Since I have yet to purchase my SLC, who wants to be the first with a set of these???:stunned:
Carbon-Fiber Wheels: A Costly Upgrade, But Better Performance?
Carbon-Fiber Wheels: A Costly Upgrade, But Better Performance?
Carbon Fiber Wheels on the SLC?
- Thread starter teamacacia
- Start date
Would look great with the carbon body on the SLC as discussed in another thread...:thumbsup:
Carbon wheels have been around a long time....
Dymag made some a few year ago and there were well documented issues of failure. Motorcycles have used them for years too...also with some pretty dramatic failures..
Now I am sure with more modern and high tech materials and manufacturing techniques failures are less frequent but I certainly would to be on the receiving end of one....
Anyone....??
Carbon wheels have been around a long time....
Dymag made some a few year ago and there were well documented issues of failure. Motorcycles have used them for years too...also with some pretty dramatic failures..
Now I am sure with more modern and high tech materials and manufacturing techniques failures are less frequent but I certainly would to be on the receiving end of one....
Anyone....??
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
Sure... give me a new water-cooled 911 and a set of those wheels and I'll drive it.
But I do have a question about the marketing claims:
"And on a 911, Carbon Revolution cites a weight savings of more than ten pounds for each wheel ......The net benefit ... is that you have a 40- to 50-percent reduction in unsprung mass"
How does ten pounds represent a 40-50 percent reduction given that the tire alone weighs 25-30 lb?
IAE, isn't anyone tired of the appearance of carbon fiber yet? First thing I'd do is paint them.
A friend had a carbon fiberswingarm on his race Ducati, complete failure while in a race. No thanks, Its hard enough not to crash at the limit without the bike falling apart under you.
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
What is that thing? It looks like an aluminum center bonded to a fiber rim, and that the fiber part is just fine.... If I were the aluminum center and one of the bonds broke, I'd probably disintegrate too.
Koenigsegg uses hollow carbon wheels on the Agera R (so I wonder about their claim of being the first?):
2013 Agera R | Koenigsegg
I think there's a lot of carbon stuff out there either a) pushing the limits of strength/weight or b) not engineered well enough for the application.
My main interest is cycling and we've been on carbon frames, wheels, spokes, and most other parts for years now. Granted there's a lot less force involved, but there's also a lot less weight and structure to the parts too. My current frame isn't the lightest around and it weighs 967 grams (and I'm 6'3" so it's a big bike). I have confidence in it despite the lack of material underneath me because after it was engineered and built, it was tested repeatedly under the most punishing conditions possible (pro racing, various testing, etc). I can't be thinking about whether it will fail if I'm in a race pack or cornering at 40 on a remote canyon downhill. My wife likes it when I come home uninjured! :thumbsup:
Any material has its limits, and some materials may not be right for certain applications.
2013 Agera R | Koenigsegg
I think there's a lot of carbon stuff out there either a) pushing the limits of strength/weight or b) not engineered well enough for the application.
My main interest is cycling and we've been on carbon frames, wheels, spokes, and most other parts for years now. Granted there's a lot less force involved, but there's also a lot less weight and structure to the parts too. My current frame isn't the lightest around and it weighs 967 grams (and I'm 6'3" so it's a big bike). I have confidence in it despite the lack of material underneath me because after it was engineered and built, it was tested repeatedly under the most punishing conditions possible (pro racing, various testing, etc). I can't be thinking about whether it will fail if I'm in a race pack or cornering at 40 on a remote canyon downhill. My wife likes it when I come home uninjured! :thumbsup:
Any material has its limits, and some materials may not be right for certain applications.
BST has the best carbon wheels available for motorcycles. I raced for 12 years and had sold a few sets through my shop over the years. I have never seen a failure, but I'm sure its possible. I have personally seen dymag failures. I've seen forged magnesium wheels fail similarly to the pictures above. Single sided swingarm wheels seem to fail far more than standard swingarm wheels.
If I remember correctly, BST makes carbon wheels for aircraft, semi trucks, etc. as well. If they were available for an SLC, I would seriously consider them. Sure wouldn't be cheap though. A bare set for a motorcycle runs about $5k, plus $$$ for ceramic bearings and titanium rotor hardware and carbon/ceramic rotors.
If I remember correctly, BST makes carbon wheels for aircraft, semi trucks, etc. as well. If they were available for an SLC, I would seriously consider them. Sure wouldn't be cheap though. A bare set for a motorcycle runs about $5k, plus $$$ for ceramic bearings and titanium rotor hardware and carbon/ceramic rotors.
Uhhhh, pass :/
That's a Dymag Carbon Barrel/Magnesium Centre car wheel, note that the carbon fibre hasn't failed at all.
Note that designing FULL carbon fibre wheels for bikes and for cars is a different engineering story.
There has been many people trying to claim that they are unsafe, well... despite the numerous pics above we never get the full story and it's not like normal aluminium or magnesium wheels don't fail...
One of the 'failures' people proclaimed was on a car (dymag)...which crashed...into a ditch.... and again the carbon barrel was still intact and yet, people still used it to proclaim that they unsafe!
As for the Carbon Revolution wheels originally linked, I saw them at SEMA and I picked up a 19x12inch wheel with one hand, easily.
They'll run about $15k a set.
Difference Between Aluminum and Carbon Fiber | Difference Between | Aluminum vs Carbon Fiber
Note the "cold climate" blurb in the summary.
Note the "cold climate" blurb in the summary.
I have sold numerous sets of BST carbon street bike wheels and I use them myself. I use them really really hard and the set that has been on my street and track use R1 has seen 8 years of hard use. I am a fast expert rider that is not a tiny man either. My R1 has been tracked, jumped, wheelie’d prolifically and finally after 8 years of use it has been crashed; my BST carbon wheels are still 100% ok.
Of the numerous sets I have sold I have NEVER seen a single wheel fail, or brake from normal use which includes hard racing and street riding. Now I have seen them brake as a result of a crash or hitting a curb. I myself have hit a few things that I say would have bent an aluminum rim but due to the flexable nature of the composite they flexed and kept going with zero damage. Now I have seen several high end magnesium wheels fail dramatically as a result of reaching its cycle lifespan.
I have personally seen the "CR" auto wheels and I think they look like they are well built. The biggest issue I see with them is the price and the issues that would arise from introducing them to Mr curb. They really do not like to be ground over concrete.
Yes some carbon wheel brands have given the material a bad name. I would not personally use a set of Dymag carbon wheels on my scooter let alone my super bike or car. I have a set of BST motorcycle wheels on both my road and track superbikes and have never had a single issue.
As per the CR auto wheels, I would try a set if I had an even crazier budget. I have almost a 100g in mods on a Porsche 911 and I still could not justify a set of 15,000 wheels. I use my 911 really hard so I just could not justify a set when my car is likely to eat turf every now and then due to on track drifting shenanigans. Sure throwing a $1500 HRE wheel away after something goes wrong hurts, but not as bad as a $4000 carbon wheel. Sure if I was a Hi-Way roll on and cars and coffee poser I would have a set.
Of the numerous sets I have sold I have NEVER seen a single wheel fail, or brake from normal use which includes hard racing and street riding. Now I have seen them brake as a result of a crash or hitting a curb. I myself have hit a few things that I say would have bent an aluminum rim but due to the flexable nature of the composite they flexed and kept going with zero damage. Now I have seen several high end magnesium wheels fail dramatically as a result of reaching its cycle lifespan.
I have personally seen the "CR" auto wheels and I think they look like they are well built. The biggest issue I see with them is the price and the issues that would arise from introducing them to Mr curb. They really do not like to be ground over concrete.
Yes some carbon wheel brands have given the material a bad name. I would not personally use a set of Dymag carbon wheels on my scooter let alone my super bike or car. I have a set of BST motorcycle wheels on both my road and track superbikes and have never had a single issue.
As per the CR auto wheels, I would try a set if I had an even crazier budget. I have almost a 100g in mods on a Porsche 911 and I still could not justify a set of 15,000 wheels. I use my 911 really hard so I just could not justify a set when my car is likely to eat turf every now and then due to on track drifting shenanigans. Sure throwing a $1500 HRE wheel away after something goes wrong hurts, but not as bad as a $4000 carbon wheel. Sure if I was a Hi-Way roll on and cars and coffee poser I would have a set.
