If you was to save say 2.5/3kg per wheel what would the diferences be? better handling/acceleration/braking? would it be noticable.

 

The JDM BBS (2kg lighter) I have certainly make a noticeable improvement to the ride.

You won't really see much of an improvement to acceleration, but there is a bit of a difference to steering feel.

 

It'll drive nicer, that's about it.

 

Its a good idea to remove unsprung weight, though reducing rotating weight (alloy wheels) is different than saving sprung weight obviously.

Its going to have a good effect everywhere, suspension, acceleration and braking (maybe not that much) etc - if 3 KG would make a difference.

 

Cheers guys, I was trying to weigh up cost vs perfomance. Thinking of going to a square set up, so savings to be made on rotating the wheels

 

I think square wheels are not a good idea

 

Damn difficult to fit tyres?

 

Not sure how accurate it is but I heard 1kg off the wheels = roughly losing 10kg from the car.

 

I dont think thats true really as you can't compare unsprung vs sprung weight.

 

Don't confuse unsprung mass with rotating mass. In theory if you lose weight (i.e. mass) from the wheels, discs and tyres (the bits that rotate), that makes more of a difference to the overall acceleration than if you lose the same mass from some other part of the car. But I find it hard to believe you could ever notice.

But if you lose unsprung mass (which includes calipers, wishbones, the lower half of the shocks and springs), then you get a nicer ride and better handling because the suspension can do a better job of keeping the tyres on the road.