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eTyres care about our customers. The
following article may be of interest.
Buying & Fitting New Alloy Wheels
by Topgear LTD
There are numerous benefits to fitting alloy wheels to
your car. For a start they are cast from aluminium with
means they are light-weight, and more attractive than
regular wheels. They are great at dissipating brake heat
and small amounts of more rigid metals the presence of
which helps prevent cracks propagating. They are also
available in standardised sizes, to fit almost every
car.
One of the best advantages of the wheels in performance
terms, is the reduction in your cars unsprung weight,
meaning a reduction in rotating mass at the ends of your
suspension components. This means improved steering and
greater breaking response.
For those who have not yet purchased those shiny new
rims, these definitions might go some way to clarifying
the elaborate specifications you will see when you're
out shopping. When in doubt, there are plenty of alloy
dealers willing to lend their expertise, and ensure you
get a wheel that suits both you and your car.
Offset - The offset is usually engraved on the wheel,
and means the distance between the wheel's centre-line
and the hub mounting face at the back of the wheel.
Wheels with their mounting face towards the front fact
of the wheel are called Positive Offset wheels. Most
front wheel drives are this kind. Wheels that have their
mounting face level with the centreline of the wheel are
called Zero Offset wheels. You can guess therefore, that
wheels with their mounting face towards the rear of the
wheel are called Negative Offset wheels.
PDC - This stands for Pitch Circle Diameter. It measures
the diameter of the circle drawn through the centre of
the bolt holes of your wheels. It is measures in
millimetres and will often help you ascertain how many
studs or bolts the wheel will have.
Centrebore - This is the size of the hole at the back of
the wheel into which the hub fits. This hole needs to
match the size of the hub exactly, in order for the
wheels to seat properly. Most modern wheels are referred
to as 'hub-centric' - meaning the hub is 'load-bearing'.
This means that all the bolts or studs do is hold the
wheel onto the hub. 'Lug-centric' wheels imply that you
bolts or studs have a more critical job, so you need to
ensure you check and tighten them regularly.
Up-Stepping - This relates to the practise of increasing
your wheel-diameter and reducing the profile of your
tyres. This can increase the handling of your car,
response and feedback.
When fitting new alloys, initially you must ensure you
have the right kinds of bolts, as they have various
diameters, threads and seatings - something that your
wheel supplier will be able to advise on. It is normally
recommended that you get a professional fitter to do the
job for you anyway, so buying your wheels from a dealer
willing and qualified to fit them is a good idea. If you
spend money on a quality pair of wheels, have them
professionally fitted and keep on top of the grime and
damage regularly - your alloy wheels will repay you by
lasting a lot longer than you would expect and will look
a good deal shinier too.
About the Author
Topgear LTD own depots all over the country and run an
extensive online shop selling car tyres, alloy wheels,
stainless steel exhausts, catalytic converters and more.
To browse their secure online store, enter their Car Of
The Week competition, or find out where your nearest
depot is, see their website: http://www.topgear.co.uk. |
