Does anyone know the 17" rim weight on the FFH?

[GreenGene]

I'm looking at new rims for my FFH and want to be sure I stay with a similar weight, but can't find the weight specifications for the stock rims. Does anyone know?

[DaveM]

I'm looking at new rims for my FFH and want to be sure I stay with a similar weight, but can't find the weight specifications for the stock rims. Does anyone know?

I too was thinking of new wheels when my FFH comes in but someone here posted a Jays Garage video roadtest on the FFH. There was a Ford engineer along and he made a comment that still sticks in my mind. All the work they put into getting every mpg out of the car and one thing he said was that they spent a lot of time designing the wheels to reduce wind drag I think that is how he put it. Anyway I think I will stay with the stock wheels. My other car is a Chevy and while looking at the 2010 Equinox I noticed a number of new trucks and cars with chrome wheels. What they are doing is taking the stock wheels and having a powdercoated chrome finish put on them. He said they guarantee them not to rust, pit, or chip off the coating. He claims they should look like new forever. I haven't figured out how to get him to tell me where they have it done nor have I talked to anyone who knows anything about this process. I don't mind the FFH wheels just the gray paint.

[mlwaverunr]

I too was thinking of new wheels when my FFH comes in but someone here posted a Jays Garage video roadtest on the FFH. There was a Ford engineer along and he made a comment that still sticks in my mind. All the work they put into getting every mpg out of the car and one thing he said was that they spent a lot of time designing the wheels to reduce wind drag I think that is how he put it. Anyway I think I will stay with the stock wheels. My other car is a Chevy and while looking at the 2010 Equinox I noticed a number of new trucks and cars with chrome wheels. What they are doing is taking the stock wheels and having a powdercoated chrome finish put on them. He said they guarantee them not to rust, pit, or chip off the coating. He claims they should look like new forever. I haven't figured out how to get him to tell me where they have it done nor have I talked to anyone who knows anything about this process. I don't mind the FFH wheels just the gray paint.

 

I too was thinking about having the wheels chromed. I like the design---not bad, but we have the big chrome grille and painted wheels---just seems odd. If you find out the place or at least the process, please let us know.

[GreenGene]

I also thought about having the stock wheels chromed, but every company I found says it will take a week...and you have to ship the wheels to them and pay for shipping back. I can't have the car down for a week so that's why I decided to find new wheels instead. Google "chrome my wheels" and you'll get links for companies that do this. The most efficient way is "chrome exchange" but the FFH is too new for them to have extra sets of the wheels available. If you find someone that does, please let me know as that was originally my first choice.

[GreenGene]

What they are doing is taking the stock wheels and having a powdercoated chrome finish put on them. He said they guarantee them not to rust, pit, or chip off the coating. He claims they should look like new forever. I haven't figured out how to get him to tell me where they have it done nor have I talked to anyone who knows anything about this process. I don't mind the FFH wheels just the gray paint.

 

One of my previous cars had alloy wheels and the dealer sent them out to be chromed before I took delivery. I've owned the car for 9 years now and the chrome finish looks just like it did the day I picked up the car. I've had no problems with them at all.

[Rodeo]

I too was thinking of new wheels when my FFH comes in but someone here posted a Jays Garage video roadtest on the FFH. There was a Ford engineer along and he made a comment that still sticks in my mind. All the work they put into getting every mpg out of the car and one thing he said was that they spent a lot of time designing the wheels to reduce wind drag I think that is how he put it. Anyway I think I will stay with the stock wheels. My other car is a Chevy and while looking at the 2010 Equinox I noticed a number of new trucks and cars with chrome wheels. What they are doing is taking the stock wheels and having a powdercoated chrome finish put on them. He said they guarantee them not to rust, pit, or chip off the coating. He claims they should look like new forever. I haven't figured out how to get him to tell me where they have it done nor have I talked to anyone who knows anything about this process. I don't mind the FFH wheels just the gray paint.

I watched that video too and if you recall that Engineer said that many changes were small, saving them TENTHS of an MPG so you really don't know what impact changing wheels will really have. He did say that less air flow was needed and that's why parts of the lower grill were closed over. I think if you look for similar wheels without allot of opening that your mileage impact will be very small, if noticed at all. Just my 2 cents.

[DaveM]

I watched that video too and if you recall that Engineer said that many changes were small, saving them TENTHS of an MPG so you really don't know what impact changing wheels will really have. He did say that less air flow was needed and that's why parts of the lower grill were closed over. I think if you look for similar wheels without allot of opening that your mileage impact will be very small, if noticed at all. Just my 2 cents.

After more thinking (if you can believe that) I too am thinking more about aftermarket wheels as I talked this morning with the sales manager and he said if we wanted to chrome over the stock wheels he would set us up with the people who do it but they didn't want to be involved as they don't want us complaining down the road that they flaked or whatever. So I think I too will look into aftermarket wheels and save the stock ones for snow tires if needed.

[Rodeo]

Besides, if wheels really made that big of a difference to fuel mileage, then it would naturally become a "sales gimmick" and wheel manufacturers would be boasting how their wheel will gain you so much more MPG. I am sure what the guy from Ford said is true, but keep it in perspective that it's likely very small of a difference. His point was that you make a whole bunch of such small changes and that adds up to a few more MPG.

[skluck]

Not to mention if these "magic" MPG boosting wheels were so great, they would stick them on EVERY car they sell to boost their EPA numbers.