What are Forged Wheels?
Forged wheels, named after the process that produces them, are the market’s best answer to your wheel needs.
A forged wheel is formed when a block of metal is pressured with a force of 6 to 20 thousand ton by a hydraulic press. The metal block is heated beforehand but the heat doesn’t render it into a molten form. The very process delivers this wheel an unparalleled strength among all types of wheels.
Cast Wheels vs. Forged Wheels
Cast Wheels
How Are Cast Wheels Made?
Cast wheels are formed after the metal is heated to a liquid state. This molten metal is then poured into a mold. The metal solidifies as it cools down. The method of casting relies on the metal reaching every crevice of the mold and then its consequent cooling into a strong solid cast. The cast is later polished and trimmed whenever necessary.
What Are the Properties of Cast Wheels?
The cast metal is admittedly porous and brittle. These qualities make the wheel susceptible to breaking on high-force applications. The wheels are liable to fracture as a function of their low tensile strength. The grain structure doesn’t lend the wheels better strength either.
Who Can Use Cast Wheels?
Cast wheels shouldn’t be your answer to the needs of a load-bearing vehicle. Because these cast wheels might just break from the extra weight. It is because of the same procedure that there is a tendency for oxidation in these wheels.
Weight of Cast Wheels
These wheels are heavier than the other varieties of wheels because the manufacturer has to make up for the inherent weakness. The added mass is good for the strength of the wheels. However, the heavy wheels negatively affect speed of the vehicle.
Do Cast Wheels Need Aftercare?
Cast wheels would need your attention because they need maintenance. They also need to be regularly changed. They can also corrode with time.
Are Cast Wheels Affordable?
Casting is more cost-effective than forging. These wheels are hence much more affordable for the regular driver.
Forged Wheels
How Are Forged Wheels Made?
Forged wheels are formed using high pressure on a heated metal block. The metal billet is heated to high temperatures and then pressure worth thousands of tons is applied to the billet. The wheel is beaten into the given shape.
How Are Forged Wheels Different Than Cast Wheels?
This procedure makes the structure of a forged wheel different. The grains of the forged metal are better arranged through this method. Heat and pressure make the metal stronger. The grain arrangement grants a forged wheel better tensile strength. A forged wheel is very much stronger than a cast wheel.
Are Forged Wheels Heavy?
A forged wheel’s structure strengthens it itself. This wheel is then less bulky than your cast wheels and hence lighter. Its method of production grants it strength. The structural integrity ensures that they do not wear easily either. These wheels are tough.
Who are the Forged Wheels Great for?
Forged wheels can bear much more load than your cast wheels. They are compatible with load-bearing heavy-duty vehicles. They are not as bulky as the cast wheels and this renders them beneficial for another group of motorists—the racers. They are better armed to support racing vehicles because their weight makes them good for speed via the low effort required on the car.
What is the Cost of Forged Wheels?
The process of their production also makes it so that the cost of purchase is higher than cast wheels. These wheels do not require your regular attention and so maintenance expenses are non-existent. The average cost, when compared to cast wheels that cost hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars for forged wheels, is high. Luxury brands unsurprisingly favor these wheels for their supercars. The cost makes it so that the average motorist doesn’t buy these wheels.
The method employed makes it hard to add much detail to the design in a single billet. Manufacturers have found workarounds about this issue, more on this later.
Is there any other type of Forged Wheels?
Flow Formed—a Hybrid Forge Or Just Another Method of Wheel Production?
It is easy to get confused by the jargon related to wheels. We are going to make the concept of the flow forged wheel clear for you.
How are Flow Formed Wheels Made?
Flow forged is a misguiding term. Why?
Because this wheel is cast and then shaped into its final form with help of a spinning disk that applies pressure. The cast wheel is made narrow for this purpose as later the disk exerts pressure on the hot metal to widen the wheel.
Are Flow Formed Wheels as Strong as Forged Wheels?
It is important to remember that these wheels have a cast part right in the center and this part makes them weaker than the forged wheels.
What Are the Properties of Free Forged Wheels?
These wheels are stronger than cast wheels because disk pressure stretching changes the grain arrangement. These flow-formed wheels are thus light in weight because they have inherent strength on the pressed parts. But they are still heavier than the forged wheels.
These wheels are not truly forged and hence are not part of this category.
Types of Forged Wheel Designs
Monoblock Forged Wheels
This is the main type of forged wheel as a metal billet is pressed into a wheel. The one fault in this design is that it is not flexible for many design components.
2 Part and 3 Part Forged Wheels
These wheels are made in 2 and 3 parts respectively. These wheel parts allow the manufacturers to make modifications to the wheel designs. They can change each of the 3 parts according to whatever design they want to produce.
Metals Used for Forged Wheels
There are many metals used to make this variety of wheels. While the forged wheels started from Aluminum metal, today the market offers steel forged wheels, iron forged wheels, and magnesium forged wheels.
Magnesium Forged wheels have been hailed as a favorite of many. They are stronger, lightweight, better for the environment as it shows a lower carbon emission. This forged wheel is also better for your cars as doesn’t negatively impact the life of ball joints and the car suspension.
End Note
Forged wheels are great for your car. They reduce the maintenance costs by a lot. Usually, manufacturers provide long warranties for these wheels. These wheels have superior strength and thus reduce the risk of unsavory wheel accidents.
The 2 and 3 part forged wheels ensure that there are a lot of modifications possible. You can get it in any color you desire and in any custom design for your car. We offer customization services for all the 3 types of forged wheels.
Contact us for more information.