Every motorist is aware of the importance of a good set of tyres and the difference that this can make to a car, but you must also consider the wheels inside the tyres can also make a big difference to the handling and overall performance.
There are a number of different types to be aware of if you want to upgrade your car – read on to find out what these are.
Steel
Standard wheels were made of steel prior to 2010 and they are the cheapest option that is available to you. While they are durable, steel is also a heavy type of metal which is why it is more common to find alloy wheels in modern automobiles.
Alloy
Alloy wheels have a combination of metal types which allows you to benefit from the best features of each. Aluminium is the primary metal that is used as this helps to drastically reduce the weight and, in turn, the performance of the car.
Chrome
Chrome is popular because of the shinier finish that it provides which is why it is used for show cars and by those looking to turn heads (this is why they are also often used in films, music videos etc). Chrome wheels are not actually solid chrome but instead a different metal with an applied finish – this does mean that they can scratch easily and are not great for winter conditions. It is intelligent no matter what wheel type you have that you take out alloy wheel insurance from specialists like Direct Gap so that you have protection in place in case there is accidental damage to your wheels.
Forged
Forged aluminium wheels are often the stronger but also extremely light so they are a good option. They are made by crushing the metal into an incredibly dense and strong wheel through subjecting a billet of material to extremely high temperatures and around 900 bar of pressure.
Multi-Piece Wheels
Multi-piece wheels, as the name implies, are wheels that have different parts as opposed to being just one piece. Two-piece wheels, for example, consist of the wheel face and the rim which are fastened together by rim screws around the circumference of the wheel centre.
These are the main types of wheels that are used in modern cars. They each have their own strengths and benefits which can impact how the car performs and handles so it is always smart to know about each type and which is best suited for your specific needs.
