How many wheel types are there

[waynne]

I was wondering how many different wheel types we can come up with. We're not talking about styles but types of wheel.

Here are a few to start us off...
Split Rims
Steel
Alloys

Are there any more? Do you see any advantages or disadvantages of them?

[pgarner]

magnesium - very light and strong but not repairable

[stamford]

Avon safety wheels?

[Zwaf]

Steel wheels! As on railroad.
Can somebody clear out what egsactly "J" means? For egsample wheels got 7J. I think it is not widness (wideness is meassured in inches) but it is shape of rim?? Anybody know that?
If it is shape sign, what others shape signes we recognise?

[Gilly216]

j is the measurement of width, 7j is 7 inch 7.5j is 7.5 inch 8j is 8 inch etc, or at least thats what i was told at ATS when i was on my work experience many moons ago

[old-git]

Copied from the Wheel and Tyre Bible

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg4.html

J, JJ, K, JK, B, P and D : Tyre bead profiles / rim contour designations.[/B]



No, my keyboard letters weren't stuck down when I typed this. The letter that typically sits between the rim width and diameter figures stamped on the wheel, and indicates the physical shape of the wheel where the tyre bead meets it. In the cross-section on the left you can see the area highlighted in red.
Like so many topics, the answer as to which letter represents which profile is a long and complicated one. Common wisdom has it that the letter represents the shape. ie. "J" means the bead profile is the shape of the letter "J". Not so, although "J" is the most common profile identifier. 4x4 vehicles often have "JJ" wheels. Jaguar vehicles (especially older ones) have "K" profile wheels. Some of the very old VW Beetles had "P" and "B" profile wheels.
Anyway the reason it is an "awkward topic to find definitive data on" is very apparent if you've ever looked at Standards Manual of the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation. It is extremely hard to follow! There are pages and pages (64 in total) on wheel contours and bead profiles alone, including dimensions for every type of wheel you can think of (and many you can't) with at least a dozen tabled dimensions for each. Casually looking through the manual is enough to send you to sleep. Looking at it with some concentration is enough to make your brain run out of your ears. To try to boil it all down for you, it seems that they divide up the rim into different sections and have various codes to describe the geometry of each area. For example, the "J" code makes up the "Rim Contour" and specifies rim contour dimensions in a single category of rims called "Code 10 to 26 on 5deg. Drop-Centre Rims".

To give you some idea of just how complex / anal this process is, I've recreated one such diagram with Photoshop here to try to put you off the scent.




From the tables present in this manual, the difference in dimensions between "J" and "B" rims is mainly due to the shape of the rim flange. This is the part in the diagram defined by the R radius and B and Pmin parameters. Hence my somewhat simpler description : tyre bead profiles.
Note that in my example, the difference between "J" and "B" rims is small but not negligible. This area of rim-to-tyre interface is very critical. Very small changes in a tyre's bead profile make large differences in mounting pressures and rim slip.
"A" and "D" contour designations come under the category of "Cycles, Motorcycles, and Scooters" but also show up in the "Industrial Vehicles and Lift Trucks" category. Naturally, the contours have completely different geometry for the same designation in two different categories.
The "S", "T", "V" and "W" contour designation codes fall into the "Commercial Vehicles, Flat Base Rims" category. The "E", "F", "G" and "H" codes fall into the "Commercial Vehicles, Semi-Drop Centre Rims" category. Are you beginning to see just how complex this all is?

I think the best thing for you, dear reader, is a general rule-of-thumb, and it is this : if your wheels are stamped 5J15 and you buy 5K15 tyres, rest assured they absolutely won't fit.

[Zwaf]

Thank's old-git! Very informative post.

[Gilly216]

that sure is some info, i stand corrected, co-incidentally when i had capris & cortinas the 7.5j wheels i had were 7.5 inch wide from the inner edge of the rim to the other inner edge so i just accepted the explaination i was given

[T9 man]

Originally Posted by pgarner

magnesium - very light and strong but not repairable

Really I did not know this PG! I had a mate who once had a 1973 Corvette Stingray and boasted to everybody that it had special magnesium wheels!
Learn something new everyday here on TorqueCars Started to bore my men at work silly now with little snippets of TC which is usually proceeded with the statement; Did you know?

[T9 man]

@ OG, thanks for that Wheel and Tyre Bible information OG! I have copied and pasted this into my car mods file for future reference

[SLEEPER]

There are a few different types of alloy wheels.

forged, cast, monobloc

[Zwaf]

About magnesium wheels...
If I recall corectly, long long time ago have readed some MV Agusta review and autor of review had written that Mg wheels detoriate with time somehow. In other words, every xy years they should be replaced with new ones 'cause of material degradation.

????? Is that in anny way correct????

[old-git]

Originally Posted by Gilly216

that sure is some info, i stand corrected, co-incidentally when i had capris & cortinas the 7.5j wheels i had were 7.5 inch wide from the inner edge of the rim to the other inner edge so i just accepted the explaination i was given

You and me both.

[pgarner]

Originally Posted by T9 man

Really I did not know this PG! I had a mate who once had a 1973 Corvette Stingray and boasted to everybody that it had special magnesium wheels!
Learn something new everyday here on TorqueCars Started to bore my men at work silly now with little snippets of TC which is usually proceeded with the statement; Did you know?

yup apparently if you try and repair them the magnesium goes on fire.
dunno if the stingray would have had them as they are expensive and there is also the problem that people, mainly seen with americans, of alloys being being called mags

if your after a set best get saving

Originally Posted by Zwaf

About magnesium wheels...
If I recall corectly, long long time ago have readed some MV Agusta review and autor of review had written that Mg wheels detoriate with time somehow. In other words, every xy years they should be replaced with new ones 'cause of material degradation.

????? Is that in anny way correct????

could well be. all metals react when in contact with with other elements. -copper and aluminum are 2 that i know react, alu breaks down and the copper furrys over - magnesium is a pretty reactive metal if you remember school chemistry

[claymore]

TRX found on some Metros Montegos and BMWs

[Zwaf]

Thanks pgarner!
That is egsact point why I think it could be true.

[old-git]

Slot Mags are aluminium (or aluminum if across the pond)

[Jagz]

Nobody mention Banded?

And of course Wires

[waynne]

Banded wheels? Please enlighten me?

[T9 man]

Originally Posted by waynne

Banded wheels? Please enlighten me?

x2

[Olley]

if the information i have been given is correct, a "banded" wheel is one (normally a steel rim) that is cut in half, and a "band" welded in to make it wider

http://www.bandedsteels.com/Banded%2...0thickness.jpg

not a great image but enough to give you an idea... personally, i wouldn't go near them!!!

[T9 man]

Cheers for that Olley, not sure if I would feel safe on such a modification to my wheels. I am sure someone will be along to explain if my negative vibes about the wheels are unfounded!

[Jagz]

OMG c'mon guys I thought you was all a bunch of petrol heads !!!


But the above explanation is correct, liked by the VW crowd who also fit stretched tyres onto banded rims

[Olley]

they aren't legal unless they are EU stamped. or what ever stamp it is... TUV or something maybe????

there are companies that do it professionally, but i'm still sceptical, not my cup of tea, same goes for stretched tyres...

[T9 man]

Originally Posted by Jagz

OMG c'mon guys I thought you was all a bunch of petrol heads !!!


But the above explanation is correct, liked by the VW crowd who also fit stretched tyres onto banded rims

I am still new to all this learning something new everyday on this website