Megell Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I am looking to replace the stock alloy rims on my 91 Legacy ss. I want to keep 15" on the car instead of larger wheels. Tire Rack has some 5 spoke alloys that weigh 13.5 lbs and another set that I liked are 15.4 lbs. That's nearly two lbs difference per wheel. I am leaning torward the lighter of the two because is seems that it takes less engergy to turn a lighter wheel that a heavier one. What would you guys choose? Is that 7+ lbs really that much difference. Thanks for your opinions. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Go lighter if you can afford it. If you're gonna be rough to the wheels, then you might wanna go for strength over weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megell Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 Go lighter if you can afford it. If you're gonna be rough to the wheels, then you might wanna go for strength over weight.[/quote Thanks for the reply Storm. The 13.5 lb. 5 spoke alloys from Tirerack is $76.00 each and made in China. The 15.4 lb ones are similar in design and are made in Malaysia and not much more. Durability is good as I live in Colorado mountian area with varying degrees of road conditions. Gas mileage is an issue to and I thought that even 7 lbs might help a tiny bit with rolling resistance. Thanks again, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Go lighter if you can afford it. If you're gonna be rough to the wheels, then you might wanna go for strength over weight.[/quote Thanks for the reply Storm. The 13.5 lb. 5 spoke alloys from Tirerack is $76.00 each and made in China. The 15.4 lb ones are similar in design and are made in Malaysia and not much more. Durability is good as I live in Colorado mountian area with varying degrees of road conditions. Gas mileage is an issue to and I thought that even 7 lbs might help a tiny bit with rolling resistance. Thanks again, Mike Reducing spinning mass will free up a few ponies for better acceleration mostly. Rolling resistance is tire related. For most of us, it comes down to a compromise between looks ,strength and weight. I saved about 3.5 pounds per corner - can't say I really felt the difference, but I like the way the car looks. Ultimately, if you don't get the ones that appeal to you, you might regret it. Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastwgn286 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 wouldn't it depend on where the extra weight is? if its two pounds heavier at the center, then they would have the same basic moment of inertia, which is what makes the wheels so hard to turn anyways.... i know you won't be able to find out where the extra weight is. just pick the wheels you like, pay for em, mount em, and enjoy em....(and possibly post pics! i can never see too many pics....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_for_LIfe Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I'm all for a compromise. Here's what you should do, just go ahead and get the heavier set that you like a lot, then cut down on beer and burgers for a month or two and loose at least 7lbs off your body. You win, your Subie wins, it's a win-win situation :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastwgn286 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 lose the beer and burgers!?! Nooooo..... :drunk: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 [...]Is that 7+ lbs really that much difference. The wheels contribute to what is known as "unsprung weight". This can affect several things, and you might want to look into it a bit further. A decent explanation can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_weight . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 i can notice a difference when i go from my steelies (15") to my forester alloys (16").... but... it's not a good difference... grrr to my gearing but they look ohhh so nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Megell, I went to 16" on my 91 SS (2.5 RS wheels) I kept the same aspect ratio so the speedo would be accurate The weight is about 1.5 ~2 lb less per- compared to the factory turbo wheel. The ride was not compromised but the handling improved notably, fuel economy stayed about the same. The width of the tire and it's pressure effect the rolling resistance more than the wheel weight. just another point to consider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megell Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 Thanks guys, I appreciate all that great information, especially the unsprung weight link and the picture of Skips 91ss. It's really inspirational to see what others have done to their Sports Sedans. The three most wanted upgrades for my 91SS is Paint (which I am working on right now), Wheels ( I should have waited to put on brand new 15" rubber on the old turbo wheels, Drat!) and window tint (which I am bidding on ebay). Although money is an issue right now, I am hoping for a quick sale of my mountain cabin/property (showing it perspective buyer this morning (wish me luck). Then I'll have the $$ to do whatever I want to the car. Meanwhile as I try to recover from the suggestion of cutting down on my daily beer allotment (double Gasp!)(not that me wifey and my cat wouldn't agree with you)....I remain inspired to improve my new ride thanks to all the great information from this forum. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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