Measures to last your Metal Wheels Longer

By: Neomy | Oct 5 2012 | 723 words | 959 hits

When it comes to metal wheels, proper measures to keep the wheels rolling have to be taken. There are a number of things that if not looked at carefully, could lead to poor performance of your wheels and may eventually result to early wheel malfunction. This may also cause you uncomfortable rides that will leave you tired. This is very disappointing since a vehicle is supposed to offer you comfort rather than taking the comfort from you.

Once in a while, as a person who loves his or her vehicle, you should take your car for servicing and have a number of checkups done on the metal wheels. This will ensure that they are in good performance and save you from any hitches that could have otherwise been prevented.

It is advisable that you establish a good relationship with a specific mechanic who will be carrying these regular checkups on your car for you. A good relationship helps in building trust in your mechanic and he will never leave any mechanical issues on your car untouched.

Have a look at them and see how they affect your vehicle performance.

Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment is the process of making adjustments on the wheels so that they can remain in line with the car manufacturer's stipulation. There are times when adjustments that alter the manufacturer's specifications are done. This is mostly in case of motorsport and offroad cars. But this is for your mechanic to decide. There are wheel angles that need be maintained just as they were made in the factory.

Wheel alignment is important in two ways:

- It aids in reducing wear and tear of the rim. Wheel misalignment accelerates wear and tear of the tire. This will keep you going back to the shop every now and then. Wheel alignment will help you save your expenses.
- It also ensures that your vehicle travels straight and does not sway from side to side. The swaying could cause an accident.
Thus, wheel alignment is vital.

Wheel Balancing

Wheel balancing is the equal distribution of mass throughout the entire wheel. Wheel balancing is carried out using a wheel balancer that is accurately calibrated. It is carried out on metal wheels to eliminate vibration. When wheels are imbalanced, they cause the vehicle's floor board and the steering wheel to vibrate resulting into uncomfortable rides and can even lead to accidents due to the unstable steering wheel. If not taken care of, Wheel imbalance can accelerate the wearing out of the tires. Therefore, it is always important to keep your metal wheels in balance.

Wheel Rotation

Wheel rotation is the movement of the wheel from one position to the other on the vehicle. This generally means changing your wheel positions from time to time. For example, you can move the rear left wheel to the front right position on your vehicle and the front right wheel to the rear left position.
The importance of metal wheel rotation is that the process maintains even tread wear. This ensures that your tires do not wear out quickly saving you the agony of going back to the wheel store every now and then. The front tires are known to wear quicker than the rear ones. Thus, rotation ensures that wearing out is evenly distributed.

Wheel Pressure

Tire pressure refers to the amount of air in a car's tire. Your tires should always be kept in the right pressure. This means that you should inflate your tires regularly. But proper pressure should be maintained. It should neither be too high nor too low. It should be appropriate.

Too high tire pressure means that your wheels will not have proper wheel-ground contact. This will lead to bumpy rides which are uncomfortable.
Too low pressure on the other hand causes excess wheel-ground contact. This results to an increase in the friction between the tire and the ground. This will lead to wearing out of the tire. It can even cause harm to the rim. It also causes overheating on the tire which leads to tread separation which means an accident might occur.

To avoid all this, keep your wheels inflated with the correct pressure at all times.

When all these measures are taken, your metal wheels will have a longer life. Some wheel stores will offer these services to you as their customer. An example is the Moto Metal Wheels stores. Carry these measures out and be on the safe side.

 

About author:
Neomy John is an online article writer. She writes informational articles on trucks, wheels and related truck accessories.You can find more about her and her work on Wheels at the 4wheelonline page.  Moto metal Wheels