Mix and match wheels?

BeenThroughItAll

Weird_Nev wrote: »

Balls. the reason they have 13" wheels is because the regulations specify that they must have 13" wheels. If they could use larger ones, believe me they would.

I hate to agree with Strider on this one (:p), but he's right. The teams are less than impressed with the potential introduction of 18" wheels which were trialled by Lotus earlier this season.




It's not all about mass though, on an F1 car the difference between the smaller wheel+tyre mass and that of the 18"+tyre isn't that great, but the smaller wheels make for easier aero packaging of the hubs and braking components using the carbon cake-tins, and the tyres are easier to design airflow around as they have (broadly speaking) smooth sidewalls without the aerodynamic consideration of the vortices created by wheel spokes.


I know a senior mechanic in one of the top teams, and asked this specific question when the bigger wheels were tested.

[Deleted User]

OK, the car is now back on 4 regular tyres.

jimjames

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

BTW. another question if I may.

I'm thinking of getting a spare set of wheels, and having winter tyres fitted to them.

I've heard it's better to use steel, rather than alloy, wheels, for winter tyres?

So, what do you think? Alloy or steel for winter tyres?

I have a set of steels with winter tyres on, summer tyres have the alloys.

Looks naff but saves damage to alloys over winter. Buying a set of alloys would have cost the same value as the car.

With alloys



With steels



http://vw-golf-mk4-tdi.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/alloys-steel-wheels-winter-tyres.html

onomatopoeia99

Strider590 wrote: »

No, really they wouldn't........

I own a kitcar, I know people who own the same type of car, who compete in events up and down the country. The first thing they do is ditch the standard 15inch wheels and fit 13s, because it makes a MASSIVE difference to the cars feel and performance along with fitting lightweight alloy brakes, alloy hubs and alloy uprights (to further reduce unsprung weight). When you have a vehicle that's of a light weight construction, reducing unsprung weight is one of THE single biggest performance enhancements you can do. Every kilogram you cut from the unsprung weight is worth more than 2 kilograms off the rest of the car.

And the stiffer sidewalls of the lower profile tyres on larger wheels usually help make the steering more responsive, and allow the springs and dampers to do the work of the suspension rather than the tyre adding its own properties into the mix. In F1 the tyres do a significant part of the work of the suspension, because the regulations require 13" wheels and the profile is so high.

I'm well aware of the importance of reducing unsprung weight. If the wheels are too heavy, make them out of a different material (magnesium, for example), or better yet, use three piece rather than cast. I have a set of three piece Compomotive THs (13x8 at the front and 13x10 at the rear). They weigh (much) less than my 13x6 Compomotive TH cast alloys, despite the larger widths.

This is all rather getting away from the question though!