“Put on Your Shoes” –
The DEZENT ABC of rims and tyres
What do shoes and rims have in common? In spring, we change them from winter soles to summer soles. While summer tyres increase driving fun and provide more safety, rims not only offer a certain oomph, they are also indispensable. But you can’t just take them off and put them on. You must consider a few things about combining tyres with rims in order to be safe on the road and to comply with legal requirements.
The rim purchasing basics
Prior to a rim purchase you must keep one basic rule in mind – during a road check only a certification compatible with the concrete product will get you out of the woods.
That’s why, you should consider the following three points prior to purchase:
- Do the rim’s technical features match my car?
- Is my rim dimension technically feasible and legally permissible?
- Is the certificate (VTA or ECE) for my car in place?
Make a safe choice and avoid nasty surprises once you have clarity over all three points. Speaking of safety, the rims manufactured and offered by DEZENT are produced strictly according to the highest European quality standards. That’s why, they come with a three-year warranty.
The rim purchasing basics
Prior to a rim purchase you must keep one basic rule in mind – during a road check only a certification compatible with the concrete product will get you out of the woods.
That’s why, you should consider the following three points prior to purchase:
- Do the rim’s technical features match my car?
- Is my rim dimension technically feasible and legally permissible?
- Is the certificate (VTA or ECE) for my car in place?
Make a safe choice and avoid nasty surprises once you have clarity over all three points. Speaking of safety, the rims manufactured and offered by DEZENT are produced strictly according to the highest European quality standards. That’s why, they come with a three-year warranty.
Construction of an alloy rim:
Rim description:
e.g. 7.5Jx17H2
7.5.....nominal width (rim width)
J........rim flange size
17......nominal rim diameter (inches)
H2.....double hump (depending on hump version))
A: Rim width
The rim width describes the inner distance of the two rim flanges. It also denotes the nominal width of a rim.
B: Pitch circle diameter/number of holes
States the diameter or the number of the bolts mounted to the wheel hub of the respective car.
C: Centre hole diameter
In an effort to remain as flexible as possible, DEZENT uses so-called centring rings. This means that a single hole in the rim enables the use of several (basic ring system) centre hole diameters.
D: Offset (ET)
Marks the distance between the hub-mounting surface and the rim’s true centreline. This measure is very important as it determines the positioning of the wheel on a car..
E: Hump
The hump prevents the tyre from slipping off the alloy rim under the influence of strong lateral forces (e.g. cornering) and an associated sudden loss of air pressure. Various versions are available.
F: Rim flange
The rim flange is the outer edge of a rim. The rim flange suffers most from kerbs. Rim flanges come in different designs. The most common type for passenger cars is J.
Rim description:
e.g. 7.5Jx17H2
7.5.....nominal width (rim width)
J........rim flange size
17......nominal rim diameter (inches)
H2.....double hump (depending on hump version))
A: Rim width
The rim width describes the inner distance of the two rim flanges. It also denotes the nominal width of a rim.
B: Pitch circle diameter/number of holes
States the diameter or the number of the bolts mounted to the wheel hub of the respective car.
C: Centre hole diameter
In an effort to remain as flexible as possible, DEZENT uses so-called centring rings. This means that a single hole in the rim enables the use of several (basic ring system) centre hole diameters.
D: Offset (ET)
Marks the distance between the hub-mounting surface and the rim’s true centreline. This measure is very important as it determines the positioning of the wheel on a car..
E: Hump
The hump prevents the tyre from slipping off the alloy rim under the influence of strong lateral forces (e.g. cornering) and an associated sudden loss of air pressure. Various versions are available.
F: Rim flange
The rim flange is the outer edge of a rim. The rim flange suffers most from kerbs. Rim flanges come in different designs. The most common type for passenger cars is J.
Know your tyre
The following drawing explains the manufacturer’s information displayed on the tyre.
Date of tyre manufacture
The so-called DOT code on the tyre’s side wall indicates the date of manufacture. A four-digit number describes the week and year of manufacture. Tyres not older than five years may still be sold as new tyres. Tyres that have been manufactured more than ten years ago should be discarded even if they still have sufficient tread.
Storing summer and winter tyres
Specialist retailers store tyres at a small charge. If you store your tyres yourself make sure that tyres on rims are stored lying down or suspending, and standing if stored without rims.
Mind the tread depth
To ensure road safety, in Europe a mandatory minimum tread depth of 1.6mm applies for passenger car and motorcycle tyres and 1.0mm for light motorcycles. However, comprehensive tests have shown that the mandatory tread depth offers only a rest of safety. Summer tyres should have a tread of minimum three millimetres while winter and all-season tyre should have a tread of minimum four millimetres.
The following drawing explains the manufacturer’s information displayed on the tyre.
Date of tyre manufacture
The so-called DOT code on the tyre’s side wall indicates the date of manufacture. A four-digit number describes the week and year of manufacture. Tyres not older than five years may still be sold as new tyres. Tyres that have been manufactured more than ten years ago should be discarded even if they still have sufficient tread.
Storing summer and winter tyres
Specialist retailers store tyres at a small charge. If you store your tyres yourself make sure that tyres on rims are stored lying down or suspending, and standing if stored without rims.
Mind the tread depth
To ensure road safety, in Europe a mandatory minimum tread depth of 1.6mm applies for passenger car and motorcycle tyres and 1.0mm for light motorcycles. However, comprehensive tests have shown that the mandatory tread depth offers only a rest of safety. Summer tyres should have a tread of minimum three millimetres while winter and all-season tyre should have a tread of minimum four millimetres.
Mind the direction of rotation
Avoid switching sides when changing tyres. This leads to a change of direction of rotation, which promotes wear, rolling noise and tyre imbalance. Tyres marked “rotation” show the correct direction of rotation.
Important fitting information
Fitted units must always be fitted using a torque spanner and the correct torque adjustment to guarantee optimal mounting.
Retorque wheel bolts
The wheel bolts should be checked roughly 50 to 100km after every tyre fitting and retorqued if necessary.
All-season wheels – what to consider
All-season or all-weather tyres are often used as an alternative to winter and summer tyres. They are a compromise in terms of rubber mix which must be suitable both for low and high temperatures. Therefore, experts advise changing all-season tyres on a regular basis, approximately every six months from front axle to rear axle to ensure equal tread wear. All of this, of course, depends on the car and the kilometres travelled.
What’s special about electric cars?
Electric cars put special requirements on tyres because owing to the battery pack and the powerful wheel torque they generally have a higher total weight. Some manufacturers are already offering special tyres for e-cars. As regards e-cars, low rolling resistance and, at the same time, high range is the way to go.
Workshop or DIY?
With this, we’re getting straight to the point: For safety reasons, changing rims and tyres should always be done by trained staff at a specialist workshop. On the one hand, the electronic tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) often needs resetting during tyre change, and, on the other hand, the wheels must also be correctly balanced.
What you can do yourself, however, is to select your own dream rim, for example, by using the special DEZENT rim wardrobe, the rim configurator in 3D. Select your car, and you will instantly get to see many suitable rim models. By setting a few filters, you can limit the selection and choose the rim model that meets your needs perfectly.Try it out now. It’s fun: the DEZENT RIM CONFIGURATOR .
Avoid switching sides when changing tyres. This leads to a change of direction of rotation, which promotes wear, rolling noise and tyre imbalance. Tyres marked “rotation” show the correct direction of rotation.
Important fitting information
Fitted units must always be fitted using a torque spanner and the correct torque adjustment to guarantee optimal mounting.
Retorque wheel bolts
The wheel bolts should be checked roughly 50 to 100km after every tyre fitting and retorqued if necessary.
All-season wheels – what to consider
All-season or all-weather tyres are often used as an alternative to winter and summer tyres. They are a compromise in terms of rubber mix which must be suitable both for low and high temperatures. Therefore, experts advise changing all-season tyres on a regular basis, approximately every six months from front axle to rear axle to ensure equal tread wear. All of this, of course, depends on the car and the kilometres travelled.
What’s special about electric cars?
Electric cars put special requirements on tyres because owing to the battery pack and the powerful wheel torque they generally have a higher total weight. Some manufacturers are already offering special tyres for e-cars. As regards e-cars, low rolling resistance and, at the same time, high range is the way to go.
Workshop or DIY?
With this, we’re getting straight to the point: For safety reasons, changing rims and tyres should always be done by trained staff at a specialist workshop. On the one hand, the electronic tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) often needs resetting during tyre change, and, on the other hand, the wheels must also be correctly balanced.
What you can do yourself, however, is to select your own dream rim, for example, by using the special DEZENT rim wardrobe, the rim configurator in 3D. Select your car, and you will instantly get to see many suitable rim models. By setting a few filters, you can limit the selection and choose the rim model that meets your needs perfectly.Try it out now. It’s fun: the DEZENT RIM CONFIGURATOR .