000-4000lbs fore-and-aft at up to 1.5g braking, the wheel sees some pretty good abuse. Granted most wheels will take this sort of loading...for a little while. Any mechanical engineer will tell you that one of the MOST common modes of failure in racing is fatigue. To describe it briefly, fatigue is caused by repeatedly stressing a material until it eventually fails (like repeatedly bending a piece of sheet-metal until it snaps). This mode of failure is the most overlooked and can be very hard to detect. For instance, take the said RSX wheel above: after a few seasons of this type of punishment, very small cracks can begin to form in the areas of highest stress. These cracks are pretty much invisible to the untrained eye, but they WILL eventually cause the wheel to fail.

Don't think this concerns you? Some food for thought: A friend of mine works for GM and occasionally drives test vehicles at their proving grounds. One of the driver tests is to force the car into a spin on a simulated half-ice patch. They normally use Grand Ams with stock wheels (stock wheels are actually very strong...most are designed to withstand loads 1.5 - 2 times their rated maximum). They have actually had the wheels SNAP OFF of the car during a spin!!!

So the bottom line is that I paid top dollar for my wheels because I don't have access to a magnaflux machine after every track event. A properly designed wheel will be less apt to stress-cracking from fatigue than a 22" no-name that exists purely for looks. The $2400 spent is great insurance to not total the car or end up in a wheelchair after the wheels fail and I go end-over-end into the retaining wall. I also tend to pay alot for my helmets and safety equipment too.
Saving a couple of bucks is not worth your life...unless you're a lawyer!

Some good wheels (not a complete list): BBS, Mugen, Enkei, Racing Hart, OZ Racing, Fittipaldi, etc.

Oh! If your interested in learning more about the wonders of fatigue, check out a book by Carroll Smith (I think Prepare To Win is the title...I don't know at the moment cause I'm not home). He does an excellent job on the subject and really drills home the fact that every race-car driver/owner should know this stuff...there would be a lot less "stupid" crashes.


[Modified by archmanrsx3, 11:48 PM 12/21/2002]

 

Volk TE37

 

thanks alot archman, your input was greatly appreciated and I'm going to take your advice.

 

Think nothing of it! I'm just glad to help. No one person knows everything, so I think that's why it's so important to have places like Honda-Tech to share information like this. Actually, this is the big reason why I turned to imports and import-racing: people in these fields are generally more knowledgeable about the performance of their cars. What I can't stand is those who spew their mouth off about things they don't know...like I'm gonna really believe a guy's word on turbos if all he's ever done is watched his buddy put a tranny in a 79 Ford pickup!!

I just hope that H-T continues to have good people who know their stuff and can help others out. I got into engineering because: 1) I like to design things and 2) I love learning about new stuff. I love that the import scene allows me to do both.

Most importantly: never be afraid to ask about something you don't know. Screwing up in the wrong area can get you killed easy enough, especially when it involves taking a 2000lb machine and hurtling it around a track at the very limits of physics. Don't let anyone ever make you feel stupid for asking either...chances are they ask the same "stupid" question themselves at some point.

...Just remember to keep the sticky rubber-side down.


[Modified by archmanrsx3, 8:50 PM 12/23/2002]

 

I just used my Rota Slipstreams and they worked great.

 

archmanrsx, great, i hope there are more members like u on this board.