hi everyone. i have a 95 gle with 14-spoke oem rims & i'm thinking about getting steel wheels/covers for winter driving. is there any difference in how the car handles/rides between the 2, or is it just cosmetic? thanks for any help- i really appreicate it. ps- i also posted this in the general discussion forum. hope that's ok?
maury

 

Stock Maxima 15" steel wheels are light. They weigh 20 pounds each, including the valve stem. This is lighter than some models of stock Maxima alloy wheels. Therefore "steelies" may actually perform better than alloys.
Less unsprung weight ==> better handling.
Less rotating mass ==> faster acceleration.

You may be able to get a set of used "steelies" at no cost, from a Maxima owner who replaced them with alloys. I did.

 

There should be very little difference between the performance of 15" steel and alloy stockers. They weigh practically the same.

 

I have a 95 SE. I had the 8 spoked alloys. When I got my 17'' Konig's, I took the stock wheel/tire and weighed it. It only weighed 39 pounds. I then took my 17x8 Konigs wrapped in NanKang tires, weighed them, and they only weighed 41 pounds! The rims by themselves only weigh 20 pounds each also, same as stock.

BUT, much to my dismay, I felt I lost a tad bit of high end power. As I was driving on the highway, I turned off the overdive and floored it. It was responsive, but not as responive as when the stock wheels were on.

So heres my point. Even if you find a light bigger wheel, your max still has to work a lil harder to turn them becuase of their size. It sucks, but its the price you have to pay for good looks.

 

Even if the new combo is the same weight as the stockers, since the new combo places more weight near the edge of the wheel, it has a higher moment of inertia than the stock combo. This means it's harder to turn.

 

Yep, high speed acceleration is definitely slower with my 17"'s than with my stocker 15's. I remember getting up to 120 was no problem with the stockers, but with my 17's, the acceleration slows noticably at around 110, and then slowly slowly climbs from there. But then who goes 110 anyways. The tradeoff in performance 17's vs. 15's is dramatic and worth every penny.

 

Ahem... I think you forgot to mention....

Less unsprung weight ==> better handling AND RIDE due to the wheel assmbly being able to react more easily to irregularities in the road....

Less rotating mass ==> faster acceleration AND deceleration (i.e. braking)

-V

 

Right on all counts!

 

thanks guys! i'll continue looking for cheap steely's now that i know they don't suck
have a great day
maury