Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


Big Wheels... What's It All About?


CurranShelter
 Share

Recommended Posts

Now. From what I've seen, generally-speaking, opting for larger alloys means:

  1. More expensive to buy / repair / replace
  2. Worse ride quality
  3. Worse fuel economy
  4. Worse emissions
  5. Arguably more prone to damage from kerbing.

So why oh why... oh why... are large alloys apparently always regarded as superior?? And foisted on anyone looking towards the middle or top end of the spec range?

Is it purely a looks thing? Cos if so, I really don't get what the fuss is about, especially given the trade-offs.

(Subtext: I'm considering a used Auris HSD, but nearly every buyer of that car seems to have gone for Excel trim - all well and good, but it comes with 17" alloys and a not-insignificant drop in economy / rise in emissions compared with the 15 or 16 inchers on the other specs. So I'm holding out for an Icon/Icon+.)

Yours frustratedly...

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Most car manufacturers are guilty of the large wheel/low profile tyre scenario on higher spec models.

We had a 2007 Mazda 2 Capella 1.4, which was the top model in the range. 16 inch alloys with 45 profile tyres were standard fit, which made the ride really harsh, increased noise levels, and the wheels were more susceptible to damage from kerbs The wheel/tyre combination wasn't justified in terms of performance or handling.

The second generation Mazda 2 had a similar wheel/tyre combination from the second level in the range. As it turned out the tailgate opening of the second generation was unsuitable for what we wanted, so when we changed, we went to a different marque.

Think it is more of a fad than anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's all about the bling - The sad fact is most people are idiots who will flock to OOH SHINY! things more than boring old reliable things.

I know many people who've bought a car purely on looks (or even the colour!!), when even a little research would have shown them they were buying a large white unreliable elephant (This is why french cars are still so popular despite being less reliable than my internet connection :lol:)

As long as people keep showing willingness to pay more for such crap they'll continue to fit them.

Personally I wouldn't mind as you could sell them and buy smaller ones and maybe make a bit of money out of it, except for one thing: !Removed! insurance! A lot of insurers will happily whack on another £70 or so just for having non-OE rims, esp. if they are a different size... :censor:

I think in the OP's case, some people have said that the higher spec comes with bigger brake calipers, necessitating the bigger rims to accommodate them (Although even that doesn't make sense; Why would you need *bigger* brakes in a HSD?!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a looks/handling thing & apparently the UK market is more affected by it than many others ... :death:

I run 225/45 R18 (standard for my car/trim level) during summer & 215/55 R17 for winter. The difference in noticeable (although I am sure that some of it is down to the change in tyre compound etc. & not just profile/size). The 17" is definitely more comfortable but the car also isn't as "pointy" (not that a 2.2 D4D Avensis Tourer is ever an enthusiastic handling car, too much weight up front).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alloy wheels are considerably lighter than pressed steel wheels when compared like for like. If you remove 5J steel wheels and tyres and replace with 8J wheels and tyres, however, you probably lose more than you gain. If you do manage to gain then it's a reduction in unsprung weight which helps the car's handling and braking.

I've read that placing the disc brake assemblies inboard (like the Citreon 2CV fronts I think) or the Rover 2000/2200 (but inboard rear only on the DeDion axle) makes for a much more stable braking system but i don't know for sure.

Alloy wheels are never more contentious than in marital arguments about who curbed them. Been there, done that. Would go back to steelies in a heartbeat. Even with hub caps and plastic ties.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Yes I noticed this plagues pretty much all manufacturers, and it's that darned insurance aspect which means I'm not even considering buying one size and changing to another.

Have to agree with the sentiment that alloys in general seem over-rated (and consequently, steel wheels under-rated). You don't even notice until up close that my 'rolla has steel wheels, such is a decent set of wheel trims.

Meh, another silly brainless fad like gloss ("piano") black all over the place, from laptop screens to stuff that is designed to be touched day in, day out. Disappointed to see the brushed metal effect in the facelifted Auris replaced with behind-the-trend gloss black grab handles and dash trim, groan grumble mumble fingerprints grr... :disgust: (Still undecided about the new front styling too, although the engineering tweaks sound very worthwhile. Not that I'm likely to have one any time soon.) Oops, gone off-topic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alloy wheels are considerably lighter than pressed steel wheels when compared like for like.

I always wondered - Is this actually true with the cheapo cast- alloys you normally get with cars?

The 14" steel wheels I had for my Yaris used really thin metal compared to the much thicker aluminium alloy used in my alloys; On picking them up, you can feel the steel wheels are slightly heavier, but I don't remember the difference being astoundingly large... :unsure:

(Forged aluminium is a different story - When I bought my old Yaris' alloys off PaulT he was showing off the £2000 Rays Engineering rims he'd got for that ridiculous Aygo of his... now THOSE were light! Could easily lift them with a finger!) :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

If anyone ever needs any help with insurance at all for cars with non standard wheels then please feel free to drop me a line. We have a number of schemes that cater for a wide range of modifications.

Regards,

Dan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alloy wheels are considerably lighter than pressed steel wheels when compared like for like.

I always wondered - Is this actually true with the cheapo cast- alloys you normally get with cars?

Modern cast alloys are not lightweight, I should know, I carry enough of them to the bodyshop :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

There's a lot more to consider than weight and looks when it comes to alloy wheels.

Certainly it's become a fashion thing for sure. I don't think I've subjected the good folk at toc to one of my rants about the modern modifying scene.As a life long car fanatic and home modifier the way it's become a fashion, lifestyle thing more than a genuine passion for cars really, really grates on me.

The whole Fast Car/Max Power/Fast n Furious 1 to 50 odd has turned it into a joke if you ask me and putting 18, 19,20+ inch wheels on your car is considered obligatory and a performance enhancement....... b****cks !!!!!!

For a start 18" alloy wheels ARE going to weigh as much if not more than your standard alloys or steels.The low profile tyres will cause a whole plague of unwelcome side effects but because the vast majority of those that go that route either cruise the city centres and retail parks of the country they probably do feel like they're beneficial when cornering on roundabouts but take the car out on the open A roads and it's a different story.

One very unfortunate effect of these kind of wheel/tyre combos is they grip, grip, grip, grip then break traction with little or no warning whatsoever and if you aren't aware this can and will happen you can find yourself ploughing through the hedgerow and into a field without a clue what happened.... if you're lucky that is often as not these young idiots who think they know it all because they read it in Max Power or heard it from the pub guru find themselves smeared all over the scenery.

I've lowered my car all round and everyone tells me I need to get big alloy wheels because they are lighter, low profile tyes, will transform my handling etc, etc, etc and cannot believe I fully intend to keep the car on the factory 15" alloys it came with as standard.

Having wider tyres sounds like a common sense thing to do, putting more tyre contact patch onto the road but in fact it means that the same mass will be spread over a larger area of tyre meaning less actual weight per square inch pushing the tyre to the road therefore making it easier to lose traction........ why do rally cars have narrower tyres in the snow, so that the weight is pushing down over less tyre area increasing the force that presses the tyre to the road.

Also how the weight of your wheels is concentrated has a dramatic effect on how it preforms, whether it's balanced across it's radius,heavier nearer the centre or towards the rim.Obviously if the mass is concentrated mostly in the hub area and lighter at the rim it'll be easier to spin whereas mass towards the rim will require more torque to overcome it's inertia...... think about the effect when you're wheels aren't balanced or you lose one of those weights off your wheel and you soon realise there's a lot more to wheel dynamics than just a lighter wheel and wider tyre.

Look at the real performance US musclecars of the late 6o's.The likes of the Plymouth Roadrunners which where all about getting down the dragstrip as quickly as possible. They had cheap steel wheels rather than sporty looking alloys simply because they were lighter and soaked up less torque to turn them.

I have a 1ZZ-FE and not afraid to use it :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Speaking of alloy wheel damage, I was offered specific insurance for that by my dealer (surprise... tidy commission in there by the looks of it). Suffice to say the prices are a lot cheaper from various online sources, although the dealer one covers tyres too (probably overkill as my tyres are nothing fancy). Any views on whether this kind of thing is worthwhile?

My instinct is to avoid insurance extras but I'm conscious that I'm new to alloys and to this car so it may be just a matter of time before I kerb it. And they're quite fancy-looking alloys on the Auris Icon+. In fact does anyone know if they're diamond-cut? (I don't know much about all of this.) As those are specifically excluded from the policies anyway.

Oh and... so much for "£10 excess and doesn't affect your car insurance"... well I spoke to my car insurer and they said they'd probably class it as an "accident" (!) if I kerbed the car or indeed if the paintwork got keyed (I was offered SMART insurance too), so they would need to be informed and it may or may not affect my premium depending on circumstances (fault etc). Even if claiming on another policy. So that undermines the usefulness of the dedicated wheel/paint insurance right away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if you are running 45 profile or lower you are more likely to suffer rim damage than e. on a 55 profile. The wheels in your avatar image are "machine-faced" = diamond cut. Diamond cut wheels often seem to show corrosion faster which is probably why they are excluded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh darn it. Mine are 55 as I recall but I had no idea they were a fancy type that is even more susceptible to corrosion than normal alloys. Wasn't even that keen on the style, but I wanted an Icon+ for the other features. The style has grown on me a bit, but looks like they're going to need more TLC than I'd bargained for (in terms of protection and also being a kind of gunmetal colour they just look drab and dull if not kept clean). Looking into wheel protector, wax etc now... :/

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share





×
×
  • Create New...




Forums


News


Membership