I've always assumed the real advantage of alloy wheels was to save weight. But changing over some tyres at the weekend I took the opportunity to weigh an alloy wheel and its steel equivalent. Both weighed precisely 14lb.
They are more easily damaged, and difficult to clean, so do we fit them purely for cosmetic reasons? Or are Volvo alloys (like everything else Volvo) twice as heavy as everyone else's?
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We buy because they look nice.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Because they look a lot nicer than the boring steel wheels.
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And they look a lot nicer.
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They just look nice and no-one seems to make nicely-painted steel wheels with simple small hub centre caps any more.
And who wants tacky plastic wheeltrims that have to be tied on?
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scratched, cracked, broken wheel trims held on by black cable ties.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Sorry thats three of the above, with one dirty black and rust steel wheel.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Have you been spying on my chavmobile, TVM, or is this decor commonplace?
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Look nice and:-
Steel wheels (I have a feeling these are an 'option'?) 18lbs
"standard" alloys 12.3lbs
Factory Optional BBS alloys 8.5lbs
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Some alloys corrode too, I believe.
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Yes, but then you can get them made to look nice again, which no-one ever bothers to do with rusty, filthy steel wheels with tied-on trims.
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And I thought the point was all about reducing unsprung weight - clearly incorrect.
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Monkeys like bright shiny things..
madf
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We like to preen and show off our bright sexy feathers to the more tawdry, brown, and dull members of our flock.
Its well known that those of us with sexy feathers have prettier and more fertile wives than the rest of you.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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And I thought the point was all about reducing unsprung weight
Cliff, I think you're confusing everyday alloy wheels with lightweight magnesium alloys intended for motorsport.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=37...8
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Yes, but then you can get them made to look nice again, which no-one ever bothers to do with rusty, filthy steel wheels with tied-on trims.
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Is it possible to refurbish any type of alloy wheel? Some, like the ones on our C5, seem to have any applied finish. How can this be treated if the the wheels have been scuffed on the outer rim? Also, the wheels on the C5 have a very narrow raised edge to the outer rim and I don't if anything could be done to rectify the damage done to this edging.
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Is it possible to refurbish any type of alloy wheel?
No idea about any alloy wheel, but here's a DIY method for refurbing:
www.bramcote-ridge.org.uk/HowTo/refurb.pdf
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Slightly off topic but here in Sudan the bus's & motorised Trishaws have hub caps with protuding fake blades that stick out up to about 10 inches they look frightening! a bit like the chariots in ben hur!
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Ahem, I'll have you know that my wheel trims are not held on by cable ties, and are not badly damaged etc. In fact they are almost as good as new with the exception of a few minor scratches from grit etc. They are held on by the wheel nuts, so they're pretty hard to nick too.
My previous set of wheel trims were cheap, and they looked bad after a year. My current set are OEM (FIAT) ones though, and they look like new after well over a year.
I would like some alloys though, some light weight ones though. I wouldn't buy them just because they look good. I didn't reallise that alloys generally aren't any lighter, if I get a new car I suspect I will fit my own alloys rather than OEM ones.
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We buy alloys because:-
The manufacturer gives us no option.
They cost more
They are more nickable
We are daft
They scratch, damage more easily and cost more to repair
Because they are expensive; the manufacturer give us a steel wheel as a spare
In short, there is no logical rhyme or reason
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Getting off topic slightly, some years ago I heard a report on the radio of sexism amongst car salesmen at women buyers. One lady customer asked a car salesman why alloys were better, and the reply was "all you need to know is they ARE luv".
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The reason I prefer alloys is because they give rise to less vibration and balancing problems than steel. They are more circular, and have less radial and axial runout. Pressed steel wheels are quite crude in comparison.
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L\'escargot.
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The reason I prefer alloys is because they give rise to less vibration and balancing problems than steel. They are more circular, and have less radial and axial runout. Pressed steel wheels are quite crude in comparison. -- L\'escargot.
All quite true, but, in most cases, steel wheels are round and true enough to give smooth running.
Alloys are a triumph of marketing over sound engineering and good sense IMO. It's quite fun if RF wishes to be a strutting peacock, but I don't want alloys on any car of mine.
Number_Cruncher (of dull plumage!)
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All quite true, but, in most cases, steel wheels are round and true enough to give smooth running.
I'm inclined to agree with you. My current car is the first I've owned that has had alloy wheels and very nice they like too, when clean. However, they are a pain (literally) for me to keep clean as, compared with steel wheels with plastic covers, they need quite a bit of time on them to restore their 'loveliness'.
I would like to think that the next new car I chose, I could get a version with steel wheels but with all those other extras that I deem necessary, nowadays. However, I feel that I'll be lumbered with alloys again as they'll be part of the package.
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>> All quite true, but, in most cases, steel wheels are round >> and true enough to give smooth running. I'm inclined to agree with you. My current car is the first I've owned that has had alloy wheels and very nice they like too, when clean. However, they are a pain (literally) for me to keep clean as, compared with steel wheels with plastic covers, they need quite a bit of time on them to restore their 'loveliness'. I would like to think that the next new car I chose, I could get a version with steel wheels but with all those other extras that I deem necessary, nowadays. However, I feel that I'll be lumbered with alloys again as they'll be part of the package.
Most alloys look terrible in my opinion - much worse than steel wheels. Not just when dirty - even when new and shiny.
The after-market ones are the worst, but even the factory-fit ones on a lot of cars look bad.
Their appeal is completely lost on me; I'd always have steel wheels if I had an option - in fact I'd pay a premium for them.
If you kerb a steel wheel, you fork out twenty quid for a new plastic cover - kerb an alloy and it's a lot more than that, and you might even crack the wheel and strand yourself. Madness.
Mind you, I think starting handles are a good idea, too.
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I had a Scirocco a few years back, and I took the alloys off it and replaced them with some Mk 2 Golf GTi steel "pepperpot" wheels. They looked really nice.
However, I do like alloys: my Fabia vRS would look very silly with steel wheels I think... or is that just conditioning?
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I agree with Stevied, the steel wheels on cars like Mk.2 Escorts and old Golfs/ Sciroccos, look good because they were designed to be on show. On modern cars they are painted black and not designed to be looked at. If manufacturers started painting them silver again and made them more interesting, then they could be okay IMO, but the majority of buyers would still choose alloys.
I dont see the fans of steel wheels or alloys ever convincing each other which is best. As usual its a case of each to their own.
IMHO plastic wheel trims are the work of the devil, and anyone who keeps them on their car obviously doesnt mind that they look rubbish. They just say, "I want my wheels to look like alloys but I'm too much of a cheapskate".
I replaced the 15" steel wheels on my car with 16" OEM alloys which were not expensive; look 10 times better; they fill out the wheel arches better; and the 20mm wider tyres improve the cornering and steering feel by a good margin.
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I'm inclined to agree with you. My current car is the first I've owned that has had alloy wheels and very nice they like too, when clean. However, they are a pain (literally) for me to keep clean as, compared with steel wheels with plastic covers, they need quite a bit of time on them to restore their 'loveliness'.
I dont understand how you can have difficulty cleaning alloy wheels. Get some Wonder Wheels, it takes 2 mins. per wheel to clean then rinse off. Usually cuts straight through 3 weeks of brake dust with one application. I was sceptical that it could be better than other products, like Halfords alloy wheel cleaner, but it definitely is. Might look expensive, but it lasts for months.
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>>I dont understand how you can have difficulty cleaning alloy wheels
I'm a bit confused as to why you'd try. Isn't that what puddles are for ?
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I dont understand how you can have difficulty cleaning alloy wheels.
You wait until you're my age and suffer from chronic Sciatica!
However, each wheel has nine (I think) recesses into which I have to apply the appropriate sponge/brush and cleaner (shampoo) in order to loosen brake dust etc. I then valet the rubber on the tyres etc, before hosing the lot off and patting dry with my 'leather.'
Before all this nonsense all I had to do was give each wheel a fairly swift circular cleaning motion with a sponge and then rinse down. What was behind the wheel trim did not concern me.
With regard to using proprietary acidic alloy wheel cleaner I think that they are better left well alone IMO.
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