What Happens When You Add a Lighter Set of Wheels to Your Mustang - Dyno Results Inside!

[tj@steeda]

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TJ

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[TeeLew]

It's also worth noting that the effect of the front wheels was ignored, because they were stationary sorting the test. The actual gain would be twice what you measured on the dyno.

 

[Nagare]

It's also worth noting that the effect of the front wheels was ignored, because they were stationary sorting the test. The actual gain would be twice what you measured on the dyno.

Probably not exactly, the rear wheels are what are powered. The front are just there pushing along and if they are lighter should definitely handle and accelerate better, but the rear is where the weight is fighting you putting power down.

 

[TeeLew]

Probably not exactly, the rear wheels are what are powered. The front are just there pushing along and if they are lighter should definitely handle and accelerate better, but the rear is where the weight is fighting you putting power down.

Wheelspin aside, why would the fronts spin at a different rate than the rears? If they're spinning at the same rate, why would they have a different amount of kinetic energy?

 

[Nagare]

Wheelspin aside, why would the fronts spin at a different rate than the rears? If they're spinning at the same rate, why would they have a different amount of kinetic energy?

Because one is attached to the drive train and the other is just along for the ride.

 

[Matti777]

The car will accelerate slightly faster due to the loss of weight but it did not gain any hp.

 

[TeeLew]

Because one is attached to the drive train and the other is just along for the ride.

I don't suppose there's any chance you'll just trust me on this one?

 

[TeeLew]

The car will accelerate slightly faster due to the loss of weight but it did not gain any hp.

Of course not. The demonstration was to show the effect of rotational kinetic energy on acceleration in terms which we all relate, power. This is actually a very good way at looking at the difference as long as the acceleration rates are reasonable.

 

[MRGTX]

It's also worth noting that the effect of the front wheels was ignored, because they were stationary sorting the test. The actual gain would be twice what you measured on the dyno.

Probably not exactly, the rear wheels are what are powered. The front are just there pushing along and if they are lighter should definitely handle and accelerate better, but the rear is where the weight is fighting you putting power down.

I think you’re both right. It just depends on the context.

If the dyno was a treadmill that took into account all four sources of rotating mass TeeLaw would be right. The engine would have to accelerate all four wheels so losing the mass from the whole rotating system could be measured and assuming each wheel lost the same amount of mass, the improvement would be double what Steeda measured.
If we’re strictly looking at how much power is reaching the road after going through all components of the drivetrain, we’re deliberately ignoring other “energy sinks” outside of the drivetrain itself...so in that sense, I agree with Negare.

 

[Matti777]

As I said lighter wheels are always nice but most of the work done by the engine is done accelerating 4000 lbs and not the relatively small rotating mass. The power to weight ratio increases by 0.001 hp/lb.

 

[TeeLew]

As I said lighter wheels are always nice but most of the work done by the engine is done accelerating 4000 lbs and not the relatively small rotating mass. The power to weight ratio increases by 0.001 hp/lb.

The point is that the relatively small rotating mass has an exaggerated effect because it's being both translated linearly and rotationally. The dyno may be overstating the effect if the angular (rotational) acceleration is greater than when on the track.

Further, on track the car stores rotational kinetic energy in all 4 wheels. On the dyno it's only 2, so that's why the effect needs to be doubled.

 

[TeeLew]

I think you’re both right. It just depends on the context.

I'm either right or wrong. Thermodynamics is objective.

 

[NightmareMoon]

I'm either right or wrong. Thermodynamics is objective.

Yeah, I agree there is just as much work going into spinning up the front wheels as the rear wheels. It doesn't matter if the car is FWD, RWD, AWD, or being pushed by a locomotive and driven by Marty McFly.

 

[MRGTX]

I'm either right or wrong. Thermodynamics is objective.

Well then you’re wrong because you don’t seem to understand Nagare’s point.

 

[TeeLew]

Whatever...

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