Some fresh pics, cleaned the headlights, some Vegas meet pics as well...
05-03-07 | 10:56 AM
#31
heh, weight does have an effect, but traction is much more important...
I'd give up a tenth in the 1/4 for and extra .1 g in the turns any day, not to mention the extra straight line traction....
trust me, I've driven hundreds of different tires, and weight, although a factor, is one of your least concerns (else we'd all be running 155/80R-13's that weigh less than 10 lbs each)
I'd give up a tenth in the 1/4 for and extra .1 g in the turns any day, not to mention the extra straight line traction....
trust me, I've driven hundreds of different tires, and weight, although a factor, is one of your least concerns (else we'd all be running 155/80R-13's that weigh less than 10 lbs each)
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Every pound of difference in tire weight has a similar effect to rotational inertia as three pounds of wheel weight.
Reduce rotational inertia and the suspension doesn't work as hard, the ride improves, and the tires stay in contact with the ground. This also allows improved acceleration and braking response.
-------------------
Now, by no means am I saying that rotational inertia is the only characteristic to consider when making a tire/wheel decision. But, there are certainly lightweight tire manufacturers out there that make high quality tires that perform similarly well to the BFG: Michelin and Continental come to mind. These tires are often 4-5lbs lighter on average, having the similar effect to a 12-15lb drop in wheel weight. That is a significant enough to warrant a noticeable difference in acceleration and braking response.
For the person out there that spends thousands of dollars on lightweight, forged 19+" wheels to keep down inertia while making their SC look hot, they might as well have the facts on the effect of tire weight, because wrapping a lightweight wheel in a heavy tire can offer the same inertia stats as wrapping a heavy cast wheel in a light weight tire. Again, three pound fluctuations in wheel weight have the equivalent effect of one pound fluctuations in tire weight. This ratio is even more exaggerated at 20" and above wheel diameters.
The WOTM 1400hp Supras are running Continental tires when they have their street shoes on. Renntech puts Continental tires on all their 600++hp Supercharged Mercedes. I am not saying that these tires grip or corner better than the BFGs, but rather that they perform similarly well in those catagories while providing significant weight improvements where weight improvements are most critical: farthest away from the wheel center.
05-10-07 | 10:01 PM
#32
I think it is important to note that weight becomes exponentially more important the farther you move away from the center of rotation. A five pound difference in wheel weight will have less of an effect on rotational inertia with 18s than with 20s. By the same logic, a five pound difference in tire weight affects rotational inertia exponentially more than does a five pound difference in wheel weight.
-------------------
Every pound of difference in tire weight has a similar effect to rotational inertia as three pounds of wheel weight.
Reduce rotational inertia and the suspension doesn't work as hard, the ride improves, and the tires stay in contact with the ground. This also allows improved acceleration and braking response.
-------------------
Now, by no means am I saying that rotational inertia is the only characteristic to consider when making a tire/wheel decision. But, there are certainly lightweight tire manufacturers out there that make high quality tires that perform similarly well to the BFG: Michelin and Continental come to mind. These tires are often 4-5lbs lighter on average, having the similar effect to a 12-15lb drop in wheel weight. That is a significant enough to warrant a noticeable difference in acceleration and braking response.
For the person out there that spends thousands of dollars on lightweight, forged 19+" wheels to keep down inertia while making their SC look hot, they might as well have the facts on the effect of tire weight, because wrapping a lightweight wheel in a heavy tire can offer the same inertia stats as wrapping a heavy cast wheel in a light weight tire. Again, three pound fluctuations in wheel weight have the equivalent effect of one pound fluctuations in tire weight. This ratio is even more exaggerated at 20" and above wheel diameters.
The WOTM 1400hp Supras are running Continental tires when they have their street shoes on. Renntech puts Continental tires on all their 600++hp Supercharged Mercedes. I am not saying that these tires grip or corner better than the BFGs, but rather that they perform similarly well in those catagories while providing significant weight improvements where weight improvements are most critical: farthest away from the wheel center.
-------------------
Every pound of difference in tire weight has a similar effect to rotational inertia as three pounds of wheel weight.
Reduce rotational inertia and the suspension doesn't work as hard, the ride improves, and the tires stay in contact with the ground. This also allows improved acceleration and braking response.
-------------------
Now, by no means am I saying that rotational inertia is the only characteristic to consider when making a tire/wheel decision. But, there are certainly lightweight tire manufacturers out there that make high quality tires that perform similarly well to the BFG: Michelin and Continental come to mind. These tires are often 4-5lbs lighter on average, having the similar effect to a 12-15lb drop in wheel weight. That is a significant enough to warrant a noticeable difference in acceleration and braking response.
For the person out there that spends thousands of dollars on lightweight, forged 19+" wheels to keep down inertia while making their SC look hot, they might as well have the facts on the effect of tire weight, because wrapping a lightweight wheel in a heavy tire can offer the same inertia stats as wrapping a heavy cast wheel in a light weight tire. Again, three pound fluctuations in wheel weight have the equivalent effect of one pound fluctuations in tire weight. This ratio is even more exaggerated at 20" and above wheel diameters.
The WOTM 1400hp Supras are running Continental tires when they have their street shoes on. Renntech puts Continental tires on all their 600++hp Supercharged Mercedes. I am not saying that these tires grip or corner better than the BFGs, but rather that they perform similarly well in those catagories while providing significant weight improvements where weight improvements are most critical: farthest away from the wheel center.
Look at tire weights on the RE050 Bridgestones... They aren't exactly the lightest in the world either, however, they are chosen for some of the worlds fastest, best handling cars - ie Ferrari Enzo...
tell ya what... I just searched on Tire Rack for tire weights... and I made a spread sheet...
ya know what I found with all the tires in a 275/35-18 (a quite popular size across the board) - they are all within 4 lbs of each other... and to boot, the BFG is not even the heaviest...
here's your notable contenders:
Kumho Ecsta MX: 27 Lbs
BFG KDW: 28 Lbs
Continental Sport Contact: 26 Lbs
Dunlop Sp01: 29 Lbs
Bridgestone RE050: 29 Lbs
Michelin Pilot Sport: 28 Lbs (stock front Viper tire)
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2: 27 Lbs
While the Continental is the lightest, its 2 Lbs less than the KDW that I run on my own car... Your precious Pilot Sports are the same, or within 1 lb. I also checked the BFG KD (the one that won Sport Compact Cars test), but it's not built in 18" sizes, so I checked the 17" KD's versus the Continentals and found them to all be within a pound or two...
The reason a lot of the guys out there use Continentals is for a lack of other tire selections in some of their weird sizes... or the extreme cost difference as well...
Here's one example for ya - 315/25-19 Continental - $370, Yokohama - $520
I had Sport Contact 2's on my Lexus when I very first put my wheels on... I was not happy with them at all and gave them to a friend and bought the BFG's that I had had good experiences with prior...
Now, I'm not saying the BFG's are the best tires in the world... But, tire weight is about the LAST thing you should look at when purchasing a performance tire...
05-10-07 | 10:03 PM
#33
Oh, and by the way, the HID's are in, and they are great... They have a good, but not perfect cutoff... I actually need to aim one headlight up a tad - it appears as though it's been aimed down for some time...
I think clean lenses are the key to a good cutoff... My camera is charging right now, I'll see if I can get some pics tonight...
I think clean lenses are the key to a good cutoff... My camera is charging right now, I'll see if I can get some pics tonight...
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