2008 was an interesting year for the custom wheel industry. It saw the successful deployment of 32 inch wheels by Lexani with DOT approved tires from Yokohama - though in extremely limited quantities. There was also the successful response by tire manufacturers to over-sized wheels, by producing tires that work safely with these wheels when mounted on passenger cars. So, for example, no longer do 24 inch and 26 inch wheels on cars seem so outrageous, and now they require less aggressive modifications for fitment.
There is also a growing trend among manufacturers and dealers to customize wheel finishes on demand. This is the new direction of the wheel industry, as wheel sizes approach (if they have not already surpassed) their practical limits. Individualization is the new rave, and two or three-tone finishes are not uncommon. ‘Flat black’ is a popular new finish, while ‘chrome’ is expected to take a backseat (but not die completely) during the coming months. All in all, expect to see a gradual shift in focus from size, to appearance, going through 2009.
Today, I thought I would share a fascinating video of the brilliant smoke effects of Kumho’s Ecsta SPT ultra high performance tires. These tires are intended for track use only, and produce very vivid colored smoke during burnouts. Additionally, see the related videos in the embed.
I came upon a very useful, yet interesting web tool - a tire size calculator that highlights some effects of changing your wheel & tire size. Among other outcomes, larger wheels will increase vehicle height, reduce acceleration (because the larger wheel & tire combo has a larger rotating mass and requires more force to turn), and increase the actual top speed - while the speedometer reading will be inaccurate (lower than actual).
Other effects of altering wheel size are: changes to suspension geometry (alignment), affecting ride quality, and larger, heavier wheels normally reduce braking performance - resulting in increased braking distances (since a greater mass has a higher momentum and therefore requires more force to stop).
Just when you thought the wheel industry had turned out the largest wheels for passenger vehicles, they outdo themselves again. Remember back when 20 inches was large, then 22, 24, and a long time after, 26 inches. Then came 28 and 30 inches, and now for quite-sometime there have been 32 and 34 inch custom wheels available from Asanti. At SEMA 2007, they did it again, this time, they unveiled a 42 inch wheel.
In the earlier days, wheel manufacturers would design the wheel to fit the car, now the industry has changed so it is the norm to modify the car to fit the wheels - at least for most of these huge sizes.
Where will it end? No one knows, but as long as the possibility exists (and it does) that wheels can be made larger, they will be made larger, even the at the obvious expense of form over function.
Customizing your wheels has never been easier. Wheel manufacturers, especially at the high end of the market, offer options for customizing almost every detail on their wheels - from the color of the spokes, lip, flange, etc, to even incorporating your own insignia if you so desire. This is a significant departure from the limited traditional finishes normally available because wheels are mass produced.
Some manufacturers who offer these type custom finishes are Asanti, Davin, Forgiato, and DPE Wheels. Customized wheels of course take a longer time period from processing of the order to delivery, than wheels with traditional finishes. Also, cost usually is greater - sometimes significantly, due to the added expenses of carrying out ‘one-off’ processes on the wheels.
Some manufacturers offer cheaper methods of customizing their wheels, for example, supplying changeable wheel bezels or fascias of different styles that can be custom painted.
An excellent web-based wheel customization tool by Forgiato can be found here.
Creative use of the variety of wheel options available will produce truly unique wheels - for unique rides.
Believe it or not, some people judge a wheel’s weight by nothing more than the finish applied to the wheel. Very often chrome wheels are judged as being ‘heavy’ because they are chrome, while polished, or colored wheels are thought to be acceptable for a particular application, because their appearance does not make them seem heavy.
Nothing can be more misleading about determining a wheel’s weight as judging by the finish. In fact, of all the elements added to a wheel during manufacturing, the finish will normally add the least weight. Attention should be focused instead on the manufacturing process employed in producing the wheel. This is what will really determine if a wheel will end up being very, or moderately ‘heavy’.
There are three main methods used to manufacture wheels, each with unique characteristics with regard to wheel weight and strength.
Casting
Casting involves filling a mold with molten aluminum. This process can rely on gravity, or a low positive pressure to fill the mold. It is the most popular and most economical method of wheel production, and creates wheels of reasonable strength, but higher weight than other methods.
Flow-Forming
This method involves using a casting that is spun on a special machine. The outer section of the casting is heated, and steel rollers that are pressed against the rim are used to pull it to its’ final shape and size. A stronger and lighter wheel is produced than is possible with the casting process, but these wheels are also more expensive than those produced by casting.
Forging
Forging involves forcing heated aluminum billets between two dies and applying extremely high pressure. The resulting wheels are very strong and also very light, when compared to those produced by the other manufacturing methods. This is also the most expensive method of wheel manufacture.
Since different manufacturing methods produce very different results with regard to wheel weight and strength, it follows that when choosing a set of wheels, if weight is an important consideration, it would be beneficial to research the production method(s) of the wheel model(s) in which one is interested. After-all, one of today’s hottest trends is creating custom finishes normally on the highest quality wheels. It would be a shame for the quality of these wheels to be misjudged - simply because of how they look.
