Use of 19"F/20"R Wheels on Gen IV for HPDE

[Stealth]

I have a 2008 SRT-10 Coupe and am thinking of changing my OEM Razors for 19/20 wheels. My car is 90%+ street with an ocassional HPDE on street tires. I believe that the wheel/tire size would be the same as OEM based on different tire aspect ratios, etc. and the new wheel/tire combos would weigh the same or less than the OEM setup.

The tire for the 19/20s would be the Nitto NT05 (or whatever their top performer is) because the Michelin PS2s do not come in the sizes needed in the rears.

Other threads have intimated that this proposed 19/20 setup would have degraded street ride (less sidewall) and a substantially deteriorated HPDE track performance. Is this REALLY the case? I would appreciate any input you might have on this issue.

If the differences in setups is really significant from a performance standpoint, then I will either stick with 18/19 or just set up my OEM Razors for the ocassional HPDE and swap out before any HPDE.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[ViperGeorge]

The bigger wheels will likely be heavier. Heavier wheels means less performance and braking. They are also more prone to bending when you hit a pothole since, as you say, there is less sidewall. The smaller sidewall also effects handling to a minor degree since the sidewall of the tire is actually figured into the spring rates that the car comes with. This is why they changed the springs on the Gen 4s as compared to the Gen 3s. The Run Flats on the Gen 3s had stiffer sidewalls and hence their effective spring rate was different than the non-Run Flats on the Gen 4s.

I happen to like the OEM 6 spokes in 18/19 inch. I had a set chromed and they look great. Pics are posted in a different thread. They weigh like 10 pounds less than other OEM Viper wheels (excluding Copperhead/ACR wheels). This weight reduction improves acceleration and braking. The chrome makes them easy to care for. I use the PS2s so my effective spring rates are pretty much what the factory designed for.

Edit: You can pick up an OEM set of 6 spokes for like $1700. That is dirt cheap and way cheaper than just about anything else you could buy.

 

[Nader]

The bigger wheels will likely be heavier. NOT TRUE.


They are also more prone to bending when you hit a pothole: YES ONLY BECAUSE THE STOCK RIMS ARE REINFORCED TO DEAL WITH THE RUNFLATS - I KNOW THE 08's DONT HAVE RUNFLATS. I have been driving around NYC for 4 years and dont have any issues, granted i have to be cautious and pay attention to the road but I have hit some major potholes without a problem.

The smaller sidewall also effects handling to a minor degree since the sidewall of the tire is actually figured into the spring rates that the car comes with. This is why they changed the springs on the Gen 4s as compared to the Gen 3s. The Run Flats on the Gen 3s had stiffer sidewalls and hence their effective spring rate was different than the non-Run Flats on the Gen 4s. MOST IF NOT ALL VIPERS CAN BENEFIT FROM STIFFER SPRINGS SO LONG AS YOU HAVE AN ADAQUATE SHOCK TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASED RATES.

I have a set of 19 and 20 HREs with Pirellis and the setup is both shorter (slightly) than the stock 18-19 setup and weights less than Razors, 5 spoke, Razors and 10 spokes. Not quite sure about the 6 spoke and ACR rims.

I have tracked my car multiple times without any issues. If you are a track nut who is on the track every week, then the plus one setup is not for you. Otherwise you will not notice a difference.

 

[ViperGeorge]

The bigger wheels will likely be heavier. NOT TRUE.


They are also more prone to bending when you hit a pothole: YES ONLY BECAUSE THE STOCK RIMS ARE REINFORCED TO DEAL WITH THE RUNFLATS - I KNOW THE 08's DONT HAVE RUNFLATS. I have been driving around NYC for 4 years and dont have any issues, granted i have to be cautious and pay attention to the road but I have hit some major potholes without a problem.

The smaller sidewall also effects handling to a minor degree since the sidewall of the tire is actually figured into the spring rates that the car comes with. This is why they changed the springs on the Gen 4s as compared to the Gen 3s. The Run Flats on the Gen 3s had stiffer sidewalls and hence their effective spring rate was different than the non-Run Flats on the Gen 4s. MOST IF NOT ALL VIPERS CAN BENEFIT FROM STIFFER SPRINGS SO LONG AS YOU HAVE AN ADAQUATE SHOCK TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASED RATES.

I have a set of 19 and 20 HREs with Pirellis and the setup is both shorter (slightly) than the stock 18-19 setup and weights less than Razors, 5 spoke, Razors and 10 spokes. Not quite sure about the 6 spoke and ACR rims.

I have tracked my car multiple times without any issues. If you are a track nut who is on the track every week, then the plus one setup is not for you. Otherwise you will not notice a difference.

To disagree if I may, if you go to a custom wheel shop you will always see larger rims laying around that are bent. The shorter sidewall height will definitely increase the risk of bends. No question about it. You may not have experienced it but it is IMO an absolute fact.

Re weights, naturally there are larger wheels that are lighter than stock. However, as I said a larger wheel is likely heavier, not always but likely.

Re tracking the car with larger wheels. I agree most folks won't notice the difference but if you are really in touch with the car's handling you may very well notice it. When you add lighter wheels and lighter rotors (such as the Stop Techs) you decrease unsprung rotational mass quite a bit. This definitely improves performance, any serious track nut/racer will tell you this.

Stiffer springs may benefit you at some tracks but not at all. At some its good to have a little roll in the car. Too stiff a spring can unsettle the car if you hit the curbing at the apex. Generally the stiffer spring rates can help keep the tires planted but this is not a universal rule. This is why most professional racers (eg NASCAR or ALMS) change spring rates for every track.

I stick by my recommendation for the OEM 6 spokes. The fronts weigh 22.5 lbs and the rears weigh 25.5 lbs. This is really light. The difference to the 10 spokes or Razers is significant. Something very noticeable when you pick up one of each. They also look great and are waaaaay cheaper at $1700 per set than just about anything else you can buy. CCWs, HREs,other OEM Viper wheels, or any other wheel you name are well over $3000 a set. Some as high as $6000 or more.

 

[Stealth]

Thanks for the comments--very helpful! Keep them coming!

Let's assume weight will NOT be an issue. Also, I am in SoCal and our roads do not have too many moon-crater potholes, etc., so I am not sure about the risk of a bend wheel (always possible though).

I am also adding StopTech 2-piece rotors at the same time.

The 6-spokes are a smoking deal and light, but not enough for me to want to upgrade to that design. And yes, the posters are correct that everything else is double the money or more.

I am still hoping HRE or Kinesis will make some OEM sizes.

 

[99 R/T 10]

The 6 spoke and ACR wheels are the lightest on the market, ANYTHING after market WILL be heavier, period. But as the OP said, weight is not an issue for him.

 

[Nader]

I built my car to for performance with looks in mind. With that said, I have a complete moton suspension, ACR rotors and the rim and tire package discussed. I do track the car but most of the time I simply enjoy driving the car on the street. With that said, I certainly can find the ultimate track wheel and tire package which may perform slightly better than the setup I am running, but that is not what I am interested in. I already have a suspension setup far better than the stock setup plus significantly reduced rotating mass so i think I have a great balance of increased performance with great looks.

To disagree if I may, if you go to a custom wheel shop you will always see larger rims laying around that are bent. The shorter sidewall height will definitely increase the risk of bends. No question about it. You may not have experienced it but it is IMO an absolute fact.

Re weights, naturally there are larger wheels that are lighter than stock. However, as I said a larger wheel is likely heavier, not always but likely.

Re tracking the car with larger wheels. I agree most folks won't notice the difference but if you are really in touch with the car's handling you may very well notice it. When you add lighter wheels and lighter rotors (such as the Stop Techs) you decrease unsprung rotational mass quite a bit. This definitely improves performance, any serious track nut/racer will tell you this.

Stiffer springs may benefit you at some tracks but not at all. At some its good to have a little roll in the car. Too stiff a spring can unsettle the car if you hit the curbing at the apex. Generally the stiffer spring rates can help keep the tires planted but this is not a universal rule. This is why most professional racers (eg NASCAR or ALMS) change spring rates for every track.

I stick by my recommendation for the OEM 6 spokes. The fronts weigh 22.5 lbs and the rears weigh 25.5 lbs. This is really light. The difference to the 10 spokes or Razers is significant. Something very noticeable when you pick up one of each. They also look great and are waaaaay cheaper at $1700 per set than just about anything else you can buy. CCWs, HREs,other OEM Viper wheels, or any other wheel you name are well over $3000 a set. Some as high as $6000 or more.

 

[Kai SRT10]

What does the 6 spoke wheel look like?

 

[ViperGeorge]

what Does The 6 Spoke Wheel Look Like?

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