Can you imagine owning 150 cars?
Jay Leno Can!
The famous late-night television host has a car collection with 150 cars and counting. The collection ranges from classics like the 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado, to the 2017 Ford GT.
One of Jay Leno’s favorite things to do, other than collecting cars, is customizing them! He’ll do anything from souping up the engines to putting on custom rims and tires. After all, wheels can make or break the look and performance of any car.
Are you in the market to buy a new set of good wheels for your car? If yes, then you’re in the right place. Read on to learn how to buy the best car wheels.
Are Good Wheels Made From Alloy or Steel?
First, let’s look at what materials go into making good wheels. You’ll find that the best car wheels are made from either alloy or steel.
Benefits of Alloy Wheels
Alloy is a light building material since it’s comprised of lightweight metals such as magnesium or aluminum. One of the biggest advantages of choosing alloy wheels is that their lightweight makes them great for performance advantages, like being able to quickly accelerate.
The lighter weight alloy wheels offer helps put less stress on your car’s suspension. Alloy wheels are also more durable than steel wheels, allowing them to have a longer road life.
Benefits of Steel Wheels
While steel wheels are heavier, they’re also more resistant to damage, such as impact cracks. Other types of damages steel wheels can resist include damage from brake dust, gravel, and winter road conditions.
Steel wheels already look tough and rough, so you won’t have to worry about cosmetic damages either. If you do get a dent or bend in your steel wheel, you can easily fix it with a hammer, without ruining the look of the wheel.
Can You Switch From Steel to Alloy?
Since steel is both cheap and durable, you’ll notice that a lot of older car models tend to have steel wheels. If you have an older car that was made with steel wheels, feel free to replace the old wheels with alloy options.
However, if you have a car that was made for alloy wheels, you’ll want to stick to only replacing the tires with alloy wheels. For instance, let’s say you have a new high performing car, or a large vehicle, made for alloy wheels.
You wouldn’t want to put steel wheels on your new car, since this would hinder your car’s ability to perform well. Instead, you should look into getting niche wheels made especially for your car.
Wheel Anatomy and Bolt Patterns
Moving on let’s look at how to choose wheels by knowing the wheel’s anatomy and bolt patterns. To find the best car wheels, you’ll want to avoid leaving everything up to the salesperson. Instead, you have to do your due diligence to understand what wheel fitment is all about, and a great place to start is by understanding the anatomy of a wheel.
Here’s a shortlist of the different parts that make up a wheel:
- Center cap
- Spokes
- Lug holes
- Center bore
- Center disc
- Valve stem
- Outer lip
- Barrel
Once you feel comfortable with what part of the wheel does what, you’ll have an easier time discussing wheels with sales professionals. You should also take a moment to understand what bolt patterns are all about.
The lug holes make up the bolt circle diameter or BCD. Cars and trucks can have 4, 5, 6, or 8 lugholes to create the BCD. You have to know your car’s specific BCD to find wheels that will fit.
Buying After Market Wheels
Let’s say you’re purchasing aftermarket wheels. If you don’t understand the concept of lug-centric wheels vs hub-centric wheels, you’ll wind up with a world of problems. Hub centric wheels are centered using the center bore of the wheel, as well as the hug flange.
Whereas lug centric wheels use the torque from the lug bolts to find their center. In the past, car manufacturers would design wheels specifically for each vehicle they were producing.
However, today that’s not the case, which is why it’s common for aftermarket wheels to be lug-centric. If you have an older car, and you want the wheels made specifically for your model, you’ll most likely need to look at hub-centric options.
All About Wheel Sizes
Now you’re ready to dive into 1 of the trickiest parts of finding wheels for cars, the sizing. Keep in mind that tires and wheels are 2 different things. Tires are a part of the wheel’s anatomy.
Whereas the wheel encompasses the entire setup, including the rims, and inner workings. The tire size you need will directly depend on the size of your rims. If you have small rims but want big tires, you’ll have to invest in a larger rim size.
Benefits of Large Wheels
If you’re wondering how to choose tires that will give your vehicle more grip on the road, explore larger sizing options. The more surface area a tire can cover on the road, the easier it’ll be for your vehicle to get a good hold, making it easier to maneuver. The downside to big wheels is that they usually cost a lot more.
Benefits of Small Wheels
Are you thinking about getting smaller wheels? Wheels with a small diameter will be able to provide you with better gas mileage. Small wheels also tend to provide a gentle, quiet ride when compared to large ones.
Love Your Ride
Congratulations! Now you know how to find good wheels that are perfect for your car.
What’s 1 new thing our article was able to help you learn today? Were you surprised to discover that wheels and tires are 2 separate things? Or how about how large rims are great for maneuvering, while small rims help with gas mileage?
Go ahead and use this article as a guide as you begin shopping for the perfect wheels for your car today! For more tips like the ones in this article, check out the rest of our site.
