Wheel weight
03-04-2009, 07:16 PM
#1
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Location: Indiana
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Wheel weight
Yes, I tried search and google and other forums! Does anyone know the weight of the factory 18" and 19" wheels?
Older vehicles information about wheel weights is easy to find, but I can't find the 7th generation weights.
Older vehicles information about wheel weights is easy to find, but I can't find the 7th generation weights.
03-05-2009, 01:06 PM
#2
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Location: Indiana
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answer
The 19" weighs 27# so the 18 is about 25# or a shade under judging by wheel weights on tirerack.
I'm thinking of going down to 17's with lighter tires and saving over 9# per wheel 38# total.. all in unsprung weight. Nascar and F1 use 15 inch wheels, so I have read. I can't guarantee that is true.
There is a dyno test on another car forum where a 24 pound drop in unsprung weight by going back to stock 18's from 20's gained 20 HP and torque with no other changes. So, a 38 lb drop???? There likely wouldn't be as much gain dropping from 18 to 17 as from 20 to 18 because of the leverage factor in turning a bigger wheel with the weight farther away from center, but braking and handling improved greatly in other tests I read. And with a 38 lb drop in total wheel weight as opposed to 24 in the dyno test, 20+ HP and torque should be easy.
Also a fatter sidewall tire will give for better straight line traction because it flexes a little and reduces hop and rides much better....looking at 225/55x17.
This is the end of this bit of heresy...I didn't make this stuff up, just bored and retired and it isn't golf season yet! I am just a reporter and not out to defend the points that were researched.
I'm thinking of going down to 17's with lighter tires and saving over 9# per wheel 38# total.. all in unsprung weight. Nascar and F1 use 15 inch wheels, so I have read. I can't guarantee that is true.
There is a dyno test on another car forum where a 24 pound drop in unsprung weight by going back to stock 18's from 20's gained 20 HP and torque with no other changes. So, a 38 lb drop???? There likely wouldn't be as much gain dropping from 18 to 17 as from 20 to 18 because of the leverage factor in turning a bigger wheel with the weight farther away from center, but braking and handling improved greatly in other tests I read. And with a 38 lb drop in total wheel weight as opposed to 24 in the dyno test, 20+ HP and torque should be easy.
Also a fatter sidewall tire will give for better straight line traction because it flexes a little and reduces hop and rides much better....looking at 225/55x17.
This is the end of this bit of heresy...I didn't make this stuff up, just bored and retired and it isn't golf season yet! I am just a reporter and not out to defend the points that were researched.
03-05-2009, 08:44 PM
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
Posts: 8,143
[QUOTE=Mick7;6912326] Also a fatter sidewall tire will give for better straight line traction because it flexes a little and reduces hop and rides much better....looking at 225/55x17. QUOTE]
The 225/55X17 tire is perfectly sufficient for handling the '09 Maxima's weight, will give some of the advantages they claimed in straightline movement, and will offer a very comfortable ride. Of course the lateral handling will suffer, and we wouldn't want to test this on a slalom course. But life is full of unusual choices. This is not a 'Maxima-like' approach to modding, and I'm just as glad you don't plan on doing this to your baby.
The 225/55X17 tire is perfectly sufficient for handling the '09 Maxima's weight, will give some of the advantages they claimed in straightline movement, and will offer a very comfortable ride. Of course the lateral handling will suffer, and we wouldn't want to test this on a slalom course. But life is full of unusual choices. This is not a 'Maxima-like' approach to modding, and I'm just as glad you don't plan on doing this to your baby.
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