The car – probably the most ….. consumer product in the modern world. The car comes in many aspects and is used in many different ways. From race cars to SUVs, they all have the same basic elements, just put together in a differnt fashion. Lets look here juat at the most fundamental of all; the “boring” family car. OK it’s early in hthe morning, the kids are almost ready, then we’ll be off on the school run, then the daily commute to work. While you’re driving a sleek sports cars passes you, and while you know very well that it would be totally impractical for you, you can’t help feeling that little bit of envy. Then you see a car that has been “tuned”, it looks a bit like a race car but you can see that it is not that different to your own car, simply that it has had many parts added to it. One of the most eye-catching of these is the set of allo wheels, and you think that they may look pretty good on your own car.

The fashion for “tuning”, adding body panels, spoilers, body skirts etc. is a bit of a misnomer. The original meaning of tuning really applies to the motor and other mechanical parts. It has exactly the same meaning as let’s say, tuning a piano. Tuning an engine means making absolutely sure that all of the processes that occur when the engine is running, function at the peak of it’s performance capability. Ingnition timimg, cam timing, fuel delivery to name just a few. That done, making sure that everything is adjusted to perfection, meanns that the engine produces peak power – and also achieves the best fuel economy.

Having made that clear. let’s get back to our alloy wheels; OK they look great – but they are not exactly cheap, so what other benefits do they possess?

The answer is very simple – compared to your standard wheels they are extremely light. This helps your car’s performance in several ways; firstly it minimizes what is known as the “unsprung weight” of the vehicle. The lower this is the better your suspension will perform, as the springs and shock- absorbers have to work less, optimizing suspension travel and reaction times, resulting in better grip, and a vast improvement in general handling characteristics and a better “feel” for the driver.

Another important advantage is that the alloys used in the manufacture of the wheels have much greater heat dissipation properties than steel.

What happens when you apply the brakes? If we think back to our schooldays we may remember one of the laws of physics which states that energy cannot be ceated or destroyed, only converted from on form to another. When you brake, the foward momentum of the vehicle is slowed by the brake pads rubbing against the disks or drums, converting that energy into heat. The quicker that this heat can be dissipated the better, so alloy wheels help greatly in this respect. If brakes overheat it can cause serious problems, including complete failure. By helping to get rid of the heat, the alloy wheels help to prevent overheating and therefore improve braking performance.

As if that wasn’t enough there is yet another important advantage to fitting alloy wheels; due to their lightness they improve the general behaviour of the vehicle, making it lighter and therefore improving fuel consumption. So, while a nice set of alloy wheels may mean a significant expenditure, it should recuperate that in reducing thr car’s overall running costs. As an expensive item they are rarely fitted as standard equipment, but could turn out to be an important investment, they improve suspension performance, braking performance, and cut down on running costs. You don’t need to be a qualified mechanic to fit a set of alloy wheels, and for such a relatively simple item they can cosiderably improve your car’s performance. On top of all that, they look great too – what are you waiting for?

Author Bio: More information about Car wheels can be found on Car wheels and Car wheels

Category: Automotive
Keywords: car wheels, rims