Wheel (motor vehicle)

The automobile wheel has undergone many changes over the past 100 years, from wooden wheels to composites and heavy - duty alloys . The first European cars were equipped with spoke wheels similar to bicycle wheels, but these wheels were not strong enough. The first American mass car Ford Model T was produced from 1908 to 1927 with wooden wheels. In 1927 they were replaced by steel. In the 1960s, magnesium wheels became very popular, lightweight and durable magnesium alloy wheels were originally created for racing, but gradually entered the mass market. Later, the place of magnesium disks was taken by the heavier, but cheaper in production, cast aluminum disks. At the moment, most dealers produce cars with steel (budget-economy option) or alloy aluminum wheels. Magnesium alloy forged wheels are still used for racing cars, including Formula 1.

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  Packard wooden car wheel of the beginning of the 20th century

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  Spoked drive of the beginning of the 20th cent.

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  Classic steel disc 70s production

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  Cast aluminum disc 90s production on a Ferrari

Spoke wheel

Currently, its carriers are only bicycles and some motorcycles. The advantages of spoke wheels in their high energy intensity (shock-absorbing ability), the disadvantages include high labor intensity in the production of wheels and low accuracy of the wheel geometry. Also, spoke wheels can be found on exhibition cars or retro cars.

Classic steel (stamped) wheel

It is the most common and cheapest type of wheel in the world, it is usually made of sheet steel, it is quite durable, it has established itself in all types of vehicles. The advantage of such disks is that they must be repaired in case of deformation. Of the shortcomings, overweight is noted. Due to the modesty of their design, decorative are often installed on automobile steel wheels.

Light alloy wheels

Light alloy wheels (in most cases aluminum) can be divided into three categories (according to production technology): cast , forged and combined (prefabricated).

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  Cast aluminum disc

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  Red forged wheel

The main advantages of alloy wheels over steel:

• geometric accuracy
• less weight (usually)
• improved heat dissipation from brake systems,
• variety of wheel design.

If the steel wheel of size 5Jx13 has a mass of 5.5 kg, the alloy wheel is about 4.8-5 kg ​​and the forged one is about 4.2-4.5 kg (the wheels of VAZ-21099 were weighed at the K&K testing laboratory in 1999 g. ). Technically, reducing the mass of the wheel means reducing the mass of unsprung parts and inertial forces. Thanks to this, it is easier to "work out" the roughness of the surface of the roadway, which gives a clearer reaction to the suspension of the car. In turn, the car’s contact with the road and its handling are improved. The decrease in inertia, respectively, increases the resource of the vehicle itself, increases the braking and acceleration dynamics and, as a result, reduces fuel consumption.

Cast Wheels

Cast are made by casting. As a rule, aluminum, magnesium and very rarely titanium alloys are used . After casting, in some cases, heat treatment of castings is carried out (to improve the mechanical properties of the wheel). The wheel gets its final appearance after machining and painting. At cost - this is the most paying off type of production of alloy wheels.

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  Alcoa aluminum-magnesium disk on MAN TGL

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  An example of a profile projection of a disk.

Forged wheels

Forged wheels are made by energy-intensive hot stamping. Ready forgings undergo mandatory heat treatment (hardening and aging process). The final form of the disk gets after machining and painting. In terms of cost, this is one of the most expensive types of production of alloy wheels (forgings can have a mass of up to 25 kg - a single wheel output of 5 kg plus large energy and labor costs).

Combined Wheels

Type of wheels, which usually consists of two or more parts. Each of which can be made using different technologies (for example: knitting needles - aluminum alloy, casting. Rim - titanium rolling, rolling.). The spoke wheel also belongs to this type.

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  Collapsible disks with fastening on the central nut

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  Shot disc without tire

Composite wheels

Composite wheels currently stand on some bicycles and sports cars . The wide distribution of this type is limited by their high cost.

Diskless wheels

Rim Device

On bicycles, motorcycles and cars, the rim is non-separable. When mounting a tire, it overcomes the rim flanges due to its elasticity. To facilitate installation in the middle of the rim, a recess is made - a "stream" (can be located symmetrically or asymmetrically). When one side of the tire slides into the creek, the opposite side rises above the rim of the rim.

On trucks use a collapsible rim. One of the rim flanges is removed, which allows you to push the tire onto the rim or, conversely, remove the tire from the rim. After installing the tire, the removable flange is fixed with a locking ring.

When using ultra-low pressure tires, additional devices are needed to mechanically clamp the bead and thus prevent the tire from turning around the rim or accidentally folding it during movement.

Wheel fastening is carried out by means of threaded connections to the wheel hub:

• Bolt mount;
• Mount on stilettos ;
• Axis mount (motorcycle);
• Mounting on wedges ;

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  Removed tireless tire with 5 bolts or nuts.

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  5-bolt Mercedes Disc

As a rule, multi-point mounts are used (with the exception of sports cars and cars of exclusive models).

All wheels have a standard marking of parameters, regardless of whether it is a light-alloy (cast) or steel (stamped) wheel. For example, 6.5J × 16H2 PCD 5 × 114.3, Offset48 or ET48 DIA67.1 .

• 6.5 - Mounting width of the wheel rim in inches.
• J - Wheel rim profile (example: JJ, C, CH, HJ, etc.).
• H2 - the number of "humps" (HUMP) The number of annular protrusions on the wheel rim along the flanges (designed to prevent the tire from getting off the seats, with an increase in lateral forces).
• 16 - Wheel rim mounting diameter in inches.
• LZxPCD 5 × 114.3 - The number of mounting points (in this case, 5 ×). And the diameter of the circle (Pitch Circle Diameter) on which the centers of the mounting holes are located (in this case 114.3 mm). For discs with four mounting holes, the PCD is measured as the distance between the centers of the opposite holes. For drives with five mounting holes, the distance between the centers of the holes farthest from each other is measured and multiplied by a factor of 1,051.
• ET48 (or Offset 48) - (ET-EinpressTiefe) Departure (removal) of the wheel attachment plane (the plane by which the wheel is pressed against the hub) relative to the axis of symmetry of the rim. Departure can be either positive or negative (example: ET40 - passenger car, ET-4 "Jeep") is measured in mm. In this case, it is 48 mm.
• DIA67.1 - (DIA) The diameter of the center hole, which is responsible for centering the entire wheel assembly on the car hub. Measured from the side of the attachment plane. In our case, it is 67.1 mm.

Many wheel manufacturers make larger diameter DIAs, and adapter rings are used to center the hub.

Additional marking

• 0407 - Date of manufacture. Usually a year and a week. In this case, the information means that the disc was released in the 4th week of 2007.
• SAE , ISO , TUV - the stigma of the regulatory body. The marking indicates that the wheels comply with international regulations or standards.
• MAX LOAD 2000LB - designation of the maximum load on the wheel (indicated in kilograms or pounds). In this case, it is equal to 2000 pounds (908 kg)
• MAX PSI 50 COLD - designation of the maximum pressure in the tire. In this case, the pressure should not exceed 50 psi (3.5 kgf / cm2), COLD (cold) indicates that pressure should be measured in a cold tire.

To repair the disks after the so-called " eights " for balancing, they put counterweights weighing from 5 to 20 grams.

High-quality rims are far from being produced in every country. Moreover, the structure of production of these products is noticeably different. For example, if in Germany or Italy they are manufacturers of auto parts, then in Russia they are metallurgical plants engaged in primary smelting and also smelting of metals. However, Russia is not entirely alone in this regard, for example, Alcoa , which is also a major producer of primary aluminum, is the largest producer of alloy wheels in the USA. Zinik rims , which make rims for premium cars, are also valuable. In Russia, Sayansk and Krasnoyarsk and other aluminum plants, as well as the world's largest titanium plant VSMPO, are engaged in the production of disks. For example, in Germany, the manufacturers of such products are the motor-building company AMG and manufacturers of auto parts such as BBS and Lorinser. In Italy, similar products are also produced by companies such as, for example, MOMO ^[1] , which produce tuning parts.

In the 21st century, alloy wheels appeared, made by the will of the customer. A certain pattern can be applied to them, they can be painted in the colors corresponding to the order, various decorations, as well as rotating caps. But the scope for creativity is limited by the preservation of the physical properties necessary for the disc.

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  A typical example of theft of wheels on a car Ford Focus

In some cases, a set of discs can even be more expensive than the whole machine if this machine is relatively cheap. Let's say wheels made to order for an S-class can cost about 20,000 euros, while the cost of a new Mercedes S-class is about 100,000 euros . Therefore, if it is impossible to steal such a car, the wheels themselves can steal, and the buyer of stolen property is most often the owner of either a similar car or another car on which the wheels correspond to the size. That is, good drives can represent a significant part of the cost of the entire machine.

There are more primitive cases when they steal the most ordinary iron disk with the most ordinary tire, selling it for a penny to the nearest tire fitting . As a rule, this happens with trucks of both European and American type. But if we are talking about a European-style car, where steel wheels still prevail, the main purpose of theft is the tire , then when stealing a wheel from an American-style truck, the purpose of theft is most often the disk itself, since it is made of light aluminum-magnesium alloy and, in addition to Moreover, it is less common in Russia, therefore even in the secondary market it costs much more.

Protection Measures

To protect against theft of wheels, the so-called "secret" or "tricked bolt " or "tricked nut " is used, depending on the type of fastening. Such bolts or nuts have a special head that is available only to one or more users. Thus, it is impossible to unscrew such a bolt or nut with an ordinary wrench, but skilled wheel stealers often cut such a nut together with a stud, unless of course you can get there with a grinder without damaging the disk itself. But otherwise, the “secret” most often protects the disk from theft, if only because the bolt is twisted inside the disk itself and the bolt or nut cannot be cut without damaging the disk itself. At the same time, if you lose the special head for unscrewing the “secret”, you may encounter a problem since the owner himself will not be able to change the wheel .

• Car tire
• Winter tire
• Spare wheel
• Bicycle disc

• GOST-R 53824-2010 Automobile vehicles. The wheels are non-separable. Technical requirements and test methods (inaccessible link)
• GOST-R 50511-93 Light alloy wheels for pneumatic tires. General specifications
• The story of dual wheels for cars: they were mass-produced, and they could be bought! // motor.ru , March 2019