Performance Wheels
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PERFORMANCE WHEEL INFORMATION
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Alloy WheelsAlloys are created by combining two or more metals in order to combine the qualities of all the constituent metals. This results in superior strength and dramatic weight reduction over ferrous metals such as steel. In order to create a high performance wheel, it is, therefore, essential to use alloys and such wheels are known as Alloy wheels. These are being used extensively for today’s world class racing cars or high performance road vehicles. The best road wheels today use an alloy, which is a mixture of aluminum and some other metals. Aluminum and small quantities of other metals are mixed to form the alloy with which alloy wheels are made. The advantage of aluminum is that it is lightweight and it is ideal for dispersing heat whereas the strength of the other metals provides the robustness to the wheel in addition to stopping any cracks from expanding. As compared to steel wheels, alloy wheels have less weight and look much better than plain ole’ stamped steel wheels. Moreover, they have more capability to disperse the heat produced by the brakes and they are produced in standard sizes, which makes it easier to replace the steel wheels with the alloy ones without any problem. Alloy wheels provide greater steering control and better braking response as they bring down the car’s unsprung weight. This is the technical term for reduction of rotating mass at the ends of the suspension components.
Wheel Offsets
The wheel offset is the distance from the hub-mounting surface of the wheel to its centerline is known as its offset. There can be three types of offset - Zero, Positive, and Negative. When there is zero offset, the hub-mounting surface is in line with the centerline of the wheel. Most factory wheels are designed with positive offset. The hub-mounting surface is toward the front or wheel side of the wheel. The wheel center makes the wheel come nearer to the vehicle and as such the tire also moves closer to the vehicle and it gets tucked in under the fender wall. Thus the wheel rotates on its axis. Wheel Centerbore
When an aluminum alloy wheel is fitted on the hub of a car, the machined hole on its back needs to be centered properly. The size of this hole is known as the “center bore” and it is machined precisely so that it matches the hub. If the wheel is hub-centric, the weight of the vehicle is not supported by the lug hardware, which only helps to press the wheel against the hub of the car. Wheels that are not hub-centric should use hub-centric rings to ensure the highest level of comfort and reliability. |
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