Back in the day, car wheels were made with metal, and alloy materials were rare. Nowadays, most if not all car wheels are made with alloy. Alloy wheels are undoubtedly good to use, but it’s not without their faults. Since the alloy is a pretty lightweight material, it can be hard to maintain, especially if you’re driving on rough terrain.
Aside from that, they’re also prone to scratches and dents. If you don’t keep an eye on your alloy wheels, you risk causing damage to them. Luckily, there are ways that you can protect your alloy wheels. The most common way to protect your alloy wheels is by fitting them with a tyre. Aside from that, you can also add more protectors to your alloy for more protection.
How exactly do you protect your alloy wheels? In this article, we’ll shed some light on that. Read on below to learn more.
What Can Protect Your Alloy Wheels?
As stated earlier, fitting your alloy wheels with tyres is a commonplace method to protect them. However, there’s more to it than that. What many people don’t know is that there are two kinds of tyres that you can fit your alloy wheels, which are the high profile and low profile tyres, respectively.
In this context, the term “profile” is defined as the distance between the wheel’s rim and the edge of the tyre that goes in contact with the road’s surface as the car is moving.
- High Profile Tyres: There is no defined measurement for the distance of high profile tyres. However, a tyre can be known as a high profile if it has considerable distance from the wheel’s rim from the tyre’s edge. High profile tyres are also considered the better choice for this very reason: since there is the distance between the wheel’s perimeter and the tyre’s edge, your alloy is protected because of its distance from the road.
- Low Profile Tyres: Like high profile tyres, low profile tyres also don’t have an actual measurement. Aside from that, a tyre is a low profile if it has little distance from the wheel’s rim to the tyre’s edge. While low profile tyres can still protect your alloy, they can also be a poor choice because of the slight distance between the tyre and the road’s surface.
Protectors For Alloy Rims
Aside from tyres and their profiles, many other people don’t know that they can also have other protective measures for their alloy wheels. These alloy rim protectors have a protruding extra rubber component reinforced around the tyre and the alloy itself.
The good thing about this is protruding rubber is that it protects your alloy from curbing when you park your car. Additionally, corrosion is also something that can damage your alloy wheels. When you apply a wheel protector, it creates a large seal that protects any part of the wheel from corrosion, which improves the quality of your alloy and maintains it.
Where to Get Rim Protectors
While it seems to be a stretch, tyre protectors are manufactured by almost any well-known manufacturer, such as Michelin, Dunlop, and Bridgestone. There are also classifications to tyre protectors, which can be found on the tyres’ sidewalls. These classifications are as follows:
- RFP (Rim Fringe Protector)
- FP (Fringe Protector)
- MFS (Maximum Flange Shield)
- FR (Felgen Ripen)
- FSL (Felgenschutzleiste)
- ML (Mit Leiste)
If you’re unsure of what to get, a professional will be able to help you decide which will be the best for your car.
Conclusion
Alloy wheels are like the bone and structure of your tyres. If they’re damaged, it can lead to vehicular accidents. To prevent this, it’s best to use wheel protectors to prolong their use.
When using alloy wheels, it’s sometimes good to apply a powder coat to them. Aside from giving your tyres a fresh appearance, applying a powder coat can also protect your alloy from corrosion and scratching.
If you’re looking for alloy wheel paint, you’re in luck because Wicked Rims has got you covered! Aside from powder coating, we also offer other services such as refurbishing and welding. Contact us today to learn more!