Been looking at various wheels and like the replica ZR1's because they look factory. Wheels are a matter of personal taste, and I don't care for all the fancy alternatives available.
Got to thinking about the weight of the wheel (and don't forget bigger tires) and how it would affect a street car, especially one that is a daily driver.
So I did some checking and found the following:
OEM 16" 5 spoke weighs 19.5 lbs.
235 55 16 tire weighs about 25 lbs.
OEM 17" SW6/ZR1 chrome rim weighs 20.5 lbs.
275 40 17 tire weighs about 30 lbs.
Replica ZR1 painted 17x9.5 rim weighs aprox 25 lbs. (as per manufacture phone call)
The lightest wheel tire combo is the OE 16" 5 spoke w/235 50 16 totaling aprox. 44.5 lbs per wheel/tire.
Upgrade to an OE SW6 17" rim and the wheel/tire combo weight jumps to aprox 50.5 lbs per wheel/tire.
Upgrade to an replica zr1 17" rim and the wheel/tire combo weight jumps to aprox 55 lbs per wheel/tire.
So the heaviest wheel/tire is about 10.5 lbs heavier than the lightest OE wheel/tire.
I have upgraded wheels/tires on almost every car I owned, and never noticed an impact to performance due to the added weight. I have noticed the increased weight just from changing/installing the old/new tires. Yep, most after market wheels are heavier, and fatter tires weigh more than skinny tires. Gee, who would have thought.....
But now knowing that buying replica/aftermarket wheels and tires will add about 10 lbs per wheel/tire, it makes me wonder if there is an impact I might actually feel. Especially in light of changing the steel drive shaft to aluminum made a noticeable difference under very specific conditions. That was about a 10 lbs savings in rotating mass. Now heavier wheels/tires could add as much as 42 lbs to the rotating mass of the wheels.
Any one done a wheel/tire upgrade and notice a loss of performance or change in performance due to the extra weight?
How about shock/spring performance with the bigger weight hanging outboard?