Wheels
The term alloy wheel is used to describe every non steel wheel, usually one-piece, manufactured using a single mould. They are usually made of aluminium or magnesium alloys. For alloy wheels made out of magnesium alloys, we often use the term Mag's
.
Alloy wheels are lighter and firmer than steel wheels which gives them better performance. Due to their many advantages, alloy wheels are becoming more popular with car manufacturers and are being mounted as original equipment on new cars. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a high class or racing car that doesn't come with alloy wheels.
Owing to the their cheep and simple construction, steel wheels are very popular, and often come as the original equipment on many cars.
Pressed wheels are made of steel, a light constructional material, which is pressed and then welded. They are also primed because steel has poor corrosion resistance. Finally, steel wheels are usually coated with enamel or varnish.
Advantages of Steel Wheels
The main advantages of steel wheels are:
- They have a lower price than alloy wheels
- Flexibility, especially when running into a hole in the road, or when running over objects lying on the road
- They absorb shocks and protect the car's body from deformations, which is very important for driving safety
- They are easy and cheap to straighten if they get bent
On the inside of your wheel, you will find markings similar to this:
6 ½ J x 15 H2 5/112 ET39
Let's see what each of these symbols mean.
Wheel/Rim configurator lets you see how the wheel would look on your Car, SUV or Truck, before buying.
Here is the list of the most popular Wheel brands and Wheel/Rim configurators.