Ally wheels. Are they really worth it?

Isn't the main idea of alloys to reduce the unsprung mass?

Les

No, it's to look pretty.

HTH

Surely that depends on the car and/or driver. I.e.; whether you're bothered about that kind of thing and whether the car is worth bothering about for that sort of thing...

Correction; they look just as nice as alloy wheels on a Y reg Corolla. That doesn't mean you can't tell the difference, it just means you've got your work cut out noticing any aesthetic benefit :)

"Depresion" wrote

If you are only changing a wheel, you don't need axle stands. Also, I don't think the person who recommended a jack was trying to imply that a jack obviated the need for a wheelbrace.

"SteveH" wrote

Car brakes don't have heat issues.

Wow.

Erm, wtf is he on about?

I suppose my front wheels being *too hot to touch* and the floppy brake pedal I experienced braking from 90mph for a 2nd gear hairpin were sod all to do with my brakes overheating, then?

The V6 brakes are a whopping 330mm on the front, and pot calipers, and if you drive hard down some twisty roads for a few miles, you can get them fading nicely. So clearly, this is nothing to do with heat either...

"SteveH" wrote

OHMIGOD!!!!!!!!

He's got his willy out and he's waving it!

If it is, then in the main it's a dismal failure!

Chris

It's a bit poor if you can overheat the braking system of a car designed for hard use on a public road. The Volvo used to take huge abuse before any sign of fade, mostly they just got hot and ate pad quicker (though a switch to brembo disc ./ ferodo pad made a big difference). Merc brakes so far not come close but then the brake by wire electronics probably hide the fade from the driver - I beleive you get a warning on the computer if the brakes are too hot.

Oh, ok. But really: put it in proportion - how many occurrences of wheel theft are there, relative to vehicle ownership? 1 in 50, 1 in

I just don't understand your pov of "*all* wheels need locking wheel nuts", I really don't.

I'm really not into fitting wheels purely for aesthetic benefits. The wheels on my BMW are 17" with low profile tyres, which IMO improve the cars roadholding somewhat over the std 15" ones. The fact that IMO they also look quite good is just down to luck. As I said, they just happen to have been on a car I bought. My wifes car is more of a shopping trolley, so if I used it in a similar way, I wouldn't feel any need to change the wheels. They're perfectly up to the job as they are. Mike.

I do understand your logic. Of my 180,000 recorded miles in my five vehicles, I have only once had to use a spare. If I didn't have one on me it would have been a major pain.

Now if I were writing this six months ago, it would have been, of my 165,000 recorded miles in five vehicles, I have never had to use a spare - but I still carry one. Just in case.

Think of it as insurance. Aside any legal requirements, insurance is pointless - right until you need it.

I've never been in that situation, where stopping is as good as. And I don't nor won't bounce up a kerb for anybody, including emergency vehicles.

Hey lets discuss pot holes! :)

Yes. If a wheel lets go under a more demanding situation, you'd know about it...

I know when I'm close, bloody close, or it's time to stop. When reverse parking, the mirror angles down, which helps.

Yup.

Nah you'll be able to find them.

What about a BMW steel wheel? Here, the brand is confusing matters. It may apply to any BMW wheel or to any Corolla wheel, if you see what I mean.

Yeah I was a bit overdose meh.

Ten minutes? Do you use wire ties?

An *hour*!

It used to take me an hour including the detail cleaning.

Yes - although I'm not so sure I'd want a wheel from a breakers yard to be honest.

Heh - by "Luxury" I merely meant the design. I mean, yeah, they were okay - but the ride is marginally firmer on 14s rather than 13s, so there's less luxury! :)

That depends on the size of the wheel. Swapping a 13" steel for a 13" alloy doesn't mean you must use a low profile tyre.

That depends. Original equipment alloys tend to be slightly lighter than their steel equivalents.

The vast majority of aftermarket alloys are heavier than the replaced steelies or alloys.

Not always. Superleggeras (as I recall) are nicely lightweight. The 5.5J

More effective to spend the cash on a pretty girl then.