Hey guys I have been using the search feature but I havent found out too much about the kind of rim I should be looking into?

There is cast or forged, on top of that there is 2 and 3 piece forged..I live in NY where the roads are not kind...what should I be looking for?some have told me go 1 piece cast because the rim would be stronger...some told me go forged because that rim would be stronger...what should I beleieve..I am looking to get 19's or 20's

here are some brands not mentioned often here on this board: MHT, niche or symbolic...any reason?are these companies not that great when it comes to rims?newbie here..sorry for all the questions

 

3 pieced forged is the slickest set up in my opinion. They are usually the best combo of weight and strength . . . not to mention looks. But they are also usually the most expensive too.
One nice thing about 3 piece wheels. If you ever bend or rash a wheel, you can just replace that damaged part (outer hoop, inner hoop). You don't always have to buy a complete new wheel.
And go with the 20s. No question.

 

are the tires for a 20" cheaper than a 19"?

 

It will really depend on the rim you're going with. The forging process allows the metal to be structurally stronger which in turn allows the rim manufacturer to use less metal, hence the lower weight. Casting a rim (which is easier and cheaper), isn't as good of a process structually, and rims require more metal to have equal strength, which is why they weigh more. If you're talking about the durability of a rim for potholes, the largest factor in there is the sidewall thickness and tire type. For the same overall diameter, a 20" rim will have a thinner sidewall than a 19" so you should theroretically have less problems with potholes. If you're looking for 20" rims though, I doubt you really care about performance, so rim weight probably isn't as critical to you. I agree with spmc about being able to replace parts of a mutli-piece rim, but I think in general, rims that are acceptable to use on a track would be the strongest overall. Volks (Rays) are used commonly in the JGTC and by many members here on the track. I doubt you'll find anyone running Niche rims on a track (for example that is).

 

so then for people with 20"rims they are just in it for looks? then it wouold weight more?would it weight just as much as a 1 piece cast wheel?

have any people taken advantage of teh 3 piece..meaning have drivers replaced components of their rims here?

 

Generally, 20s are only for looks, although some 20s could actually be lighter than smaller wheels and would actually be better performers. You just have to look at the actual weight of the wheels to compare them. There's no law that says a 1 piece wheel is light or heavier than a 3 piece wheel.

 

19's are still better than 20's for performance, not just cuz of weight, but also rotational mass

 

roatational mass and accelleration.. :-)

 

Yea, higher rotational mass is going to affect acceleration and braking

 

I think rotational inertia is the word you're looking for. For a Ring, I = MR^2, a wheel will be slightly different, but its the mass times the square of the radius of that mass generally speaking. 20's will have a larger radius, thus having a greater rotational inertia. What this means is the greater rotational inertia, the harder it will be to change the speed of the wheel, whether it be accelerating the speed to make the car go faster, or decelerating the wheel to slow the car down.