Wheel widths, design option

Chassis Setup, Tires & Handling Forum
1

Im am a little confused on some of the variations wheels come in.

I am starting to understand the following ( atleast for lo206 situations)

  1. Spoked designs tend to be stiffer, better for lower grip tracks, solid centers tend to flex more, helping on grippier track.
  2. Magnesium disapates heat faster, aluminium holds heat more.
  3. on the rear, with a 6" tire, a 180mm wheels will have more side bite then a 212mm wheel.

The one thing i am confused about is douglas ofers most their wheels in a 2mm wider version. like 130mm and 132mm, or 212mm and 214mm

Is that 2mm doing anything? This is mainly because i am looking for a set of the SE solid center wheels, and some places stock 212mm, some 214mm

I am looking at the SE because from my understanding, they will act like a MXC and help free up the rear a bit

2

Stretching the tire slightly more on a wider wheel will stiffen the sidewall a bit and limit how much flex the tire has. A stiffer sidewall doesn’t flex and dig into the track as much as a softer sidewall. So a 2mm wider wheel is going to stiffen the sidewall up just a tiny bit. Not a huge difference either way.

3

As a non-professional karter, I cannot tell the difference between 212 and 214. And I am confident no one can tell the difference between 130 and 132. Buy whatever your preferred shop stocks.

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