auzoom

Actually I think they are my SA70tt's just in CF. DAMN IT ! I knew I should have waited

shaketim

wow, they look cool, but there`s no way i`d drive my car with them on,
toughness is the property you want in a set of wheels, which is a combination of strength and elasticity, aluminum being very elastic and strong for its weight. Carbon fiber is strong but brittle, who would want glass wheels ??
other things to consider, carbon fiber is weakened by exposure to UV light, just like the old plastic dashboards that cracked in the sun.
also there`s different types of stress, not sure how the wheels would cope with the rotational force on the joins where the spokes join the rim when braking or accelerating. for impact force they`d be awesome but it aint that simple.
another biggie is manufacturing imperfections, impossible to spot visually and might mean a 90% reduction in impact strength, and failure without warning.
dont get me wrong i think the stuff is great for everything apart from wheels, the rotational stresses worry me. crystal structures like metals mean the stresses are evenly distributed throughout the volume really nicely, a woven fabric like material just aint the same. sorry, i loved material science at uni

DrewMan

I have a feeling theyre supposed to be used on roads that are smooth with no bumps ie race tracks


im sure on the box they would have a little disclaimer that says is prone to cracking etc

id love to see them in real life! I'm sure theyre the first of its kind (for road wheels anyway) cos i havent seen them around.

takahashi

The one on the left with metal rim is the SA70TT style (with stud), the one on the right, full carbon, is the TC105N type with shallow dish and no stud

Revolver

There could be any number of reasons why F1 have not used carbon. Contrary to popular belief, F1 is not an all out arms race anymore. It is a pretty strictly controlled, dollar driven, formula these days and for all we know the wheels sponsors they have prefer them to use alloy rims because that's where most sales come from.

Of course, it may also be that race teams have tested them and decided their utility is marginal on a merit v cost analysis.

And don't confuse something engineered for racing with something engineered for street use. FI cars break for two reasons - collision control to reduce driver impact and expected limited life span to cut down weight, etc. Simply put, they don't need to withstand collisions or last forever because they can be rebuilt for the next race.

We could be just looking at a marketing exercise. Maybe Weds just wants to cash in on the carbon fibre fashion...

Appreciated shaketim's post - based on knowledge as opposed to supposition. The UV light problem has been largely overcome by different weaves. As to rotational stresses, I agree. I'd be interested to see how Weds has overcome that challenge...

Cromax

I thought F1 wheels had titanium, or were made completely out of titanium now.

ORX-800

Well if F1 hasn't been using them there must be a reason...and after looking at the regs, this would be because...

"12.3 Wheel material :
All wheels must be made from an homogeneous metallic material."


2008 F1 TECHNICAL REGULATIONS 21-01-2008.pdf

takahashi

Senna was killed after running over a carbon fibre fragments

Cromax

Good research! I reckon that it is there for a good reason ... probably due to the types of stresses the wheels on an F1 car are under ...

... that and titanium will probably end up just as light anyway.

IcarusX8

maybe next we'll have cf tires

Cromax

HAHA, probably not ... but the next best thing is the michelin tweel ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqRJ9GfIJtI

... it's been around for a while now, but it's different!

DrewMan

ive never seen one in real life!

i wonder when it will finally make it to the consumer market?

IcarusX8

how do they not burst out into laughter with the giant michelin man right on stage with them?

heyarnold69

iTrader: (1)

hrmmm maybee a cf rapped something .. adds a safety element

shinka213

so..they are not available yet?

Cromax

Why? Kevlar is lighter, more elastic, just as strong and more suited to the application.

Cromax

We should make our own and market them before they get on the market!