Is it possible to put different disks on a car?
In "light" style
9 questions about alloy wheels
How and what are alloy wheels made of?
Already from the name it is clear that such discs are made of light metals. Mainly, various alloys based on aluminum or (less often) magnesium are used here. According to the manufacturing method, discs are divided into cast and forged. The former are manufactured by casting into a mold, and the latter by industrial hot forging (stamping).
What are their advantages over conventional steel ones?
The aesthetic side of the issue plays no less a technical role. Alloy wheels are much more beautiful and “elegant” than steel ones. At the same time, their very design allows you to create an endless variety of different shapes - from classic to the most fantastic.
Alloy wheels, especially forged ones, are harder than steel, but their material, especially cast wheels, is brittle. When hit, they do not crumple, but get cracks and chips. While a steel wheel can almost always be "rolled" and straightened, most damage to an alloy wheel renders it unusable. At the same time, alloy wheels are always at least 2 times more expensive than steel ones. A cast wheel can be accidentally damaged even in such harmless situations as careless parking near a curb or hitting tram rails at speed. This especially applies to low-profile tires, where the disc is more vulnerable. Hidden cracks are very insidious - the disc can even crack while driving: for example, if you accidentally hit a pothole at speed.
Forged alloy wheels are the most durable and suffer less from minor impacts than cast wheels. But with a strong impact, the strength of forged wheels turns into a negative side. Unlike steel or cast steel, which, when crushed or crushed, absorb part of the energy, a forged disk does not dampen the impact, and all the force of which is transferred to the suspension elements. And its repair is always more expensive.
Can alloy wheels be repaired?
In principle, it is possible, and such a service exists in many tire shops. But not all disks are repairable. The main indicator here is the preservation of the overall strength of the load-bearing parts of the disk, which is assessed in the workshop. And if the rigidity of the structure is broken, then the disk cannot be repaired. An important criterion is the amount of damage received: the size of chips and lost fragments, the depth and nature of jams (for forged wheels), the magnitude of geometry deviations.
What parameters are used to select alloy wheels?
Essentially the same as steel ones. The main parameters here are the landing (mounting) diameter of the rim, the diameter of the central hole for the wheel hub, the diameter of the circumference of the location of the mounting holes, their number, the width of the rim of the disc and the offset - the distance between the mounting plane and the plane of longitudinal symmetry of the rim.
Can alloy wheels fit any car?
In size - for any car and SUV. There are even models for trucks. But design difficulties often arise - the model you like may not be available in the required size.
Is it possible to put different wheels on a car?
The same axle must have identical wheels and tires with the same tread pattern. The exception is if the wheel is used as a “spare wheel” in order to get to the tire shop at low speed. You can install different wheels and tires on different axles. But will it be beautiful?
How to choose the right alloy wheels? Are there any “pitfalls” here?
The main thing is not to chase width. Many people choose tires and wheels as wide as possible, just to fit into the wheel arches. And then they are surprised at the much heavier steering wheel. The same effect will be achieved by choosing discs with an excessively reduced offset (the hub appears to be “recessed” deeper relative to the rim), due to which the track widens. Wide tires and a wider track certainly improve the vehicle's directional stability and provide better contact with the road. But their downside is a heavier steering wheel, decreased acceleration dynamics, and increased fuel consumption.
The design of alloy wheels affects more than just the appearance of the car.
Possible problems lie in the configuration and number of disc arms (supports) that connect the center to the rim. The disc's rays can accumulate road dirt, which cannot be removed with regular surface washing. Dirt causes wheel imbalance, which manifests itself as a wobble in the steering wheel and deterioration in the car's handling.
The difficulty of choosing is that you can never predict 100% whether the disk will accumulate dirt or not. The most guaranteed option for this would be models with rare smooth rays, without cavities on the reverse side. Although, multi-spoke wheels often behave normally. Here a lot depends on the calculation of the aerodynamics of the disk made by the manufacturer. The only sure way to avoid “mud” disc imbalance is to thoroughly wash the wheels around the entire circumference, especially on the inside.
Do alloy wheels affect your ride quality?
The main recommendation is to drive in such a way as to protect the rims from impacts, which is especially important with low-profile tires. Be careful when parking near any posts and curbs, try not to run your wheel into potholes at speed, and drive slowly over protruding tram rails. Whatever you say, alloy wheels love good roads...
Different disks per axle
I often get questions on AUTOBLOG that touch on a serious topic, namely, different disks on one axle of a car. Questions for example: is it possible to put different types of structure and material on the same axis? When both disks are “alloy”, but the pattern is different? When is one disk cast and the other regular stamped? In this article I will try to think about this issue, sort it out - read on...
I decided to break the article into two points:
— First, we will think about a cast and stamped disc for one axle
— The second is two dissimilar castings on one axis. So, let's go.
Combination of cast and stamped discs
The combination of such dissimilar types is, to put it mildly, a perversion. These wheels are different in all respects. They have different mass, composition, and pattern. The only thing they have the same is the size. I really don’t recommend giving you two such different options, unless you are in another city and you have a flat tire, there is no way out, you need to bet what you have. But upon arrival, repairs are required - it is advisable to put it back as it was, before the damage.
What are the consequences of such an attitude?
First, it is not safe, casting and stamping are different in weight, respectively, when driving and braking there will be a different load on the chassis and suspension of the car. If in summer you can cope with such an installation, then in winter emergency situations are possible. Moreover, the higher the speed, the higher the chance of an emergency. If you install two different types (cast and stamped), you will get the feeling that the car’s wheel alignment is out of whack.
Secondly, the load is different, which means that the car’s suspension will also wear out differently, where there is a heavy wheel (stamping), there the suspension will wear out faster, these are stabilizer struts, wheel bearings, the main struts of the car, silent blocks, etc.
Third, tire wear. If the car is pulled towards a heavier option, then the tire tires will wear out unevenly, and the service life of the car's tires will be reduced.
As you can see, there are many reasons. It shouldn’t even occur to you to put such different wheels on the axle of a car. It is also not aesthetically pleasing, ugly and looks funny from the outside.
Various “castings” on the axle
Not everything is so simple here. It happens that one cast disk is destroyed, and it is impossible to solder it; it is also not possible to buy an analogue. Therefore, here you either choose one more or less similar, or immediately change both on the axis. Of course I am for changing both! So the load will be the same and all characteristics will be met. But there are cases when it is very expensive to buy both wheels (for example, large sizes and radii), so they select a similar one with an almost identical pattern, fortunately there are a lot of offers on the market now.
What are the consequences of two different castings on the axle? The castings are very similar to each other. Their weights are almost the same, since the composition from which they are made is almost the same. The difference will be in grams. If they are similar in appearance, that is, you have five petals and the new one also has five petals, then the difference will generally be in small grams. However, if you have a “cast” with three petals, and you took one with five petals, then the difference in weight may be more significant, but still not the same as for a cast and stamped disc. Otherwise, the consequences may be the same as for “stamping” and “casting”. Therefore, choose approximately the same ones in both size and weight - pattern. But still, it’s better to take both new ones, it will be more aesthetically pleasing and correct.
To summarize our article. I would like to say - do not combine a stamped and cast wheel on a car axle (you can only do it in extreme situations, for example, going to a tire shop for repairs). Cast axle types can be combined, but it is advisable to choose the same weight and pattern. However, it is better to take two identical ones per axle; the movement will be much more stable (it will not pull either to the right or to the left, with proper balancing and wheel alignment), tested from personal experience.
I will end here, I think I have answered your questions. Read our automotive website, subscribe to updates on social networks.
( 3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Experts spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of rims
Alloy wheels: 9 questions on the topic.
How and what are alloy wheels made of?
Already from the name it is clear that such discs are made of light metals. In their production, various alloys based on aluminum or (less often) magnesium are mainly used. According to the manufacturing method, discs are divided into cast and forged. The former are manufactured by casting into a mold, and the latter by industrial hot forging (stamping).
What are their advantages over conventional steel ones?
First of all, it's weight and design. For example, if a 13-inch steel wheel weighs 7-8 kg, then a cast light alloy wheel weighs about 6 kg, and a forged one weighs about 5 kg. Technically, reducing wheel weight means reducing unsprung mass and inertial forces. Thanks to this, the lighter wheel “returns to place” faster after passing through uneven terrain, which improves the performance of the vehicle’s suspension and its handling. To turn wheels with less weight (other things being equal), less force is required on the steering wheel. Reducing inertia, accordingly, increases braking and accelerating dynamics.
The aesthetic side of the issue plays no less a technical role. Alloy wheels are much more beautiful and elegant than steel ones. At the same time, their very design allows you to create an endless variety of different shapes - from classic to the most fantastic.
What are their disadvantages?
Alloy wheels, especially forged ones, are harder than steel, but their material, especially cast wheels, is brittle. When hit, they do not crumple, but get cracks and chips. While a steel wheel can almost always be "rolled" and straightened, most damage to an alloy wheel renders it unusable. At the same time, alloy wheels always cost at least 2 times more than steel ones. A cast wheel can be accidentally damaged even in such harmless situations as careless parking at a curb, or driving into tram rails at speed. This especially applies to low-profile tires, where the disc is more vulnerable. Hidden cracks are very insidious - the disc can even crack while driving: for example, if you accidentally hit a pothole at speed.
Forged alloy wheels are the most durable and suffer less from minor impacts than cast wheels. But with a strong impact, the strength of forged wheels turns into a negative side. Unlike steel or cast wheels, which, when crushed or crushed, absorb part of the energy, a forged disk does not transform the impact energy, and all its force is transferred to the suspension elements. And repairing a suspension is always an expensive proposition.
Can alloy wheels be repaired?
In principle, it is possible, and such a service exists in many tire shops. But not all disks are repairable. The main indicator of maintainability is the preservation of the overall strength of the load-bearing parts of the disk, which is assessed in the workshop. If the rigidity of the structure is damaged, the disk cannot be repaired. An important criterion is the amount of damage received: the size of chips and lost fragments, the depth and nature of the jams (for forged wheels), the magnitude of geometry deviations.
In general, based on maintainability, disks can be divided into three categories.
The first is discs with a small amount of damage: for example, with minor scratches and paint abrasions, which can be restored with a guarantee of their continued safety. The second is that the disks are completely “dead” and cannot be restored. The third group is something in between: repairing disks is possible in principle, but there is no complete guarantee of restoring their quality and reliability. Such discs can be repaired and used as a “spare wheel”, which can be used to slowly get to the tire shop. It should be noted that the vast majority of impact-damaged disks fall into the second and third categories, and complete recovery is a fairly rare case.
What parameters are used to select alloy wheels?
Essentially the same as steel ones. The main selection parameters are the landing (mounting) diameter of the rim, the diameter of the central hole for the wheel hub, the diameter of the circumference of the location of the mounting holes, their number, the width of the rim of the disc and the offset - the distance between the mounting plane and the plane of longitudinal symmetry of the rim.
Can alloy wheels fit any car?
In terms of size, yes - for any passenger car. There are even models for trucks. But design difficulties often arise - the model you like may not be available in the required size.
Is it possible to put different wheels on a car?
The same axle must have identical wheels and tires with the same tread pattern, otherwise driving becomes unsafe. Exception: if the wheel is used as a “spare wheel” in order to get to the tire shop at low speed.
How to choose the right alloy wheels? Are there any “pitfalls” here?
The main thing is not to chase width. Many people choose tires and wheels as wide as possible, just to fit into the wheel arches. And then they are surprised at the much heavier steering wheel. The same effect will be achieved by choosing discs with an excessively reduced offset (the hub appears to be “recessed” deeper relative to the rim), due to which the track widens. Wide tires and a wider track certainly improve the vehicle's directional stability and provide better contact with the road. But their downside is a heavier steering wheel, decreased acceleration dynamics, and increased fuel consumption.
The design of alloy wheels affects more than just the appearance of the car. Possible problems lie in the configuration and number of disc arms (supports) that connect the center to the rim. The disc's rays can accumulate road dirt, which cannot be removed with regular surface washing. Dirt causes an imbalance in the wheel, which is manifested by wobbling on the steering wheel and deterioration in the handling of the car. At the same time, the difficulty of choosing is that you can never 100% predict whether the disc will accumulate dirt or not. The most guaranteed option for this would be models with rare smooth rays, without cavities on the reverse side. Although, multi-spoke wheels often behave normally. Here a lot depends on the calculation of the aerodynamics of the disk made by the manufacturer. The only sure way to avoid “mud” disc imbalance is to thoroughly wash the wheels around the entire circumference, especially on the inside.
And finally, you should only buy discs that have a certificate. True, getting a piece of paper with a stamp is also not a problem for sellers. In this regard, you should be wary of Asian goods. They are inexpensive and look good, but their quality is, for the most part, very low: the paint quickly peels off, and corrosion begins to eat away at the discs. The discs themselves are also fragile and often crack either from light impacts on curbs, or even on their own.
If you want to buy cheaper light-alloy wheels, it is better to pay attention to the products of Russian manufacturers - metal processing has always been traditionally strong in our country.
Do alloy wheels affect your ride quality?
The main recommendation is to drive in such a way as to protect the rims from impacts, which is especially important with low-profile tires. Be careful when parking near any posts and curbs, try not to run your wheel into road potholes at speed, and drive slowly over protruding tram rails. Whatever you say, alloy wheels love good roads.
If the wheels are different - when is it possible and when is it not?
The fairy tale about different wheels is familiar to many of us from childhood. Remember, there the cart with different wheels turned out to be an unusable vehicle, and therefore was abandoned in the forest? This is understandable: almost always different wheels are installed out of despair.
Legal aspect
First, let us remember how the law applies to different wheels. There is always a “List of faults and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited” at the back of the booklet with the Traffic Rules. It lists those shortcomings of cars with which their long-term operation is prohibited. With them, you will not be able to obtain a diagnostic card necessary for issuing an MTPL policy. But getting to the parking lot or repair site with all the disadvantages listed below is possible. Is there any mention of wheels there?
Let's read. Operation is prohibited if:
“One vehicle axle is equipped with tires of various sizes, designs (radial, diagonal, tubed, tubeless), models, with different tread patterns, frost-resistant and non-frost-resistant, new and reconditioned, new and with an in-depth tread pattern. The vehicle is equipped with studded and non-studded tires.”
So far everything is clear. Both according to the rules and common sense, it is quite obvious that on the same axle the wheels and tires should be the same. But this idyll is often violated. installation of a spare tire. Of course, if there is a full-size wheel in the trunk, then nothing will change, but, unfortunately, there are other options. Namely:
you have a summer spare tire, but it happens in winter and you have winter wheels installed
your car has a smaller spare tire than the rest of the wheels
A tire with a narrow tire of small size was used.
We have already talked about dokatki in more detail earlier. By law, you can only drive them to a parking lot or repair site. It goes without saying that in this case you need to keep the speed no higher than 80 km/h and be especially careful.
Pipeline Exceptions
Different wheels on the front and rear axles are often installed on assembly lines producing rear-wheel drive cars, from the smallest smart fortwo to those like sporty Mercedes-Benz, BMW and some others.
It is believed that in order to transmit high torque from the engine, it is better if the rear wheels are wider. The experience of sports cars was adopted by completely civilian cars. For example, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class of the previous generation, even with the simplest 156 hp engine. could be equipped with 225/45 R17 tires at the front and wide 245/40 R17 tires at the rear. Well, such a solution has a right to exist, but just don’t forget that even the full-size spare wheel on an alloy wheel in the mentioned “tseshka” in the trunk is the same size as on the front axle. If something happens, an incident occurs!
All-wheel drive - a complete antipode
All-wheel drive vehicles always roll off the assembly line on exactly the same wheels. The operating features of an all-wheel drive transmission require the symmetry of all four wheels.
In a scheme with a symmetrical center differential (for example, in a Chevrolet Niva), wheels of different sizes will cause it to constantly turn and, accordingly, wear. The “brains” of modern complex and sophisticated crossovers will also not be happy with wheels rotating at different speeds. And cars with a rigidly connected front axle will completely break the transmission due to the circulation of parasitic power, as well as wear out the tires.
Modern systems against
On the relatively inexpensive Hyundai Creta crossover in a single-wheel drive version, the tire pressure monitoring system reacts very sharply to vehicle movement with frequent slipping. Even with absolutely equal pressure in four identical tires, it periodically begins to sound a false alarm.
You understand what will happen if you put even slightly different wheels on the front and rear axles. The same can be said about other systems that compare wheel speeds. On any modern cars, ESP will simply “go crazy” if you put wheels of a different size on the car.
Out of despair
Wheels that differ slightly in size can only be installed on simple front- and rear-wheel drive cars that have, at most, an ABS system or no such systems at all. Moreover, this can only be done if necessary to hold out until the end of the season. For example, two wheels were stolen from you, but they only managed to get them of an adjacent size. But no car should be operated in this mode all the time.
It also happens that if one of the four tires is fatally damaged, it is not possible to purchase the same one. Let's say, due to the discontinuation of a given model or because stores most often import and sell tires in pairs at best. Here we can advise you to look for the same used tire, or buy two new tires of the same size. This advice is only suitable for single-wheel drive vehicles. It is best to purchase a pair from the same manufacturer as before, and one that is as close as possible in tread pattern. In this case, a new pair should be installed on the front axle, regardless of the type of drive.
When winter meets summer
The rules do not prohibit the installation of winter non-studded wheels on one axle and summer wheels on another throughout the year, except for the three winter months. Sometimes they do this if they need to slightly increase the vehicle’s cross-country ability (winter tires, as a rule, have more pronounced lugs), but there is neither the money nor the desire to spend money on special off-road tires. They put more passable tires on the drive axle, clearly understanding that the car will be prone to breaking this axle, which is especially dangerous on rear-wheel drive, but can cost gray hairs on front-wheel drive as well.
All about alloy wheels
As car instructors explain, alloy wheels serve to improve the dynamic characteristics of the suspension, which affects the dynamics and safety of the vehicle as a whole. From the name it is clear that the material is light metals, mainly alloys based on magnesium or aluminum. Magnesium is used less frequently. According to the manufacturing method, discs are divided into forged and cast. The former are produced by hot stamping or forging, and the latter by casting into a given shape.
Alloy wheels are much more elegant and beautiful than steel wheels. But their main advantage over regular steel ones is their weight. For example, a 13-inch steel wheel weighs 7-8 kg, a cast alloy wheel weighs about 6 kg, and a forged one weighs 5 kg.
Reducing the weight of the wheel affects the mass of the unsprung parts of the car, improves the performance of the suspension and has a beneficial effect on the handling of the car.
By reducing inertia, braking and accelerating dynamics are increased.
Do they have any disadvantages?
The material from which alloy wheels are made is very fragile. When impacted, they become chipped, externally and hiddenly cracked, resulting in the disc becoming unusable. The cost of alloy wheels is always a couple of times (at least) more expensive than steel ones. But there is an important detail to note.
Upon impact, such a disk absorbs almost all the energy, unlike forged ones, which do not deform.
In the case of forged ones, the entire force of the impact is transferred to the suspension, and its repair costs several times more.
What parameters are important when choosing an alloy wheel?
Almost the same as when choosing steel. The main thing here is the diameter of the hole for the wheel hub, the width of the rim and the offset, the diameter of the circle of the position of the mounting holes and their number, the mounting (fitting) diameter of the rim, as well as the distance between two planes: mounting and longitudinal symmetry of the rim.
Are light metal wheels suitable for all car models?
As for the size, yes. You can find wheels for any brand of passenger cars and trucks.
But sometimes the wheels you like in terms of design are not suitable in size for a particular car.
Can alloy wheels be repaired?
Many workshops offer this service. But not all disks can be repaired. The main indicator is the preservation of load-bearing parts.
If the structure is severely damaged, the disk just needs to be replaced with a new one.
There are three categories based on maintainability. The first includes discs with minor damage: minor scratches, abrasions. The second is more significant defects. Discs from this category can be repaired, but it is not recommended to drive them for a long time. And the third group is disks that cannot be restored, which is very common.
Let's watch a video about alloy wheels:
Is it possible to put different wheels on a car?
Theoretically, yes. The same principle applies here as for tires with different tread patterns. The same tires and wheels should always be installed on the same axle.
You can install different ones on different axes, but it won’t be very nice.
"Pitfalls" when buying alloy wheels
Firstly, we do not recommend chasing sizes. Wide tires and wheels certainly improve the vehicle's directional stability and provide better contact with the road. But the downside will be increased fuel consumption, heavy steering, and decreased acceleration dynamics.
You should not choose wheels with a large number of so-called rays, which accumulate road dirt, but it is not washed off during normal external cleaning.
And one last thing. There must always be a certificate on the disk. It is better to give preference to a Russian manufacturer.
Our discs are cheaper, and you are much less likely to run into a fake.
Do discs affect how a car drives?
Driving instructors recommend driving carefully and protecting the wheels from various impacts, which is extremely important when using low-profile tires. You need to park more carefully, drive slowly across railroad crossings and tram tracks, and avoid potholes and potholes on the roads. Alloy wheels prefer good roads...
Good luck with your choice of alloy wheels and be careful.
