What are Alloy Wheels?

Until recently, the wheels fitted by most manufacturers to their every-day cars have been "steel wheels" Steel wheels are more resilient to damage, and are considerably cheaper to fit. Unfortunately they are almost always heavier, less attractive and smaller in both diameter and width than alloy wheels.

The term alloy wheels is usually given to wheels 'cast' from a mixture of aluminium which is light weight and great at dissipating heat and small amounts of more rigid metals whose presence in the 'mix' provides rigidity and helps prevent cracks propagating.

What determines quality in Alloy Wheels?

Street Rides support the specialists when it come to quality that is why we recommend R-Tec. R-Tec's quality standard for wheels is very high and the manufacturers that they deal with understand that they constantly monitor products to ensure that quality products are sold to thier customers. But what determines quality?

Manufacturing Process of Alloy Wheels:
Manufacturing processes and levels of testing are critical to a wheel's structural integrity.

International quality standards such as ISO9001, QS9000, TUV of Germany establish important production and quality standards that manufacturers must follow.

Proper Fit of Alloy Wheels:
Critical wheel dimensions such as width, diameter, offset, centre bore, brake clearance are the basics when it comes to properly fitting aftermarket alloy wheels. Installation also requires a high level of sophistication.

Many new vehicles are available with features such as ABS, traction control and other features that create a more difficult environment for installing aftermarket wheels. At R-Tec Auto Design they take care of the fitting of your new alloy wheels and tyres for you in thier large workshop by thier own trained technicians.

What does PCD mean?

PCD stands for "pitch circle diameter". This is the diameter of a circle drawn through the center of your wheel's bolt holes. PCD is measured in millimetres and also indicates the number of studs or bolts the wheel will have. The most common fitment has 4 studs with a PCD of 100mm, hence the fitment 4x100.

What does Offset (ET) mean?

This is important if you are thinking of purchasing aftermarket alloy wheels. The offset is the distance in mm between the centre line of the wheel rim, and the line through the fixing (hub) face. You can have positive (+), negative (-) or neither (0).

Get it wrong and your wheels can scrub against the bodywork, suspension or at worst not turn at all! It is deemed illegal if your wheels sit outside the arches of your vehicle.

What is the Centre Bore?

This is simply the size of the machined hole on the back of the wheel that centre's the wheel properly on the hub of the car. Center Bores are usually measured mm.

Some wheels require centering rings that lock into place in the back of the wheel in order to become hub centric and reduce the risk of vibration while driving. This is an acceptable alternative.

You should seek a wheel and tyre specialist or check a fitment guide prior to purchasing or fitting any alloy wheels.

	Split Rims		Deep Dish
	One-Piece		Chrome
	Spinners	To View Info On Each Type Of Wheel Click A Tab Above

Why Alloy wheels?

The main reason car enthusiasts fit alloy wheels to their vehicle is to improve a car's overall appearance, but fitting alloy wheels can also:

* Help to reduce 'un-sprung' weight which results in quicker suspension response.

* Reduce the overall weight of the car, consequently improving acceleration and braking capabilities as well as reducing fuel consumption.

* Help to dissipate the heat away from the brakes quicker and more effectively.

* Allow you to fit wider tyres with more road contact. (As most aftermarket wheels are wider than stock wheels).

* If you run lower profile tyres with your alloy wheels you also gain improved steering response and better lateral stability.

And the bad points?

* You need to wash your wheels regularly to protect the finish. Chrome wheels are even harder to maintain and should be washed every 3 or 4 days during the winter months.

* You have to be careful which wheel cleaning products you use. Some commercially-available wheel cleaner's can actually damage your wheels. So be careful which car wash you use.

* Nobody likes to curb their wheels as it often also void's any manufacturer warranty on your wheel. So you might often find your a little more cautious than normal when parking.

* If you run lower profile tyre's on your wheels you will encounter harder ride comfort.

Ok, so how big can I go?

Many people decide to "Rim Up" or "Inch Up" (choose larger wheels), but then run lower profile tyres to keep a car's overall wheel and tyre radius (Rolling Radius) the same size as the original stock wheels.

It is important when fitting aftermarket alloy wheels to your car that you keep the "Rolling Radius" within around +/-5% of the original stock wheels.

The Rolling Radius is the distance between the centre of the wheel and the tarmac (pictured above). If this changes because you've mismatched your new wheels and tyres, then your speedometer will lose accuracy, alter your car's geometry and fuel consumption levels will increase.

Many people are also limited by how large they can go simply by the size of the car's wheel arches (there being enough space). Some cars such as the Citroen Saxo can have it's wheel "arches rolled" to allow it to cater for bigger wheels.

HINT!

In addition, the tyre sidewall shape can also prove to be a factor. For example if you have a Vauxhall Corsa C and want to run 17" wheels, you can run 205/40/17 Falken ZE512 tyres, but you may notice some arch rubbing if you choose another 205/40/17 tyre brand with a straight tyre sidewall.

What are they?

The most common type of Alloy Wheel is the one piece rim. These are cast alloy wheels that are made out of one solid piece of metal.

What are the advantages?

With alloy wheels in general there is a significant difference from the standard steel rims but when it comes to the different types of alloy wheels there are no other advantages apart from the style and the look of them. Some may argue that split rims or lightweight alloys are better for racing or track days but that lays in everyone's individual opinion.

What are the disadvantages?

Maintenance on alloy wheels is a lot higher than on the steel wheels. Brake dust has a tendency to eat away on your finish so you will have to clean your rims regularly.

What are they?

Split rims or another alternative to the one piece alloy wheel. They are made from the same materials but with a split rim it is made from several sections. The most common type is a two piece rim which has a removable centre. This in theory sounds a great idea as you can change the spoke design if you wished to but in practice it works out quite expensive.

The split rim usually has a dished outer rim which is normally polished. The centres are in-stepped slightly to give that classic euro or DTM effect. People normally use split rims to style their car with it can often give a car that euro effect or a fast racing car effect similar to the DTM racing car.

What are the advantages?

There are no specific advantages to Split Rims over other wheels. Ok, you can change the centres should you need too but this is a very rare occasion due to the cost involved.

What are the disadvantages?

There are no specific disadvantages to having split rims either. In rare cases the bolts that hold the centre in place have gone missing but this is purely down to not tightening the bolts or incorrectly fitting.

What are they?

Deep dished wheels are another particular style of alloy wheels that are very popular on the market. They can come in split rims or a simple one piece alloy wheel design. The posh bit about them that everyone loves is the enormous width the wheels have. These rims come with an outer rim and normally have an in-step to the centre of the wheels. This in-step is what we call the "dish" and depending on the width of the wheels you have the more of a dish you get.

What are the advantages?

The key is in the style when it comes to deep dished rims. If you are going for a wide rim with a big dish you will probably choose a polished outer rim. Deep dished rims are excellent for that wide euro look which is the way to go at the moment hence why these wheels are so popular.

What are the disadvantages?

The downsides with these rims aren't any major things to worry about but it's good to take a note anyway. With a wide rim you have to remember you are going to be using more uncommon tyre sizes therefore they will be more expensive and harder to find when it comes to changing them.

The other thing to remember is will the width of the rim fit on you car? You don't want to buy a 10" wide rim for your hot hatch only to fit it scrubs away at your arches or sits out to wide so that it fails its MOT. Having wheels that are "too wide" will also affect your handling. This doesn't put many people off its just well worth making a note of as your ride won't be a lovable to drive with your super wide rims on anymore.

What are they?

Spinners are a recent new addition to the alloy wheels range. 9 times out of 10 the spinners will come in a chrome finish. The spinners are combined of a normal one or split piece alloy wheel and an extra outer piece that will attach onto the centre of the wheel and slot inside the outer rim. This outer piece is on bearings so that it can freely spin without the main rim moving at all.

What are the advantages?

Spinner rims are certainly eye catching especially when you pull up to a junction and your chrome rims still look like they are spinning away. They are certainly destined to impress a particular crowd of car enthusiasts and it will likely bring you car some attention.

What are the disadvantages?

Apart from being a little bit on the tacky side there are some other aspects to the downsides of spinners. The likeliness of a chrome finish is high so remember not to use them in the winter months or bad weather otherwise the chrome will flaking coming off!

It's an unlikely situation but it has been known for people's spinners to go missing. Ok fair enough you have your locking wheel nuts securely fitted but there are people that do things to really wind you up at times. They will leave your rims on and pinch your outer spinner from your wheels so make sure you store the car safely away from public areas as replacement spinners are not that cheap!

What are they?

Chrome Wheels are your normal run of the mill one piece or split rimmed alloy wheel but they are finished in a very shiny chrome plating. Chrome wheels are the ultimate when it comes to the "bling" look however don't let us saying that put you off as a nice set of chrome rims can give a car a good taste.

What are the advantages?

Well as you can imagine we are talking mega shiny wheels! Its not uncommon for people to use their rims as a mirror when they are caught short they are that shiny. Chrome rims are a popular creation on the modified and performance car market and they can give your ride the attention it deserves.

What are the disadvantages?

Well with everything there has to be a downside. Chrome rims are a plated coating on top of your existing alloy wheel so kerbing them doesn't do you any favours in fact it looks worse when you kerb a chrome rim then it does a normal paint finished rim. The other downside is here in the UK we have a tendency for bad weather and chrome rims are yet to be weather proofed. The winter months take serious effects on your "chromies" and with a combination of dampness and salty roads you will find you rims bubbling up and flaking away before you can say "oh no!" It is a wise tip to keep your chrome wheels off the roads and stored in dry place until the sun comes out because re finishing your rims in chrome is not a cheap job.