Big rims, big risk?
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: New York
Big rims, big risk?
Article from www.cnn.com
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Big rims, big risk?
Extra-large wheels are popular as automotive jewelry but the 'bling' they bring can come at a cost.
December 15, 2004: 11:57 AM EST
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - One of the easiest ways to add a dose of individuality to a car is with a new set of wheels. Extra large wheels, especially on SUVs, are particularly popular.
Large wheels can provide benefits in handling and performance. They can also make a car stand out in a crowd. But they can also be dangerous.
Drivers who swap out their wheels for something bigger, even if they compensate for the added size by switching to narrower, low-profile tires, may be putting themselves at greater risk of a crash. If the overall diameter of the tire and wheel combination is larger, that just creates additional problems.
Putting larger wheels on a vehicle than the ones with which it left the factory can cause problems for a vehicle's suspension and brakes even if lower-profile tires keep the overall diameter the same.
The reason is, simply, that metal weighs a lot more than rubber and air. A vehicle's suspension and braking systems are engineered to deal with a certain amount of "unsprung weight."
Unsprung weight is the weight of a vehicle that is not held up by the springs that support the vehicle at each of its wheels. Unsprung weight includes the axles, wheels and tires. Bolting on larger metal wheels gives your vehicle's springs and shock absorbers more weight to contend with.
"If you're going to increase the weight of the wheel and tire you may want to look at upgrading the suspension to handle that extra weight," said John Rastetter, director of tire information services for TireRack.com, a tire and wheel retailing Web site.
The additional weight of the wheels also makes the vehicle take longer to stop, said Andrew Markel, editor of the trade journal Brake and Front End magazine.
Taking rubber away
The thinner tire walls won't absorb as much of the impact as the old, fatter tires did, either. That increases the impact from bumps that the vehicle's suspension system needs to deal with.
Thinner tires are especially problematic for bigger, heavier SUVs. When a vehicle hits a rock or the side of a pothole, the tire flexes under the weight of the impact. With a thin sidewall and a very heavy vehicle, the tires can actually get pinched under the wheel rim, damaging the tire and perhaps leading to a blowout.
Bigger all around
If the overall size of the wheel and tire combination is increased, the tire tread and sides can rub or bump parts of the car including suspension components or fenders.
Tire "fitment," as it's called, is rather tricky. The wheel might work just fine when the vehicle is stopped or even when it's driving and turning on a smooth, level road with a light load. When the vehicle is loaded with people or baggage, however, the tires can bump into parts of the car.
Not only can that damage the tires, it can also cause unpredictable steering difficulty. Plus, it's just plain irritating.
Does not compute
Increasing your car's overall wheel size can also mislead your car's computerized systems about how fast the vehicle is actually going.
Your car's speedometer calculates how fast the vehicle is moving based on how fast the wheels are rotating. But larger wheels rotating at the same speed as smaller ones will make the vehicle go faster. So switching to larger wheels without adjusting the speedometer to compensate can cause you to be going faster than the speedometer indicates.
That can create problems for systems like the car's anti-lock brakes and stability control programs, besides just leading to more speeding tickets.
Staying safe
The key to getting a new set of wheels is getting the right advice.
"What we suggest to consumers is to go to a reputable wheel and tire dealer," said Peter MacGillivray, vice president for marketing and communication for the Specialty Equipment Manufacture Association.
A reputable shop shouldn't allow you to walk in and just tell them what you want. "No offense, but we don't trust you," said Rastetter of TireRack.com.
The TireRack.com Web site requires shoppers to input the specifics of their car and will only allow shoppers to buy tire and wheel combinations that are appropriate for that vehicle. A good tire and wheel shop, experts say, should do the same.
TireRack.com also does not sell "spinners," or wheels that have a freely rotating decorative hub to give the illusion the wheel is spinning when it's not. Those decorative additions add substantial weight with no benefit, Rastetter said. Also, if moving parts begin to corrode, the spinning section could break off or freeze in place, which would make the wheel unbalanced.
Cheap knock-offs
With the expanding popularity of decorative wheels, a lot of new companies are entering the market -- and not all of them are producing top-quality products.
There is no regulatory agency or organization responsible for making sure that wheels that are sold in the U.S. are strong enough or, for that matter, even perfectly round.
"What we're seeing is Chinese knock-offs where the castings are pretty bad and the wheels are pretty fragile," said Markel.
Not all wheels made in China are of poor quality, Markel added, since reputable companies have manufacturing plants there. But buyers should beware of cheap wheels that won't stand up.
Buyers should, ideally, looked for forged rather than cast wheels.
Forged wheels are stronger, which makes them more expensive, but lighter. The price of wheels generally varies inversely with their weight, Rastetter said. Inch-for-inch, cheaper wheels are usually heavier, too.
As always, watch for prices that look too good to be true. For example, if you see 18-inch rims selling for $80, you should be suspicious, Markel said.
*************************************
Big rims, big risk?
Extra-large wheels are popular as automotive jewelry but the 'bling' they bring can come at a cost.
December 15, 2004: 11:57 AM EST
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - One of the easiest ways to add a dose of individuality to a car is with a new set of wheels. Extra large wheels, especially on SUVs, are particularly popular.
Large wheels can provide benefits in handling and performance. They can also make a car stand out in a crowd. But they can also be dangerous.
Drivers who swap out their wheels for something bigger, even if they compensate for the added size by switching to narrower, low-profile tires, may be putting themselves at greater risk of a crash. If the overall diameter of the tire and wheel combination is larger, that just creates additional problems.
Putting larger wheels on a vehicle than the ones with which it left the factory can cause problems for a vehicle's suspension and brakes even if lower-profile tires keep the overall diameter the same.
The reason is, simply, that metal weighs a lot more than rubber and air. A vehicle's suspension and braking systems are engineered to deal with a certain amount of "unsprung weight."
Unsprung weight is the weight of a vehicle that is not held up by the springs that support the vehicle at each of its wheels. Unsprung weight includes the axles, wheels and tires. Bolting on larger metal wheels gives your vehicle's springs and shock absorbers more weight to contend with.
"If you're going to increase the weight of the wheel and tire you may want to look at upgrading the suspension to handle that extra weight," said John Rastetter, director of tire information services for TireRack.com, a tire and wheel retailing Web site.
The additional weight of the wheels also makes the vehicle take longer to stop, said Andrew Markel, editor of the trade journal Brake and Front End magazine.
Taking rubber away
The thinner tire walls won't absorb as much of the impact as the old, fatter tires did, either. That increases the impact from bumps that the vehicle's suspension system needs to deal with.
Thinner tires are especially problematic for bigger, heavier SUVs. When a vehicle hits a rock or the side of a pothole, the tire flexes under the weight of the impact. With a thin sidewall and a very heavy vehicle, the tires can actually get pinched under the wheel rim, damaging the tire and perhaps leading to a blowout.
Bigger all around
If the overall size of the wheel and tire combination is increased, the tire tread and sides can rub or bump parts of the car including suspension components or fenders.
Tire "fitment," as it's called, is rather tricky. The wheel might work just fine when the vehicle is stopped or even when it's driving and turning on a smooth, level road with a light load. When the vehicle is loaded with people or baggage, however, the tires can bump into parts of the car.
Not only can that damage the tires, it can also cause unpredictable steering difficulty. Plus, it's just plain irritating.
Does not compute
Increasing your car's overall wheel size can also mislead your car's computerized systems about how fast the vehicle is actually going.
Your car's speedometer calculates how fast the vehicle is moving based on how fast the wheels are rotating. But larger wheels rotating at the same speed as smaller ones will make the vehicle go faster. So switching to larger wheels without adjusting the speedometer to compensate can cause you to be going faster than the speedometer indicates.
That can create problems for systems like the car's anti-lock brakes and stability control programs, besides just leading to more speeding tickets.
Staying safe
The key to getting a new set of wheels is getting the right advice.
"What we suggest to consumers is to go to a reputable wheel and tire dealer," said Peter MacGillivray, vice president for marketing and communication for the Specialty Equipment Manufacture Association.
A reputable shop shouldn't allow you to walk in and just tell them what you want. "No offense, but we don't trust you," said Rastetter of TireRack.com.
The TireRack.com Web site requires shoppers to input the specifics of their car and will only allow shoppers to buy tire and wheel combinations that are appropriate for that vehicle. A good tire and wheel shop, experts say, should do the same.
TireRack.com also does not sell "spinners," or wheels that have a freely rotating decorative hub to give the illusion the wheel is spinning when it's not. Those decorative additions add substantial weight with no benefit, Rastetter said. Also, if moving parts begin to corrode, the spinning section could break off or freeze in place, which would make the wheel unbalanced.
Cheap knock-offs
With the expanding popularity of decorative wheels, a lot of new companies are entering the market -- and not all of them are producing top-quality products.
There is no regulatory agency or organization responsible for making sure that wheels that are sold in the U.S. are strong enough or, for that matter, even perfectly round.
"What we're seeing is Chinese knock-offs where the castings are pretty bad and the wheels are pretty fragile," said Markel.
Not all wheels made in China are of poor quality, Markel added, since reputable companies have manufacturing plants there. But buyers should beware of cheap wheels that won't stand up.
Buyers should, ideally, looked for forged rather than cast wheels.
Forged wheels are stronger, which makes them more expensive, but lighter. The price of wheels generally varies inversely with their weight, Rastetter said. Inch-for-inch, cheaper wheels are usually heavier, too.
As always, watch for prices that look too good to be true. For example, if you see 18-inch rims selling for $80, you should be suspicious, Markel said.
Last edited by Cadd; Dec 15, 2004 at 09:35 AM.
Might be helpful to those who don't think about such things but I think most of us on CL already know about the issues brought up. If anyone even lurks on here, s/he would know this information, which is a big credit to the community on CL. 
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,581
Likes: 2
From: Ventura, Ca
Thanks for the article....
Most people never think about the risk factor involved. You can't just bolt on big rims and go. That Unsprung weight thing is a big deal. Also, you see stock brakes behind these huge wheels. It doesn't look like they'll do the job...LoL
But everyone and their mothers have big rims on SUV's......you don't have to have big rims to be cool......Anything bigger than 20's is ridculous IMO.
Huge rims are played out like riced out Hondas
And now you see lifted trucks and SUV's with offroad tires mounted on 22 and 24 inch rims...
Most people never think about the risk factor involved. You can't just bolt on big rims and go. That Unsprung weight thing is a big deal. Also, you see stock brakes behind these huge wheels. It doesn't look like they'll do the job...LoL
But everyone and their mothers have big rims on SUV's......you don't have to have big rims to be cool......Anything bigger than 20's is ridculous IMO.
Huge rims are played out like riced out Hondas
And now you see lifted trucks and SUV's with offroad tires mounted on 22 and 24 inch rims...
Guest
Posts: n/a
Beautiful article. Simply beautiful. PREACH!!! I hear and read all the time with cars and SUVs that should not have such big wheels. Or at least not daily driven. For shows, yeah. To drive to work, nuts. Bushings broken, sway bars loose, rattles galore, tires rub, brakes ineffective, etc etc etc.
A mechanic told me once, EVERYTHING is related, especially when it comes to anything suspension related, like wheels, shocks, brakes etc.
A mechanic told me once, EVERYTHING is related, especially when it comes to anything suspension related, like wheels, shocks, brakes etc.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 1
From: Atlanta GA
OMG and I just saw a 88 or so caprice in downtown with I THINK 28's <maybe bigger??> or something chromed rims, those things were so big the car was jacked up like a 4x4, it was ridiculous! 
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yeah nice article. big rims have big risks i think, but it also depends on how you drive i suppose, if you are careful enough, you can minimize the chance
and about big wheels, i think 20s or under you can still get decent braking, unless you get some really crappy wheels. if you get larger, then it's a really issue.... i know someon who TRIED to lift a 24s i forgot, and that thing was like 100lb!!!! talk about brake fade after 2 traffic lights
and about big wheels, i think 20s or under you can still get decent braking, unless you get some really crappy wheels. if you get larger, then it's a really issue.... i know someon who TRIED to lift a 24s i forgot, and that thing was like 100lb!!!! talk about brake fade after 2 traffic lights
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,223
Likes: 221
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Well-written article. Most of those points have already been brought up on previous CL posts....including mine.
In most cases, the less you alter factory equipment and settings, the better off you will be.
I have noticed that many of the wheel, tire, and suspension problems posted by CL members come from trying to "outdo " the factory and not leaving well-enough alone.
In most cases, the less you alter factory equipment and settings, the better off you will be.
I have noticed that many of the wheel, tire, and suspension problems posted by CL members come from trying to "outdo " the factory and not leaving well-enough alone.
EV ftw!!!
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 8,970
Likes: 563
From: Lake Ontario
I liked this comment the best:
Forged wheels are stronger, which makes them more expensive, but lighter. The price of wheels generally varies inversely with their weight, Rastetter said. Inch-for-inch, cheaper wheels are usually heavier, too.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,084
Likes: 0
From: California
Originally posted by mmarshall
Well-written article. Most of those points have already been brought up on previous CL posts....including mine.
In most cases, the less you alter factory equipment and settings, the better off you will be.
I have noticed that many of the wheel, tire, and suspension problems posted by CL members come from trying to "outdo " the factory and not leaving well-enough alone.
Well-written article. Most of those points have already been brought up on previous CL posts....including mine.
In most cases, the less you alter factory equipment and settings, the better off you will be.
I have noticed that many of the wheel, tire, and suspension problems posted by CL members come from trying to "outdo " the factory and not leaving well-enough alone.
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,561
Likes: 0
From: New York
Originally posted by Hameed
I liked this comment the best:
I liked this comment the best:
I found that interested too. This articles is written so that an Average Joe can relate to it. However, they stuck that piece of info in there so that they can also "prove" to an enthusiast that they actually did their homework and know what they're talking about. Like someone earlier mentioned, most people on CL (or any automotive forum in that matter) probably already know about this issue.
