Fareed's Auto Service Blog: Tips, Advice and More

Hello and welcome! My name is Fareed, and this blog is about car repair. I plan to write about smash repair, body work, painting and other aspects of the industry. I also hope to include a few posts that will help you assess whether or not something is wrong with your car. I have worked on my own car for years, and recently, I've been embraced as the neighbourhood mechanic -- all my friends come to me for help. I'm not a professional mechanic, but I feel confident sharing this info with you as I've been working on cars for years. I am happy you found my blog and hope that you enjoy reading!

A Guide On How To Purchase Wheels For Your Vehicle

Blog

Buying car wheels can seem like an easy task. However, buying the wrong wheels can significantly affect your vehicle's handling. Below are some tips to help you purchase car wheels. 

Rims

Most vehicles come with OEM rims of a particular size. However, some people will experiment with aftermarket rims to enhance the appeal of their car. Purchase aftermarket rims from reputable companies. Cheap imports without any guarantees are made from low-quality materials. As such, they are likely to break or bend after a few months of use. Most people have a hard time choosing between steel and aluminium rims. Aluminium rims have an aluminium-nickel alloy. They are popular since they are light, durable and have a shiny appearance. Steel rims are considerably heavy; however, they will last for years without any wear.

Think about the rim size. The rim should clear braking components such as the hub and disks. Besides, you should be careful with the bolt pattern. Low profile rims are a favourite among people that need their vehicles to stand out. However, they put a lot of pressure on the vehicle's suspension. The larger the rim, the smaller the tire wall. As such, your vehicle will have reduced ability to absorb pressure from bumps and potholes. Overly large wheels may also affect the vehicle's speedometer.

Tires

The tire manufacturer is a vital concern when choosing a tire for your car. Some companies are known to manufacture sports tires while others are known to make off-road tires. You should also look out for manufacturer guarantees. For instance, high-quality tires may have a five-year warranty. However, you will have to pay more.

Your tires have a code inscribed on them. Do you know what it means? Here is how to decode it. A tire may be labelled C/222/70/B20 90J.

  • C represents commercial. It is the type of vehicle that should use the wheel. P would mean passenger and LT would mean light truck.
  • 222 is the width of the tire.
  • 70 is the tire's aspect ratio.
  • B represents construction. In this case, it represents bias construction. R would imply radial construction.
  • 20 is the diameter of the wheel.
  • 90 is the tire's load index. Typically, a high load index means the tire can bear more weight.
  • J represents the speed rating.

Improve the durability of your new wheels by ensuring you get proper balance and alignment. Besides, you should always use the right tire pressure. Driving with flat tires, hitting potholes at high speeds and driving over curbs will damage your tires and rims.   

Share

27 May 2020