Congratulations! You’ve finally gotten your hands on your dream car!
You plan to customize the car to your liking, but you want more than a paint job. You want new wheels.
But how do you know which wheels are right for you?
Fortunately, I’ve got you covered. I’m going to tell you about some different types of wheels and how they are made!
How Wheels Are Made
There are multiple methods used to make wheels, but one of the most popular is casting. Casting involves heating up metal into a liquid state, then pouring it into a mold and cooling it into a single shape.
Wheels made of metals like aluminum are more often put through a forging process. This involves taking a block of metal and crushing it into the desired form, often in multiple pieces.
Size can also be an important factor in creating wheels, as different-size wheels can both improve the handling of a car and affect the look.
The Different Types of Wheels: Part One
Let’s start with steel wheels. These are the white bread of the car wheel world: cheap, easy to make, and visually plain.
One of the pros of steel wheels is their low cost. Consequently, steel wheels are heavier and more simplistic than other wheels.
This can lead to decreased speed and handling, as well as the car appearing dull.
Joining steel on the less expensive end of the spectrum are alloy wheels (wheels comprised of a mixture of metals, usually aluminum or magnesium).
Alloy wheels have the advantage of being able to be much lighter than steel wheels by adjusting the amount of nickel present.
Unfortunately, this does come with a potential decrease in durability, which can lead the wheels to warp or break.
Alloy wheels made through the forging process I discussed earlier are seen as some of the best kinds of wheels since forging keeps them lightweight while also granting them high durability.
The Different Types of Wheels: Part Two
Another class of Method Wheels has to do with how many pieces they are made of. The two main types are one-piece wheels and two-piece wheels.
One-piece wheels are made as one giant part, while two-piece wheels are made of a centerpiece and an exterior piece that are later put together. Due to this method, two-piece wheels can utilize different materials like alloys that their one-piece brethren can’t.
Two-piece wheels are also typically the stronger variety of wheels.
The forging process I mentioned earlier is also commonly seen as a “third” type of wheel, since it comes from softened metal rather than liquid metal.
Finally, there is a separate classification known as staggered wheels. Staggered wheels refer to when a car has larger wheels on its back axle than it does on the front axle. This is used to give a car better braking and traction.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Now that you know about all the different types of wheels, you now have the information you need to look for your dream wheels!
For more information on wheels of every kind, be sure to check out Audio City USA at their website and blog!
So enjoy your tricked-out ride: you’ve earned it.
