Lightest/best wheels & sizes for racing | FerrariChat

Lightest/best wheels & sizes for racing

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by luckydynes, Dec 8, 2007.

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  1. luckydynes

    luckydynes F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
    3,931
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    pit bull
    Hey all,

    I want to get another set of rims to keep race tires on and would like to stick with 16" wheels because I have 2 extra sets of wheels for my P race car that are 16's . . . fronts are 245-45-16 . . . same as the rears on the 308. Does it make sense to stay with 16" or is there significant gains going bigger? I guess one thing I just thought of was bigger brakes when the time comes . . . anything else?

    Not sure if this has been discussed, but isn't a 16" rim with tire lighter than a 17" rim with tire? Regarding sidewall deflection on 16" vs 17", the Hoosier's I run on the P car have no issues with sidewall deflection so I don't think that's a problem with good tires.


    Finally . . . . what brand? I have a set of BBS and a set of Bogart's for my P car.

    Thanks,


    Sean
     
  2. pad

    pad Formula 3

    Sep 30, 2004
    1,426
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    Paul Delatush
    A lot depends on the rotors and calipers you put on the car. In some cases, 16" will not give you the necessary clearance.
     
  3. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    7,765
    Nova Scotia Canada
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    Neil
    Don't you mean going smaller? Larger wheels have more material {heavier}.
     
  4. staatsof

    staatsof Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 13, 2005
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    Bob
    What sort of tires are you going to be using? What sizes in competition style tires are available to fit your car so that you can get the proper selection at a reasonable cost?
    Then see who makes lightweight rims that fit your car. You can get lightweight 3 piece forged aluminum rims in all sorts of sizes and offsets. I got a set of Forgeline custom and I mean very custom made for my track car. I went with these because I like to run slicks at times and at that point in time there were no 19" slicks. Call Forgeline directly not through a dealer. They gave me a big discount and I ended up paying about $550 a wheel for very strong, lightweight, 3 piece and totaly custom racing wheels.

    They sent me mock-up wheels so that I could verify all the clearance issues before hand. I'm not saying they always do this but I was sure impressed. David Schardt was the president at the
    time I ordered mine and Mark Schetter was the techincal guy. Both were top notch and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

    My wheels ended up being a little bit heavier than the original 18" 1 piece magnesium wheels which were NLA but now they're servicable.

    Good luck.

    Bob S.
     
  5. luckydynes

    luckydynes F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
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    pit bull
    Stock for now . . . will the girodisc, Superformance, or Brembo's work with 16's?

    Thanks
     
  6. luckydynes

    luckydynes F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
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    That's what I thought . .. want to stick with 16's if possible 'cause same size tires for rear as on front of P car.
     
  7. luckydynes

    luckydynes F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
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    pit bull

    Probably going to run Hoosiers . .. . that's about the cost I just got quoted for the Bogarts . .. I'm gonna weigh one with the tire on it when I go down the shop here in a bit.

    Thanks for the tip on Forgeline . .. I'll check them out too.

    Sean
     
  8. luckydynes

    luckydynes F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
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  9. Martin Meade

    Martin Meade Karting
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    Oct 25, 2004
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    Martin Meade
    Assuming you are talking about a 308, our brake kit fits under the 16" QV wheel so would surely fit most aftermarket 16" wheels.
     
  10. luckydynes

    luckydynes F1 Rookie

    Jan 25, 2004
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    pit bull
    Yeah I am . .. thanks
     
  11. thecarreaper

    thecarreaper F1 World Champ
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    Sep 30, 2003
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    Savannah
    #11 thecarreaper, Dec 17, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    i am going with a set of these in 17x9 and 17x11 on the Jalpa when the deal is done. wheels are by Compomotive. they have been great to talk to on the phone, and have made me comfortable with the idea of going forward with these wheels. they make Ferrari pattern wheels too.
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  12. davehelms

    davehelms F1 Rookie

    Jan 3, 2004
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    #12 davehelms, Dec 19, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Sizing race wheels has become a matter of what race rubber is redily available without breaking the bank these days.

    As mentioned, Forgelines are incredible, very light and strong. The MiM Speedlines (street wheels) are actually quite strong but a bit on the heavy side.

    Dave
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