pnichols wrote:
camperdave wrote:
pnichols wrote:
I'd sure like an engineering based explanation of that.
Aluminum wheels are lighter, so you are reducing unsprung weight.
I'm thinking hard about the unsprung suspension weight of heavy vehicles, but can't quite wrap my head around: "With a given suspension system stiffness and a given heavy vehicle sprung weight ... how will hitting a bump with light weight but rigid wheels (aluminum) not transfer that sharp vertical motion to the vehicle above just as strongly and quickly as heavy weight but rigid (steel) wheels do?"
I understand unsprung weight in a racing situation to keep the spin-inertia low so as to take maximum advantage of instantaneous changes in engine torque ... but what's that got to do with a heavy RV?
I suspect that aluminum wheels on an otherwise heavy vehicle are primarily for "looks." :h
Well, you asked for an engineering based explanation, so I gave one... How much it's going to matter I cannot say.
However, reducing unsprung weight is different than reducing rotating weight (which has more of an impact on accel and braking). Unsprung weight has more to do with the inertia of the wheel vertically. remember F=ma? Reduce m and you've reduced F.
That said, I too suspect the biggest benefit is visual.
