What is a Wheel?
Wheels offer vehicles with a balanced platform on which to mount tires. They are made of a sturdy material ranging from magnesium to steel, and are well suited to take many impacts from the road over their service life. The attach to the vehicle via the wheel hub lug studs or wheel bolts, and provide a solid surface that may be reliably acted upon by acceleration and braking force.
What are Wheels for?
Of course, wheels carry the weight of the vehicle, offer a mounting point for the tires, and keep the wheel and tire assembly in proper balance, but they are also indirectly responsible for acceleration and braking of the vehicle. As the drive axles turn the wheel hubs, the wheels are forced to turn because the lug studs or wheel bolts are mounted directly to the hub. This means the wheel must be of considerably strong design in order to transfer full power of the engine to the tire, and ultimately the road. Also, the brake rotors or brake drums are secured to the wheel hub by clamping force from the wheel. This means that when the brakes are applied, the extreme heat from the brakes and the extreme pressure of slowing the weight of a vehicle is placed directly on the wheel. Finally, the wheels must be strong enough to withstand lateral pressures which are greater than the weight of the vehicle, and still maintain their shape.For maintaining balance, after the tires are mounted to the wheel, the wheels are balanced by strategically placing weights on the wheel to ensure the wheel is statically and dynamically balanced.
What are the symptoms of a bad Wheel?
Wheels offer very few symptoms, but these symptoms should never be ignored. Visible cracks on the wheels may appear, especially after hitting a large bump, Most often, this will also be accompanied by loss of air from the tire on that wheel. Also, vibration in the steering wheel is very common when the tire is out of balance, and improper wheel nuts or bolts can cause creaking and popping noises to develop. Again, there are very few symptoms, but they should not be ignored.