Steel wheels and alloy wheels. Advantages and disadvantages. What wheels to choose for the winter?

Alloy wheels are increasingly recognized as one of the benchmarks in new cars leaving the showroom. However, a very large group of cars have steel rims because it is a cheap and convenient solution. The owners of these cars often think about switching to aluminum wheels. They are aesthetic and allow you to modify the parameters of the rim. We explain the advantages and disadvantages of aluminum and steel rims, making it much easier to decide if a change would be beneficial for us.

Steel or aluminum wheels - which is more durable?

There is a common misconception among drivers that aluminum wheels are more prone to mechanical damage. In fact, they are more durable, given the possible pressure and deformation. This is a very useful feature. It will be appreciated by drivers who, while driving, suddenly fall into a hole or lightly hit the curb. However, if there are already significant losses (caused, for example, as a result of a traffic accident), it often becomes necessary to replace the aluminum rim with a new one. Usually repair is unprofitable or even impossible. A damaged aluminum rim may crack during use. Riding on a defective component becomes dangerous. There is also a risk of corrosion. It should be borne in mind that light scuffs or slight bends do not pose a threat.

Sometimes mechanical damage cannot be avoided. All drivers may have exceptional circumstances where they unexpectedly hit an obstacle, such as a curb, and damage the rim. It should be emphasized that in most cases, damage that occurs under normal conditions (no collision, accident) will not lead to such damage to the rim that requires repair in specialized workshops. To protect yourself from mechanical damage caused by parallel parking (such damage occurs most often), you should follow the parking rules, i.e. put the wheel perpendicular to the curb and overcome it with the front of the tire.

When choosing discs for ourselves, we must consider which choice will bring us the most benefit. Steel discs are much easier to straighten when they are bent. The cost of repairing such a disc is also much lower than in the case of a cast disc. You need a good one for the aluminum set

the correct color of the paintwork, which is not easy, and let's face it - in this case, aesthetics is one of the most important aspects. However, it should be emphasized that abrasions, cosmetic defects and minor mechanical damage do not require painting the entire rim. Enough to protect the chips.

Anti-corrosion properties

The production process, and in particular the stages of painting, has a great influence on the degree of corrosion resistance of the discs. Each aluminum rim undergoes a surface treatment and a complex varnishing process, during which a multi-layer coating is applied. After applying the primer, the primer is sprayed and then the rim is covered with a clear varnish. The last layer is for corrosion protection. For varnishing, powder varnishes are used, which guarantee high quality and long service life of the coating. Steel models are not varnished at the last stage, so they are less resistant. Of course, the ratios refer only to the rim without defects. As soon as holes appear on the surface of the rim, the risk of corrosion is also great.

Rim design - does it matter?

The degree of resistance to damage and corrosion are not the only important properties to consider when considering buying a rim. Alloy wheels give the car an individual character, but high aesthetics are not their only advantage. They can really make a difference in driving comfort. All thanks to the flexibility of the design, which is obtained through the casting method. Manufacturers are free to improve their models and shape them. One of the most interesting examples is OZ RACING, a brand that uses the experience gained in the production of WRC and F1 rims in the production of aluminum rims for passenger cars. They use flow-forming technology (i.e. aluminum stretching). This allows a significant reduction in the weight of the rim while at the same time increasing its elasticity by 200% compared to low pressure casting.

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Regardless of which wheels we choose, we must remember that they must be perfectly matched to the car so as not to interfere with everyday driving. When choosing, you should pay special attention to the offer from well-known manufacturers, paying special attention to quality.

What wheels to choose for the winter?

Are you wondering which rims are more resistant to winter damage? In fact, each of them is exposed to negative external factors. Road salt is dangerous for everyone. Alloy wheels are more prepared for intensive use in difficult weather conditions. A popular claim is that they require more maintenance time from the user than steel ones. When washing the car with a touchless car wash, remember to wash off the dirt with warm water and detergent at an appropriate distance.

Should I choose two sets?

Undoubtedly, the solution that saves time and money is definitely to use two interchangeable sets of rims - one for the summer season, the other for the winter season. Many drivers choose alloy wheels for the warmer half of the year and steel wheels for the cooler half of the year, when the risk of damage and pollution is greater.

“The newer the cars, the larger wheels are offered as standard or at an additional cost. This often goes hand in hand with installing larger brakes that the rim needs to fit on. However, it should be emphasized that this is not the only dependence. The current trend is to use ever larger rims, for example in the Skoda Enyaq 21”. Given the fact that 90% of steel rims come in 16" diameters, it's often difficult to find steel rims for a car that left the factory with 18" or 19" wheels. When buying wheels for the winter, let's focus on the same wheel size that we have in the original or a size lower. The determining factor in the diameters used for a particular vehicle is the TUV approval responsible for fit.” says Artur Pik, disc sales coordinator at Oponeo.pl.

In addition, replacing the use of two sets will bring real benefits. This will save you time and money on changing tires at the vulcanization service. Even if you don't replace them yourself, your visit will be much shorter than usual. Remember to balance your wheels regularly. This is a cheaper service than changing tires and has a big impact on driving safety. In addition, it is easier and more convenient to store tires with rims. They can be stacked on top of each other or hung on special hangers.

Source: Oponeo.pl

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