Wheels vs. Rims

[rocketrod]

I think it's people just being more precise. A wheel has a rim and a tire. In the past, there weren't nearly the number of tire choices there are now, so people just bought wheels.

You are correct a wheel is the rim and tire and people have been interchanging the two terms for a lot longer than 8-10 years.

[Ralph LoGrasso]

and people have been interchanging the two terms for a lot longer than 8-10 years.

I can't recall discussing wheels or rims that often when I was 8, haha--just offering up my time-line with the term. In the 70s, 80s and early 90s, mags was the most prolific term used for wheels, most guys from that era still use it. Most people in NY that say "rims" are either younger kids, sport truck or SUV guys who are referring to 22"+ stuff, or the import crowd. Most performance minded guys still say wheels around here; though lately even they will sometimes say rims.

[Jim Nilsen]

The difference is something that goes back a long long way and if you look at the cement truck that goes by you next time or some other big truck with Kelsey Hayes wheels on it you will see what a rim is. 2 pcs make up the whole set up , one piece is the inner wheel/hub and the outer piece is the rim. You can put different sizes of rims on some of the wheels. Most of these wheels have split rims making them realisticaly 3pcs. You won't see people arguing over whether to use an impact wrench vs a torque wrench on them.

It is a question that has caused as many arguments over the years as much as lifters vs tappets. When 2 people want to argue over it I start to laugh. Trying to be smarter than someone else over a word describing the same thing only shows ignorance to what the difference really is if they knew what they were talking about. Some just want to fight and some just want to be different

To be real basic about it if you have a wire spoke wheel you can bend the rim and need to get your rim fixed. If you have a 2 or 3pc modular wheel you can just bend the rim and not the whole wheel. If you have a bicycle or a motorcycle you you have the same deal.

I like the sound of mags and it was a term founded in the 60's when wheels actually were made out of magnesium. You really had something and were considered high on the post if you had "mag wheels".
I never heard anyone say "mag rims" now that I think of it.

So the next time your drinking and don't have anything to fight about,bring up the subject and relive the experience

Jim Nilsen

[zbugger]

The difference is something that goes back a long long way and if you look at the cement truck that goes by you next time or some other big truck with Kelsey Hayes wheels on it you will see what a rim is. 2 pcs make up the whole set up , one piece is the inner wheel/hub and the outer piece is the rim. You can put different sizes of rims on some of the wheels. Most of these wheels have split rims making them realisticaly 3pcs. You won't see people arguing over whether to use an impact wrench vs a torque wrench on them.

It is a question that has caused as many arguments over the years as much as lifters vs tappets. When 2 people want to argue over it I start to laugh. Trying to be smarter than someone else over a word describing the same thing only shows ignorance to what the difference really is if they knew what they were talking about. Some just want to fight and some just want to be different

To be real basic about it if you have a wire spoke wheel you can bend the rim and need to get your rim fixed. If you have a 2 or 3pc modular wheel you can just bend the rim and not the whole wheel. If you have a bicycle or a motorcycle you you have the same deal.

I like the sound of mags and it was a term founded in the 60's when wheels actually were made out of magnesium. You really had something and were considered high on the post if you had "mag wheels".
I never heard anyone say "mag rims" now that I think of it.

So the next time your drinking and don't have anything to fight about,bring up the subject and relive the experience

Jim Nilsen

That's how I see it too. When I see a car with custom wheels, I call them wheels. The combination of wheels and tires is wheels and tires to me. Rims are just the outside of the wheel that the tire mounts to in my opinion. Well, I guess what I'm saying is that I just call them wheels.