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The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

Reading time 6 Min.

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

The benefits of lightweight rims are logical when it comes to performance as they help reduce unsprung mass. The lower the weight of the unsprung parts, including the aluminium, the better the handling characteristics. In addition, they also improve braking behavior. Another advantage: wheels that weigh less affect fuel consumption, which is both environmentally friendly and beneficial for electric cars. That's why light rims are an advantage. Here we explain why this is the case and what advantages light wheels bring.

The manufacturing process decides!

Although the word "light" is implied in alloy wheels, not all alloy wheels are light per se. Some actually have a relatively high weight. If you then decide on particularly large wheels - depending on the vehicle from 19 to 24 inches - this naturally also has an impact on the overall weight. This is of course counterproductive. Fortunately, manufacturers have recognized that the trend towards larger rims and tires requires technologies that keep the weight in check.

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

Production of light forged wheels!

The term "forged wheel" has an almost magnetic appeal. In fact, the first mass-produced alloy wheel was not a cast wheel but a forged wheel, marking a turning point away from steel wheels. The primordial mother of all rims was produced by Fuchs for Porsche, a real gem in history. Due to this rich tradition, forged wheels are not only valued in the racing scene, but have also secured a place in the aftermarket. But how are they made? Forged wheels are made of compressed aluminum. Their manufacturing process is quite complex, making them the most expensive option. A forged blank serves as the basis on which the desired spoke design is milled and turned. For each processing step, the forged blank is heated to around 400 degrees Celsius. The rim is then forged in this heated but still solid state. This is usually a "non-peeling forming process".

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

The blank is formed in three steps under high pressure and at high temperature and pressed into the shape specified by the matrices. This pressing process compresses the material and thus increases the resilience of the rim disproportionately. Forged wheels are made from a silicon-free aluminum alloy. After the blank has been shaped, its surface is polished to produce an extremely shiny and bright finish. Finally, the wheel is sealed with an acrylic paint - and voilà, the forged wheel is finished!

The manufacturing methods of alloy wheels!

Low-pressure cast rims: Cast rims are the traditional model. They are reliable, inexpensive and tried and tested. The most commonly used process for manufacturing aluminum rims is low-pressure casting. This typically uses a six-piece steel mold consisting of a top and bottom core and four side pieces. The liquid aluminum alloy flows through a riser tube from below into the mold cavity. Contrary to the upward movement of the liquid aluminum, the aluminum is pressed into the mold cavity by the gas pressure. The gas pressure is also maintained during solidification.

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

Before the blank can be sent to the customer, an X-ray inspection is carried out to reveal critical errors. Depending on the alloy, a heat treatment is also carried out to optimize the mechanical properties of the aluminum rim. Advantages of this method are its cost-effectiveness, reliability and, depending on the surface, suitability for winter conditions. Disadvantages are that they are heavier compared to other options and offer less detailed and varied design options. On the whole, however, low-pressure casting is a proven and solid method of manufacturing aluminum rims.

What exactly is flow forming?

Flowforming, also known as Flow Forged, is the English term for "pressure rollers". This process offers a number of advantages over the conventional low-pressure casting process. To put it more precisely: In this process, the blank is additionally processed in further steps. The material is rolled out further, which results in material savings during production. This not only leads to a reduction in weight, but also condenses the metal for improved stability.

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

Flowforming vs. forged wheels?

If you compare a flowforming design with a forged wheel of the same inch size, then the flowforming wheel comes out on top. The reason for this is the lower material consumption, the special production process and the thinner wall thickness.

Advantages of light rims - what's the point?

Benefits Declaration
Reduced weight Reduced weight leads to lower fuel consumption. According to the University of Duisburg-Essen, an additional 100 kg in weight causes an additional consumption of 0,4 liters per 100 km.
environmental friendliness Lower fuel consumption leads to lower pollutant emissions and is therefore environmentally friendly.
performance focused Lightweight rims are particularly appropriate when driving for performance.
Flowforming technology Flowforming rims require less material, which has an additional positive effect on the environment.

Better handling with light rims?

Lightweight rims are ideal for riders with sporting goals as they reduce unsprung mass. This includes not only the wheel itself, but also the brake and the wheel flange. Practically all parts that are not dampened by the strut fall into this category. These elements are responsible for following the bumps in the road. Only the tire can bounce a little. When the unsprung mass bounces across the road, the tire loses grip. This can cause the car to skid. Here is the rule: The lower the weight of the unsprung components, the better the handling - and that also applies to the rims. With a lower weight, the braking performance of the car improves. This actually has a positive effect on the driving experience.

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

However, keep in mind that you are constantly braking and accelerating the total weight of your car on the road. The principle applies here: The closer the weight is to the center, the less impact it has on acceleration. This can also be transferred to aluminum rims. Like a flywheel. To be more precise, the lower the weight of the aluminum rims on the outer edge, the more positive the influence on driving behavior. So, the lighter the rim well, the better. Therefore, flowforming wheels with their slimmer wall thickness are ideal for maximizing handling characteristics.

Light rims, not only for the race track!

For a moderate surcharge, you can often get light-alloy wheels in an excellent lightweight design that weigh less than 10 kilograms and still have a high wheel load. Including test reports or at least with strength tests. In short: It is worth investing a little more in the type of bike, saving money in the long term and immediately benefiting from an improved driving experience thanks to the light construction. In addition to this, lightweight rims offer exciting design possibilities and with flow-forming alloy rims the environmental aspect also plays a role. Some models even have a central lock.

Tip – light rims

  • Light rims yes, heavy tires no. In other words: Without the right tires, weight-optimized aluminum rims cannot fully exploit their advantages. High-performance tires are therefore the perfect addition, as "normal" tires can have a significant impact on the wheel-tire combination due to their large size.

The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

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The power of lightweight: light rims and your advantages!
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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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