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'16 OEM wheel weights & options

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by DieselHybrid, Feb 26, 2016.

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  1. DieselHybrid

    DieselHybrid Junior Member

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    Yesterday I had a chance to weigh a set of OEM '16 Prius 15" alloys (15x6.5 ET40) w/Bridgestone Ecopia 422's (195-65-15): ~38 lbs (w/out plastic hubcap)- which is exactly what my OEM Gen 3 Prius wheel/tire combo weighed .

    (Side note: Even though the OEM '10-'15 Prius 15" wheels were said to weigh ~16.3lbs? In either case Gen 3 or Gen 4 the scales read ~38lbs for the tire/wheel combo. Tire Rack claims the Ecopia's weigh ~19lbs. Based on this, both 15" OEM's combos should have weighed ~35lbs... where is the extra 3lbs coming from?)

    I'm curious to see how much Toyota's $899 10-spoke 15" alloys weigh... anybody have a set?

    I'm looking to potentially reduce rotational mass without compromising the '16 Prius' excellent 0.24 Cd. As an important side, would prefer not to increase LRR with a poor tire choice. (From what I have read there is NO mpg benefit in going with 17" wheels & low profile tires)

    I had a set of 11.9lbs Motegi Traklites 16x6.5 ET50 in my Gen 3 Prius. Unfortunately, with 205-55-16 Bridgestone EL-400 (note not a LRR tire), the wheel/tire combo weighed about the same as stock: ~38lbs. My Gen 3 suffered no ill effects from this wheel/tire combo; returning the exact same overall 49mpg I had experienced since day one.

    Perhaps there are lighter LRR tires out there in 195-60-16. Michelin Energy Saver's are purported to weigh <18lbs in that size (if they can be found).

    Thoughts?
    Just trying to see what options we have to positively "eco-mod" the '16 Prius.

    Thanks in advance.

    Here are a couple of shots...

    I plan to swap out the 205-55-16 Bridgestone EL400 with Michelin Energy Saver 195-60-16's. Will report on weight & FE impacts if any.

    Side note: I am astonished that Toyota claims they achieved a laudable Cd of 0.24 with such large wheel gaps!


    IMG_0756.jpg IMG_0758.jpg

    Some numbers:
    baseline:
    Prius 2 Eco, OEM 15" wheels & Bridgestone Ecopia 195-65-15 with wheel covers ~38lbs.
    ~54mpg

    I finally found some Michelin Energy Savers in 195-60-16. Weight 17.6lbs each with reportedly similar if not lower RR than the stock Ecopias.

    Motegi Traklite 16x6.5 et50 ~11.9lbs. Including TPMS, & forged aluminum 5mm wheel spacers (to more closely approximate stock wheel's et40), total wheel weight is expected to be ~30lbs.

    -8lb reduction in rotating mass (~+20%) per corner with a slight 1% increase in wheel height... will report on how this +30lbs loss of rotating mass works out in the next few weeks.

    I expect small (if any) FE gains, but with a welcome bump in acceleration & handling feel. All in the name of hypermiling.
    Now, slow down & drive safe!

    As expected I weighed the Motegi Traklite + Michelin Energy Savers prior to install & the total weight for each was a hair over 30lbs vs. stock ~38lbs.

    Without the benefit of a calibrated accelerometer, I can say that by the "seat of the pants," the Gen 4 feels improved over stock. Acceleration, turn in, & cornering all feel crisper. This is not just a placebo effect...

    But that should be expected after losing ~8lbs of rotating mass per corner, or ~32lbs total. Lost weight where it counts most.

    Too early to tell on FE impact- if any. I suspect aerodynamic drag may be adversely affected- due to the increased effective et45 vs. oem et40 & the porosity of the Motegi's 5 spoke design vs. the near disc-like surface of the oem wheel covers.

    Is it worth the expense to upgrade? Unless you are a driving enthusiast like me, I suspect the FE gains (if any) will never add up enough to recuperate the cost. But since I already had the Motegi's gathering dust in my garage, what the heck.

    Will keep posting FE updates as I drive more miles.

    Enjoy the drive!
     
    #1 DieselHybrid, Feb 26, 2016
  2. JohnF

    JohnF Active Member

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    Is the "ET" number the offset?

    I missed your 19lb value for the weight of the Ecopia and checked Tire Rack, who now say it weighs 18 lbs. So that would mean the stock alloys weigh 19-20lbs each?

    Poking around Tire Rack for wheels for my snow tires (I'm in no rush, don't need them until fall) I see that they have steel 15x6" wheels that they claim fit the '16 Prius for only $53 each:
    New Steel Wheel Black Painted

    Weight is 19lbs per wheel, which would be roughly the same as the stock wheels? They are 1/2" narrower, would that be an issue? Offset is 32mm, I wonder if that is OK.

    In my Gen 3, the same snow tires cost me roughly 10mpg(!). So I figure getting lighter wheels won't be as important to me as it might otherwise be. I realize that the car would look sort of industrial with these wheels on it but I don't care, at least for the brief period when I need snow tires.
     
    #2 JohnF, Mar 20, 2016
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    @JohnF That link looks a lot like the Corolla rims I use for snow tires. They might be those, you could check with them. If they are they will not have an oversized hub opening, requiring an adapter ring. If they are generic they will though.

    The rims I got for third gen were $70 apiece, through a local dealership (around 5 years back). I'm not 100% sure if they were brand-new, but they were at least near-new take-offs. Here's the parts no's:

    Corolla steel rim, part no: 42611-02471 (2003-2008 corolla or matrix, CE, LS, S)
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Mar 20, 2016
  4. JohnF

    JohnF Active Member

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    Thanks, I'll phone them and ask them about it. It's funny that the TPMS sensors cost more than these wheels, by $3/wheel!

    The "industrial look" is growing on me. It's definitely different, looks a bit like riding on 4 space savers. Might look even better if the wheels were rusty, or powder coated some color. Getting tired of the alloy wheel look.
     
    #4 JohnF, Mar 20, 2016
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I didn't get TPMS, life is simpler thus. Not sure if that's still possible in the States. Maybe if you come in with loose rims??
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Mar 20, 2016
  6. JohnF

    JohnF Active Member

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    It comes standard in the States. From what I read the car makes a fuss if it doesn't detect TPMS sensors, and the sensors must be initialized in the car's computer. Life would be simpler and far cheaper without them!
     
    #6 JohnF, Mar 20, 2016
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Yup, up here too. If you put on tires without TPMS the only fuss is a little orange light on the dash. Put the regular tires (with sensors) back on, light goes out again.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Mar 20, 2016
  8. JohnF

    JohnF Active Member

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    A small piece of black plastic electrical tape should take care of the orange light? Perhaps I'll check with the independent garage I use and see how expensive an initializer is. I have a floor jack at home and it might be convenient to swap wheels here if a storm is coming, and swap back to the OEM tires once the roads are clear again.
     
    #8 JohnF, Mar 20, 2016
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  9. DieselHybrid

    DieselHybrid Junior Member

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    After install update:
    482.4 miles / 8.91 gallons = 54.14mpg

    As suspected, absolutely no change in mileage after installing the 16x6.5 Motegi Traklites with Michelin Energy Saver 195-60-16. Recall that this aftermarket tire/wheel configuration is ~8lbs less rotating mass per corner, for a total ~32lbs less rotating mass.

    Lost weight where it counts most- significantly lighter than the stock 15" tire/wheel - however at highway speeds the more porous 5-spoke Traklites are perhaps less aero than the disc-like oem plastic wheel covers.

    I will have to do a mostly highway tank mileage test to see just how un-aero these wheels are.

    Preliminary conclusion: unless you really, really value small improvements to handling (namely acceleration & braking), save your money & keep the stock wheels!

    After four US iterations, the Toyota engineers have truly optimized this vehicle & there's not much mpg gains available for the aftermarket crowd. Well done, Toyota.
     
    #9 DieselHybrid, Apr 17, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2016
    acceleraptor and Mendel Leisk like this.
  10. Frederickdawg

    Frederickdawg Active Member

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    Wonder how the mpg is effected with the removal of the stock wheel Hubcap's.

    Edit. Not much according to my further search on this forum.

    LG-H901 ?
     
    #10 Frederickdawg, Apr 21, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2016
  11. DieselHybrid

    DieselHybrid Junior Member

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    Good news:

    No ill effects to mileage at highway speeds: last two tanks 54mpg & 62mpg with mostly highway driving. Overall fuel economy has shown a huge improvement due to warmer ambient temps.

    It may help that I never corrected the wheel offset. OEM offset 40mm- these Motegi's are 50mm- therefore the wheels sit 10mm further inboard than stock. Not ideal- but didn't want to have to change the wheel lugs.

    So the non-aero Motegi wheels appear to be well-shielded from the airflow at hwy speeds by the car's body panels- at the expense of a slightly narrower tire track front & rear.

    54-62mpg is nothing to sneeze at- when you consider I have used no hypermiling tricks to achieve this.

    Prius Two eco
     
    #11 DieselHybrid, May 17, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2016
  12. eric1234

    eric1234 Active Member

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    John,

    You can successfully use the car without TPMS wheels. I did it in my 2010 and 2016. There will be a warning light glowing on the dash, but it does not affect functionality.

    Best,
    Eric
     
    #12 eric1234, May 17, 2016
  13. JohnF

    JohnF Active Member

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    Well, except for the functionality of the TPMS. I feel more affection for TPMS now that I have Carista with its new ability to register TPMS sensors to the car's computer. This will enable me to swap back and forth between sets of wheels with snows and OEM tires in the winter without a lot of fuss. And now that people here made me think more about not having a spare, TPMS seems more useful in enabling me to detect and deal with a deflating tire before I am stranded, possibly with a shredded tire. I can get 4 TPMS sensors for about $225, probably worth it.
     
    #13 JohnF, May 17, 2016
  14. DeadCannon

    DeadCannon Junior Member

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    Mine had the optional wheels when it arrived at the dealer. I'll weigh them and let you know.
     
    #14 DeadCannon, Jun 3, 2016
  15. DieselHybrid

    DieselHybrid Junior Member

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    DeadCannon
    What is the weight of your 15" Prius factory 10-spoke wheels?
    Thanks!
     
    #15 DieselHybrid, Jun 7, 2016
  16. DeadCannon

    DeadCannon Junior Member

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    I didn't get a chance to work on the car over the weekend due to a death in the family. Hopefully I'll have an answer for you soon.
     
    #16 DeadCannon, Jun 8, 2016
  17. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    Does the Gen-4 lose the TPMS reset button under the dash?
     
    #17 DonDNH, Jun 8, 2016
  18. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

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    Interesting post.

    True unsprung weight reduction is a great "performance" goal and one which many can "feel" while operating the car.

    I might offer this vision:

    Tire weight may be a greater variable than rim weight.

    Unless switching to magnesium, carbon fiber, or thinner/ less mass wheels (risk of more bent rims) from aluminum I'd think the weights for all the aluminum wheels will be close each choice.

    Let us know the brands/ models you finally choose.

    Anyway, OP great post.
     
    #18 Kenny94945, Jun 8, 2016
  19. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    In general 'forged' wheels are lighter and stonger than 'cast' wheels. Wheel Tech Information - Wheel Construction

    I would expect a forged wheel to be 15% to 20% lighter than a cast wheel the same size. (and cost 3 times as much)
     
    #19 JimboPalmer, Jun 8, 2016
  20. DieselHybrid

    DieselHybrid Junior Member

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    DeadCannon, my condolences on your loss.

    My 16x6.5 Motegi Traklites with Michelin Energy Saver 195-60-16 reduced rotating mass to the tune of ~8lbs less per wheel(!) compared to Toyota's standard Prius OEM 15" wheel/tire combo w/wheel cover.

    A significant ~32lbs reduction in rotating mass- but alas, apart from "handling feel," i.e.: acceleration & deceleration, I have experienced no visible impact to my personal FE.

    Now that my Prius is broken in, I'll try to measure 0-60mph times, & 1/4 mile times/trap speeds to help quantify exactly how much losing ~32lbs of rotating mass might have improved acceleration vs. published stock times.
    Here are the numbers to beat:
    '16 Prius Two Eco: 9.4 sec, 17.2 sec @ 81mph source: Car & Driver
    '16 Prius Four: 9.7 sec, 17.4 sec @ 77.6mph source: Motor Trend

    Since my car is a Two Eco- I'll try to compare to Car & Driver's results.

    My guesstimate is that the gains (if any) will hardly be worth the expense of buying $$$ aftermarket forged wheels.
     
    #20 DieselHybrid, Jun 8, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2016
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