carbon fibre wheels?

[Gee Whizz]

I was thinking while watching the f1 that the wheels looks like they are made of metal (no doubt an alloy). With rolling mass being even more critical has anyone ever attempted to make wheels out of carbon?

 

Gavin

Striving to offer no value what so ever!

[k80rum]

Must admit I've never heard of anyone giving it a try. I thought one of the downsides of c/f was that it can have incredible strength but that it's reasonably unidirectional .

 

Would the complexity of creating the compound curves required for a wheel, combined with the necessity for it to be strong enough to cope with the multi-directional loadings imparted by impact and cornering mean that it's not feasible?

 

I'm guessing it'd call for some pretty careful tyre fitting, but it's unsprung mass would be fab!

 

Darren E

 

Website and Emerald maps library

 

Superlight R #54

 

 

 

Edited by - k80rum on 9 Aug 2007 23:34:42

[jd2]

There was an Ascari on display at last years British GT meet at Snetterton with c/f rims..... here

 

cheers, John

 

Edited by - redboy on 10 Aug 2007 00:14:29

[Gee Whizz]

From the photo they are Dymags...

 

http://www.dymag.com/index2_e.html

 

some more blurb here:

http://www.dymag-usa.com/about.html

 

Gavin

Striving to offer no value what so ever!

 

Edited by - Gee Whizz on 10 Aug 2007 00:39:13

[Gambo]

I have a wheels from a Jag F1 car at home. If you felt the weight of it, I think you would struggle to make a CF one any lighter.

 

RED 2.0 HPC 230BHP here

[DaveK]

I have some dymag mag and a dymag full carbon motorbike wheel as sample here at work, the difference is noticable even on these sizes

 

Dave

[Peter T]

Crack testing carbon fibre wheels is a lot more difficault than testing magnesuim or alloy or steel wheels. This is why they are not widely used in motorsport.

 

R500 260 BHP Mango Madness

Project 'X' underway

[Molecular--Bob]

The Citroen SM had them as an option in 1970, and they have stood the test of time.

 

Edited to add the right Citroen

 

Edited by - Molecular--Bob on 10 Aug 2007 09:36:45

[Adrian M]

Porsche do them.

 

Ade