Wicked Wheel G2 for 38R Test Results

George4 · Feb 6, 2013

So will this wheel make the 38R louder than it already is? Or does it stay about the same?

TyCorr · Feb 6, 2013

Louder? Being that its more efficient Id.say it'd.have to be quieter as the tolerances will be closer.

Lowdown89 · Feb 6, 2013

George4 said:
So will this wheel make the 38R louder than it already is? Or does it stay about the same?

Here's a video of how it sounds inside the truck

http://youtu.be/LeCSNfvZ_zc

Jennifer@Dieselsite · Feb 6, 2013

George4 said:
So will this wheel make the 38R louder than it already is? Or does it stay about the same?

When my husband installed it in our 2000 manual, we noticed a tamer sound inside the cab at highway speeds... but if he put his foot on the gas... that thing growled like a beast. He loved it.

85_305 · Feb 6, 2013

^lmao who was trying to keep up when he first punched it?

TyCorr · Feb 6, 2013

Sounds like that are fleeting when it comes to.recordings but it sounds to me.that the pitch of the whistle is.flatter and lower pitched overall. The stock wheel has a fairly obnoxious , undulating pitch that modulates from trebley to more of a bass sound(hollow sound of air moving). It sounds slightly less.obnoxious, imo.

Bigger tires and heavier trucks.seem to make the noise worse as it places more.load on the engine and in the case of tires it draws the rpm range out longer.

GO BIG OR GO HOME · Feb 6, 2013

Just ordered mine!!!

sent while doing burnouts somewhere in the country

lincolnlocker · Feb 6, 2013

i hope its quieter. dont get me wrong, i love the 38r as it is now but when you jump in the truck in central MI and head to the frisco bay in California, it gets annoying as ***.. especially if you only stop once in chyanne Wyoming to refuel...

live life full throttle

Tom S · Feb 6, 2013

Have any of you ordering these wheels considered getting the assembly rebalanced? I am interested in this once more feedback is in but have some questions about just popping on a different wheel. That is more of a thought to me on a charger that cannot be reasonable rebuilt.

Strictly Diesel · Feb 6, 2013

Tom...my 38R wheel will be here Friday. As soon as I make room in the shop, I'll pull the turbo and get it over to my turbo shop...mine will be rebalanced, not just a swap...and I'm hoping it cures the noisy 38R in my DD (as well as delivers all of the same benefits seen in the other test trucks).

Tom S · Feb 6, 2013

Very much looking foward to a report from you Dennis.

Cr500 · Feb 7, 2013

A billet wheel will be quieter than the cast wheel it replaces. Maybe its the denser material has that effect.
I have used alot of billet wheels, in some cases just a replacement for what was there. Every time the actual high pitched whine was muffled by the sound of the compressor pulling air.
I have a 96 that had a cast 38r wheel, about 3 1/2 months ago switched it to a billet. Same results, went from the normal high pitched whine to now just pulling air sound. It still whines, but nothing like before.

In any case, regardless of turbo, if you swap something on the rotating assembly it defiantly should be re balanced. Especially with this billet stuff. These tp38/ gtp38/ 38r turbos have 6mm shafts. 30 psi is something close to 100 thousand rpm.
So most just swap the wheel out and go down the road? Yikes.

Tom S · Feb 7, 2013

Cr500 said:
A billet wheel will be quieter than the cast wheel it replaces. Maybe its the denser material has that effect.
I have used alot of billet wheels, in some cases just a replacement for what was there. Every time the actual high pitched whine was muffled by the sound of the compressor pulling air.
I have a 96 that had a cast 38r wheel, about 3 1/2 months ago switched it to a billet. Same results, went from the normal high pitched whine to now just pulling air sound. It still whines, but nothing like before.

In any case, regardless of turbo, if you swap something on the rotating assembly it defiantly should be re balanced. Especially with this billet stuff. These tp38/ gtp38/ 38r turbos have 6mm shafts. 30 psi is something close to 100 thousand rpm.
So most just swap the wheel out and go down the road? Yikes.

That was my thought but a lot sure have ignored it.

Bigsexy · Feb 7, 2013

I wonder what dieselsite instructions say when installing a new wheel? Im going to have mine balanced I just need to see who will do it locally

under pressure · Feb 7, 2013

I read.....the gtp38 did not require balanced, as the wheels are balanced individualy prior to install at Garrett. Not sure of the statement, though thousands of WW were never balanced on install.

under pressure · Feb 7, 2013

30 psi is something close to 100 thousand rpm.

?????

Cr500 · Feb 7, 2013

I've seen alot of gtp38s over years that had a wheel replaced, not balanced and eventually wear out the bearing housing to point where the largest oversize bearing ( bushing) isn't enough.
A stock replacement cast wheel will have grind marks from having some type of balancing. There is a spec for that wheel, part, turbo, etc. it is a huge range. Is just like buying pistons or something.
Go to ford/ ih, buy 8 single pistons, and then go weigh them. They will all be close to each other, but not close enough for someone that cares.
Also, consider this. Those " pre balance" marks are also for a turbo that, under those specs would never exceed 20 psi, or x rpm.
Think also of an un balanced tire. At 5 mph you may not notice anything. But at 70 mph it may seem your driving down a potholed road, only that road is nice and smooth.
Now, there are more than one manufactorer of billet aluminum wheels. One company might vary from the next. To date I've bought maybe 6-8 different billet wheels for various turbochargers/ applications. None had any grind marks, just a nice looking machined part.
Maybe the diesel site stuff is different.
It seems very half- ass to not balance a rotating assembly once you have replaced parts, especially parts that are not even the same that you replaced with.

Cr500 · Feb 7, 2013

Let me try to clarify, although my thoughts don't translate to words sometimes very well.
Shaft rpm is relative to airflow, not nessasarily boost. On alot of compressor maps there will be lines in a somewhat horizontal fashion that correlate wheel speed with airflow at given pressure ratio.
There is not a formula that says x boost is x rpm. Shaft rpm will climb with pressure ratio increase, or boost, because it should seeing more airflow as everything rises.
I'm sure if you find a gtp38r compressor map, it should have shaft rpm lines. Garrett is good about having those.