Sooner or later, the driver is forced to replace the rims.
The reason may be a banal desire to diversify the design of your vehicle or mechanical damage on an old set of wheels. When choosing discs in L'viv, the buyer must be prepared to face a huge range of proposed options The driver will be presented with a selection of products from domestic and foreign companies. But before delving into the parameters and figuring out which brand is better, the consumer must decide on the basic type of discs - steel or cast. Each presented type of rims has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.
Features of steel rims
Steel discs are made by stamping. Sheet steel is used as the main raw material. After the stamping machines give the desired shape to the elements of the future disk, they will be welded to each other using spot welding. Steel rims are the basic offer for commercial transport. This is not surprising, because stamped discs are inexpensive, reliable, durable and easily amenable to the repair process. Even in the event of serious mechanical damage, it will not be difficult to restore the original rim geometry. Another significant "plus" from the use of steel discs is the feature of the material, to dampen shock loads that occur during movement on poor quality roads. Thus, stampings are able to extend the operational life of a running vehicle.
Steel discs also have significant drawbacks. The main comments from customers relate to the boring and monotonous appearance. The source material and production technology does not allow for multiple variations. If we move from aesthetic comments to practical ones, then everything is not clear either. Steel discs are quite heavy, which causes a number of problems in the form of: increased fuel consumption, additional load on the undercarriage, slow acceleration, worse maneuverability. In addition, steel rims are prone to corrosion, so they can begin to rust even during the first season of use. Some drivers note the low accuracy of parameters for inexpensive products from a number of Chinese companies.
Alloy wheel features
Alloy wheels are made by casting on the basis of alloys of magnesium and aluminum. The production process is quite complicated, but all the main stages are carried out automatically, which allows you to achieve high results. A couple of decades ago, only the wealthiest drivers could boast of alloy wheels. Now the situation has seriously changed and almost any motorist can afford casting.
The main advantage of alloy wheels lies in the huge variety of options available. The driver has the opportunity to choose not only a stylistically suitable option for him, but also decide on the desired color. The next important point will be the reduced weight of the structure, which allows you to count on a whole list of advantages, such as:
economical fuel consumption;
increased acceleration dynamics;
good handling;
short braking distance;
improved maneuverability.
As a rule, cast models have the best quality paintwork, which provides reliable protection against corrosion.
Turning to the disadvantages of alloy wheels, it should be noted a small margin of safety. Cast models do not tolerate tests on dirt roads or broken asphalt. High-speed driving into a deep hole can seriously damage the geometry of the rim and even lead to the formation of a crack. An additional problem is that alloy wheels are difficult to refurbish and in most cases the driver will be forced to look for a replacement.