Forged wheels: advantages and features of choice

On the shelves of automobile stores are increasingly come across the so-called forged wheels. It is believed that installing such products on a car is prestigious. Indeed, the cost of forged wheels is very high and not everyone can afford it. So does the price of forged products correspond to the quality that the manufacturer offers?

Why is it worth buying forged wheels?

The first thing worth noting is the extremely light weight of the product. Forged wheels are easier to cast. But this parameter is very important for motorists who are trying to increase the dynamics of their vehicle. It's all about production technology - the principle of the so-called hot stamping is used. After that, the forged wheels are subjected to two basic procedures of artificial aging and hardening.

As we have already mentioned, forged wheels are lighter than cast ones, but at the same time they are stronger than their direct competitors. If the wheel gets into a serious hole (even at high speed), they remain intact. If damage does occur, it can be easily repaired, unlike alloy wheels, which often cannot be repaired. To destroy the forged disk, a huge impact force is needed. For our roads, this advantage is very important.

But who would have thought that the main advantage of forged wheels lies their main drawback. Increased impact resistance can play a trick on the car's suspension. In a situation when the car enters the pit at high speed, the disk will remain intact. The suspension takes over the main impact force. After such cases, the motorist is recommended to call in the service station and check the condition of the suspension. If this is not done, then a malfunction may come up at any time.

In any case, a forged disk is an ideal combination of properties and advantages of the two most popular (and more budget) products - steel and alloy wheels. The only significant difference is the high cost that you have to put up with. Sometimes the price of a forged disk is several times higher than that of a cast analog. But such a step can be decided in two cases: firstly, if the capabilities of your wallet allow, and secondly, if the suspension of the car is really strong.

The main differences between cast and forged wheels

For many novice motorists, the main problem is how to distinguish a forged from a cast one. And indeed, apart from the price, external differences are not particularly visible. But focusing only on this parameter is not advisable - you can fall for a fake. Unfortunately, there is no 100% difference. We have to rely more and more on the honesty of the manufacturer and seller.

But it is not all that bad. There are still ways to distinguish them. For example, a forged disc can be distinguished by a special type of marking. So, if the cast disk has mass production, then the marking will be applied from the inside of the product (on its inside). In this case, the inscription has a convex appearance. In “forging” the opposite is true - the marking is pressed into the product.

But even for the aforementioned feature, there are many exceptions, so you should not rely on it completely. The probability of error is especially high if forged wheels are made to order in a special studio. But here we have to rely on the qualifications of the performer.

There are a number of signs by which you can identify the required disk - the weight and shape of the product. In particular, forged structures are processed on special equipment, to the ideal smoothness of the surface. Thus, the forged disk has a smoother shape. Although, manufacturers of alloy wheels are trying to keep up with their skills. Some “casting” by eye is almost impossible to distinguish from “forging”.

As for such a parameter as weight, you can notice a significant difference only in high-quality products from well-known brands. Russian forged wheels and alloy wheels have almost the same mass.