The picture above says it all. There is so much variety when it comes to wheels that it's easy to get confused. The fact remains that your wheels can really make your car stand out and unless you have proper knowledge, you will not be able to make the right choices.
That is precisely why we have decided to help you enhance your wheel knowledge so that you understand the different types of wheels out there and are able to pick the very best for your car.
STEEL WHEELS
Steel wheels as the name suggests are made from an alloy of iron and carbon i.e. steel. Steel wheels are cheap, simplistic and are usually found on budget cars. Steel wheels are the heaviest of the lot and lack a lot of advantages that their alloy counterparts offer. So, if you're looking for a set of wheels that simply work and are light on your wallet, then they're your best option. However, as is the case with anything that is cheap, they also come with certain drawbacks.
Steel wheels are heavy. Steel, for how strong it is, is not a light metal, and having to lug them around will put a toll on your car's handling, fuel economy, and speed. Additionally, steel rims don't dissipate heat all too well, and can potentially injure your brakes.
ALLOY WHEELS
Alloy wheels or alloys as they are called are wheels that are made from alloys of aluminium and magnesium. Steel wheels are technically alloys too but are not included in this category. Alloy wheels of aluminium or magnesium generally have the following advantages over steel wheels:
- They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much softer and more ductile.
- Alloys of aluminium or magnesium are typically lighter for the same strength,
- Provide better heat conduction, and often produce improved cosmetic appearance over steel wheels.
Although steel, the most common material used in wheel production, is an alloy of iron and carbon, the term "alloy wheel" is usually reserved for wheels made from nonferrous alloys.
Alloy wheels were initially made of magnesium alloys. These became quite the trend but suffered from problems in ductility. More experimentation led to the discovery of aluminium alloy wheels and casting refinements in the 1960s made them very advanced. Till the 1960s, most aluminium wheels suffered from low ductility, usually ranging from 2-3% elongation.
Once these aluminium casting improvements were more widely adopted, the aluminium wheel displaced the magnesium wheels as the go-to, low cost, high-performance wheels for motorsports.
Compared to their steel counterparts, alloy wheels are lighter. Aluminium, the base of many of these alloys, is a considerably lighter metal, and the additional metals that it is alloyed with, like nickel, titanium, or magnesium to name a few, are added to strengthen it. Besides their lighter weight, alloy wheels also transfer heat more efficiently than steel rims do. This means they can take a heavier braking load without warping or damaging the brakes.
While they are tougher than steel wheels, they are still not impervious. Part of the issue here is that when confronted with a force strong enough to damage the wheel, alloy wheels are more liable to crack or fracture. Steel, on the other hand, is more likely to simply bend, allowing for easier repairs.
See Also: What Does Tyre Size Mean? We Decode The Numbers
CHROME WHEELS
Chrome wheels are not really made of chrome. They are simply alloy wheels or steel wheels that are coated with chrome. The coating gives absolutely no performance benefits to the wheel and is only an aesthetic enhancement. The one advantage the coating does offer though is the better protection against oxidation.
FORGED VS CAST WHEELS
Forging and casting are basically two types of wheel manufacturing methods. You are more likely to come across these terms while purchasing alloy wheels. Forged wheels are made from hot pieces of metal that are milled into the final shape of the wheel. The other form of wheel production is casting, which is how most people assume wheels are made. Cast wheels are made from liquid metal being poured, or in some cases forced, into a mould. Compared to forged wheels, cast wheels are significantly easier to make which makes them cheaper in comparison. Cast wheels are also significantly weaker and heavier than forged wheels.
Image Credits: ruggedridge.com,alibaba.com, customwheeloffset
