Very tasty, but check these carefully on a used car for signs of kerbing -
Alloys can't be knocked back into shape as easily as steel wheels, and if they are knocked back into shape the structure could be seriously weakened.
If the alloys fitted to the car are not a standard dealer or original specification type, make sure they are of the right size for the car.
Street crazy kids often fit wider wheels than the car's suspension can take, or they fit wider tyres on cheaper narrow alloys. Either way the suspension takes the strain, steering is affected and the car's handling could deteriorate. The situation could be worsened if spacers have been fitted to widen the track.
In theory Alloy wheels as opposed to weight steel ones improve the handling and ride of your car by reducing the unsprung weight. This give the springs an easier time in controlling the bouncing wheel and reduces its gyroscopic effect making it easier to turn.
As Alloys are generally accompanied by wider bigger tyres (heavier) of lower profile (stiffer side walls) you probably would not notice these benefits.
Alloy wheels are a bit of a strange terms as an Alloy is simply a mix of two substances. So Steel is in fact an Alloy. The perceived wisdom is of course that they are some kind of Aluminum Alloy and so should really be called Ali's. Really flash ones like 60 and 70 minilites, or F1 Dymags may be made of exotic materials like Magnesium, which is even lighter, but not the safest of materials to machine or use. See a magnesium flare to see what happens when fire is applied to it. America's most renowned Aluminum tubing company EASTON has given up the manufacturer of Magnesium parts after two of its production workers died making the stuff.
Please Email if you have any content you think we could add to this section
Click here