We often judge a car by its look and wheels are among the first thing you notice in an exterior. While it’s easy to get carried away by the wide variety of shiny wheels in different designs and patterns hanging at a tyre shop, it’s important to choose the right one because your car wheels do more than just make your car look pretty. Different wheels can effect your fuel average and overall ride quality differently. So let’s take a look at different types of car wheels along with their pros and cons.
Steel Wheels
Steel wheels are just as old as the cars themselves, they might not look super funky or appealing but looks can be deceiving. Made from solid steel they are the strongest and most common of all the wheel types we have today. Due to the fact that they are strong, cost effective and easily available, a lot of car manufacturers use these over other wheel types for their new cars.
On the flip side, their strength also happens to be their weakness. Steel wheels are notoriously heavy which significant impacts your fuel economy. One might think, what do wheels have to do with the fuel economy? They are actually more related than you may think. More load means your engine would exert greater force to move the car which would ultimately tank your fuel economy.
Alloy Wheels
If better looks and fuel economy is what you are after then you may want to invest in alloy rims. They come in a wide variety of patterns unlike the steel wheels that have the same old design which one has to cover with wheel cups. Alloy rims are made from aluminum or magnesium and in some cases they have both these elements in them. They are lighter in weight as compared to steel wheels which not only improves the fuel economy but also offers a better acceleration.
Another feature that gives these rims extra points is their ability to dissipate heat from breaking in a better manner and that’s because they are better heat conductors than steel. This can be of great value especially in areas where you need excessive braking which could cause the brakes to fail due to the heat buildup.
Although they offer better fuel economy and handling in general, you might want to avoid them if for off-roading happens to be one of your hobbies, because they cannot handle the rough terrains very well. You could face problems like bent or even broken wheels.
Chrome Wheels
Contrary to one might believe, chrome wheels are not really made from chrome, they are your average steel or alloy wheels that have chrome coating on them. The coating serves no other purpose than make the wheels look shiny and aesthetically pleasing. They don’t have any positive or negative impact on the fuel economy or overall performance though they do play a role in saving your wheels from corrosion.
Before you head over to your nearest tyre shop to invest into these shiny wheels, know this that you have to be extra cautious with them because they can easily get scratched and don’t look as appealing after a while.
Know your wheel’s PCD
PCD = Pitch Circle Diameter
So you have chosen the wheels you are going to purchase and you can’t wait to show them off to your friends & family but only when you try to fit them to your car you realize that they have a completely different bolts pattern. Well that’s where you wish you had done your research on PCD. It stands for Pitch Circle Diameter and is measured in millimeters.
PCD is presented as:
- 4×108
- 4×100
- 4×114.3
- 5×100
- 5×114.3
Here, the first digit reveals the number of bolts your hub has holes for while the rest of the combination is the measurement between two opposite bolts across the wheel. For instance, 4×108 means that your hub has space for 4 bolts and the distance between these bolts is 114.3 millimeters. Make sure your aftermarket wheels’ PCD lines up perfectly with your hub’s bolt or stud pattern.
Bottom Line
A new set of wheels can transform your car’s look but before you buy them, be sure to consider factors like the types of terrains you mostly encounter and the size that is most suited for your vehicle.