Before buying, you need to decide what purpose is pursued when changing wheel disks: the desire to improve driving characteristics, improve the tuning and appearance of the car, or as a backup option for disks during a seasonal change.
Characteristics of car rims
The most important characteristic of a wheel in today's car is reliability. The designers are focused on improving the strength characteristics of the rims. A modern car rim can withstand very heavy loads, which increases traffic safety in a car.
The second defining feature of a wheel rim is its mass. Wheel disks are directly related to unsprung masses, since it is they that affect the dynamics and control of the car, as well as the measured movement of the car.
An interesting fact: if the wheels of a car begin to weigh 1 kg less, then this will make it possible to move about 50-60 kg more cargo on a motor vehicle without deteriorating speed characteristics.
The less the rims weigh, the less the amount of unsprung masses. This reduces the inertial moment, has a positive effect on both acceleration and braking, increases the durability of transmission parts, and also reduces fuel consumption.
Wheel manufacturers offer the following types of components:
- stamped;
- cast;
- forged;
- combined.
The most common are stamped discs due to their affordable price. The damaged “stamping” is quite easy to restore, since the disc does not split when struck, but bends.
The main advantage of alloy wheels is their weight. A cast wheel rim made of light alloy metals is much lighter than a stamped rim. In addition, alloy wheels do not rust and have a varied look. Unfortunately, if the alloy wheel shatters on impact, it cannot be repaired.
Forged rims are hot stamped. The material contains aluminum or magnesium alloys. Forged wheels are much lighter than stamped and cast wheels. On impact, the forged wheel bends and can be recovered.
Combined wheels combine the properties of cast and forged wheels - a forged rim is attached to the cast wheel. This production method allows the production of combined discs of various designs with high strength characteristics. The only drawback of the combined discs is the rather high price.
Wheel rim certification
Before changing discs, you must obtain a written confirmation from the company in which the car is insured, and if the car is under warranty, then from the service center. This feature is relevant in cases where the selected discs are not listed in the machine's manual.
As a rule, significant problems will not arise if the disc is provided with the appropriate certificate, for example, from the German technical supervision association (TUV), which states that these discs will fit the car.
The wheels of almost all well-known car manufacturers have such a certificate, but it does not hurt to take advice from a car service center or an insurance company.
Note: the Russian certification standard is much stricter than the American, Japanese and European ones. So you can take full confidence in the certification of disks made by Russian manufacturers.
Some very well-known car manufacturers, having carefully familiarized themselves with the Russian standard for certification of wheels, withdrew their wheels from sale, modified and re-certified.
Buying car rims
You should buy discs only from manufacturers well-known in this market, which are supplied legally. Smuggling, as well as semi-underground products from Turkish and Chinese manufacturers, is not just a waste of money, but also a big risk: driving on such wheels is dangerous.
For example, an alloy wheel has a chance of scattering even from a small impact, especially when the weather is freezing outside, and the combined wheels may turn out to be fake. The Turkish alloy wheel is known for weighing almost the same as a stamped one.
All disc sizes must strictly comply with the manufacturer's requirements. If you have the slightest doubt, it is better to consult a specialized disc store or service centers.
Sometimes it happens that the wheel manufacturer does not take into account the specifics of the brake system and suspension of certain car models, or the automaker changes the design of the suspension or brakes. A typical example is that unsuitable discs can interfere with the brake calipers.
Attention should be paid to the specificity of the mounting holes: the bolts are tightened "on a cone", "on a plane" or "on a sphere". If the fasteners are not included in the kit with the disc, it is better to buy those discs that are structurally provided for in this particular situation. An error can lead to the fact that after a few kilometers of run the wheels may “self-loosen”, after which, as a rule, rolling off on the move is quite possible.
How to Extend Disk Life
Periodically it is necessary to check the condition of the rims. The most convenient moment is when changing car tires seasonally. Don't forget about wheel balancing. To prevent corrosion of the discs, they should be regularly washed and wiped dry.
Driving style also plays an important role in extending the life of your rims. Careless driving can result in mechanical damage to the disc or completely destroy it. Correctly selected wheel rims, timely care and careful driving are the key to safe driving.
