Expand your…drives

Surely, many motorists thought about such a "fit" of their appearance, which at least partly could bring the silhouette of the car closer to racing cars. One of the tuning methods can be a modification, which consists in expanding the rims. This service is offered by specialized workshops throughout the country. However, before deciding on such a modification, it is worth considering whether the extended rims will suit our car both in terms of aesthetics and, above all, traffic safety.

MIG or TIG from 1 inch

Depending on the customer's order, discs can "grow" even a few inches in width (the smallest expansion value is 1 inch). To expand the rim, first cut it to get rid of the center band. Then you need to weld another belt, this time of the appropriate width. Steel discs can be welded in two ways: by MIG, in an inert gas environment (Metal Inert Gas) or TIG, using a non-consumable tungsten electrode (Tungsten Inert Gas). In most cases, the weld is located on one side of their center. In practice, two ways of expanding the rims are used: outside - in the case of steel and inside - aluminum (in some cases, the latter can be expanded in the same way as steel). It is easier and faster, from a purely technological point of view, to expand steel discs. After obtaining the appropriate width of the rim, the place of the weld is sealed with a special tool.

What to look for?

Specialized companies involved in expanding car rims put forward a number of conditions before undertaking this operation. First of all, the discs must be straight. All their distortions exclude any interference in their structure. In addition, large rim runouts increase the cost of the widening service, since an additional third-party company will handle their repair. Specialists involved in professional tuning of car rims also do not recommend their sandblasting and the use of chemicals. In particular, the latter can damage the structure of the weld made on the rim widening strip. After all the above conditions are met, very accurate measurements must be made, which the widened rims must comply with. This activity is especially important in the case of aluminum components. Light alloy rims are in most cases flared inwards and therefore their rims come closer to the suspension elements.

Et - or displacement

When expanding car rims, professional motorists pay attention to the parameter of the depth of the wheel on the hub. From a technical point of view, it is abbreviated to "et" (German einpresstiefe) or offset (from English), also known as "offset". The higher the offset value (measured in millimeters), the deeper the wheel is hidden in the wheel arch. As a consequence, the track width on a given vehicle axle is smaller. On the other hand, the smaller et, the more the whole wheel will be "situated" to the outside of the car, while widening the track. For example: if the car has a track width of 1 mm, then et can be even 500 mm less. This means that instead of factory wheels with et 15, you can use a wheel even with et 45. However, it is not allowed to use wheels with different et on the left and right wheels. Discs with different et on the front and rear axles also have a negative effect on road holding. And finally, one more important remark - the tire should not protrude beyond the outlines of the car, but in practice its wings.

With silicone extension

But what to do when the discs are too offset and the wheels bulge out of the wheel arches? It turns out that there is a tip for this, the so-called universal silicone-coated rubber extensions. But be careful! It should be remembered that extensions are able to cover a circle that protrudes beyond the contour by no more than 70 mm. If we still decide on this, then the assembly will not be difficult. In most cases, the factory plastic wheel arch attachment points can be used to mount them. The universal extensions are available in the form of a suitable profile tape with a length of 6 mm and a total width of 500 mm. When assembling, the belt can be freely cut.

Indicative price list for expansion steel discs (set):

rim size (in inches), price (PLN)

12"/13" 400

14" 450

15" 500

16" 550

17" 660

18" 700