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Car Wheels

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Car wheels are the most important parts of every car, even more important than an engine, steering wheel, or safety restraints. A car without wheels is going nowhere fast, but a car with nice aftermarket rims can look like its going fast even when it’s waiting for a red light or parked on the side of the road. The wheels and tires are the driver’s link to the road as well as providing the traction to propel and stop the vehicle. Wheels are one of the best ways for a driver to express themselves through their vehicle, and many car owners spare no expense to outfit their ride with unique custom car wheels.

Changing the wheels and tires on a car can have many affects on the vehicle, most notably the ability to corner at speed. The most important aspect for many people however is the aesthetic appeal a new car wheel exudes. A wheel that is designed to support a tire with thin sidewalls can allow the vehicle to have more stability when going around turns. This is why many sports cars have large wheels with very low profile tires. The thinner wheels absorb less shock so the ride won’t be as smooth as thick sidewall tires.

Another aspect that is often overlooked is the inset and outset of the wheel. Most standard wheels are perfectly centered meaning that the axel attaches to the wheel centered underneath the tire. An inset wheel has the bolt pattern close to the road edge so the axel and suspension are closer to the edge of the wheel. To much inset and the tires can rub on the inside of the wheel wells during hard turns and they slightly narrow the width of the vehicle which can make for much faster cornering. Too much inset and it will be difficult keeping the car going in a strait line.

An outset wheel has the bolt pattern very close the inside edge of the wheel so the wheel is further from the suspension. These car wheels extend the width of the vehicle and if too outset they can rub outside the body around the wheel wells. An offset wheel will increase the stability of a car, but can put increased strain on the steering parts and suspension as well as affect the turning radius negatively. Too offset and the wheels will seem so heavy they will be impossible to turn.

Other factors that should be taken into consideration before changing car wheels is the bolt pattern. These vary in number and configuration from manufacturer to manufacturer. Don’t buy a four bolt wheel if you have a five bolt pattern. It sounds like a no-brainer but this has happened to many over-exited car owners. The pitch circle diameter should also be measured. This is the imaginary circle that connects the center of each bolt to the car. Even a five bolt pattern can have different pitch circle diameters. This is listed as the PCD notation and usually looks like this 5x114.42. This means a five bolt pattern with a 114.42mm diameter.

The load bearing part of the wheel is not the bolts like many people assume, it is the center spigot. The bolts hold the wheel to the axel laterally while the spigot holds the weight of the car. Many aftermarket car wheels have larger holes in the center of the wheel than the spigot of the car so special steel donut called a hub-centric ring has to be installed, otherwise the bolts will snap and the wheels will fall of the car damaging the brakes, axels and wheels at least.