I know that you want snow tires to be as skiny and high profile as possible. The object to get through the sloppy stuff down to pavement.

What about rim weight. Heavier to help the tires sink down?

Heavier should also be stronger therfore better able to handle the potholes.

Yes, No, Maybe

Inquiring minds want to know! Like me!

 

I have heard that heavier is better, but I assumed that was because you were less likely to break loose with a heavy rim since it will be harder to turn with the same amount of torque.

I'm sure my physics aren't quite up to par, but the logic seems good...

 

A heavier rim isn't going to make a noticeable difference in "sinking the car down" since the car weighs over a ton. I just ordered snow tires, and went with the 15" Sport Edition D4 rims that Tire Rack is selling for $68 apiece - only 15 pounds. I'll count on the snow tires, not the rims, to make the difference when I need it. The rest of the time, I still want my car to be as peppy and nimble as ever (minus the traction), so I don't want heavy rims.

Lots of folks here run the 15" steelies with their snow tires. I have no idea what those weigh.

 

id just get a cheepo wheel in the 15-22lbs range.


heavier wheels are not going to improve snow drivability at all...will
just anchor down your motor from spooling or makes your brakes
work harder.

add static weight in the boot if you want to make it heavier.

 

I was thinking about strength. Indianapolis has 2 seasons Winter and road repair.

Maybe we wouldn't get so many car eating potholes if we used ROCK salt instead of Liquid salt?

 

In the real world of available wheels, heavier is by no means equivalent to stronger. Typically, if a manufacturer is using a "stronger" construction, such as forging, they're doing it so they can use less metal in the wheel, so the wheel is lighter.

A heavy cast wheel may be stronger than a light cast wheel, but it wouldn't even be safe to turn that into a generalization.

Basically, just get as much sidewall on the tire as you can (aka, use 15" snow tires). That's what will prevent damage to the wheel.

-Roger (who doesn't usually drive his mini in the winter )

 

Don't worry about weight. Worry about price. Plan on having to replace a wheel every three years or so. You might get lucky and be able to keep them longer, who knows. It's harder to avoid potholes in the winter when they're full of snow.

15" steel wheels may not be fashionable, but they are cheap.