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Technical Questions
Q. What are the different methods of making wheels?
A. In today's marketplace, steel and aluminum are the most common wheel
materials. Steel wheels are made in two pieces. The inner piece, which is called
the center, bolts on to the car. The outer piece is known as a barrel and
receives the tire. The two pieces are welded together to form the wheel. Most
original equipment wheels are made this way. Many aftermarket wheels are created
this way as well, especially ones made for trucks. Steel is durable and easy to
repair. For these reasons, it has remained a popular material for wheel
manufacturing. The other material, aluminum, is by far the most popular type of
wheel we sell. Its light weight, superior heat dissipation, and seemingly
endless design variations make it the material of choice for most buyers.
Aluminum wheels can be manufactured in many ways, and each method offers
advantages. |
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• One-piece Cast Wheels
Pouring molten aluminum into a mold creates a cast wheel. The metal then takes
the mold's shape as it cools and hardens. There are three types of casting
methods: low pressure/gravity, counter pressure, and high counter pressure
molding (HCM). Each method has its place in today's market. A wheel manufacturer
will select a particular method according to the weight, strength, and finish
that they have specified for that design. Naturally, the more sophisticated and
costly methods produce lighter and stronger wheels but at a higher price.
• Forged / Billet Wheels
The two words "forged" and "billet" have
become synonymous. However, the
manufacturing process is called forging, while the material used is a billet.
Billet is the term used for a solid piece of dense aluminum. The forge, a huge
machine that exerts thousands of pounds of pressure on the metal, basically
presses or rolls the billet into its fundamental form. This forging is then
machined to a final finish. This process allows wheels to be built with much
less material. This results in lighter weight and unique designs, because the
process creates a much stronger wheel than other methods.
• Multi-piece Wheels
The processes mentioned above can be combined to produce a wheel of a particular
strength and weight at a particular price. For example, some wheels have a cast
aluminum center, welded to a steel outer, or barrel. Another type of two-piece
construction features a billet center welded to a rolled outer (extruded
aluminum rolled into a hoop). Still other wheels feature a split outer so that
widths and offsets can be made to custom specifications. This last method is the
three-piece type construction. In this type of wheel, the center can be cast,
billet or forged, and is usually attached to the outer assembly by special
screws or rivets. |
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Q. What does fitment mean?
A. This term is used to refer to the physical specifications of the wheel and
the availability of the sizes that will fit a vehicle. So, the fitment
specifications for a particular wheel and vehicle include the bolt pattern, the
offset, the wheel width and the wheel diameter. If you want a particular wheel
for your car, select our
Find Wheel Sizes for My Vehicle
section and it will guide you to the styles available and the sizes that fit.
Q. What does FWD and RWD mean?
A. FWD stands for Front Wheel Drive and RWD stands for Rear Wheel Drive. Most
wheel catalogs use these acronyms to sort out the wheels available for these two
different types of vehicles. The great majority of the time, a FWD wheel will
not fit a RWD vehicle and vice versa.
Q. What features should I look for when buying wheels?
A. First and foremost, wheels are purchased for styling the vehicle. You've
got to like how they look. Second, decide on the build method and quality. The
discussion of manufacturing methods above was intended to inform you of the
different ways wheels are made. Choose the manufacturing method you want at the
price you are happy with. Finish quality is important, so demand a nicely
finished wheel. Finally, decide on the price. We realize there are many
tradeoffs between the various features and price and that's why we carry a wide
selection of wheels for every budget.
Q. What does finish mean?
A. Finish refers to the type of surface treatment a wheel is given. Machined
or polished finishes are popular on aluminum wheels. "Machined" is what the
wheel looks like after the last shaping procedure (usually a lathe cut) has been
completed. An additional step involves passing the wheel through successively
finer automated and hand polishing processes. This results in the polished
finish. A chrome finish is also available on aluminum wheels, but requires three
additional layers of metal treatment (copper, nickel and chrome) to be achieved.
Chrome finishing can significantly increase the price of the aluminum wheel.
That's where steel wheels have an advantage: chrome goes on in one simple,
inexpensive step. Finally, paint goes on everything and can be applied in single
or multiple color schemes. Often the powder coating process is used to apply
paint, resulting in a heavy, durable finish. In today's market, wheel
manufacturers combine finish methods in different ways. For example, the popular
tuner type designs often feature a silver center and a machined or polished lip.
The last step in many styles is to seal the wheel with a clear coat, making the
wheel much easier to maintain.
Q. What are the pros and cons regarding spacers and adapters?
A. In most cases, using a spacer (of greater than 3mm thickness) or an adapter
means you will be using a wheel that was not designed to fit your vehicle.
Unless you get the advice of a professional, this can cause trouble. An
incorrectly fit wheel almost always leads to excessive wear on suspension parts,
poor ride and potential mechanical failure. In the vast majority of
applications, we do not recommend the use of these devices.
Q. What Are Hub-centric Rings? Do I Need Them?
A. Most aftermarket wheels are manufactured with a center hole that will fit a
wide range of vehicles. The hub-centric ring is used to fill any gap that may
exist between this hole and the vehicle's hub, thus centering the wheel on the
axle. If you have vibrations after installing new wheels, chances are
hub-centric rings were not used.
Care and Maintenance
Q. What's the best way to clean my wheels?
A. Probably the single biggest mistake when cleaning wheels is to use super
cleaners, which can contain harsh abrasives. Mild soap and warm water is
sufficient for routine cleaning. After cleaning chrome-plated wheels, you can
apply a non-abrasive wax or cream to prevent surface corrosion. If you have
clear coated wheels, skip this step. Don't let tire cleaners come into contact
with your wheels, and try not to spray cold water on hot wheels. If you go to
the car wash, don't let them use steam cleaners or strong chemicals on your
wheels. To brighten up your polished wheels (that don't have a clear coat), use
a polishing cleaner provided by the manufacturer. To maintain this great look,
apply some wax to keep the weather out.
Q. What's the best way to install and remove my new wheels?
A. That's a job that's best left to your tire dealer. A combination of special
tools and methods are used to install wheels so they deliver the performance you
paid for. Initial mounting of the assembly on the vehicle requires positioning
and starting the lugs by hand. Next, the lugs can be pre-tightened using a hand
wrench or torque stick (a tool that ensures a lug is not over tightened). The
final torque setting is applied using a calibrated torque wrench. It sounds
complicated, but a trained technician (like those at Discount Tire) can get this
done very quickly.
Q. I just hit something in the road. How do I find out if my wheel is ok?
A. If you have a vibration or pulling symptom, chances are you may have
damaged the wheel. Again, go to the tire dealer and let him inspect your wheels.
He will place each assembly on the balancing machine and check for run-out (a
hop or wobble). If you have a damaged wheel, get the unit repaired or replaced
immediately to avoid further problems.
Service
Q. How long will it take to receive my wheel and tire order? Also,
how much will it cost?
A. Questions like this are addressed in our Receiving Your Order section.
Q. What if I receive a bad wheel or the wheels don't fit my vehicle or
I am otherwise not satisfied?
A. See our Refund Policy section for the
answer to this and many other similar questions.
Q. What should I do If I can't figure out how to order what I want?
A. We encourage you to call our Sales Department
at 800-589-6789.
Our friendly, highly trained staff of professionals is there to assist you
in every aspect of sales and service. |
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