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Stock wheel aerodynamics, wheel wieght and offset

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by red90sev, May 8, 2015.

  1. red90sev

    red90sev Junior Member

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    Middleton, ID
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
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    Three
    I have an 08 Prius with the base wheels (15x6 with 45mm offset) I'm looking at getting a set of aftermarket wheels that are 15x6.5 with a 38mm offset. The weight of the wheels are approx. 14lbs. I'm wondering, will I suffer any negative side effects by going with these wheels? I'm not sure how big of a part aerodynamics plays a role when it comes to the stock wheels and I don't want to screw that up. I'm also not sure on the weight of the stock wheels, but I think it's 14lbs isn't it? The new wheels are going to be .5 inches wider, and the offset if going to change by 7mm toward the fender. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I just don't want to buy these and end up getting worse gas mileage.
    Edit: just noticed I spelled "weight" wrong in the subject, not sure how to fix that...
     
  2. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    2004 Prius
    Outside of the rim will be 13.35mm towards the fender. 7mm because of the offset and 6.35mm because of the rim width. So you need to make sure that it’s not too much. Extra wheel width will increase the surface area so it will worsen the aerodynamics. But only you can know if the look is worth it.
     
  3. red90sev

    red90sev Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2014
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    Location:
    Middleton, ID
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    That's right, forgot to add the extra mm to account for the width... Hmm, I'm really wondering how much aerodynamics will play a role...