A & b Transmissions Ltd, Langley, BC

The Wheel? How Much Do You Know About the Wheel? How Much Do You Know About the Wheel? While providing one of the main structures of a vehicle the wheel has become one of the biggest accessories to customize on a vehicle. For car enthusiasts, the choice of wheel on their car can “make or break” the vehicle. In terms of construction, wheels are designed to rotate on an axle bearing. The hub is located in the center of the wheel where all the spokes join together. The hub on most vehicles usually houses a bearing that allows the wheel to rotate on the axle. A spoke is one of the rods that extend from the center of the wheel to the outer edge of the wheel called the rim. The rim is actually what holds the outer edge circular design. In addition the rim is also the component that houses the tire and allows the tire to be mounted on the wheel. All wheels come with a specific bolt pattern, that can vary between wheel manufactures. Bolt patterns are determined by two things the number of lugs on the wheel, and the diameter between the two studs on the hub. For example many new ford mustangs have 5 lugs, with a 4½ inch diameter between them. So this vehicles bolt pattern would be “5 by 4½.” All wheels come with what is called an “offset”. Zero offset wheels have the hub and spokes located in line with the center of the rim. Positive offset wheels push the hub and spokes closer to the outside edge of the wheel, or the edge that is facing the street. Negative offset wheels push the hub and spokes toward the inside edge of the wheel, or closest to the mounting surface. All in all wheels are one of the first components that Canadian consumers look to customize on their vehicles.