The 15 Basic Parts of A Car Wheel With Diagram

All cars, whether a high-end Ferrari or a sub-par Ford Pinto, rely on the simplest machine ever developed, the wheel. There’s no getting around it (pun intended)—if not for the wheel and tire, cars and trucks would only be lawn ornaments.

Wheels and tires perform the same job from vehicle to vehicle; with only variable element of the size, type, and design. To expand your understanding base of cars, trucks, and how they work, we are going to take a look at the basic parts of a car wheel.

The more you know about your vehicle, the better you will care for it, and the longer it will run.

Car Wheel Parts Diagram with Name

Car Wheel Parts Names List:

Parts of a Wheel

There are various parts of a car wheel, but they include three main parts: the tire, rim, and hub. The tire is the width of the wheel and goes around the rim, providing grip with the road surface. The hub is where the wheel connects to the vehicle’s axle.

#1. The Tire.

This is pretty straightforward and obvious. We all know where the tire is and what a tire looks like. The tires are really important for a vehicle and how smooth the ride is. The tires are what keeps the ride so smooth because you are riding on air.

Modern tire design is only about 70 years old, and having the correct tire on your vehicle is crucial for safety. Tires provide the grip needed on wet roads and in icy or snowy conditions, as well as allowing the vehicle to handle more effectively in bad weather than it would with worn tires.

#2. The Rim.

If the tire is the skin of the wheel assembly, then the rim is the skeleton. The tire goes over the rim and the rim supports the tire, gives the tire its shape, and allows air inside the tire. Rims come in either steel or aluminum as well as any of hundreds of different styles. The rims can come with a plastic hubcap or in polished chrome, depending on the look you want to create.

The style of rim is dependent on your vehicle as cars or trucks will display very different rims. Trucks usually have a more beefy rim, along with being solid and providing greater support for heavier loads. Plus, truck rims tend to favor function rather than form whenever possible.

The diameter and width of the rim will determine what type and size of tire will fit and that too varies from vehicle to vehicle.

#3. The Hub.

The hub is the middle part of the wheel that the rim attaches to. The hub is home to the brake pads, brake calipers, and brake rotors, the components that stop the wheel. All of that is attached to the axle to allow it to move or stop.

The hub encompasses everything at the mounting face of the wheel; the entire assembly consists of a center bore, the center disc or mounting face, the lug holes, and the center cap. all of these parts contribute to how the wheel mounts to the vehicle and how it turns when going straight or cornering.

#4. Spokes.

The spokes are the components connecting the hub and the rim. They are the wheel’s source of structural integrity. The spokes and the hub make up the propeller face of the wheel. On multi-piece wheels, the wheel face will be a separate piece and is attached on the inside of the barrel with bolts.

The spokes also offer an aesthetic quality, and make the wheel unique to the vehicle. There are a variety of spoke styles for visual appeal, and for the same reason there are almost infinite spoke quantities, widths, shapes, and patterns. There are even trucks or trailers with a solid wheel face, NO spokes at all!

Five spoke wheels are popular wheels because of engineering – each spoke has 2 opposing spokes that dampen torsional vibration. Also low spoke quantities equate to lighter wheels.

Saying that, the spoke quantity has very little impact on the weight and performance of the car wheel, especially compared to the materials and methods of manufacturing, so just pick what you like the most!

#5. Outer Lip.

The outer lip is the part of the wheel that is in front of the spokes. For the most part, the dish only becomes important when the surface area is large. If the spokes are far away from the outer edge, it is considered a deep-dish wheel.

This is entirely aesthetic and can certainly deep-dish wheels can expose the face to damage from impact more than a shallower dish.

#6. Barrel.

The barrel is the very outer part of the wheel, where the structures exist to mount the tire. The barrel has many parts. The smallest inside diameter of the barrel is the drop center.

If the drop center is closer to the front face of the wheel, we refer to it as a front mount wheel, if it’s closer to the back face of the wheel, we call it a reverse mount wheel.

The barrel edges are flared to form flanges, which prevent the tire from slipping off of the wheel. The outer facing flanges are part of the cosmetic face of the wheel.

#7. Beads.

Just inside the flanges are the flat areas referred to as beads. This is where the edges of the tire sit on the wheel.

#8. Flanges.

The flared edges along the inboard and outboard sides of the rim. These help to keep the tire from slipping off the wheel.

#9. Mounting Humps.

Small ridges that run along the inside of each bead rest, which help keep the tire beads from slipping and hold the beads against the wheel.

#10. Drop Center.

The narrowest part of the barrel, which is what allows us to mount the tire onto the wheel without overstretching the bead wires.

#11. Center Cap.

A removable component that covers the center bore on the outside. On many cars today, it has the additional function of protecting the lug nuts from harm.

#12. Valve Stem.

The rim has a hole for inserting a valve stem when fitting a tire. This is a metal-air valve that is used to inflate the tire and check tire pressure.

Now you know the parts of a car wheel. For more information, read about car engine parts and car parts in detail.

7 Common Issues with Wheels and How to Fix Them

Bent Wheels

Bent wheels are common with replica wheels and can lead to a number of problems if not fixed as quickly as possible. A bent wheel will often show vibration when driving, especially at high speeds. Examples of other parts showing a bent wheel are uneven tire wear, pulling to one side, and the steering wheel wobbling.

To fix a bent wheel, you could look into getting a few options;

• Wheel Straightening. The process, which consists of rotating the wheel through a hydraulic press, so it can be straightened back into shape.
• Wheel Replacement. If the damage is severe, replacing the wheel may be your best bet or option. 
• Welding. If the bent wheel is not too bad, it should only be done by a professional.

Incompatible Wheels

Compatibility is another main issue that should be addressed properly. A car owner might want to install too larger or smaller wheels than what the factory recommends. While this may look good for the car, it could potentially cause problems. The following items are going to be points to consider:

• Poor Handling. A larger wheel could affect the handling of the car and make steering and control of the car more difficult.
• Speedometer Accuracy. Installing larger or smaller wheels could cause problems with the speedometer, as it will affect the speed caused by the changes introduced by using larger or smaller wheels.
• Brake Performance. Larger wheels should affect the brake system, as the effective performance of the brakes could be reduced.

Note: To correct a wheel size issue it is crucial that you work with factory specifications. Installing wheels that are excessively large or excessively small may present more issues than it resolves.

Brake Performance

Brake performance is a huge safety issue, and it will be impacted by the type of wheels you have installed on the car if they are not designed with the car’s brake package in mind. Any time wheel and tire packages are installed on a car, brake performance will be impacted, leading to reduced performance and increased stopping distances.

To help with a brake performance issue, do the following:

• Upgrade the Brake System. If you have a brake performance issue created by the wheels, you may have to upgrade the brake system to obtain the safest stopping distances.
• Install Compatible Wheels. If the brake system is performing well, but you still have a brake performance issue due to the wheels, you may want to install wheels designed to be compatible with the brake system.

Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment is also an important issue and the alignment needs to be accurate. An axle with bad alignment may lead to uneven wear on tires, poor handling characteristics, and increased fuel usage. Confirming that the wheels on your vehicle are in proper alignment can help you avoid these issues.

When it comes to fixing wheel alignment problems, you have some options:

• Take your vehicle to a good mechanic. Using a professional mechanic will likely fix your wheel alignment problem because they can perform a wheel alignment, which aligns the wheels to specifications.
• Buy a wheel alignment tool. If you change wheels often or you work on your vehicle yourself, a wheel alignment tool can help you align your wheels.

Cracked Rims/Wheels

Cracked rims can come from a variety of objects like potholes, road debris, or too much load on your vehicle and not having the rating on the wheels/rims to take the load. You may see patches of visible cracks, air seeping out of the cracks, or the rim will be vibrating while driving.

To fix a cracked rim, you can:

• Rim Welding. If the rim is not too badly damaged, you may be able to weld it. Make sure you have this done by a reputable rim welder.
• Rim Replacement. The best option if the rim is hurt badly would be to replace that rim entirely.
• Rim Straightening. This usually means using a hydraulic press to straighten the rim back to its original shape.

Tread Depth

Tire tread depth is an important safety issue. Wheels that are not designed to work with the car’s tires can lead to uneven tire wear and reduced tread depth.

To fix a tread depth issue, consider the following:

• Invest in High Quality Tires. High-quality tires can help ensure that the tread depth remains consistent, reducing the risk of uneven tire wear.
• Regularly Check the Tires. Regularly checking the tires for signs of uneven wear can help catch tread depth issues early on.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure is a safety issue. Over-inflated or under-inflated, etc., tire pressure can adversely affect fuel economy and handling, and ultimately the modulus of failure.

To fix a tire pressure problem, you should consider the following:

• Buy a Tire Pressure Gauge. A tire pressure gauge will be able to ensure tire and wheel pressures are not under-/over-inflated.
• Regularly Check Tire Pressure. Regularly inspecting tire pressure will help find problems early.
• Pressure Adjustments. If your tire pressure is not at an acceptable level, make adjustments until pressures are at the manufacturer’s recommended levels.