Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [wheels]

Questions relating to a vehicle's roadwheels - e.g. questions about balancing, wheel types, and damage to wheels.

Questions relating to a vehicle's roadwheels - e.g. questions about balancing, wheel types, and damage to wheels.

486 questions
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Is it necessary to have the wheels of a car aligned with the body when parked, due to weight on the axle?

My uncle says a driver advised him that whenever the car is parked, the wheels have to be aligned with the body of the car, or else there will be un-necessary weight on (I think) the axle or wheel, which reduces the life of the parts. So is it…
Nav
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Grease on wheel bolts or not?

My father (an engineer, but not an auto mechanic) taught me to use a tiny dab of machine grease on the thread (not the rim) of each wheel bolt. This would help against corrosion, and help when loosening the bolt. We've traditionally always switched…
Torben Gundtofte-Bruun
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What are the benefits of low profile tires?

I have yet to find anyone that knows of any benefits of low-profile tires. All of the pros that I've asked have said there is no benefit. Naturally, the number of pros that I have available to ask is limited so I'm wondering what a wider audience…
Dave
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25
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2 answers

Strange metallic stickers on rims after repair shop visit

These appeared on my rims after taking my bike to a repair shop. Does anyone know what these are and how to remove them?
xst
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23
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1 answer

Why are wheels labeled "R16" when the 16" is actually the diameter?

Just wondering about this, unless the R doesn't mean "Radius" it doesn't make much sense.
SamCyanide
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22
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3 answers

What is the small metal square attached to the wheel or tire?

I found that this small metal square labelled "1/4 FE" had come off my car's wheel yesterday. I am wondering what it could be, and whether it's important to put it back on.
Tri Trinh
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11 answers

Wheel stuck or fused to drum

1997 Chevy 1500 My right rear wheel is stuck or fused to the drum. I can get the lugnuts off, but no luck getting the wheel off. I took it to a tire place and they couldn't remove it either, and said I would probably be forced to get someone to…
Nick
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1 answer

What are these metal clips where my wheel rims meet the tires and what are they for?

I had a leaky tire, so I took it in to be checked for a puncture. The guy found no puncture but found it was leaking air where this clip met the tire: That clip had been there since I bought the car, I never really paid it any heed. The tire guy…
user56reinstatemonica8
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How to fix leaky tires after 2 shops couldn't

I have an SUV with factory 16" steel wheels and P235/70R16 tires. The tires have just under 30,000 miles of gentle driving on them. Two of the tires have been leaking quite a bit (about 10 psi per week). I brought the vehicle to two different…
SomeGuy
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5 answers

Differences and Recommendation between Steel and Alloy Wheels for Winter?

There are many discussions regarding steel vs. alloy wheels in Winter on multiple forums. It would be good if someone could lay out full facts and help scale these differences (questions below). For Steel wheels: Less expensive Uniform and made…
Daemon
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14
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5 answers

Why do some tuned cars have very inclined tires?

I've seen photographs of cars with strange inclined tires like the one in the picture I pasted here. They seems to be Japanese cars. Is it for drifting? Maybe for appearance? Do the tires get injuries?
Roby Sottini
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6 answers

Why nitrogen and not carbon dioxide is used in critical tire applications?

In critical applications tires are inflated using pure nitrogen (link). But carbon dioxide (CO2) is a larger molecule (will leak slower from the tire), as well as inert (will not oxidize rim and will not combust in case of an accident). (link) Also,…
Sparkler
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5 answers

Why are spare wheels smaller than normal wheels?

I want to purchase a VW Ameo Highline. It comes with stock tyres (185/60 R15), and alloy rims. The spare wheel, however, is a standard steel rim (non-alloy) with 175/70 R14 tyres. The dealer explained this to me as an international norm, that a…
Girish
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Front left controller arm corroded and broke on my 2002 Hyundai Elantra

I was driving home, heard a crunch, and then my entire steering wheel felt loose and turned a quarter turn to the left even though my car was still going straight. I was about 10 feet from home so I finished the trip slowly. Afterwards I looked…
Chris Schmitz
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7 answers

Should the inflation pressure for low profile tires be the same as for regular tires?

I always thought that even if you go the large wheel + low profile tire route one should keep the pressure to what's recommended by the manufacturer. However I noticed that some people swear by increasing the pressure significantly when they switch…
I have no idea what I'm doing
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