Aluminum rims without secrets
The rim is part of the car chassis on which we put the tire, or also a tire with an inner tube in the case of older technology. The rims are usually made of a mixture of aluminum alloys or steel. For rims used for car races, the rims are made of a more durable, lighter magnesium alloy. Currently, research is ongoing on rims made of plastic. You can find more about plastic rims in the article Are alloy wheels a story?. We are primarily interested in aluminum rims and we will devote attention to it in the article.
Advantages of aluminum wheels

Less product weight compared to steel wheels ? this feature guarantees slower kneading and wear of car components, which is not insignificant at times when cars are equipped with increasingly sophisticated, more complicated and thus more expensive suspension components.
Greater care and accuracy of performance ? Aluminum rims are made with a precision of up to 0.3 mm, while for steel rims it is currently only 0.7 mm which affects smaller deviations.

Greater endurance - Aluminum Rims are much more resistant to dynamic impact than steel wheels. It is a myth to think that steel wheels are more durable. If the steel wheel strikes, it will dent and immediately lose air, which can have a dangerous consequence. Aluminum rims will absorb impact energy due to their plastic form.
More efficient cooling of the braking system - the construction of aluminum wheels ensures better air flow and thus more effective cooling of the braking systems. As a result, not only their efficiency but also their service life improves.
More effective and interesting form ? depending on the preferences of the vehicle owner, the selected rim design can emphasize the sporty and elegant character of the car. Contrary to appearances, choosing the right rims radically changes the look of the car.




Technical parameters of aluminum wheels
Another issue we would like to raise and present are the basic technical parameters of aluminum wheels. Each of them plays a fairly important role in choosing a car rim.

1) Diameter it is presented in inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm). The size of the wheels that can be used in the car is specified by the manufacturer. For example, in cars Audi A4 B8 with 2.0 TDI engine can you mount rims from 16? up to 20?. Generally, the larger the capacity and power of the vehicle, the larger the minimum wheel size. This is due to the need for more effective brakes and, consequently, the diameter of the discs and calipers changes.
2)Spacing a very important parameter is the number and spacing of holes for mounting bolts / nuts. The spacing is nothing more than the diameter of the circle on which the centers of these mounting holes are located. The diameter of the circle is given in millimeters.
Spacing is a parameter that we must strictly stick to. It is possible to change the spacing by using spacers that change the spacing. This distance is screwed to the car hub, after which the rim is mounted with a second set of nuts.
The following illustration shows the correct way to check the stud spacing:

3) ET Literally immersion depth, also known as offset, and colloquially offset. Weaning is usually given by means of the ET symbol. It determines the distance between the mounting surface of the rim (the plane at the junction of the hub and the rim) and its vertical center of symmetry. We have positive and negative values for both steel and aluminum rims. If the ET value is zero, the mounting plane is exactly on the vertical axis of symmetry. To sum up: the smaller the offset, the rim is more extended. Service books give only parameters of currently mounted rims. However, the manufacturer specifies the range that can be used. It is a mistake to suggest parameters from steel wheels when choosing aluminum wheels.
4) Width - the rim is measured between its protective flanges. The width of the rim is given in inches. The tires should be selected taking into account the wheel, tire and vehicle manufacturer's recommendations. Nowadays we have a very wide range of tires, so choosing the right ones should not be a problem. If the authorized service informs us that we cannot use tires and alloys other than recommended by the manufacturer or acceptable replacements from the service book, it is usually a lack of knowledge or marketing treatment.

5) Centering hole - it is nothing else than the diameter of the hole in the rim that has been adapted to the specific size of the car. However, it often happens that the dimension of the centering hole is larger than the diameter of the hub in the car. Then the centering ring should be used. The centering rings are made of plastic, because after screwing the rim to the car hub, no force is applied to it. It is used to center the wheel to eliminate vibrations.
6) Bearing capacity ? determines the permissible load on one wheel, reinforced rims that have a load capacity of over 1000 kg per wheel are dedicated to vans carrying heavy loads. We also have such rims on offer.
Aluminum rims in LadneFelgi.pl
We encourage you to use the configurator to choose aluminum wheels on ours home page. By choosing the make, model and capacity of the car you will receive rims matching the vehicle. Our products ? wheels RacingLine are covered by a 3-year warranty and have the required ones certifications. In case of difficulties with choosing the rims, please contact our helpline.
In the next article we will describe the methods of producing aluminum rims.
autor: LadneFelgi.pl