Buying a car is one of the big material investments we make in our life, besides a house or luxury goods. It’s little wonder that a car purchase is often made with care.
It’s essential to buy a car that suits our purpose. An SUV would be underutilised if the maximum distance covered is a few kilometres in the city on average, for instance. Similarly, for those who go on off-road trips often, a hatchback geared for paved roads might be insufficient.
The choice of car can be drilled down further to aspects like engine specifications and aesthetics. Here, the importance of choosing one such aspect right is discussed. And that is wheels.
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What to know about wheels
While wheels are part of the package when buying a new car, they need to be replaced over time. But choosing the right wheels isn’t always a simple decision. The first step is to learn more about them. Here are the key parts of the wheel:
- Rim: This is the diameter of the wheel, which determines its size.
- Outboard face: As the name suggests, this is the face of the wheel. This is what gives the wheel its structure.
- Centre bore: The wheel’s hole covered by the hubcap is called the centre bore.
- Plate: Around the bore is the plate, which enables attaching the wheel to the vehicle.
- Spokes: These connect the plate to the rim. The strength of the wheel comes from them.
- Bolt pattern: It’s the number of lug holes and the distance between them in the wheel. These help to determine the right wheel for a car.
How to choose the right wheels
The first thing to note about buying the right set of wheels is that they need to be of good quality. Quality alone will ensure that they last a long time and give the desired performance. Luckily, there are plenty of brands to choose from. One example is Vision Wheels, which makes affordable wheels for a variety of vehicles, whether for the street or for off-road uses.
In terms of the specifications, here are a few aspects to consider:
- Type of wheel: There’s a choice between steel or alloy wheels. While steel wheels are good for hard driving, alloy wheels allow for greater agility.
- Size of wheel: A popular option among drivers is a wheel size upgrade. But the decision needs to be made with care. Going for a bigger wheel could also require changing the tire. And it’s important to ensure that the car is able to handle the upgraded wheel size.
- Bolt pattern: Since the pattern can differ across wheel types, the right ones need to be bought for the car. Because otherwise, it’s possible that the chosen wheel might be incompatible with the vehicle.
- The fitment: This matters too, in terms of how well the wheel gets under the fenders. This is essential once again, to determine the compatibility of the wheels with the vehicle.
- The design: This is the really fun part. There’s a rich range of variations available in design. Starting from the wheel colour, which can be various hues to silver or gold and more. And that’s not all, there’s also a choice across an array of spoke and plate designs.
Choose right and enjoy the ride
Buying a car can be an overwhelming decision, with a wide range of choices available from across manufacturers. But that’s just the first part of the decision. A buyer should ideally know about various car parts. This is especially so as parts like wheels can be changed over time.
A wheel itself is made up of multiple components, each of which has a function in the running of the car. Aspects like spokes, plates and rims are key to assessing whether that new wheel you like is a good idea for your car. Once these are figured out, the specifications of the wheel like size, fitment, and type, among others are essential to consider too.
Whichever way we look at it though, the fact remains that only high-quality wheels should be bought. These will provide optimal performance for a long time.
