Lightweight wheel recommendations for snows?

[PNWskier]

I might be a little late to the game seasonally, but does anyone have a good recommendation for a lightweight set of wheels for winter tires for a 2022 Lightning Lariat ER? I'd like to run dedicated snow tires for the winter, not all season or AT. We do a lot of longer driving for skiing in the winter, so I need to prioritize keeping as much range/efficiency as possible. Is there something that fits the following?

• Lightweight wheel that still meets ER's GWVR and can offset what looks like heavier than stock weight on the snow tires (Blizzak or others) - I think the stock wheels are 41 lbs each if I recall.
• Ideally keeping the same offset as stock for aerodynamics and minimizing the range impact.

Anyone have a recommendation or something that's worked for them?

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[Yellow Buddy]

I might be a little late to the game seasonally, but does anyone have a good recommendation for a lightweight set of wheels for winter tires for a 2022 Lightning Lariat ER? I'd like to run dedicated snow tires for the winter, not all season or AT. We do a lot of longer driving for skiing in the winter, so I need to prioritize keeping as much range/efficiency as possible. Is there something that fits the following?

• Lightweight wheel that still meets ER's GWVR and can offset what looks like heavier than stock weight on the snow tires (Blizzak or others) - I think the stock wheels are 41 lbs each if I recall.
• Ideally keeping the same offset as stock for aerodynamics and minimizing the range impact.

Anyone have a recommendation or something that's worked for them?

My 2c…

You don’t want lightweights for snows. You want heavy weights.

The heavy weight will allow you to absorb any build up. If you go lightweight, ice and snow build up can throw your wheel out of balance easier. It can make for a very uncomfortable ride or even unsettling drive if the wheel is bouncing around.

Further, lightweight wheels often have less face material, which will impact your aero and efficiency much more than the weight of the wheels themselves.

 

[csukoh78]

Aero only applies at 55mph and above when you start to get turbulent drag and even then it's mostly negligible. Anything below highway speeds benefit from lighter weight with a massive reduction in unsprung weight.
Go with VenomRex VR601s. Tough, lightweight (13lbs lighter per corner), flow forged, made in USA, and look great. On my second set now after my first ICE was totaled.

 

[Adventureboy]

I went with recent ICE take-offs. Factory take-offs are readily available and fairly inexpensive. Paired with Blizzak DM-V2 and love the package.

 

[TomB985]

Aero only applies at 55mph and above when you start to get turbulent drag and even then it's mostly negligible. Anything below highway speeds benefit from lighter weight with a massive reduction in unsprung weight.

I don’t think that’s accurate. I’ve never heard an engineer articulate a reason why unsprung weight has any effect on efficiency. How would it be different from sprung weight?

Aero hubcaps and wheels have been tested over and over again, and they always make a small improvement on tested efficiency. These hubcaps also add weight, but still have a positive effect.

Lightweight wheels have skinny spokes, which makes them some of the most aerodynamically dirty wheels you can get. I’d look for a takeoff set from an ER Lightning because the aftermarket doesn’t have much available yet.

 

[TomB985]

Relating to my last post, check out this article from 2019.

https://insideevs.com/news/371027/tesla-model-3-ev-01-efficient-wheels/

Five tests with two wheels, with and without covers. Efficiency was improved by adding unsprung weight by installing aerodynamic wheel covers. It’s about the aero, not the weight. I’d agree with @Adventureboy on OEM takeoffs because the value is tough to beat, and they’re likely more aerodynamic than most aftermarkets. I think any F150 or Expedition wheel since 2004 that’s 18” or larger will fit.

 

[csukoh78]

I don’t think that’s accurate. I’ve never heard an engineer articulate a reason why unsprung weight has any effect on efficiency. How would it be different from sprung weight?

Aero hubcaps and wheels have been tested over and over again, and they always make a small improvement on tested efficiency. These hubcaps also add weight, but still have a positive effect.

Lightweight wheels have skinny spokes, which makes them some of the most aerodynamically dirty wheels you can get. I’d look for a takeoff set from an ER Lightning because the aftermarket doesn’t have much available yet.

aerodynamics do not come in to play until you're traveling at a decent high speed and revolutions per minute are high enough to "chop air which creates turbulent drag down the side of the vehicle. However, unsprung absolutely impacts electric vehicle efficiency because it takes more energy to get the wheel turning. Stop and go traffic and low speed driving (ice and snow) will net the biggest improvements in lightweight wheels.

There are multiple people on this website that are verified that lightweight wheels improve low speed efficiency dramatically, myself included.

Aaron dynamic efficiency is hugely important if you're driving high-speed interstate travel for a long way, but that doesn't appear to be the case for this person.

 

[TomB985]

aerodynamics do not come in to play until you're traveling at a decent high speed and revolutions per minute are high enough to "chop air which creates turbulent drag down the side of the vehicle. However, unsprung absolutely impacts electric vehicle efficiency because it takes more energy to get the wheel turning. Stop and go traffic and low speed driving (ice and snow) will net the biggest improvements in lightweight wheels.

There are multiple people on this website that are verified that lightweight wheels improve low speed efficiency dramatically, myself included.

Aaron dynamic efficiency is hugely important if you're driving high-speed interstate travel for a long way, but that doesn't appear to be the case for this person.

Unless you’re using friction brakes, the energy you use starting those wheels gets recovered with regenerative braking. The Lightning has a more aggressive regen than my Teslas did, and I rarely brake hard enough to use friction brakes.

The air dam descends at 45 MPH, so the Ford engineers seem to think aero matters at lower speeds.

 

[richl025]

I went with recent ICE take-offs. Factory take-offs are readily available and fairly inexpensive. Paired with Blizzak DM-V2 and love the package.

Silly question - where does one find "take-offs"?

 

[WildBlue]

Silly question - where does one find "take-offs"?

Typically EBay.

 

[Maquis]

I don’t think that’s accurate. I’ve never heard an engineer articulate a reason why unsprung weight has any effect on efficiency. How would it be different from sprung weight?

Aero hubcaps and wheels have been tested over and over again, and they always make a small improvement on tested efficiency. These hubcaps also add weight, but still have a positive effect.

Lightweight wheels have skinny spokes, which makes them some of the most aerodynamically dirty wheels you can get. I’d look for a takeoff set from an ER Lightning because the aftermarket doesn’t have much available yet.

Agree. Aero wheel covers are the main reason the Mach-E CR1 version has a higher EPA estimated range than the other equivalent trims.

 

[TomB985]

Here's another data point. Motor Trend swapped the factory wheels and tires for an aftermarket set with aggressive tread.

Efficiency decreased by 10%, but the wheels and tires were only three pounds heavier. Worse aero and aggressive tread made a big difference.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-wheels-and-tires/

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