[yaseenar]

Hi all,

As you all know, alloy wheel upgrade is one of the most common car modification that is done nowadays and people mainly look at the style or design of the wheels when looking to upgrade. However, there are many other techical ascpects that needs to be considered when upgrading your alloy wheels!

Below are the topics that you need to know about alloy wheels when upgrading or if you need to check whether your car is having the right wheels:

Alloy Wheel Diameter / Size (15”,16”,17”..)

The first topic is very common and something that everyone knows about which is the alloy wheel diameter. However, when upsizing you need to be cautious and should not upsize to wheels that are too big. With bigger wheels, there is a chance for your wheels hitting suspension or fenders. Also, bigger wheels leads to low profile tyres which is not suitable for indian road conditions.
I would recommend that you stick to manufacture specified tire and alloy wheels sizes. If you own a lower variant of the car and if higher variants come with bigger tires then you can upsize the wheels as it is already tested and approved by the manufacturer. Finally, keep in mind that as you go for bigger sizes, the price of the wheels also increases accordingly.

Rim Width (6j, 7j, 7.5j..)

Next topic is about RIM width. There is another number that comes with the alloy wheels for e.g. 17" 7j, 16" 6j etc. This is nothing but the width of the alloy wheels in inches. According to the width of the tires used, the width of the alloy wheels should be chosen and it should ideally stay within the recommended width.

Below is a chart that depicts the same:

Wheel Offset (ET0, ET35, ET-25..)

Another topic that is rarely discussed is the Wheel Offset. For e.g. 17" 7j ET35, 16" 6j ET0, 18" 7.5j ET-25. This can be divided into 3 categories: zero offset, positive offset and negative offset. Positive wheel offset is when the hub mounting surface is in front (more toward the street side) of the centerline of the wheel. Zero wheel offset is when the hub mounting surface is in line with the centerline of the wheel. Negative offset is when the hub mounting surface is behind the wheel centerline. “Deep dish” wheels are typically a negative offset. I would recommend to stay within the manufacturer recommended offset value for your wheels. For e.g. my stock wheels come in ET35 and when upgrading I would look at the same offset value or not deviate from it too much.

Bolt Pattern/ Pitch Circle Diameter (4x100, 5x114.3..)

Alloys can have 4, 5, 6 or 8 holes and different measurements which is called the Bolt Pattern. Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD) is the diameter of that circle which passes through the center of all the bolts hole or wheel bolts or wheel rim holes or stud. You don't need to know the technical details on how to measure this because according to our car's model and year, every manufacturer has set a PCD value for the wheels which can be easily checked online. There are wobble bolts available and wheel adapters available to change PCD but it is recommended to go for the exact fitment.

Alloy Wheels Quality (Replica vs Original)

Replica wheels are very common nowadays. Wheel shops cannot be blamed as they sell what's in demand in the market. People look at style and want expensive branded wheels at a cheaper price. Brands like Vossen, Rotiform, BBS etc. are the most copied brands. However, if you check these brand website, you may notice that most of these wheels start at bigger sizes like 17" or 19" but replica wheels are available in the same design for smaller sizes as well. The main issue with these wheels is that we do not know if they meet any safety standards. When you opt for alloy wheels you also need to check if they meet safety standards and certifications like TUV, ISO 9001: 2008/2005, NAD, VIA etc. Eventhough, the replica wheels are cheaper than what they copy from, they are not really cheap. We can get other original branded wheels for the same price or even cheaper.

Country of Origin (India, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Italy..)

Another factor that decides the quality of the wheels is the country of origin. All countries manufacture good and bad quality wheels but what we are concerned about are the wheels that are usually imported to India. Hence, we can broadly classify the wheel quality based on the country they are manufactured in.

European(German/Italian) and USA > Taiwan > Malaysian > Indian > Chinese

If you are low on budget, Indian brands like Neo Wheels provide budget friendly options and the quality is decent for the price.

Some Taiwanese brands: HRS, Lenso, Inforged, AVA etc.

European brands that are affordable in comparison: Momo Italy and OZ Racing.

Premium brands: TSW, Petrol, Sparco, Rotiform, Vossen, Stance etc.

Another factor that decides the quality of wheels is the manufacturing method. Forged wheels are stronger and lighter than Low Pressure Casted wheels but also very expensive. In my opinion, Low Pressure Casted wheels are good enough unless your purpose is racing. Lower quality wheels are gravity casted which is not recommended.

Bonus Topic: Wheel spacers and Adapters

Wheel spacer is a metal plate placed between the alloy wheels and the bolts to push the alloy wheels outwards. Wheel spacers come in different quality. Some wheel spacers are quite loose and adds another moving part between the wheels leading to friction and it is bad for the car. If you are still going for it then go for reputed brands like Eibach.

Another option is Wheel Adaptors. Suppose you have a very rare bolt pattern for which alloy wheels are not available. Then one option is to go for Wheel Adapters which can fit into your current bolt pattern and change the bolt pattern/PCD to another one. For e.g. if your bolt pattern/PCD is 5x120, using wheel adapters you can change it to 4x100 which is a more common bolt pattern. It may be better than wheel spacers as it is bolted on but still adding another component is not recommended.

You need to consider other factors which as braking, turning radius etc. when you make the wheels sit wider using adapters or spacers.

I have started a Youtube channel called Techie's Hobbies where I discuss about my hobbies which are cars, watches, sneakers, fitness, gadgets etc.
Link to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_...1Qve__diJQkDng

Below is my youtube video where I have explained the same topics in Malayalam but English captions are available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f2YH7vSTqY

[Mr.Boss]

Adding a missing information.

There is no info on Spigot rings (or hub centering rings)

WHAT ARE SPIGOT RINGS?

The majority of aftermarket alloy wheels are designed to fit a wide variety of different vehicles, meaning that the size of the centre bore (the hole in the middle of the wheel) usually won’t fit 100% correctly to your vehicle.

Spigot rings are rings made from hard-wearing plastic or occasionally metal, which fit into the wheel’s centre bore and allow the wheel to fit snugly and safely on to your car.

Without spigot rings, your wheels can be incorrectly mounted onto your car which can cause symptoms like vibration or wobble in the wheels. In some cases, the extra stress placed on the vehicle’s studs/bolts could even cause them to snap, leading the wheel to come off while you’re driving.

Source

[NTO]

Wow! such a detailed and thorough exercise understanding the alloy wheels. Most people upgrading the alloy wheels are at the mercy of the dealer/ people selling them and they end up with the wrong sizes, causing unnecessary trouble.

For example, when I first upgraded the wheels of my WagonR to alloy wheels, I did not have any idea. My car's stock 145 section tyres were good and I just mounted the tyres on the wheels. The tyre had a round and bulbous side profile. The reason for this was, the width of the tyre was lesser than the minimum recommended value for the alloy wheel's width. This later led to side wall tear and I finally upgraded the tyre to 155 section to match the 5" width of the alloy wheel.

Later, when I tried upsizing the wheels of my Punto, I learnt that Fiat alloys have a 98 PCD and it is very difficult to find good quality ones in 98 PCD. Considering the weight of the car, I did not want to risk a bent alloy and hence just upsized the tyres with the same stock alloy wheels.

Even on my Vento, I first went with Screamjet EVO 16" wheels from Momo and 195/55 tyres were a good fit. However, the evo wheels had bent in the rear and started to leak air. I had to change to another set of wheels from momo, the revenge concave 16". The revenge wheels were of 7" width, a 0.5" increase from evo. This again caused a slight bulbous profile in the tyre but, I waited till end of the tyre life and thank god, no issues were created this time. While changing the tyres, I went with 205/50 pilot sport 4 and the width is a good match for the alloy's width.

I wish I had this detailed information 8 years back. This could be a bible for anyone trying to upsize or upgrade to alloy wheels. Thank you for sharing.

[yaseenar]

Originally Posted by NTO

Wow! such a detailed and thorough exercise understanding the alloy wheels. Most people upgrading the alloy wheels are at the mercy of the dealer/ people selling them and they end up with the wrong sizes, causing unnecessary trouble.

I wish I had this detailed information 8 years back. This could be a bible for anyone trying to upsize or upgrade to alloy wheels. Thank you for sharing.

Welcome! Yes, I am aware about many people falling into the dealer's trap ending up with the wrong sizes/bolt pattern. After I made the Youtube video, many started contacting me on instagram too with their doubts. Now I can share this writeup with them.

[ash22]

Thank you so much for the knowledge sharing mate.
Recently, I went to a reputed Alloy/Tyre shop in Chennai to replace my car tyre and was shocked to see the movement of replica/low quality alloy wheels sales.
Dealer mentions that it is a replica and life will be low when compared to the original,Still people procure those for a good cosmetic appearance in low cost.

[hellsangelzooms]

Thank you for the detailed explanation. How about the weight of the alloy wheel, It’s impact on car’s suspension ?

[ais]

Nice thread!

One of the important factors to consider when selecting alloys is the manufacturing process.

1. Cast- generally available, low cost, low strength, heavier than other.

2. Rotary Forged- higher strength, higher cost, lighter than cast.

3. Fully Forged- very expensive and highest strength, used for track events etc.

[yaseenar]

Originally Posted by ash22

Thank you so much for the knowledge sharing mate.
Dealer mentions that it is a replica and life will be low when compared to the original,Still people procure those for a good cosmetic appearance in low cost.

Welcome. Yes, Replica is very common now. There are shops dedicated in selling them and Every other wheel shop also sell them along with branded wheels. People go for them only because of the looks as they replicate wheels which would otherwise cost them in lakhs. No one cares for safety unless something bad happens to them.

Originally Posted by hellsangelzooms

Thank you for the detailed explanation. How about the weight of the alloy wheel, It’s impact on car’s suspension ?

Welcome. Yes, the weight of the alloy wheels does matter to some extend. Heavier wheels will put more load on the suspension. This also applies when you opt for big fat tyres which also adds to the weight. So basically, the main reason for the weight of the wheels is the material it is manufactured from. Steel wheels will be a lot heavier than aluminium or alloy wheels. Then the method used to manufacture the wheels decide the weight Casted wheels will be heavier than Forged wheels. However, like I said in the opening post, most branded wheels are low pressure casted which is good enough for Indian roads.

Originally Posted by ais

Nice thread!

One of the important factors to consider when selecting alloys is the manufacturing process.

1. Cast- generally available, low cost, low strength, heavier than other.

2. Rotary Forged- higher strength, higher cost, lighter than cast.

3. Fully Forged- very expensive and highest strength, used for track events etc.

Thank you for your inputs. Under cast, there are two categories: Gravity Cast and Low Pressure Cast. Gravity Cast is cheaper but requires higher weight to achieve the required strength. Low pressure casting uses positive pressure to move the molten aluminum into the mold quicker and achieve a finished product that has more density over a gravity cast wheel.

[G-One]

Just wow. Didn't know there was so much detail. Excellent read and very very informative. Thank you.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by yaseenar

Welcome. Yes, Replica is very common now. There are shops dedicated in selling them and Every other wheel shop also sell them along with branded wheels. People go for them only because of the looks as they replicate wheels which would otherwise cost them in lakhs. No one cares for safety unless something bad happens to them.

Sorry for the noob question, but are these replicas better in term of safety than the steel wheels? Or where does the Steel wheels rank in term of Safety?

I often read that alloys are better than normal wheels so was wondering about this.

Thanks in advance

[yaseenar]

Originally Posted by G-One

Just wow. Didn't know there was so much detail. Excellent read and very very informative. Thank you.

Welcome

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Sorry for the noob question, but are these replicas better in term of safety than the steel wheels? Or where does the Steel wheels rank in term of Safety?

I often read that alloys are better than normal wheels so was wondering about this.

Thanks in advance

If you are talking about steels rims that come as stock with lower-end variants of the car, then I think steel rims may be better in terms of safety than replica wheels as they are quality tested by the manufacturer. But if you are looking at aftermarket steel wheels then it could be worse than alloy wheels.

Advantages of steel rims:
- Durability
- Price
- Easy to repair

Advantages of alloy wheels:
- Lighter
- Better performance
- Better Fuel Economy

I am sorry but I cannot give an exact comparison on replica wheels as there could be different quality available with different manufacturing methods.

[ankit.livedrive]

Wow!!! Thanks for such an insightful and detail-oriented post. Right from the start, I was skeptical about getting aftermarket alloys, because somehow I felt that all the hassles, compromises they came with were just not worth the aesthetic appeal they offered.

Manufacturer has done a lot of R&D and has designed the steering and suspension to match the tyre size they offer. Getting wrongly upsized tyres, broader rims can affect the longevity of the steering and compromise the handling. They affect the performance as well as mileage.

As compared to steel rims, cheaper aftermarket alloys are more vulnerable to breaking on bad patches of roads. And if you happen to break one, sometimes getting a replacement is not possible because the dealer no longer has that in stock, and no longer imported.

Even if you get some expensive alloys, get the right sizing, they are more prone to thefts. IMHO, thieves generally avoid stealing the steel rims with wheel covers, due to poor risk-reward.

No doubt, alloy wheels can heavily enhance the side profile of the vehicle, but looking at what all can go wrong*aftermarket alloy wheels are just not worth it.

I would want to stick to stock wheels until the alloy wheels are either factory fitted or at least OEM bought directly from the dealer.

[v1p3r]

Informative thread. Surprised there isn't already one on the forum, or maybe there is and I can't recall what it's called.

Originally Posted by yaseenar

European(German/Italian) and USA > Taiwan > Malaysian > Indian > Chinese

How about Japan?

Originally Posted by yaseenar

European brands that are affordable in comparison: Momo Italy and OZ Racing.

Premium brands: TSW, Petrol, Sparco, Rotiform, Vossen, Stance etc.

A small correction - the European brands that you have mentioned are top spec. Momo is well known for design, and outsources their wheel manufacturing (I think to TSW). OZ is right at the pinnacle of motorsport, and their wheels are used in rallying, F1, WEC, and just about every form of intense motorsport. I would, and have, trust them with my life through much abuse. They also contract manufacture Sparco's cast wheel range.

Originally Posted by yaseenar

Premium brands: TSW, Petrol, Sparco, Rotiform, Vossen, Stance etc.

Sorry, but all these brands are all show and no go, with the exception of Sparco OZ. These are just made to look good, and not much else. You will be hard-pressed to find any TUV, JASMA, DIN certification for them, or even ISO for their manufacturing. I would say that putting these wheels through any form of stress except cruising on smooth roads is dangerous, possibly suicidal.

Personally, I think the best wheels come from OZ, Cromodora, Speedline Corse (Italy), BBS, Borbet (Germany and Japan), Team Dynamics, Compomotive (UK), Enkei, Rays/Volk (Japan), and HRE, CCW (US). Each of these brands is either a major OEM supplier, or a recognised name in motorsport. In addition, Japan has a few boutique makers, as does the US and EU.

[Revmatch99]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

How about Japan?

Japan makes the best imo, you have wide variety of top quality wheels, like Volk/Rays, Advan, Enkei, Work wheels, Weds etc. You have everything from full on lightweight forged race spec wheels to Hot boi deep dish style wheels.

I mostly like 5 spokes so its between the Advan GT for track and the Work VS KF or Weds kranze cerberus 2 for the hot bois show builds( this preference also changes every month )

Advan GT



kranze cerberus 2


VS KF

[Mr.Boss]

Another important factor while upgrading / changing from OE wheels is Lug nut type & Profile







All images from Google