Wheel Info

People of different generations have different needs in cars. Boomers may have reached the stage where they prefer a car that’s higher off the ground, making it easier for them to get in and out. Then again, we’ve all noticed a silver fox driving what is clearly their dream car, no matter how hard it is on their back and knees. Various surveys and demographic data point to the most popular cars by generation in recent years.

It seems surprising because wheels are such a critical part of your car’s performance and safety, but currently, there are no mandatory standards for wheel performance and testing in the United States. However, the Society of Automotive Engineers has established standards for performance for aftermarket wheels, called SAE J 2530. Aftermarket manufacturers recognize the importance of J 2530 certification as a mark of quality.

Car manufacturers traditionally provided steel wheels, until weight and looks become more of an issue for car owners. Enter alloy wheels—typically made of aluminum combined with another metal, such as magnesium (that’s where “mag wheels” comes from). Nickel or some other combination of these light metals are also common. In addition to their light weight, the benefits of alloy rims include:

Masujiro Hashimoto founded Japan’s first automaker, Kaishinskha Motor Car Works, in 1911. They called their first car the DAT and rolled it out in 1914. After two name changes and years of primarily producing trucks for the military market, the company, at the time called DAT Motors, merged with Jitsuyo Jidosha and became DAT Jidosha Seizo Automobile Manufacturing Company. The new entity produced cars and trucks under the name Lila.

It’s bad enough when a wheel is so badly damaged by a pothole that it has to be replaced. Then it gets worse when you are confronted with a dizzying array of choices to replace it. Knowing the difference between OEM and aftermarket wheels can ease the pain of decision-making.

If you hear any suspicious sounds coming from the bottom of your car, there’s a chance that there’s an issue with your wheel bearing

Honda stands today as one of the top automobile manufacturers in the world. They didn’t achieve their success overnight, however. This company earned its title through decades of research and hard work. Here we provide a brief timeline of Honda’s history.

Several factors go into choosing the perfect car. One of these is whether you’ll have front-wheel or rear-wheel drive. The difference between the two has a substantial impact on how your car will handle. To help you with your selection process, we’ve created a brief overview of how these two options differ. Below we’ll list a few factors to take into consideration as you weigh the two options.

We’ve talked before about the importance your wheels have in determining the safety and performance of your vehicle. One thing we’ve yet to discuss, however—and what we’ll delve into today—is the inflation of your tires. Many of us understand the importance of preventing underinflation, though we may not necessarily know the exact reasons why. Another thing we may not realize is that you can also overinflate your tires. Maintaining proper tire pressure is integral to optimizing your car’s performance and preventing future unwanted repair costs.

Anyone who drives a car knows how impactful the wheels are. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone knows the details behind wheels. Even changing tires is foreign to a large percent of the U.S. population—nearly 20% of us don’t know how to perform the task. A good thing for any driver to be aware of is the various parts of the wheel, as this knowledge can benefit us in certain situations. We briefly go over the three major components to your wheels to help you gain a better understanding of how it works.