jza80 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 They reduce the unsprung mass to some extent which is good, (although inboard brakes is a better way of doing this). They dont rust, and they look good. I suspect the latter is the real reason. ---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 15:07 ---------- When braking on uneven surfaces, which is most of Sheffield really they can make a noticeable difference to stopping distance. Most people buy it for the looks,but the lighter the wheel/brakes are, it will make the suspension work more efficent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 It's an evil conspiracy originally mastered by locking wheel nut manufacturers to increase their sales They can bubble instead, and many a car I have seen would look better with steels...or the original (OEM) alloys Cheap ones yes, but an OEM one will not do so, and will also be considerably stronger than a pattern part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quisquose Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 It's an evil conspiracy originally mastered by locking wheel nut manufacturers to increase their sales Nah, the evil conspiracy was engineered by those companies that manufacture the special polish to stop them oxidising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Aren't they lighter than pressed steel? Won't this help with MPG? Aren't manufacturers having to keep their "fleet" within an average CO2 output? Are the above related? I don't know... Yes, all true, but I think appearance is the main advantage on your average car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Most people buy it for the looks,but the lighter the wheel/brakes are, it will make the suspension work more efficentNot necessarily - e.g. when you 'oversize' without reconfiguring the whole rolling train (e.g. going from 15" std > 18" w/out adjusting tracking, dampers, etc.), it can increase consumption and worsen performance ('rail-roading' effect, increased braking distance, loss of ride comfort, wheel well bottoming, amongst the more obvious ones). When we bought our last impreza (MY 2006, hawkeye), Monty's kindly upgraded the std 15" alloys to the std WRX 16" alloys with the deal. Big mistake. Cheap ones yes, but an OEM one will not do so.I have had bubbling OEM alloys (new on new car). So, some OEMs must be cheap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barleycorn Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 The last car I had without alloy wheels lost a wheel disc every few weeks, either stolen or they flew off going down the motorway. Either way they cost about £30 a time to replace. They were also a right bugger to get off on the one occasion that I needed a wheel changing. They are also round and run true. Next time try some zip ties. jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quisquose Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 Unsubstantiated but probably true: The lighter, the more expensive, the alloys are ... the lower the mpg of the car overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jza80 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Next time try some zip ties. jb Or super glue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Next time try some zip ties. jb Because they look really smart ---------- Post added 17-12-2012 at 15:21 ---------- Unsubstantiated but probably true: The lighter, the more expensive, the alloys are ... the lower the mpg of the car overall. But think what it would be with steels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geared Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Alloys fitted to most modern cars are not noticeable lighter than their steel counterparts, sometimes it's quite the opposite because the alloys come in larger sizes and are often made of fairly ****ty metal. Lightweight aftermarket wheels are made from stuff like forged aluminium or magnesium alloy - not the sort of stuff Ford/Vauxhall/Fiat etc will sell you. Either way the tyre makes up more of the mass of it all, so going for the 'sporty' option of larger alloy wheels with wider tyres actually increases unsprung weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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