The wheel is hardly a new invention. In fact, it’s easily one of the oldest inventions of mankind.
It is largely because of the wheel that transportation over long distances has been possible over the course of the last several thousand years. Even today, there are no signs that the wheel will ever be replaced by anything else to fulfill its purpose.
When it comes to your sports car, there are many upgrades that you probably want to make in order to boost its performance. Without question, investing in high performing wheels (such as BBS performance wheels) should be one of the very first upgrades that you make.
This is because your wheels directly impact your car brakes, turns, and accelerates. After all, the whole purpose to the wheels is to transfer the grip of your tires to your car.
Here are the top advantages to using performance wheels:
Superior Wheel Fastening
Almost all wheels are bolted to a vehicle via bolts, studs, and nuts. High performance wheels will specifically be fastened to your vehicle via the center lock method, meaning that they are attached to the hubs via a single fastener in the wheel’s center.
Since less fasteners are needed, center lock wheels also allow wheel changes to be faster. It’s for this reason that they are commonly used in race cars. However, most car manufacturers do not use center locked wheels.
If you want to get high performance wheels installed on your vehicle, center locked wheels will be the way to go.
High Quality Construction
The next big advantage to using high performance wheels is the fact that they offer you high quality construction regardless of what specific type of wheel is used.
For example, many high performance wheels are one piece wheels, meaning that they are literally built out of a single piece of metal. One piece wheels generally have a stronger stiffness-to-weight ratio than multi piece wheels, and as a result they can sustain more abuse and last longer.
That being said, some high performance wheels are also three piece wheels, which consist of an inner rim, an outer rim, and a central section. These three piece wheels, also known as multi piece wheels, will still be high quality because they are built out of quality cast or forged alloys, and then secured together with heavy duty fasteners.
Additionally, the inner and outer rims will both be built out of sheet metal, and the thickness will be consistent across the entire rim. In essence, regardless of whether your performance wheels are a one piece or a multi piece, they should be built to a higher degree of durability than standard wheels you will get from the original manufacturer of your vehicle.
Superior Braking and Acceleration
Perhaps the most notable quality that you will notice with high performance wheels when driving is the fact that they will offer your sports car far superior braking and acceleration than before.
The reason high performance wheels are able to do this is because they reduce the weight of the rotational mass of your vehicle. If your high performance wheels are built out of alloy in particular, you should notice braking and acceleration that is far more responsive than before.
Reduced Tire Deflection
Another big advantage to high performance wheels is the fact that they offer you less tire deflection. The lateral forces of your high performance tires in particular can come to 1.0g, which will greatly limit the tire deflection when you are cornering around curvy roads.
Better Brake Cooling
Last but certainly not least, another significant advantage to high performance wheels is the superior brake cooling that they offer over other wheels.
That’s because the metals in high performance wheels, and especially wheels that are built out of alloy, will improve the heat dissipation from your car’s brakes. This will greatly reduce the chances of your brakes fading under conditions that are more demanding.
Finally, alloy high performance wheels will also allow more air to flow over the brakes and cool them down. The result is that your brakes should last you far longer over the long term.
Using Performance Wheels
High performance wheels can definitely be an excellent upgrade to your car. When looking for new wheels for your vehicle, performance wheels can be a great way to go.
