Top 5 // Aftermarket Wheels / The Benefits for Track Use

Top 5 reasons to use aftermarket wheels for track use

Are you a seasoned track enthusiast or just dipping your toes into the world of high-performance driving? If so, you’ve probably considered upgrading your vehicle’s wheels. While stock wheels may suffice for daily driving, they often fall short when it comes to the demands of the track. Let’s explore the top five reasons why aftermarket wheels are a game-changer for serious performance drivers.

1. Style and Personalization

One of the most obvious benefits of aftermarket wheels is the ability to customize your vehicle’s appearance. Stock wheels can often feel generic and lack personality. With aftermarket options, you can choose from a vast array of styles, finishes, and sizes to create a truly unique look that reflects your personal taste. Whether you prefer a sleek, minimalist design or a bold, aggressive aesthetic, there’s an aftermarket wheel out there to suit your style. Wink. Wink. We’ve got a couple for you to choose from, HERE.

2. Weight Reduction

Reducing unsprung weight is crucial for improving a vehicle’s handling and performance on the track. Aftermarket wheels are often made from lighter materials, such as FORGED aluminum, which can significantly reduce the weight compared to stock wheels. This weight savings can translate to better acceleration, braking, and cornering capabilities.

3. Improved Tire Fitment

Factory wheels may have limitations when it comes to accommodating high-performance tires. Aftermarket wheels offer greater flexibility in terms of offset, width, and bolt pattern, allowing you to run the ideal tire size and profile for your specific needs. This can enhance traction, grip, and overall performance on the track.

4. Enhanced Durability and Longevity

Aftermarket wheels are typically constructed using superior manufacturing processes, such as flow forming or forging, which result in a stronger and more durable product. These methods help to improve the wheel’s resistance to stress and fatigue, making them better suited for the rigors of track driving. By investing in high-quality aftermarket wheels, you can reduce the risk of damage and costly repairs.

5. Cost Savings and Wheel Preservation

If you frequently take your vehicle to the track, it’s wise to consider a dedicated set of wheels specifically designed for that purpose. This can help protect your stock wheels from damage and maintain their resale value. Additionally, replacing a damaged aftermarket wheel may be more cost-effective than repairing or replacing a stock wheel.

In conclusion, upgrading to aftermarket wheels can offer a multitude of benefits for serious track enthusiasts. From improved performance and durability to enhanced style and personalization, the advantages are clear. By carefully considering your specific needs and preferences, you can select the perfect set of aftermarket wheels to elevate your driving experience and maximize your vehicle’s potential on the track.

If you’re needing support to find the right setup to fit your car, we’re here to help. Feel free to contact our fit specialist or locate your nearest Konig dealer for support. Either way, we’ve got you covered.

Don’t Overlook These 5 Things When Choosing Aftermarket Wheels

When it comes to choosing aftermarket wheels there are some basic things that most people to look for like choosing the correct bolt pattern, diameter, width and offset. Here are the top 5 IMPORTANT things that get over looked when choosing wheels.

Load Rating
Load Rating of a wheel may not be your deciding factor when choosing wheels but it should certainly be acknowledged. Load rating refers to the amount of weight a single wheel can statically hold. Most people probably assume that the wheels they are shopping for can hold up their car because that is what they are made for. Fair assumption, but not always the case. If you are looking at a super light weight wheel and you are looking to put them onto a mid size or crossover SUV or say an electric vehicle, your vehicle may have a higher gross vehicle axle weight. In this scenario it would require the wheels you are looking at to exceed 1/2 of the heaviest axle per wheel. The formula is easy. Go to your vehicle and open the driver side door. You will see a placard and it will list your front and rear gross vehicle axle weight. Take the bigger number and divide it by 2. The load rating of your new wheels MUST exceed that number. If your wheels are load rated less than necessary you will be susceptible to additional stress on your wheel which can result in damage.

Ride Quality
One of the main reasons people look for aftermarket wheels is size. People typically like to increase the diameter and width of your wheels for aesthetic reasons. You may successfully make your vehicle look better but you may subsequently hurt the ride quality. Given that everyone should try to maintain the overall rolling diameter (overall rolling diameter is the overall height of the wheel and tire package that came from the factory) from the factory because it affects things like ABS, Speedometer, vehicle stability system etc. While keeping the overall rolling diameter, if you increase the diameter size of your wheel you will have to decrease the profile of your tire. This can result in many things from a harsher ride, less side wall cushion, and more susceptible to damage. Although this is not always the case, it is definitely something people should be aware of when choosing wheels.

Wheel Finish
Another reason people may be looking for aftermarket wheels is for the color of the finish. Maybe your car comes with boring black wheels and you want something with a little more pop. When you get your new wheels you probably want them to look as good as new for the longest time possible. Think about the area that you live in and the environment these wheels will face. If you are looking for a white wheel, you may find that keeping them clean of road debris and brake dust is quite a challenge. If you are looking for a wheel with a machined face or lip you may see that the wheel may not stand up to the elements as a full painted wheel. Regardless of what finish you get on your wheel, ceramic coating your wheels is a great to help preserve the finish and make them easy to clean. Check out our wheel ceramic coating kit here.

Brake Clearance
Brake clearance should be at the top of the priority list for anyone who has or is looking to upgrade to a big brake kit. Unlike all of the previously stated points, if your wheel does not have proper brake clearance you will will not work on your vehicle at all. If the diameter of the wheel is too small it may not clear the top of the brakes or rotors and if your width and offset are not proper you may run into clearance issues where the calipers hit the spokes of the wheel. Brake clearance can be a tricky thing and we have plenty of video explaining it on our YouTube channel. If you are looking for guidance on brake clearance you can shoot us a DM to our social media channels.

Use Case
This is kind of a cheeky catch-all category but it is important to think about. Knowing how you will use your vehicle should certainly determine the wheels you decide to choose. If you are only using your car as a daily commuter, you may not need the highest quality forged wheel on the market. If you are going to be tracking your car you may want to stay clear of a heavy wheel regardless on how it may look. Everyone has their own needs and you should know yours when choosing your next set of wheels.

Behind The Wheel Podcast: – Wheel Wednesday – Drift Cars Under 10K!!!

A few podcasts ago we spoke about grip cars you can get for under $5,000 to go road racing in. We even made a video with some of our friends in the automotive world asking them what their top 5 picks are (Linked Below). Now we’re talking drift cars!

Thank you for your support and for listening/watching!

And please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel ( https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels )

(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!

 

FOLLOW:

Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig
https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/

Nick Pedroza (Konig) Instagram: @nick_pedroza_
https://www.instagram.com/nick_pedroza_/

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
https://konigwheels.compodcast

Play

Behind The Wheel Podcast: – Wheel Wednesday – Racing on a budget?!

In this week’s Wheel Wednesday podcast we talk about some cars you can get for under 5k to bring to the track!

Thank you for your support and for listening/watching!

And please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel ( https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels )

(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!

 

FOLLOW:

Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig
https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/

Nick Pedroza (Konig) Instagram: @nick_pedroza_
https://www.instagram.com/nick_pedroza_/

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
https://konigwheels.compodcast

Play