What Should You Pay Attention To When Changing Wheels?

Many people think that larger wheels and wider tires will improve performance, but this is not actually the case. The size of the tires and hubs will directly affect the inertia of the wheels. If inertia increases, it affects both acceleration and braking. If you want to greatly improve performance while enlarging the wheel hub, you should try to choose a lighter wheel hub.

 

When the total wheel mass (hub and tire) is the same, the larger the wheel hub, the worse the performance. For example, a wheel with a 16-inch hub weighs 30 kilograms, and a wheel with a 17-inch hub also weighs 30 kilograms. From a general point of view, the weight is the same and the inertia is the same. But this is not actually the case. The tires of the 17-inch wheels will be flatter, and the weight will be more concentrated on the outside of the wheel. When rotating at high speed, the inertia will be greater and the performance will be reduced. In addition, while driving, increasing the size of the wheel hub will also cause the friction between the tire and the ground to increase, which will inevitably lead to higher fuel consumption than before in the long run. If the shape of a wheel hub is such that the weight is concentrated in the center of the hub, then when the wheel rotates, the inertia generated will be smaller; conversely, if the weight of a wheel hub is concentrated on the outside of the hub, the inertia generated will be greater. Therefore, when choosing a wheel hub, you must not only look at the total weight of the wheel hub, but also where the weight is distributed. The farther the weight is from the center, the worse the performance.

 

 

For common mass-produced cars on the market, the original wheels usually use the casting process, while high-end models and wheel products are now beginning to use the forging process. The advantage of the forging process is that the overall density of the wheel hub is uniform, high strength, and low weight. The disadvantage is that the high production cost leads to a higher selling price. Compared with forged and cast wheels, when the quality is the same, the forged wheel hub has higher strength; when the strength is the same, the forged wheel hub is lighter. If the wheel hub size is large and the tire aspect ratio is high, the visual impact will be stronger, and due to the wider tread, the ground contact area will increase, and the driving will be more stable, but the fuel consumption will also increase.

 

 

Before modifying the wheel hub, you must first understand the values ​​​​on the wheel hub, including size, width, ET value, PCD, and hole location. The wheel size is the diameter of the wheel. When people say 15-inch wheels and 16-inch wheels, the 15 and 16 inches refer to the diameter of the wheel. The wheel width, commonly known as the J value, directly affects the choice of tires. For tires of the same size, with different J values, the selected tire aspect ratio and width will also be different.

 

 

The ET value is the difference between the screw fixing seat in the middle of the wheel hub and the center point of the entire rim. In layman's terms, it means whether the wheel hub retracts inward or protrudes outward after modification. Usually, without modifying the brake system, the ET value of the modified wheels should be kept the same as the original ET value. The ET value is related to the vehicle's steering characteristics and wheel alignment angle. An offset value may cause abnormal tire wear, make the bearings wear, or even fail to install normally at all.

 

 

PCD and hole position are two of the most important parameters of the wheel hub, where PCD refers to the diameter between the fixing bolts in the center of the wheel hub. Most holes in general wheel hubs have five or four bolts, but the distance between the bolts varies. Taking 5×114 as an example, it means that the PCD of this wheel hub is 114 mm, and there are five bolts in the holes. For safety and stability considerations, it is best to choose wheels with the same PCD as the original car for upgrading and modification.

 

 

Therefore, the wheel hub is closely related to the safety of the car, so be careful not to modify it impulsively. Although larger and more personalized wheels will make people visually satisfied, they must be based on scientific data support. Generally, when trying to modify rims for the first time, the most common mistake is not getting the size right and blindly seeking to make it bigger to highlight the visual effect. Oversized rims work great, but thinner tires will increase wear and tear over time. Generally speaking, it is more reasonable to add 1 to 2 inches to the original rim.

 

 

 

 

So, how to judge whether the modified wheels are good or bad? In fact, there is no shortcut. Price can determine a large part of the quality of modified wheels. Try to find some factories with good reputations to make it more secure.

 

Our company, QHD New Light Vehicle Engineering & Technology Co., Ltd, with its brand name JASTOO, was built in 2011. Through ten years of development and growth, the company has strong R&D strength, and the main management and technical staff are the builders of the first forged wheel production line in China. JASTOO provides forged aluminum wheels for trucks and buses, trailers, passenger cars, military special trucks, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles. We use the finest 6061 aluminum forgings and produce wheel sizes from 16 inches to 30 inches, and our annual output reaches 500,000 pieces.

 

If you are interested in products or modified wheel hubs or want to ask any questions, please contact us!

E-mail:sales@gftwheel.com

Phone:+8618633567910

Telephone:+86-335-3573009

Address: No.16 Songhuajiang Road, Development Zone, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei, China