Four-spoke wheels on a VAZ. Spokes on car wheels: good or bad? Where and how to buy

This guide is for those who want to complete the image of their car, because stylish wheels are a good way to stand out. In addition, correctly selected wheels improve handling, which is why this styling is popular among motorists.

The main thing in this matter is not to overdo it, because today you can buy the largest discs you can afford. However, this can lead to serious problems. The rims must have a suitable offset and fit perfectly into the arches of the car. It is possible to accommodate larger diameter wheels, but before doing this it is necessary to change the body geometry and modify the suspension. Remember that unsuitable rims will have a negative impact on handling.


Drive Installation Guide
Most high-end wheels are made from aluminum, which reduces weight and heat.


Usually the disk size is indicated in inches, for example 15-6-J. Here 15 is the diameter of the disc from one inner edge to the other, 6 is the width from the inner edge of the rim to the outer edge of the rim, J is the shape of the rim.


Departure

Departure is the distance between the punch support point and the center point of the disk.


Nulldeparture– the reference point of the punch is on the center line of the disk.

Positivedeparture– the reference point of the punch is more shifted to the front of the center line of the disk.

Negativedeparture – the reference point of the punch is more shifted to the rear of the center line of the disk .

The offset is usually stamped on the disc and is designated "ET50". This number indicates that the disc has an offset of 50 mm.

Rear space
The float is the distance between the back of the rim edge and the punch reference point. For example, there is an 8” wide disc with a backspace, the punch reference point is in the center of the disc (zero overhang).
Important: The overall width of the rim is usually measured from one edge of the rim to the other.


Bolts and pitch circle diameter (PCD)
There are several bolt patterns available. Most cars have 4 or 5 bolts, which is why they are known as 4-bolt and 5-bolt templates. The pitch circle diameter is calculated as the distance between two diagonally opposite bolts (spacers).


It is important to install drives with the correct PCD. You can find discs with so-called universal PCD patterns, but calling them correct is not entirely true.


Disk types

• Alloy wheels

Cast from one piece. Most standard alloy wheels are cast.

• Modular drives

Modular rims have front and rear halves bonded or welded together, often with a center section (3-piece modules).

• Composite disks

Composite discs have a rim with a welded-in cast center section.

• Blank discs

Billet discs have a rim with a welded aluminum center section made from a single piece of aluminum. Popular with hot rod and muscle car owners.

• Spoke wheels

These should not be confused with lattice rims, which are very similar to spoked rims but are molded with a bulge over the interlocking spokes. Spoke rims are made of individual spokes (steel), inserted and attached to the rim with a nut. The spokes have a certain structure that gives strength.


Drive Selection Guide
Before buying rims, it would be a good idea to find a photo of your model car with the rims you have your eye on. This way you can evaluate the future appearance of the car and how the wheels will look on a particular model. When increasing the diameter of the disks, you may encounter the terms “+1”, “+2”, etc. This means that if you have 15" rims and upgrade to 16" rims, it's +1, if you go to 17" rims, it's +2, etc. Of course, increasing the diameter will require replacing tires with a lower profile.


Switching to wider rims means more stress on the wheel studs and bearings, as well as increased unsprung weight. The wheels may also rub against the wheel arches, which will require widening them either by cutting wider ones or flaring/rolling them.


Ideally, you should stay as close to the original kit for your car as possible to avoid handling problems and unnecessary stress on other parts of the car. Another thing to consider is that the diameter of the center hole may be different from the existing one, which will require a centering ring to fit the punch.


Wheel spacers
Wheel spacers push existing rims further. You can install longer studs, but they will not affect the handling of the car, but will only give additional load by moving the disc further along the stud. It is not recommended to get too carried away with this. You can also buy overhead centric hub spacers, which have built-in studs, and install them on the existing hubs, pushing the discs out. This will be a better and safer option.


What to do and what to be sure of when buying discs

• Balance the wheels and tires to prevent wobble. It may damage other mechanical parts.
• Make sure you have the correct lateral pitch.
• Make sure you have enough arch width (don't forget about it when turning)
• Make sure you have sufficient clearance of the suspension components (adjustable shock absorbers, air suspension, etc. may be a solution for some).
• Custom/used wheels may have a different center hub size, so you will need to purchase centering washers to install them.
• Excessive expansion may place undue stress on other parts.
• Buying large rims and low profile tires that tread on the inside of the rim increases the chance of lip damage.
• Wheel nuts/bolts must be properly tightened and not overtightened.

Recommendations
The choice of discs is a matter of personal taste. However, try to stick to standard wheel and tire sizes. Don't get too carried away with increasing the size if you are not ready to change the body geometry. Make sure they look great on your car.

It would seem, what’s easier - go to the store and buy the product you like? Despite the apparent simplicity at first glance, choosing wheels for a car is a rather complicated task. Especially if you take into account the variety of technologies for their production and models presented on the domestic market. As for the model range, this is a purely personal matter. As they say, all markers are different in taste and color. But it’s worth talking about technology in more detail. Not only the driving performance of the car, but also your safety on the road depends on this.

Alternative

So, today three types of wheel rims for passenger cars are most widespread. The first of them is traditional steel products. They are inexpensive, and this is where the advantages of such disks probably end. Heavy weight, the need for touch-up and other factors negatively affect their popularity. Today they can only be seen on the basic version of an inexpensive car. However, this is also rare, since many car manufacturers prefer to equip production models with castings.

By the way, about casting. The so-called cast wheels, also known as light alloy or forged wheels, are the most popular product on the market. Why? Everything is very simple. They are lightweight, which has a positive effect on the car's handling, dynamic performance and safety. Such discs can be chosen from a huge number of models, and their cost today is not much higher than the price of conventional stamping.

But there is an alternative - car wheels with spokes. This is not a rarity. They are produced today by many well-known companies. Moreover, they are not only produced, but also sold quite successfully. Of course, the circle of consumers of such products is somewhat smaller than the number of potential buyers of castings. But she does not pretend to be a sales leader, preferring to remain in the niche of exclusive, elite products.

A few words about the design

Structurally, such discs consist of a rim, spokes and a central part, which serves to secure the wheel to the hub. In technical terms, spoked wheels have a flange, a flange and a groove. The first structural element serves to secure the tire, the second is a support for the tire. By the way, it is in the manufacture of the shelf that one of the key differences between such disks and stamping and casting lies. They are made at an angle of 5 degrees to the surface of the disc for more reliable fastening of the rubber. As for the stream, it is intended for mounting and dismantling the tire, and for this purpose it is made deeper than in the traditional design.

Are there any advantages?

Speaking about this type of car rims, there are traditionally several features that are considered among the undoubted advantages:

In general, all the advantages described above are fairly noted. Another thing is that there are not as many of them as, say, alloy wheels. But we shouldn’t forget that these are status products. They emphasize individuality and eloquently testify to the wealth of the car owner.

A little negative

It’s difficult to call these disadvantages. However, they cope with the role of restrictions 100%. What are we talking about? For example, about the fact that car wheels with spokes are quite expensive. In addition, they cannot be used in combination with tubeless tires, which are very common today. This is due to the fact that the spokes need to be tightened every 10-20 thousand kilometers. In other words, there is no point in evaluating car wheels with spokes from a purely practical point of view.

Every motorcycle owner sooner or later faces the question of where to buy quality spokes for his pit bike. The problem of purchasing motorcycle spokes should never be underestimated. After all, not only the off-road characteristics of the motorcycle, but also the safety of the driver directly depend on this.

Classification of motorcycle spokes

Before purchasing spokes for your pit bike wheel, you need to understand what the differences are between the models. Absolutely all knitting needles can be divided into three groups:

1. For use on the front wheel (the lightest, designed for installation on the rim of the front wheel);
2. Spokes for the rear rim (the heaviest, because a special strong alloy is used in their manufacture; they are designed for the increased load carried by the traction rim of the drive wheel);
3. Universal (can be installed on both the front and rear rims of your pit bike).

In addition, all the knitting needles you can buy vary in size. Depending on the diameter of your wheel, you will need to choose one of the sizes designed to fit on a rim with a diameter of 12, 14, 16 or 19 inches.

To avoid making a mistake when choosing and not buying unsuitable spokes or spokes that cannot be installed on your hub, be sure to consult with the seller before purchasing. After all, if your rim diameter is R12, then spokes designed for installation on 14, 19 or 16-inch rims will not work. You need spokes that fit exclusively on the wheel rim hub size R12.

To make it easier for you to navigate the assortment, pay attention to the rim size of your motorcycle. It should look like this: r12/60/90. The values ​​after the Latin letter R are the diameter of the rim. That is, if your rim size is r12, then you need spokes for wheels with a diameter of 12 inches.

Where and how to buy?

Today, the market is oversaturated with offers for the sale of motorcycle spokes. But as mentioned earlier, you first need to pay attention to quality. If you want to buy spokes for installation on the hub of your motorcycle in the online store “,” then you can have no doubt about the quality of your purchase. In addition, on the pages of our online catalog you can find spokes designed for installation on 12, 14, 16 and 19-inch wheels.

In turn, our consultants will kindly help you when choosing spokes and other spare parts for your pit bike.