Alloy wheels and rims are made from a ‘cast’ of a mixture of aluminum and small amounts of a more rigid metal or metals. Aluminum is light and is great at heat dissipation. A rigid metal on the other hand provides extra rigidity to the metal and helps to prevent the metal developing and propagating cracks. Such a cast proves to be far superior to steel considering the overall functionality and use of a car. Alloy rims and wheels are much lighter and attractive and are much better when it comes to heat dissipation especially during braking compared to steel. Their availability in standardized sizes also means that competition among vendors would drive their prices down and make them readily available on the market.

Alloy wheels also have the advantage of reducing the car’s unsprung weight. This means that the rotating mass at the ends of your suspension components are reduced and this in turn gives your car greater braking response and improves the overall steering feel. Something else to know about rims and wheels is the offset. This is the distance between wheel’s centerline and the hub mounting face at the back. Offset distances are usually stamped or engraved on wheels and are measured in millimeters of ET. Positive offset wheels are mostly used by front wheel drive vehicles while powerful rear-wheel drive cars use negative offset wheels.

Alloy rims care involves giving them several coats of polish both back and front. Such polish helps to prevent brake dust, road salt and dirt keying. In fact, some specialists will advice on treating the surface of the alloys better than the paintwork. After all, these rims may have cost you a small fortune and they will experience some of the harshest conditions more than any other part of the car. It is now possible to get custom alloy rims that meet your exact requirements, whether in terms of offset size, built type or fitments. 

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