Why are most racing/track wheels white?

[rsr808]

I've noticed that most racing wheels are painted/powder coated white for the "race" look. This is a trivial question but why is that?

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Mahalo,
Steve

[ChrisBennet]

The wheels are scared to death.
Most track wheels I see are not painted white. Black and silver/aluminum are far more common.
-Chris

[IROC]

I would submit that a possible reason is that white is one of those colors that matches most anything, so if you're an aftermarket wheel manufacturer and need to paint your wheels *some* color, then white is a relatively safe bet. It sets itself apart from the world of silver wheels.

Heck, Porsche did the same thing alot. Hmmm....I don't really know. Maybe white paint reduces the rotational inertia and unsprung weight of the tire and wheel package and also increases the coefficient of friction of the brake pads while simultaneously reducing the waist size of the driver? :>)

Mike

[rsr808]

OHHHH... okay... so white is for posers. For cars with more bark than bite. heh heh

[IROC]

Originally posted by rsr808
OHHHH... okay... so white is for posers. For cars with more bark than bite. heh heh

Nah...I was joking, obviously, but a friend of mine has one of the 944 Turbo Escort Series factory race cars from the late '80s and it's red with white wheels, so Porsche did the same thing. Heck, look at the Paris-Dakar 959s. Of course, white works with that color scheme....

I'm rambling...

Mike

[ZCAT3]

Historically, maybe it was easier to get a visual on the condition of the tires while the car is on the track?? Now, of course, everything is monitored by computers.

[TerryBPP]

The white is cooler than black. Therefore its reduces brake disc temperature by 5 to 10 degrees.

I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[targa89]

My quess is that hairline cracks can be spotted. This is a trick many homebuilt aircraft use on thier engine mounts.

[ValveFloat]

Rally cars use white wheels, they look cool.

I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Ditto

[MT912RS]

You guys have no idea what your talking about. They are white because it looks cool.

[Jack Olsen]

Ideally, the color should be constantly blurred from speed.



Click on thumbnail for a larger version.

[GeorgeM]

How about yella...

[Randy Webb]

White paint contains less pigment than other colors, thereby reducing the all-important unsprung and rotating weight.

(I'm joking, OK?!)

[Bruce Huling]

Everyone knows- White paint fluoresces under uv light such that the wheels do not have to be removed to be inspected for cracks or fissures or other developing metal fatigue issues.
Thats is also why spy planes are painted black (Who cares if they fail? That plane wasnt OURs now was it! (Plausible deniability)) :-)
bh