Plastic Wheels?

Just read this article about Glas Reinforced Plastic wheels. Sounds interesting, but I'm not sure I want to ride on 'em.

GRP Wheels

look pretty cheap to me ... make that more ricers with 24 haha ...

I can see it happening.

in the example pic, those wheels are ugly as sin

think you could drink a gallon of milk and later that year you could have that same bottle in your wheel lol ... i dont like the idea of them

Hey guys, Ive been in the plastics business for along time and I can tell you with out a doubt, you can make a piece of glass reinforced plastic way stronger than an equal sized piece of metal and at a huge weight savings. GRP's only downside is lower heat melting temperature then metal (usually somewhere around 250 degrees Centigrade...that figure can be raised by adding small amounts of copper)...the moulding process for the wheel would be the most crucial but it can definitely be done...as far as appearance goes thats a whole other ballgame...a glossy black finish is possible with additives but chrome I'm not sure about. They do chrome plastic bathroom fixtures so they may be able to do it here as well.

Something similar to GRP was used by Shelby on the 88 or 89 CSX. They were called fibreride wheels and came in a gold color. They did have issues with the wheels not being able to handle the stress, but we're talking 20 years ago. The minesweepers I work on for the Navy are mostly GRP and it's also used a lot in high end yachts now. With todays technologies, I don't see why GRP wheels aren't a viable idea.

With modern chemistry Im surprised they aren't already offered.

You can't just think of it as the same plastic as a cheap toy.

Modern plastics can be formulated to very specific needs. I don't think the melting point would be much of an issue Im sure they have that under control.

but think what would happen ... a winter in iowa ... ice covered roads and then you turn a corner or you slam into a curb at 30mph wont the rim it self brake?? yes if you hit a curb at 30 good it will bend the rim and such but if it just bends you could still make it home..... (this has happened to me) because i was doing backwards donuts with my old neon and smacked a curb ... i made it home ... and such but wouldnt plastic brake ??

Depends on the "recipe" used for the plastic. Plus if that was to happen you always have spare

i think that is a really cool idea. a perfect way to drop some rotational mass

I think its a pretty cool. Have these been tried on the track? Seems like F1 or LeMans would of had these years ago or maybe its just too much stress for the rim.

Maybe these will not work well in hi-performance applications... people always try to buy superlight rims for use at the track, so it would seem that if they're useful, drag cars would be snatching these up.

However if you can now get 18's that weigh 10 lbs apiece, that's pretty sweet!

Why test it on a F1 on perfect roads, give me a set to ride it on mexican roads and i'll tell you if they're made to last

When it comes to plastics used in high stress situations, just look at Glock. The frame rails are plastic and the design is practically unchanged since 1984, yet the guns keep going. This includes subjecting it to the 10mm cartridge. The 10mm has been known to crack steel frames, but seem right at home in the plastic Glock. It can absorb a lot of impact that metals can't and still withstand the pressure and friction.