Automotive Engineering Y.

Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

CHAPTER II

WHEELS

II-1. Introduction

A wheel is that rotating part of a suspension system which supports the tyre. It
consists of two main elements :

i / The rim which is the supporting frame for the tyre.

ii / The disc which provides the connection between the rim and the wheel hub.

These two elements may be integral or are joined together either permanently by
welding or by bolts and nuts (i.e. detachable). Wheels can be classified according to the type
of service as follows :

i / Automobile wheels.
ii / Wheels for commercial vehicles.
iii / Agricultural tractor wheels.
iv / Motorcycle, bicycle, and moto-scooter wheels.
v / Industrial and fork-lift truck wheels.
vi / Wheels for earth-moving machinery.

Only the first two types, i.e. the automobile wheels and wheels for commercial
vehicles, will be examined here.

The wheel rim is connected to the vehicle through a wheel hub, illustrated in Figure II-1.

II-2. Wheel Dimensions / Basic Designation

A wheel is designated by two major dimensions; width and diameter of its rim, both
given in inches. A typical designation is therefore may be of the form

5.50 x 13

The cross sign, x, separating the two dimensions indicates that the rim has a single
piece construction as in automobile and agricultural tractor wheels. Commercial vehicle
wheels, on the other hand, may have rims consisting of two or more detachable pieces for ease
of tyre mounting and removal. These wheels are identified by using a dash, - , instead of the
cross in the designation, i.e.

5.50 - 16
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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

Figure II-1. Hub bearing and knuckle.

II-3. Automobile Wheels

The automobile wheel has a single piece rim spot welded to the disc. The
nomenclature for a typical automobile wheel is given in Fig. II-2. The central part of the rim
has a large peripheral depression which is called a "well" or "drop center" to facilitate mounting
and removal of the tyre. The flats on both sides of the drop center provide the bead seats and
the two flanges retain the tyre on the rim under the action of lateral tyre forces.

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

The cross-section of the rim is usually asymmetrical with the drop center displaced
towards the outside of the wheel to allow more space for the brake assembly inside the wheel.
The distance between the rim centerline and the mounting face of the disc is called the "offset".
There are some symmetrical rims as well, however, and they are distinguished from
asymmetrical rims by the addition of a suffix S at the end of the designation, i.e.

5.50 x 13 - S

Sizes and tolerances of rims have been standardized and inch units are used
internationally. Rim widths vary from 4 inches (arround 10 cm) to 9 inches (around 23 cm) in
half inch (1.3 cm) increments, the most commonly used sizes being in the range 4.0 to 5.5
inches (around 10 to 14 cm). Rim diameters vary from 12 to 19 inches (around 30 to 48 cm),
the most commonly used sizes being 13 to 15 inches (around 33 to 43 cm).

Rim Width
Flange
Well
(Drop
Center)

Offset Rim
Diameter

DISC

RIM

Figure II-2. A typical automobile wheel.

There are several rim flange shapes with different height, width, and curvatures.
They have been standardized into six basic shapes, designated by letters B, J, JJ, JK, K, and L,
as illustrated in Fig. II-3, below.

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

L
K
JK
JJ
J
B

o
5

Figure II-3. Rim flange shapes.

The flange shape is indicated in the wheel designation by the shape symbol placed
after the rim width. Example: 5.50 JJ x 13

To improve seating of the tyre beads and ensure a tight fit, the surfaces on both
sides of the well are slightly tapered. The standard slope towards the well is 5 degrees for
automobile wheels. The seats may be flat or have a small obstruction called "hump" at the well
side. If the hump has a flat top, then it is called a "flat hump". These special bead seat contours
keep the tyre beads from being forced off the seats and fall into the well while cornering. Thus
accidental loss of air in tubeless tyres is prevented. In addition, if the tyre blows-out, it won't
leave the rim, improving safety and stability. If the seat is flat with no hump, then the bead seat
is called "special ledge". The shapes of hump, flat hump, and special ledge contours are given
in Fig. II-4.

Plain Hump
o
5
o
5

Flat Hump Special Ledge

o o
5 5

Figure II-4. Bead seat contours.

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

A rim may have any of these bead seat contours on any side of the well and is named
according to the particular combination. Table II-1 and the figure underneath gives a list of the
combinations most commonly used and their corresponding symbols, for use in wheel
designations.

Table II-1. Bead seat contour combinations.

Designation Bead Seat Contour Symbol

Outside Inside
Hump Hump Normal H
Double hump Hump Hump H2
Flat hump Flat hump Normal FH
Double flat hump Flat hump Flat hump FH2
Combination hump Flat hump Hump CH
Special ledge Special ledge Normal SL

Special bead seat contours are indicated by adding the appropriate symbol to the end
of the basic rim designation, for example

5.50 JJ x 13 H2 - S

If there is no bead seat contour indication, then the bead seats are plain (5 o slope
towards the well). Different bead seat combinations are illustrated in Figure II-5.

The disc shape has not been standardized to any extend and is determined according
to:

i / the type (disc or drum) and the size of the brakes

ii / the shape of the hub
iii / the number of wheel studs

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

iv / the method of mounting the hub cap

v / the geometry of the steering system, etc.

Therefore the shape of the disc varies widely from one vehicle to another.
Constructionwise, the wheels are either made from rolled sheet steel strips welded to pressed
steel plate discs, or cast from a light magnesium-aluminum alloy and machined. Wire wheels
have also been used for a long time.

Cast Wheel Steel Wheel Wire Wheel

Figure II-5. Wheels construction

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

II-4. Commercial Vehicle Wheels

Since commercial vehicle tyres have a very rigid body construction, the rim drop
center is either very shallow or non-existent. This is because, the well cannot provide ease of
mounting and removal for the tyre and the rim is made up of two or more pieces. A typical
commercial vehicle wheel and the nomenclature used are given in Fig. II-6.

Rim Width Flange

Rim

Disc

Rim

Diameter

Offset

Figure II-6. A typical commercial vehicle wheel.

The principal commercial vehicle rim profiles are illustrated in Fig. II-7. The wide
base 5o tapered rim is the most widely used type. The flat base rim, on the other hand, has very
limited use. Semi-drop center rims are mostly used on light commercial vehicle wheels. The
wide base 15o tapered rim has a single piece construction and is suitable for use with tubeless
tyres. The highly tapered bead seats ensure maximum tightness and security. The drop center
enables ease of mounting and removal of tyre as in automobile wheels.
In wheels consisting of more than one piece, one of the rim flanges is removable
and it consists of one or two rings which are pushed in between the tyre and the rim base. The

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

pieces are held together by mechanical interlocking and the tyre pressure. In light commercial
vehicles, a two piece rim composed of a rim base and a combination ring is used. The
combination ring which is split to make fitting and removal possible functions as the bead seat
as well as the flange. Three types of multi-piece rims are illustrated in Fig. II-8.

o
5o 5 5
o
5
o

Wide base 5 o tapered rim Semi-drop center rim

15o 15o

Flat base rim Wide base 15 o tapered rim

Figure II-7. Rim profiles for commercial vehicle wheels.

combination side ring side ring

ring
lock ring lock ring
rim base
rim base rim base

Rims for light Semi-drop Wide base rims

commercial center rims
vehicles

Figure II-8. Multi-piece rims.

The commonly used diameters for commercial vehicle wheels are 15, 17, 18, 20,
22, and 24 inches. (approximately 38, 43, 46, 51, 56 and 61 cm)

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Automotive Engineering Y. Samim ÜNLÜSOY, Kerem Bayar

Exercises

In this question, you are asked to design your own rim profile, by assigning certain values to
the dimensions given in the figure below.
You may use any CAD program that you know and have in your pc. Please submit your
drawings.

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