Weight of R8 wheels?

[musicom@yahoo.com]

I'm considering some different wheels for my R8 and am wondering if anyone knows the weight of the stock set? If I make the investment, I'd like to shed some unsprung weight but need a baseline. Thanks!

[willyjp]

I'm considering some different wheels for my R8 and am wondering if anyone knows the weight of the stock set? If I make the investment, I'd like to shed some unsprung weight but need a baseline. Thanks!

some guys on here have weighed them (Harrison for one, and I THINK he said 22 lbs.? or maybe it was 24?) but if you don't get an answer, here's a suggestion:

you can weigh them and deduct the tire weight, which is available on line from the mfr's. website or tirerack.com

(that'll get you close, but you're also weighing a small amt. of compressed air and the tpms sensors; shouldn't total more than a lb. or so imho)

Harrison has said it'll be hard to find a wheel lighter than the stock wheel, as I'm sure he'll add here!

[desperado]

I'm not sure if the more technical of you will agree with this, but I thought it was worth repeating:

I had a nice conversation with the owner of a major manufacturer of aftermarket wheels. I asked him for a recommendation for a track wheel for the R8. He is of the strong opinion that the suspension of most modern cars is tuned for and works BEST on the track with the weight of tire and wheel provided by the OEM.

In fact, he said he frequently tries to talk his customers out of lighter wheels for track use on their stock sports cars. Usually, of course, the customer insists on the lighter wheel despite the warnings. In many cases, the customer then calls back and complains that the handling of the car deteriorated on the track with the lighter wheels.

So, his recommendation is to use the OEM wheel for track use, and for street use select the aftermarket stuff based on criteria other than weight - i.e. appearance, size, etc - to satisfy your personal need for bling and individuality.

[swansailor]

I'm considering some different wheels for my R8 and am wondering if anyone knows the weight of the stock set? If I make the investment, I'd like to shed some unsprung weight but need a baseline. Thanks!

I have a spare rear wheel ... I will weigh it for you when I get home tonight.

[willyjp]

I'm not sure if the more technical of you will agree with this, but I thought it was worth repeating:

I had a nice conversation with the owner of a major manufacturer of aftermarket wheels. I asked him for a recommendation for a track wheel for the R8. He is of the strong opinion that the suspension of most modern cars is tuned for and works BEST on the track with the weight of tire and wheel provided by the OEM.

In fact, he said he frequently tries to talk his customers out of lighter wheels for track use on their stock sports cars. Usually, of course, the customer insists on the lighter wheel despite the warnings. In many cases, the customer then calls back and complains that the handling of the car deteriorated on the track with the lighter wheels.

So, his recommendation is to use the OEM wheel for track use, and for street use select the aftermarket stuff based on other criteria than weight - i.e. appearance, size, etc to satisfy your personal need for bling and individuality.

that makes absolute perfect sense: they've selected spring rates, shock valveing, bushing firmness and ALL KINDS of stuff to MATCH the whole suspension package--which includes the unsprung part

now I suppose it's possible that the mag-ride computer can "learn" and adjust to changes in unsprung weight---there's an interesting techie question for when you've got the Audi engineer buttonholed at a reception!

but barring that, I totally agree with desperado's quoted comment: probably better off with staying in the "design envelope."

I suspect the same kind of thing is true of a LOT of "tuner improvements" in a car like the R8: clearly they did their homework on this car and you are NOT going to find a lot left on the table

(I have my suspicions, for instance, that the widely touted "criticism" of Audi using the "same brake rotors on both sides" is a CROCK! I'll bet they tested the vane configuration and found it cooled equally well when rotating in either direction, so why design it 2 different ways? If that's not true, where are all the reports of fried brakes on one side? But Hey! the tuners have to find SOMETHING to try to convince you to open your wallet!)

[harrison]

Suspension rates remain the same with the lighter brake set-up. Reducing the unsprung weight of any car should be beneficial. I would if I could ,go lighter on wheels and the brake set-up. Our wheels are light enough already.

[London Lad]

I agree willy and I suspect the same can be said for air filters, air boxes, exhausts etc etc. Different maybe, better? I doubt. Cosmetic bits I can see the point, but trying to out design Audi on a bit by bit basis ? Nah....

[KfabR8]

I have Dymags on mine - Fronts are 19x9 (17.4 lbs) and rears are 19x11 (19.4 lbs)

With tires (PS2's, NOT those slug P-Zeros that come on the cars): Fronts are 39 lbs (17.73 kg) and the rears are 47 lbs (21.37 kg).

The difference in weight between the stock rims and tires (which have exactly 1/2 of the tread worn away) and the Dymags w/new sneakers on them (same thing - PS2's) was 3 lbs (1.36 kg). It was the same for the front and rear, interestingly enough.

Stock rims weigh just about the same. Finding a lighter wheel's going to be a bit of a challenge, I believe.

I'm working on getting my rear rims re-sneakered. When I get the rubber off of them I'll weight both the Dymag and the OEM R8 rim again. Should be able to let you know next week - you'll probably have that info by then, though. (:

[swansailor]

I'm considering some different wheels for my R8 and am wondering if anyone knows the weight of the stock set? If I make the investment, I'd like to shed some unsprung weight but need a baseline. Thanks!

Audi original rear wheel is 25.3 lbs with the valve stem installed, no balancing weights.

[SDR8]

Just providing this as a comparison to the assembled weights that kfabR8 lised above. I just weighed the original wheels I have in my garage. They are the stock silver wheels with 235s up front and 295s in the back. All the wheels are fully assembled (wheel, tire, TPMS, valve stem w/cap & bolt, original balancing weights, center cap and fully inflated). The tires are the original P-Zeros with about 2,000 miles on them.

I weighed myself. Then myself with each wheel twice. Went thru each wheel and less than .6 difference for each respective size.

Fully assembled stock wheels:
Fronts: 42.6 lbs.
Rears: 53.4 lbs.