In the wonderful world of high performance automotive, a common upgrade (shall we say necessity) happens to be exchanging a car’s stock wheels and tires in favor of something that would more suit the driver’s own personal tastes.
There are endless choices when it comes to upgrading wheels, especially when one is able or willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money. Wheel manufacturers such as: AMG, BBS, Volk, König, Mille Miglia, Fittipaldi, Momo, HRE, Kinesis, and Fikse are some of the more popular, just to name a few. In this particular case we are going to focus on touring wheels.
When selecting a touring wheel, the main objective is to find the biggest, widest, and lightest available that will safely fit on your car. Styles range from one piece to three piece modular styles, and are usually available in 17-20 inch fitments. Widths vary between touring wheels, but the optimal size generally falls around 8 inches. Once a particular size and width is chosen, (again, to best suit the driver’s needs,) a material must be selected. Materials vary between manufacturers, but the more popular materials include: magnesium, aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber, and kevlar. When a driver has chosen a material and size he or she must select a design that would further compliment their car. Not only strictly for looks, but for practicality as well. When the actual wheel is chosen and assembled, it is also a necessity that new tires must be purchased.
Tire selection depends all upon the actual driver. Manufacturers vary from one driver to the next. Brands such as: Yokohama, Pirelli, Dunlop, and Bridgestone are popular among most racers today. When a driver chooses to upgrade to a high performance tire, a few choices must be made as far as: Compound, Tread, and Profile go. Once a tire is chosen, the tire/wheel combination is ready to be added to the car.
Before the wheels are placed on the car, they are computer-balanced and weighted. This insures that the wheel is perfectly true and balanced. Alas the wheels are ready to be placed on the car. The car is placed on a lift and raised high enough so that all four wheels are off the ground. The hex bolts holding the old wheels are removed by a pressurized torque-gun. The old wheels are then removed and replaced by the new ones. With all four new wheels on the car, the bolts are then shot back on and the car is lowered off the lift. At this point the car is finished and ready to be driven.
With the addition of the new wheels on the car, the driver will experience man various attributes. With a stiffer turning radius not to mention a truer, more responsive feel, new wheels can dramatically improve a car’s overall ride. These reasons all prove why it is essential to upgrade a car’s wheel and tire combination before engaging in any sort of high performance driving. Thus this is why the upgraded wheel and tire combination is essential to any sports car.
