Think Again Before Buying an Alloy Wheel!


Which would you rather go for ?


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INTRODUCTION
Wheels may seem like the simplest of components on a car, but the big manufacturers are constantly researching and developing the latest and greatest production techniques and investigating the strongest yet lightest materials to implement into their wheel production processes. Be it Koenigsegg with its full carbonfibre wheels on the Regera or Jaguar reproducing its infinitely cool steelies for the low-drag E-Type, wheels take on huge technical and also aesthetic responsibilities that shouldn’t be taken for granted by us petrolheads. So here’s a quick lowdown of the most popular variants specced on modern cars and how the manufacturers go about producing them.

1. STEEL WHEELS

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Steelies are about as basic as wheels can get. Pressed from billets of steel using powerful hydraulic equipment, steel wheels have been standard on most low-cost vehicles for decades and dominated before alloy rims became cheaper to produce. Steel – an alloy of iron and carbon - is a harder metal than most other wheel materials, but this strength brings with it an increase in weight when compared to the likes of aluminium.

The basic way in which steel wheels are produced means that there is very little flexibility when it comes to design or any type of artistic flare. Different sections of a wheel are pressed out and then connected to form the entire wheel, ready to be used once the welds have been sufficiently ground down. This construction means that the only real way different designs can be implemented is to punch holes into the outside face of the wheel, be it for strategic airflow for brake cooling or for some much needed aesthetics.

Most companies will get around the unattractive nature of pressed steel wheels by slapping on a set of hubcaps with some badging to disguise the raw metal and imitate a set of more expensive and stylish alloys.

2. ALLOYS

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Alloys until the last decade or so have always been reserved for the uppermost models within a manufacturer’s range, but they can now be specced in pretty much any city hatchback on the market if desired. Based on an aluminium or magnesium construction mixed with Nickel, alloy wheels provide a much lighter package when compared with a steel wheel of the same strength and can be cast in full by pouring molten allow into a pre-made mould.

Unsprung mass is a term you’ve probably come across before; it dictates the mass of components that are not supported by the suspension which includes the suspension components themselves, the brakes and the wheels. A lack of unsprung mass improves handling as it allows the suspension to interact in a controlled fashion with an undulating road surface and deal with the reaction forces from the road surface much more efficiently. This was one main reason why performance cars moved towards alloy wheels, with the lightweight construction helping acceleration and the overall dynamics of a car.

By reducing the amount of nickel within the alloy, a wheel becomes much more pliable and malleable, adding to the design possibilities. This freedom of design has led to some truly spectacular alloy rims over the years, but the softer material also opens the door for some fairly catastrophic results after kerbing.

3. MULTI-PIECE WHEELS

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Most famously manufactured by BBS, wheels can be constructed from either two or three basic components. Two-piece wheels are made up of the wheel face (or centres) and the rim (or barrel), fastened together by rim screws that circulate around the circumference of the wheel centre. A ring of sealant is then applied to the join to further secure the sections together.

Three-piece wheels take it a step further, dividing the wheel rim in two to allow for a degree of adjustability in wheel width. All of this faff makes multi-piece wheels inherently heavier and slightly weaker than single-piece variants, but companies like BBS have developed a ‘rolled rim’ feature that brings the strength levels of its multi-piece wheels up to within reach of even single-piece forged wheels by tempering the once-weaker metal.

4. FORGED WHEELS

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Some of the strongest wheels on the market are formed by the art of forging aluminium. This is done by subjecting a billet of material to a ridiculous amount of heat and around 900 bar of pressure, crushing the metal into an extremely dense and immensely strong wheel. The enormous force of compression from the forging makes these wheels extremely light and many times stronger than an equivalent casted wheel.

5. REPLICA 'OEM STYLE' WHEELS

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Countless bargains seem to litter the internet stating high quality replica or reproduction wheels for numerous cars on the market, but one should be extremely wary about going anywhere these tempting nuggets on the web. Although imitation wheels may look the part, they are often made in the cheapest fashion possible to reduce manufacturing costs and therefore lack some essential strengthening processes that OEM wheels undergo.

Most replica wheels are produced using a method called gravity casting which is when the molten metal is poured into a template but not compressed at all and is left to set purely under the pressure of gravity. This means that the alloy is nowhere near as dense as an OEM equivalent which will have had some form of compression forced upon it during the production process. The replica will therefore be lacking in strength and will be far more brittle in comparison, making it a potentially dangerous modification!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaJixxQeosQ

With so many other niche types of wheel available, a set of rims can be specced to your each and every need - be it for daily use, the odd track day or even a patch of off-roading now and again. With a vast array of materials and manufacturing techniques available in within wheel production, the perfect combination is sitting out there for you somewhere.

So i ask fellow members on your thoughts whether looks are more important or safety. Share your opinions below.

SOURCE - CAR THROTTLE
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

If any add-on doesn't compromise safety, it is OK, as wide as the purse could stretch. If such an add-on could invite trouble from Insurance guys or on warranty claims, better stay clear of it.
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Hi Nicholas - I am confused with the Title of the Thread, are you suggesting that Alloy Wheels are not safe compared to Rims ![surprise] and also your Poll Option is confusing to me, any one who is part of this forum and a sensible person will any day choose "Safety" over "Looks".

I am not sure what it means if someone selects "Safety" / "Looks". Are you saying "Safety" is "Rims" and "Looks" is "Alloys" or is it vice-versa [confused], please clarify.

Please correct me, If I have not understood or missed reading something in your thread :please:
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Hi Nicholas - I am confused with the Title of the Thread, are you suggesting that Alloy Wheels are not safe compared to Rims ![surprise] and also your Poll Option is confusing to me, any one who is part of this forum and a sensible person will any day choose "Safety" over "Looks".

I am not sure what it means if someone selects "Safety" / "Looks". Are you saying "Safety" is "Rims" and "Looks" is "Alloys" or is it vice-versa [confused], please clarify.

Please correct me, If I have not understood or missed reading something in your thread :please:
Sorry for the confusing title.i will change it. i am not saying steel wheels are better than alloys. the thread only shows the types of alloy wheels and how different wheels function and the safety aspect of oem alloys compared to replica alloys. sorry cant change the title anymore.[frustration]
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Hi Nicholas - I am confused with the Title of the Thread, are you suggesting that Alloy Wheels are not safe compared to Rims ![surprise] and also your Poll Option is confusing to me, any one who is part of this forum and a sensible person will any day choose "Safety" over "Looks".

I am not sure what it means if someone selects "Safety" / "Looks". Are you saying "Safety" is "Rims" and "Looks" is "Alloys" or is it vice-versa [confused], please clarify.

Please correct me, If I have not understood or missed reading something in your thread :please:
Yes, the title is misleading but the content is pretty simple! Either you skipped reading or you slept while reading. Sorry if it sounds rude, but that is what I felt while reading your reply!

@Nicholas
Change the title and thanks for the info! Nowadays most car buyers purchase Alloys for their bling value but forget that buying it cheap always bring trouble. That is the reason why I never went for aftermarket alloys for any of our car in the garage!
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Sorry for the confusing title.i will change it. i am not saying steel wheels are better than alloys. the thread only shows the types of alloy wheels and how different wheels function and the safety aspect of oem alloys compared to replica alloys. sorry cant change the title anymore
Nicholas - Thanks for the information, I got to know that thread shows different types of alloy wheels and other stuff about the same, but I got confused with the Title and wording in the Poll :stupid:

Yes, the title is misleading but the content is pretty simple! Either you skipped reading or you slept while reading. Sorry if it sounds rude, but that is what I felt while reading your reply!
Furious Driver - Lol I guess I must be [sleep]. To clarify further I agree content is pretty simple but title was misleading and but I am confused with Poll also.
From the Poll, I could not understand clearly what OP wants to get from this Poll results, all I am saying is the description could have had few more words for better clarity for people like me [;)]
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Furious Driver - Lol I guess I must be [sleep]. To clarify further I agree content is pretty simple but title was misleading and but I am confused with Poll also.
From the Poll, I could not understand clearly what OP wants to get from this Poll results, all I am saying is the description could have had few more words for better clarity for people like me [;)]
Sorry for that. this was my first thread. Will improve on presentation aspect. The title basically makes you read what type of alloy you would like to buy. Be it replica or OEM alloy. Also i just wanted to check how the polls worked. [frustration]
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Now that was stupid!! You could have created some thread name "Testing Poll" and delete it right away! Anyways, from next time, try to be more aligned with topic & title.
The poll is not off the topic anyhow. You can look at it this way:
You are buying an alloy. You can either go for the oem alloy or replica alloy which will be of inferior quality and much lesser price. In that case you are risking safety. Therefore the poll basically asks you if you will go the safety of the oem alloys or the less safer replica alloy with the same looks as the oem. [;)]
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

I appreciate the attempt behind creating this thread and the logic too. Also let's consider how and what makes an alloy stronger.

I too have a few questions here.
If I had to buy 13" alloys and I get to see 2 designs, 1. 8 thin spokes 13" alloy
2. 4 thick spokes 13" alloy

Which of the 2 would ideally be stronger?

Best example is 2009 and 2010 versions of SX4 carry this kind of alloys.
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

I appreciate the attempt behind creating this thread and the logic too. Also let's consider how and what makes an alloy stronger.

I too have a few questions here.
If I had to buy 13" alloys and I get to see 2 designs, 1. 8 thin spokes 13" alloy
2. 4 thick spokes 13" alloy

Which of the 2 would ideally be stronger?

Best example is 2009 and 2010 versions of SX4 carry this kind of alloys.
The number of spokes does effect the overall geometry and the stress-strain factor of the wheel. It's common strength of materials science , the lesser the number of spokes on the wheel , the greater the deflection in the spokes ( a case of deflection in short columns under axial loading) and thus greater risk of the failure of the wheel. The number of spokes are chosen on the stress bearing factor. Combine it with the material's properties , you get the perfect designing ratio.
 
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You can either go for the oem alloy or replica alloy which will be of inferior quality and much lesser price. In that case you are risking safety. Therefore the poll basically asks you if you will go the safety of the oem alloys or the less safer replica alloy with the same looks as the oem. [;)]
Not every replica is of inferior quality. There are several grades of replicas available in market.

Coming to the aftermarket wheels (not the replicas) certain brands test their wheels with the load of maximum possible vehicle that the wheel could be used with. For example 14 x 5.5J wheel is tested for the loads of Honda Mobilio / City and when these wheels are mounted on a hatchback (Wagon-R, i10, i20, Brio, Micra) they have superior factor of safety than the OE wheel which is only validated for the loads of puny hatchback.

If I had to buy 13" alloys and I get to see 2 designs, 1. 8 thin spokes 13" alloy
2. 4 thick spokes 13" alloy

Which of the 2 would ideally be stronger?
Spokes count alone don't decide the strength. It's the construction / architecture that speaks a lot.
 
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Re: Think again before buying an alloy wheel !

Sorry for that. this was my first thread. Will improve on presentation aspect. The title basically makes you read what type of alloy you would like to buy. Be it replica or OEM alloy. Also i just wanted to check how the polls worked. [frustration]
Nicholas - I did not mean to offend you, I just mentioned that I got confused with the Title and Poll wordings [;)] Apart from these the content in the thread is excellent, it provides very useful information about different types of Alloys [clap]
 
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Not every replica is of inferior quality. There are several grades of replicas available in market.

Coming to the aftermarket wheels (not the replicas) certain brands test their wheels with the load of maximum possible vehicle that the wheel could be used with. For example 14 x 5.5J wheel is tested for the loads of Honda Mobilio / City and when these wheels are mounted on a hatchback (Wagon-R, i10, i20, Brio, Micra) they have superior factor of safety than the OE wheel which is only validated for the loads of puny hatchback.
i agree with the statement. OEM alloys doesnot mean it has to to manufactured by car companies. It certainly depends on the brand. Many alloy dedicated brands test their product to the breaking limits. Lets talk about growing industry of Fake oem branded alloys. Those are not tested as good as the oem branded alloys. The video shows the difference of fake oem alloys and oem alloys.
 
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