Xpost: Can someone please explain wheel technolgies
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,457
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Here's a go at it (basic stuff)....
Cast wheels: are almost always one-piece wheels of cast aluminum. Some multi-piece wheels have cast center sections. This is the least expnesive method of making wheels. There are different kinds of casting methods, but for the most part they all involve heating a block of aluminum to a liquid state and pouring that into a mold. Cast wheels vary greatly in their strength and weight, dependent mostly on the manufacturer and its technology.
Forged wheels: a block of aluminum is placed in a press and pressure is applied to the block to make the desired wheel shape. CNC machines do the final detail work. Most all multi-piece wheels have forged center sections while the rims or rim-halves (3-piece wheels) are of spun aluminum. About the only variation of forging is SSR's proprietary Semi-Solid Forging which involves heating the block to a buttery consistency before forging.
One-piece wheels are just that... one piece. Two-piece wheels have a center section attached to a one-piece rim. These can be welded, riveted or bolted. Three-piece wheels have a center section attached to two separate rim-halves. These are then riveted or bolted together with a bead of silicone to seal the rim-halves.
Forged wheels are typically stronger and lighter than cast, but you pay for that feature. Multi-piece wheels have the advantage that you can replace a bent rim without replacing the entire wheel. Examples of forged wheels are Kinesis, Fikse, Forgeline, HRE.
Cast wheels tend to be heavier and less strong than forged wheels, but they are typically less expensive. Quality varies widely among cast wheels, as does weight and cost. Examples of cast wheels include BBS, ACE, Ronal, OZ, Borbet some Speedlines, and just about anything at Tirerack (but not SSR).
Hope that helps.
The Tirerack link has a little more detail.
PeteH<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm">http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm</a</li></ul>
Forged wheels: a block of aluminum is placed in a press and pressure is applied to the block to make the desired wheel shape. CNC machines do the final detail work. Most all multi-piece wheels have forged center sections while the rims or rim-halves (3-piece wheels) are of spun aluminum. About the only variation of forging is SSR's proprietary Semi-Solid Forging which involves heating the block to a buttery consistency before forging.
One-piece wheels are just that... one piece. Two-piece wheels have a center section attached to a one-piece rim. These can be welded, riveted or bolted. Three-piece wheels have a center section attached to two separate rim-halves. These are then riveted or bolted together with a bead of silicone to seal the rim-halves.
Forged wheels are typically stronger and lighter than cast, but you pay for that feature. Multi-piece wheels have the advantage that you can replace a bent rim without replacing the entire wheel. Examples of forged wheels are Kinesis, Fikse, Forgeline, HRE.
Cast wheels tend to be heavier and less strong than forged wheels, but they are typically less expensive. Quality varies widely among cast wheels, as does weight and cost. Examples of cast wheels include BBS, ACE, Ronal, OZ, Borbet some Speedlines, and just about anything at Tirerack (but not SSR).
Hope that helps.
The Tirerack link has a little more detail.
PeteH<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm">http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm</a</li></ul>
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