I would like some help in my quest for knowledge concerning Tires, Rims and the Air inside them. When measuring a tire do we include all three factors to determine weight?

What are some of the top tires that are the lightest ?

What are the some of the lightest rims ?

 

volk, ssr, oz and I don't judge tires on weigh so I have no clue

 

Rota Subzeros are light, the 17's are around 16lbs. I don't know about the tires though?

 

The lightest Max performance tire line out there is the Pirelli P9000 followed closely by the Toyo T1-S.

As far as wheels go take a trip over to www.wheelweights.net and sort by weight. Just asking which are the lightest is like asking which car is the lightest, there's only about 80 trillion to choose from and what do you consider "light?" Do you want to know what the lightest wheel in the world is that will fit on your maxima? I don't know but it doesn't matter because I almost guarantee you can't afford a set of them. I'm not trying to be mean you're just asking a very vague question here. You need to set yourself some parameters (cost, size, etc) and then start asking what's within your means.

 

Look into getting some carbon-fiber rims. They should only cost you about $3,000.



per rim!

 

My ASA LS5 17X7 rims weigh 17lb each. With my 235/45 Sumitomo HTR+ and air, the combo weighs ~41 lbs or one pound less than my 15" sawblades with new 215/60 Sumitomos. My car is still quicker with the 15s though simply because more weight is centered around the hub and the 215 have much less rolling resistance (.6" narrower contact patch).


Dave

 

The 19" Centerline's I'm ordering soon weigh 15 pounds each.

 

What design are you getting and what tire/size?

 

By http://www.wheelweights.net I'd say he's getting the Centerline RPM which can be seen here:
http://www.fastwrx.com/cernterlinerpm.html

jeeeez, I didn't know they had 19s that light. I just hope that they are strong, a bunch of guys on a miata forum had problems with denting SSR Comps on 50 series tires.

 

Hey, thanks for posting ! So its at least safe to say that the Pirelli P9000 or Toyo T1-S are going to be a light tire. I still have the stock 16's on and im making plans to upgrade the tires and rims. I would love 18's but I want to the weight down. So im going to go with a 17 or 18.
The reason I posted was because of my lack of experience in this area and all the post are very appreciated. On the rims I like the look of the Konig Verdicts in silver but they seem to be on the heavy side, and the SSR Competitions are looking like a good rim. But as your were saying cost can be high and Im pushing it to scrape up the money for SSR's so anything over that is way out of whack for me. What are your thoughts on the Pirelli or Toyos with SSR Comps ? In 17's or 18's versus the stock 16 setup ?

 

I'll be getting 19s for sure in a black ice finish.

 

remember that lighter rims are more prone to bending as well. yeah, that's what I tell myself, as my rims are nearly 24lbs each... But the wheels have held up well so far...

 

Both Weld and Centerline make lightweight wheels. Check Jeg's latest catalog or their website (www.jegs.com) with the p/n's I've listed below.

Weld Racelite R/S 17x7 (927-92-7715Z) and 18x7 (927-92-87115Z), both available in 5x114.3 (40mm offset). Total wheel weight is under 13 lbs.

Centerline RPM (418 & 420 Series) and Excel (424 & 426 Series) styles both weigh in at 13lbs (17x7 only). Also 40mm offset, and 1200lb load rating. Check them out...

 

thanks for the post, i have been looking over these

 

So what do you think about them? Weld is what I've used for several of my vehicles. Centerline, I dunno 'bout them...

 

Thats not always the case. Most of the lighter rims are made better and are alot stronger than the cheaper heavier rims.


Mine have held up very well.

 

I second that notion, mine have been holding up very well too. TE37s are known for their strength and they just happen to be lightweight too, which would explain why they cost so much. I haven't heard any member on this forum mention a bent TE37, but then again, there aren't that many of us with them, maybe only like 10-15 on this board, possibly more.

But yes, there is a such thing as a cheap lightweight rim, I've heard a few stories about bending SSR Competitions here: http://www.villacorte.com/miata/ssr-comp-problems/

Other rims could possibly suffer these strength problems too, always be careful when selecting lightweight rims.

 

I have my springs and shocks which are soon to go on. Im also close on putting on the sarona sides and rear and stillen front. Is it possible to make 16's look good with this setup ? What could be done ? Just thought I would see if any ideas and photos are out there.

 

As long as you have springs, it looks just fine:

 

can you change the tire size on the stock 16 inch rim for a possible sportier look or is that trouble or impossible.

 

Its always possible. Just might look funny, or hurt acceleration times, or possibly put more strain on the tranny. A little shouldn't hurt though. They say with cars that you can change the tire diameter 5% and be okay. But that's pretty general statement.

 

Bogart 7lb. wheels
Nitto 555R drag radials

 

In selecting rims as long as they are 5x114.3 (40mm offset)everything should be fine, right ? I will be lowering the car and putting on the sarona kit(sides N rear with stillen front ) and i want to go 18 but might go 17 if its going to kill performance. What does anyone know about the nakayama racing rims? Like 6 speeds ..are they light ?

 

Would this work on a 97 maxima with eibach pro kit springs and kyb agx shocks ? anyone see a problem?
Nakayama 6 Speed
Size: 17X7 5-114.3 42S
Size: 18X7.5 5-114.3 45S

 

Neither of those will be a problem.

As for your question about tires the Toyo T1-S is the superior tire in all aspects, the P9000 is just a tiny bit lighter. I've got T1-Ss

 

Do you recommend a certain place online to purchase the toyo's? Has anyone heard anything about the Nakayama's?

 

The 6 Speeds, while pretty, are a heavy 23lbs in the 17" size.


Dave