# aristo 18's too flippin heavy!



## waitformotion (Oct 7, 2004)

i just swapped out my 17" deltas (stock turbo s rims) for a set of R32 OZ aristos and while they look great, i really think that my acceleration has suffered. anybody know off the top of their head what these things weigh? it has to be upwards of 30 pounds per wheel and that is lethal when you talk about unsprung weight leeching horsepower and torque.
further, i was told by a tech at the vw dealership i worked for that the aristos aren't actually even made by OZ. anyone know about this stuff?


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## cchen1 (Nov 18, 2003)

*Re: aristo 18's too flippin heavy! (waitformotion)*

Aristos weight about 27 lbs (that's what I got when I weighed mine - maybe 26.5). Actually, they are produced by both OZ and Ronal. It seems like most of the Aristos on the R32 were made by Ronal (though some have found OZ on their wheels) and most of the 20th AE got the OZ-produced Aristos.


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## waitformotion (Oct 7, 2004)

*Re: aristo 18's too flippin heavy! (cchen1)*

thanks for the info.
any reason to believe that the OZ version would weigh less?
i need to weigh one of those deltas for peace of mind if nothing else. seriously doubting my pickup at this point. i work for porsche and i have a strong appreciation for unsprung weight and the huge difference it can make based on all the ceramic brake classes i have endured. a few pounds on a wheel is huge, especially when it's a hp/torque factor as low as the 1.8 motor's. i did the ECU flash a few months ago but even with that (claims 215hp & 247 ft/lbs), it feels like it's working too hard with less go.


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## GiddyGTI (Sep 28, 2005)

i agree. they are heavy. went from a 16" 20lb rim to these 18 26lb'ers and did notice loss of torque immediately. however, i hope the added weight also means it's more durable and less suseptible to bending, which happened to my 16". but going from the 16" to 18" felt great on handling side.


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## waitformotion (Oct 7, 2004)

*Re: (GiddyGTI)*

i was discussing this element of the unprung weight with a customer today. he said that from a physics standpoint, adding one pound to your wheel/tire/rotor mass is equivalent to adding 15 pounds of weight to the car. 
Think about the effect on acceleration, braking and handling...
If there was a 5 pound difference in each wheel/tire combo, that would have the same effect on your car as chucking 300 POUNDS into the back seat.


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## cchen1 (Nov 18, 2003)

*Re: (waitformotion)*


_Quote, originally posted by *waitformotion* »_i was discussing this element of the unprung weight with a customer today. he said that from a physics standpoint, adding one pound to your wheel/tire/rotor mass is equivalent to adding 15 pounds of weight to the car. 
Think about the effect on acceleration, braking and handling...
If there was a 5 pound difference in each wheel/tire combo, that would have the same effect on your car as chucking 300 POUNDS into the back seat.









Supposedly, but whether you'll really feel it in terms of acceleration might not be so obvious (although maybe with a less-powerful car, the difference will become more noticeable).
Saying that, I did notice a difference in ride between my old Mille Miglia (at a whopping 25 lbs) and my SSR Comp (at a svelte 13 lbs) at the track, especially where the car transitioned from one corner onto a straightaway where there was a sizable break in the pavement. With the heavy wheels, my suspension would seem to bang over the transition (suspension seemed to be working really hard to control the wheel assembly), while at the same point with my SSRs, the bump was absorbed much better (dampers didn't hit the bump stops). Didn't notice much of a difference in acceleration compared to the ride quality.


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## waitformotion (Oct 7, 2004)

*Re: (cchen1)*


_Quote, originally posted by *cchen1* »_
Supposedly, but whether you'll really feel it in terms of acceleration might not be so obvious (although maybe with a less-powerful car, the difference will become more noticeable)
.

definitely. with the ecu im only at 215/247 crank and with the 300lb figure, you're adding 10% of the car's weight. people kept telling me it was in my head but my dealership just bought a 2003.5 Turbo S (obviously bone stock) and I have no doubts at all anymore. it cost me acceleration to put those 18's on there..


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## Neckromacr (Aug 1, 2002)

*Re: (GiddyGTI)*

I went from bending a two sepperate stock 14" to my 11.9 lb 15". The 15"s have been noticeably more durable. Lightwieght does not make a wheel fragile on the whole, its just a popular conception.


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## newbeetle1.8t-kid (Jul 4, 2004)

I also have the Aristos on my bug and they are stamped with the OZ logo. Love the look, but agree that there is some issues with unsprung weight especially under hard cornering, but sways and a better suspension will take care of that! Gotta love the look of em' spinning tho!
Kip


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## waitformotion (Oct 7, 2004)

*Re: (newbeetle1.8t-kid)*

i haven't seen them spin but i love the look of them sitting.


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## Nihilator (Nov 6, 2004)

*Re: (waitformotion)*

Mine were Ronals. I know of no difference, or reason there should be a difference, between the two.
I weighed my Aristo / F1 combination once, and it came to 50.6#. Subtract 24#, the weight of an F1 (according to tire rack), and that leaves 26 - 27#. 
Compare that to the 38.8# that my original wheels & tires (Montereys with Michelin eco-friendly tires) weighed.
--Chris


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