RIMS, mags, hose reels, steelies – whatever you call wheels, we wouldn’t get far without’em! The term ‘mags’ is actually an old one used to describe lightweight racing wheels made out of magnesium alloy, but it has come to apply to any aftermarket rim.
They don’t use magnesium in wheel production anymore. Instead, wheels are generally made out of pressed or stamped steel or aluminium alloy, or, in rare cases, carbonfibre. Steel wheels are cheaper and heavier but are capable of handling heavier weights and bigger hits compared to aluminium, while aluminium or carbonfibre reduces unsprung weight, and this improves handling as well as braking and accelerative performance.
Most cheaper alloy wheels are cast, which involves molten metal being poured into a mould, while more expensive rims are forged or…
