Drag Racing Tech - 1/4 Reduction from skinnies

Hey guys, just wanted to ask some of you hardcore racers if you know of a formula or guide to go by to give anide of how much 1/4 time I will pickup by changing my front wheels over to skinnies.

My wheels now weight 57lbs EACH as they are 18's with runflats. With these on the front I have ran 10.68@ 131

Thanks

From everything I've everything I've ever read, every lb of rotational mass is equal to 2-8lbs of static weight, with 4lbs being a pretty close number for wheels.
So if you swapped to a skinny combo that was 30lbs per tire/rim, it would be like cutting about 200lbs from your car while in motion.
And you'll have removed 50lbs + from the front of the car making for better weight transfer.

I would think, based on your current ets, you would pick up a tenth. Like anything, it's hard to say - it could be more.

Keep in mind that skinny rims and tires come in a large variety - my MTs on 15x3.5" rims are still fairly heavy, I would guess in the 30lb range, while I have had my hands on a set of Weld Magnums with tire, and could have picked the thing up with my pinky.

The skinny package would be right at 28lbs. So it would be losing 29LB off each side. So a total rotational weight loss of 58LB's

Take that thing to the KyHorsepower shootout this Sunday Bobby and run a pass or two with the 18's and the run flats and then throw on a set of skinnies!!

And FWIW if you are planning on purchasing set of skinnies for nothing but strictly track use (which I am assuming you are) go with a true drag tire up front. My Moroso Drag Special's weighed in at 10.5 lbs lighter per tire than a cheap 165 metric radial tire like you typically see on skinnies. Good luck man!

Yeah I am gonna throw the tires on GTO spares for this Shootout, then pick up a set of the new Racestar wheels before the Spring Shootout. I plan on getting the M&H 26x4.5x17's

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Between the weight, smoother rolling resistance and thinner tire cutting through the air, it definitely helps.
It's not one of those huge things, but one of the bunch of little things we do that add up.
I've let guys borrow my little skinny tires and alum wheel, and take off their old skinny steel wheel and VW tire.
Was it noticeable, yes. Was it worth hundreds of dollars, maybe not by itself.
Like I said, when you start doing all the little things, they add up.

Good luck.

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:search: as there might have been a thread on this before. If not, if you do, create a thread with weights before and after, and if possible, run them both back-to-back at the track to find out the differences.

I'm planning a wheel swap on my Nova shortly and that's what I'm planning (weights on both set-ups down to the lug nuts, then making passes on both combos back-to-back).

Derek

I have the tires on the way and will be running it this weekend. I will try to make back to back passes with both setups, just depends on how far I make it in the street class.