jbrumley1 Posted February 15 Report Share Posted February 15 Has anyone here with 20" or 21" wheels ever swapped to a lighter wheel for less rotating mass? Maybe Welds, etc., for faster 1/4-mile times? If so, by how much did it improve your ET? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samurai Edge Posted February 19 Report Share Posted February 19 Is this a daily car or are you planning to race it? You will not find all that much improvement, however there are multiple ways to make a wheel lighter, just to name two (2): 1. Use a smaller wheel with a smaller tire 2. Lighter, less material in the wheel to reduce weight. Unless you are willing to spend some serious cash, buying lighter wheels may also result in wheel damage from pot holes, curbs, etc. that your OEM wheels would easily survive 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycrist Posted February 20 Report Share Posted February 20 The lighter wheels were an aid in handling. AKA road racing. It does this by reducing unsprung weight, so the suspension follows the irregular road surfaces better. Now if you want to go around corners......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrumley1 Posted February 20 Author Report Share Posted February 20 Thanks for your comment's fellows. I've found a few great quality wheels and tires which would shave off about 25 lbs. from each corner. So, this weight reduction woulbe equivalent to about 500 lbs. of dead (un-sprung) weight. My goal was to lighten up the vehicle a bit before doing more serious upgrades. Have decided against the wheels for now, since a turbo upgrade kit would be about the same price. I'll later buy a set of 16" Weld Drag Lite wheels and tires for the track. Shooting for somewhere in the ballpark of 400 AWDHP/425 AWDTQ. So far, I've done the Livernois MyCalibrator tune, TurboSmart 50/50 BOV, NGK LTR7BHX (95605) 1-level colder Spark Plugs, 170* thermostat, and aFe CAI PR5 Pro Dry drop-in filter. Going forward mods are going to be CVF FMIC, then, upgraded turbos. Anything more and I'd have to upgrade the fuel pump and injectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago Apologies for the length. But be VERY careful as to putting aftermarket wheels on your car. Your life, and your families, depend on it. Low-cost, cast-aluminum replica wheels from China frequently face reports of catastrophic failures, including cracking, shattering, or breaking into pieces upon hitting potholes or normal driving stress. These counterfeit wheels often lack proper safety certifications (like TUV), using cheaper, weaker materials and casting methods disguised as high-quality "forged" products. Reddit +4 Key Safety Risks and Findings: Failure Modes: Unlike reputable wheels that may bend, poor-quality cast wheels often fail completely, leading to immediate loss of control. Counterfeiting Concerns: Thousands of counterfeit wheels made in China are in circulation, sometimes failing at speeds as low as 50 km/h, notes News.com.au. Testing Failures: Imitation wheels often shatter on initial testing and fail to meet safety standards that genuine, high-quality wheels pass, according to www.drive.com.au. Where They Are Sold: Many of these products are sold on platforms like Alibaba or eBay. Reddit +5 What to Watch Out For: Price: If a wheel is significantly cheaper than standard market prices, it likely indicates lower quality materials and production, say the Detroit Wheel and Tire blog. Lack of Proper Certification: Authentic wheels are tested for impact resistance. Reputation: Unscrupulous sellers often misrepresent cheap cast wheels as "forged," say Reddit users. Reddit +4 It is recommended to purchase wheels from reputable manufacturers with established safety testing, rather than unknown or cheap alternatives, say Reddit users. Reddit Are forged alibaba wheels safe? : r/GolfGTI - Reddit Mar 3, 2024 — Expanded answer: Cheap wheels tend to have defects in them that compromise the integrity of the wheel's strength. I would also never trust any cheap wheel from ... Reddit Alibaba wheels : r/BMW - Reddit Jan 24, 2025 — I looked into that quite a bit and I have heard no complaints about cracking or bending on a lot of cars I have seen them on. I was a little skeptical being a h... Reddit Are Chinese wheels safe? : r/askcarguys - Reddit Dec 24, 2019 — Buys a Mercedes, cheaps out on wheels. Stick to name brands or at the very least brands with a large online presence, a website and lots of positive attention o... Reddit Hit a pothole with Chinese wheels. : r/cars - Reddit Jul 10, 2012 — Scary thought to think of how many other people might have problems from cheap Chinese stuff and not know it. ... Holy crap... what brand is this? ... MRR or Mi... Reddit Dodgy imitation wheels potential killers, says peak body Oct 26, 2015 — A test of knockoff alloy wheels that look identical to official Mercedes-Benz wheels found that the fake wheels: * Shattered on the first test * Broke again on ... www.drive.com.au Has anyone here bought wheels on Alibaba? : r/Corvette - Reddit Dec 29, 2025 — Because it's their factory in China, they make sure the quality control is up to standards and can be certified. The fly by night places they don't care they ju... Reddit Tens of thousands of counterfeit wheels made in China are on ... Oct 25, 2015 — Tens of thousands of counterfeit wheels made in China are on Australian roads, experts warn. TESTING has found counterfeit car wheels can buckle after hitting a... News.com.au The Hidden Dangers of Using Replica Wheels vs. Factory Original Wheels These wheels may use cheaper materials or manufacturing processes such as low-pressure casting, which can result in wheels that are structurally weaker and more... Detroit Wheel and Tire Do People get Disqualified for Unapproved Chinese Carbon Wheels? Mar 23, 2019 — While I think they could technically disqualify you for using non approved wheels, reading their regulations it seems that they are concerned more about safety ... TrainerRoad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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