BIGGER WHEELS = SLOWER CAR???, can you say INERTIA??? Options

[pflau]

just wondering.... do bigger wheels make the car accelerate slower and stop longer because of the greater rotational inertia??? yes I know big wheels make steering more responsive.. so maybe going from 15 to 16 makes sense.. but 17 and 18???? do some people sacrifice performance for look???

phil

[sirrahtap]

QUOTE (pflau @ Apr 13, 2003 - 11:21 AM)

hey maybe I worry too much... let me think about it again.. that little extra inertia at the perimeter of the wheel would be nothing comparing to the inertia of the 2700lb car acting on the tire.. just think about it... if you were to cruise down the road and drop the clutch.. what keeps the wheels spining is the inertia of the car acting on the tires acting on the wheels.. so what is that extra 20lbs for a beefier set of wheels??? you can compensate for that by losing weight.. (or picking a skinnier rider.. ) phil

i disagree. the best place to save weight is in moving parts on your car. so take wheels. your car will be faster if you lose 20 lbs in the wheels vs. 20 lbs in the hood, fenders, seats, gut, etc.
reason: if you jacked up your car and had no restriction on your wheels they would spin slower with heavier wheel that with lighter ones. the moment of interia increases with a heavier wheel. it also increases when the weight is concentrated farther from the center of the wheel. so not only does a heavy wheel slow you down just like a heavy hood or a heavy you does, but it also robs power straight from the engine.