Wheel weight

[jprates]

Would it be possible for one of the lucky new Prius 2010 owners out there
in the USA to take one wheel out and measure its weight?

I would be most interested in knowing the weight of both the 15” and the 17”
wheels.

Please, whoever is willing to do this big favor, please also state what tire
you have on that wheel so that I can try and find the tire weight.

I am most interested in comparing both rim and tire weights for the new
Prius.

The reason is that Toyota has deliberately taken out the possibility of
having the solar roof with 17” tires because of total weight.

Toyota also claims that the 15” wheels have a very special and very worked
out rim which is absurdly light. I want to check that claim.

It seems that having the solar roof + 17” wheels would result in a much
higher fuel consumption (presumably equal or even greater than 2nd gen). I’m
interested in knowing the total weight of the OEM 15” wheels to see if I can
understand better. I’m betting more on the 215mm wide tire being the main
reason for the increased consumption.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[David Beale]

From ken@japan and others:
2010 Prius
15X6J: 5X100mm PCD, 45mm offset
17X7J: 5X100mm PCD, 50mm offset

17inch:11.0kg
15inch: 7.4kg

[jprates]

Originally Posted by David Beale

From ken@japan and others:
2010 Prius
15X6J: 5X100mm PCD, 45mm offset
17X7J: 5X100mm PCD, 50mm offset

17inch:11.0kg
15inch: 7.4kg

Thanks David, I had missed that one.

[RadioZero]

ugh, those 17's are heavy. the 15's are livable. lighter weight wheels for those running 17"s would be nice. if you can find 17" wheels weighing 17-18 lbs each that would be great!

[F8L]

Originally Posted by RadioZero

ugh, those 17's are heavy. the 15's are livable. lighter weight wheels for those running 17"s would be nice. if you can find 17" wheels weighing 17-18 lbs each that would be great!

There are plenty of inexpensive aluminum wheels that weight in the 15-17lb range. The problem is the tires will still be pretty darn heavy. Most 17" tires seem to be 18lbs at the lightest and 23lbs near the upper end.

My wheels were 15lbs but I understand they are not a style everyone would like. Just posting as an example.

[David Beale]

Well, if money isn't too much of a concern, I'd wait for Volk Racing to come out with 17" wheels in the Eco series. They look very nice and are very light yet strong. For those who haven't seen them, they were produced originally for the GII Prius, in 15" and 16" size. Cost is close to $3000 for four. I don't have the link handy, but I'm sure someone will chime in with it. You -could- go with the 15" size to minimize weight, remembering that Toyota doesn't change the mechanicals when they change wheel size - they just ensure the overall diameter is very close.

[Blizzy_Pri]

Originally Posted by David Beale

Well, if money isn't too much of a concern, I'd wait for Volk Racing to come out with 17" wheels in the Eco series. They look very nice and are very light yet strong. For those who haven't seen them, they were produced originally for the GII Prius, in 15" and 16" size. Cost is close to $3000 for four. I don't have the link handy, but I'm sure someone will chime in with it. You -could- go with the 15" size to minimize weight, remembering that Toyota doesn't change the mechanicals when they change wheel size - they just ensure the overall diameter is very close.

I think this is what you're referring to.

RE30 Eco Drive, which is offered in 17".



It's not a Prius, but you get the idea.

They also have:

CE28 Eco Drive, ranges from 14" to 16":


And we finally have Eco Drive that is only offered in 15":



I wish there was a pic of the RE30 on a Prius. As for the weight, the site, RAYS, doesn't indicate this information.

[F8L]

The bad part about all the super lightweight wheels like Ray's is the price. At over $420/wheel you'll have to drive some serious miles to recoup the cost difference compared to a $150 wheel.

At those costs and assuming a 2mpg difference in MPG it would take approx. 24yrs driving 20,000 miles a year to recover the cost difference between the wheels.

$150*4 = $600, 20,000m / 48mpg = 417gallon * $2.70 = $1125/yr in fuel.

$420*4 = $1680, 20,000 / 50mpg = 400gallon * $2.70 = $1080/yr in fuel.

$1080 = The difference in price between the wheels

$1125 - $1080 = $45/yr difference in price paid for fuel

$1080 / $45 = 24yrs


But since it's just money. One must go with his/her heart and get a wheel that they think best fits them and you could save upwards of 20galons of fuel a year that won't go contribute to air pollution.

[jprates]

Originally Posted by F8L

But since it's just money. One must go with his/her heart and get a wheel that they think best fits them and you could save upwards of 20galons of fuel a year that won't go contribute to air pollution.

It's hardly about the price, or about MPG, it's all about looks.

Yes, we Prius owners can be smug as well LoL as if the world didn't know

In fact I can bet the MPG will fall with these wheels. The OEM 17" and the 15" caps almost cover the wheel area, helping the aerodynamics.

These pretty wheels are all but aerodynamic. The turbulence on these ones is horrible as hell. I'm not sure the reduced weight is enough to compensate the terrible cd. I think not.

[Therand]

How does the Toyota Tire pressure monitoring system work? Do they have little sensors mounted to the inside of the rim?

I've never tried changing out the rims on a car before. Is there a way to mount the sensors in the new rims so the tire pressure system continues to work?