The wheel is an important part of the vehicle's running mechanism. It not only supports the weight of the entire vehicle and relieves the impact of the road, but also generates driving force and braking force through the adhesion of the tire to the road to ensure the normal driving of the vehicle.
The structure of the wheel mainly includes rim, spoke, wheel hubs, and tire. Among them, rim, spoke and wheel hub sound similar, which makes many car owners confused. Today, let's talk about the difference between them.
1. Rim
The rim is also called the wheel rim, which refers to the part around the wheel that installs and supports the tire. Together with the spoke, it bears the wheel load and dissipates the heat generated by the tire.
The above picture shows a common rim structure. Strictly speaking, it is a combination of rim and spoke. According to the different manufacturing materials, many car owners directly call it "steel rim" or "aluminum rim", referring to steel and aluminum alloy rims.
2. Spokes
Spokes refer to the part of the wheel that connects the rim and wheel hubs.
According to the structure of the spokes, wheels can be divided into two types: spoke plate type and spoke type. Generally, vehicles that run on high speeds for a long time use multi-spoke type, which can provide good support and avoid or reduce large deformation of the wheel during driving; on the contrary, vehicles that pursue lightweight characteristics on short-distance technical tracks often use less-spoke type, which has a unique exposed appearance.
Spokes and rims can be divided into integral type, permanent connection type and detachable type.
3. Wheel hubs
Wheel hubs are commonly known as "gourd heads", which refer to the parts that connect the wheel and the axle. They are mainly connected to the rim and the axle through bolts or pins, and also provide central support for the wheel.
Many places are used to confusing wheel hubs and rims. In fact, these are two parts. The rim is the part that installs and supports the tire around the wheel. Wheel hubs are cylindrical metal parts that support the tire's inner profile and are mounted on the axle. Their scientific name is "wheel hubs unit".
