Step 6:
New rims & tyres

Wheel colour

Whether shiny or matte, plain or multi-coloured, striped or dotted, or exclusive wheels with a ceramic finish such as the AEZ Steam.forged – the range of possibilities seems infinite! As a result, one is quick to ask which light alloy rims in which design match your car the best.

Black rims definitely bring out the colour in a car. A fiery red, or a bright yellow, combined with a jetblack alloy rim, garners attention and never fails to impress.

The ultimate rim colour trendsetter is, however, gunmetal or graphite matte. The perfect match for every car model emphasises the wheel design and enhances the contours in contrast to a wide range of car colour variations.

Bar

The car tyre air pressure is expressed in bar units. All tyre pressure nominal values can be found in the car manual, or often on the fuel tank cap, or the driver’s door.
The air pressure level always depends on the weight and the load of a car. If a car is fully loaded, the air pressure must be increased accordingly.

ALCAR Car-Specific-Wheels

Car-specific wheels are wheels especially developed for a desired car. When using these wheels, no centring rings are required for installations. In most cases, the car-mounted original fixtures and hub caps of manufacturers can be used.

> Configurator

DOT symbol

The DOT number is located on the tyre sidewall. The imprinted code, amongst other things, indicates the tyre manufacturing date. The number 3315, for example, stands for the 33rd week of the year 2015.

Offset (abbreviated as ET)

Marks the distance between the hub-mounting surface and the rim’s true centreline and is measured in millimetres. If the hub-mounting surface is lower than the rim centreline (negative offset) this results in increased wheel width while a positive offset, leads to decreased wheel width.

ECE

ECE stands for Economic Commission for Europe and is illustrated by a capital E together with a number in a circle. The number stands for the country in which the product was approved such as, for example, E1 for Germany.
A component bearing this marking guarantees that all required tests and approvals have been carried out. The wheel is therefore free of approval for a car registered in the ECE certificate.

Hump

A hump is a bump put on both bead seats which prevents the tyre from sliding into the rim well.

Carcass

The carcass is the bearing structure of a wheel. It consists of several fabric layers embedded in the rubber to impart strength. The TPI value indicates the woven density of the carcass.

Bolt circle diameter

The bolt circle diameter describes the number and the spacing of mounting holes. The number of holes determines the number of wheel bolts or nuts required to mount the wheel to the hubcap.
5×112, for example, stands for 5 bolt holes on a bolt circle diameter of 112 mm.

Hub (wheel hub)

The hub is a machine element which is slid on a shaft, an axle or a trunnion. The hub forms the connection between wheel, wheel bearing, brake and driveshaft.

Hubcap (rim cap)

The centrebore is the centre of a wheel and is covered by the hubcap. In addition to a protective aspect it serves as a decorative element which often also bears the logo of the rim manufacturer or the car brand.

Low-profile tyres

Tyres with a tyre height to tyre width ratio below 80 % are referred to as low-profile tyres.

Tyre size

The tyre size consists of the width and height of a tyre as well as the rim diameter. The tyre size that matches your car is indicated in the type-approval certificate, car registration certificate or the wheel manufacturer certificate. The size refers to an air-filled, unloaded tyre.
If the size, for example, is indicated as “245/40 R20”, the width is 245 mm, the height 40 % of the width of 245 mm and the inner diameter is 20 inches.

TPMS

Since November 2014, TPMS, or to be precise, tyre pressure monitoring systems, are mandatory in every new passenger car to check tyre pressure. The system warns drivers of possible tyre pressure problems, which increases driving safety and avoids accidents. TPMS also helps to save fuel.
There are two types of TPMS, the indirect and the direct system. While the indirect system uses the existing ESP/ABS sensors, the direct TPMS has additional pressure sensors installed in the wheels, which enables even more precise measurements.

Tracking

Tracking, also known as toe, is the positioning of the left wheel with regard to the right wheel – not entirely parallel in driving direction. A wrongly adjusted toe is often the reason for excessive, one-sided tyre wear and poor cornering.

SR3

The high-quality and innovative ALCAR SR3 paint guarantees ultimate protection for wheels during winters. It makes sure that wheels still look their best even after countless days of snow, rain and frost.
Even though aluminium does not corrode in the classic sense, such as iron or steel, oxidation processes very soon result in an unattractive, grey layer.
That’s why, the ALCAR SR3 paint strengthens the wheels’ “natural defences” against road salt, the weather, and other influences that could damage the wheel.

The abbreviation stands for “Salt Resistant” while the number refers to the 3-layer process – primer coat, paint coat, finish coat. The primer is always an ultra-hard powder paint in black or light-grey, applied electrostatically and then “baked on” at 210°C for 45 minutes. As the actual “paint carrier” a modern wet coating is applied, needing another 40 minutes of drying at 180°C. As a transparent sealing and first line of defence against environmental influences, premium clear lacquer is the finish coat.

TÜV

The TÜV (English: Technical Inspection Association) grants the GS (German: geprüfte Sicherheit) symbol, ensuring “tested for safety” quality. The association conducts regular safety checks, awarding the so-called TÜV badge if all tests are passed. The TÜV also examines wheels prior to production approval (strength test) and issues the certificates to be used on the vehicle.