Date: Wed, 02 May 2007 19:04:15 GMT From: johannes <johsnospamnospam-efitter.com> Subject: Re: Classic 900 - aluminum or steel/best tires for sport driving
still me wrote: > > On Wed, 02 May 2007 13:13:58 GMT, johannes > <johsnospamnospam-efitter.com> wrote: > > >> > >> What is the weight difference for Saab wheels? I know that the Alu > >> wheels I had on a Golf II were much, much lighter than steel, and I > >> attributed the great performance of that car partly to this. > > > >But did you compare steel/alloy performance on the same car, or did you > >just compare with another car? > > Just to throw a few facts into the mix: I think the alloy wheels may > be lighter than the steel wheels, but not by a lot. Most aluminum > wheels are rather heavy. Originally alloy wheels were a magnesium > alloy. The Minilite was a popular choice. I believe my last set > weighed in at about 8 lbs each. In contrast, I believe my Saab alloys > are close to 40lbs each. They are twice the size, but even so.... > > Alloy wheels, if lighter, are important in one way: they reduce > unsprung weight. Unsprung weight cannot be controlled like the sprung > weight of a vehicle. Consequently, we try to minimize it. Alloy wheels > today are more of an ornament that a performance enhancement - with > the notable exception that in order to get lower (and consequently > wider) tires on a car, most manufacturers packed in alloy wheels. Well said. I think there has been an almost transition to alloy wheels. We now expect out pride and joy to have alloy wheel, unless it's a postal van. 20 years ago or so, a car with alloy wheels stood out from the crowd, indeed the wheels were often the target of thieves. I noticed one year at a trip to Denmark that suddenly most cars had alloys. The 200% car purchase Tax in denmark probably means that a small aftermarket upgrade looks more impressive for perceived value. However, alloys are vulnerable to potholes and kerbing. How often have I seen a flashy Mercedes SL with scraped alloys, it really looks out of place. Did the director lend the merc to his mistress? Better keep my mouth taped over for now...
