Are my wheels slowing me down?

[jdubvdub]

I was wondering how much do you think my wheels are slowing me down? they are 18inch lexani's and I am not sure how much they weigh... also what would be a great lightweight 18inch wheel to consider?

[jdubvdub]

also does anyone know what the stock delta's weigh?

[SMG]

Just by the look of them you can tell the Delta-X's are a heavy wheel. Honestly, in a Turbo S I'd put the money you'd spend on lightweight wheels into motor mods. That's the best way to make up for the weight, and then you can enjoy any set of wheels you want.

[jdubvdub]

Thanx... Should I chip her, is that a complicated process?

[SMG]

Nope, not at all.

[NYBugman]

1) yes, you wheels are slowing you down. They're heavy to begin with and they're chrome, which adds weight.

If you want to go lightweight, then go with a 17" wheel. The new OZ Ultraleggera, which according to the Tire Rack weighs only 18lbs in 17x8, or 18.5 lbs in 18x8. They also have Enkei RPF1's, which are 15.5lbs for 17x8 and 18lbs in 18x8. Kosei K1 TS are 15lbs in 17x8.

2)As far as chipping your car goes, it is the easiest thing you can do in terms of performance. Look into REVO, GIAC and APR. Figure out which one you want and drive to the nearest dealer. They plug into your OBD2 port and upload the file(s) to your ECU. Wait a few minutes and you're all set. If there is no dealer close to you, then you can send your ECU out and most companies will next-day it back to you.

[afinley]

also, unitronic. i dont know if giac has a specific turbo s file. someone in town here is running on butchered giac software just trying to make it work...

yes your wheels do slow you down. but dont forget about your brakes. that extra inch of rotor adds alot of rotational inertia. talk to people with regular mk4s that did the TT brake upgrade and ask them if they could feel a difference in power

[jdubvdub]

Sweet thanx for the info guys, I appreciate it...

[NYBugman]

Originally Posted by afinley

talk to people with regular mk4s that did the TT brake upgrade and ask them if they could feel a difference in power

I run TT rotors and Boxster calipers and I notice no difference in the way my car handles or accelerates. I have heard that people feel a difference in terms of weight when they go from 11.3 to R32 13" brakes.

[afinley]

i went from a 2.0 to a turbo S (which comes with TT brakes) and didnt notice it being any slower

however, the people ive talked to who went from 11.3 to 12.1 or whatever the TT size says said they could tell. im sure alot of that is them just fooling themselves though

[yelojkt]

When I changed from my stock 16" wheels and tires and went with 18" wheels I added 42 pounds of rotating mass so I hurt my quarter mile times but I gained so much in handleing and looks. Since I will continue to autocross yelojkt I will get me a set of lightweight 17's to keep my tireweight down. I also went with a 13.1 front brake disc. But it is a two piece that sits on an aluminium hat so it is actually lighter two pounds lighter per side thatn my stock 11.3" rotors. I really need to get the lighter wheels and tires because I broke a axle at the strip so I installed Raxles "bullitproof axles" which I did not think about them being heavier until I started to put them on. So I weighed them and togather both axles weigh in at nine pounds heavier than the stock ones. So more rotational weight.

[jdubvdub]

very interesting...

[NYBugman]

Originally Posted by afinley

a turbo S (which comes with TT brakes)

Incorrect. Turbo S Beetles came with regular old 1.8T 11.3" brakes in front and 9" in change solid rotors in the rear. GTI 20thAE, 1.8T GLI and Audi TT's came with 12.3" rotors in front and 10.1" vented rear rotors.

[afinley]

odd, seeing that i own a turbo S, that came with TT brakes. and that tire rack stocks two different pads for 1.8t beetles, with one being the same part number from a TT...

[yelojkt]

Originally Posted by afinley

odd, seeing that i own a turbo S, that came with TT brakes. and that tire rack stocks two different pads for 1.8t beetles, with one being the same part number from a TT...

Did you buy your car new off of the dealer lot? Or did you buy it used?

[afinley]

i bought it from the original owner (who didnt change the brakes) they still have solid rotors in the rear. i hear all the time that BTSs dont have anything different other than the body kit and the tranny, so i had to go look it up:


so maybe its just an internet rumor that BTSs came with bigger brakes, but its fooled both me and tirerack

[NYBugman]

The calipers are the same for all 1.8T cars, regardless of rotor size. The different part numbers may be for different wear sensors. The only thing different about TT/20thAE brakes are the caliper carrier and the rotor, which is a full 1" larger in diameter (11.3 vs 12.3)

Check the part numbers for the ROTORS. Turbo S has the same as the other 1.8T's, but not the 20thAE/TT.

For example...

PN for Brembo drilled rotors for the Turbo S: 35917

PN for Brembo drilled rotors for the GLS 1.8T : 35917

PN for Brembo drilled rotors for the TT FWD: 35582

PN for Brembo drilled rotors for the TT w. Quattro: 35582

PN for Brembo drilled rotors for the GTI 20thAE: 35582

Don't believe me? Check out

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/mm...ors~parts.html

They list 11.3" rotors for both the NB 1.8T and the Turbo S.

[jdubvdub]

I learn so much from you guys

[karn_porsche]

Originally Posted by jdubvdub

I learn so much from you guys

I have learned a lot too. It's a good thread. I always think of my wheels weight because I feel heavy when I carry it, bigger and wider than 17" stock but it still spin free sometimes when the gear changes . I'm going to put 13.1" rotors on, so I would find the new set of wheels.

BTW: NYBugman! How much weight are your nice BBS rims? Are they 18"? Are the iforged or jline wheels lighter in the same size?

[NYBugman]

Originally Posted by karn_porsche

BTW: NYBugman! How much weight are your nice BBS rims? Are they 18"? Are the iforged or jline wheels lighter in the same size?

The BBS CH in 18x8.5 weighs in at 23lbs, according to The Tire Rack. That's very light for a cast 18" wheel. My previous wheels were 18x8 Mille Miglia Evo5's and they were noticeably heavier than the CH's. The CH's feel like they weigh as much as my old set of 17x8 Borbet VM's.

IForge or Jline would probably weigh in around the same or a little less, but those are show wheels and not a wheel I would label as a performance wheel. Same goes for HRE, imo. I've been to plenty of track events and I've never seen an iForge or Jline wheel at any of them, and i've seen maybe 2 sets of HRE's and one set was on the car of a guy who was only going to DE events for status among his yuppie friends. P.S. He bent one of them and was not allowed to track his car for the rest of the weekend.

If you're looking to spend money on a track-proven lightweight wheel, try Fikse, CCW and Kodiak for a custom solution, or BBS for something off the shelf. When I'm walking around the paddock those are the 4 brands of wheels you see, besides OEM (usually made by Ronal, Borbet, or BBS). I can personally vouch for the quality of all 3 brands, as I have handled Fikse's and CCW's, own a set of Kodiaks on our track car, and my CH's ride much smoother than all my other previous sets of wheels. A smooth ride is a sure sign of a quality wheel because is means that tolerances are high at the factory. I know my CH's took a lot less weight to balance than both my Borbets and my Mille's.

Of course, there are lots of compromises one has to make, like looks vs. weight, diameter, clearances, cost, etc. For me, the BBS CH is almost ideal because they have the looks of an 18" wheel, clear my brakes, and are lightweight for their size, and I got them used from a local for a VERY fair price.