With so many cars on the road today, every car owner tries to stand out not only with the make, model and color. The easiest way to make a car unique and irresistible is through tuning, which starts with the wheels.
As you know, the wheel consists of a tire (“rubber”) and a disc, so tuning begins with one or the other, and sometimes changes the design and disc and tires, that is, tuning the entire wheel.
Here we list the most popular ways to tune the wheels and professional recommendations that help to avoid mistakes when improving car wheels.
Wheel Upgrading Rule #1: Do no harm
Before you start improving the wheels or their parts (tires and rims), you need to know that the warranty car does not accept changes in the chassis. Therefore, the car will only be tuned under warranty with the dealer’s approval, otherwise a retrofit outside of the requirements of the operator’s manual will be considered a reason for voiding the warranty.
But even if it is done according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, the car owner may face difficulties in certifying rims and tires. Before independent tuning, you should consult with professionals — isn’t it so that the improvements obtained as a result of tuning eventually cause problems with driving safety?
For example, handling may deteriorate, there will be instability to aquaplaning, the load on the suspension will increase, fuel consumption will increase, and many more. Whether this improvement in the appearance of the car is worth the trouble — it’s up to the car owner to decide.
Wheel Upgrading Rule #2: Don’t change the outside diameter of the wheel
In order not to alter the factory settings of the car when tuning the wheels, especially the gear ratio, when changing the wheel size, it is recommended to reduce the transformation by more than 1.5 percent to the larger one and more than 2.5 percent to the to avoid smaller ones.
If the diameter of the disc is increased, the outer diameter of the wheel in the assembly should remain unchanged.
Now let’s move on to the less hard rules. Professionals suggest that…
Wheel Upgrading Idea #3: Start with upgrading the rims
Stylish rims make the car recognizable and attract attention. Regular rims, as you know, are gradually losing their attractiveness since the car is operated in different weather and road conditions. Also, the discs are first performed using different technologies. They may be stamped, forged and cast, and depending on the model they look simple and modest, or modern and exquisite.
All types of discs are ideal for tuning with a skillful approach. Among the most common methods to modify the appearance of discs today are stub, painting, chrome plating, immersion printing, inlay, welding, lighting, installation of spinner caps, or even horns for the rim.
Stub in tuning is preferable if they are original. This ensures a presentable look. The solution to installing the plugs is the easiest way to tune the wheels yourself, the least expensive and unpretentious. However, even this type of tuning can improve the wheel’s unattractive design features.
Painting the rims offers the car owner almost unlimited options when it comes to choosing a color. Your options include:
Wheel Upgrading Idea #4: Try wheel inserts
Inserts are becoming increasingly popular, although more often this option upgrade wheels prefer motorists who drive on car class “luxury”, as well as media people and VIP. The use of precious and semi-precious stones or Swarovski crystals for inlaying wheels is considered the top of luxury.
Of course, the rhinestones should be attached by high-level professionals, otherwise this tuning would be extremely short-lived.
Wheel Upgrading Idea #5: Consider welded wheels
The technique of welding the wheels is used when the owner wants to increase the width of the wheel. Welding increases the width of the wheel by cutting individual elements and welding additional ones. Such an upgrade of the wheels allows you to make brutal wide wheels that will change the appearance of the car. In combination with other changes in appearance, this modification looks really impressive!
However, there other benefits. The boil increases the adhesion of the chassis to the road surface, so the likelihood of the car tipping over while sliding is reduced. However, this positive points is somehow offset by the negative ones:
In addition, it is difficult to make welded rims yourself since you need experience with metal and welding skills, and the traffic police often perceive the “cooked” wheels as a reason to require registration of changes to the design of the car.
Last but not least, installing spinner caps allows you to create the effect of movement on fixed wheels or such an optical illusion of perception when it seems that the wheels are spinning. This visual illusion is created by attaching it to the hub cap with a bearing.
In addition, a wide range of colors and shades allows you to use your imagination to the fullest. For wheel lighting, you can use neon tubes (if there are enough financial opportunities) or LED strips (if the car owner is financially more modest). Such a backlight can be wired and connected to a car battery.
