Date: Sun, 07 May 2000 09:30:10 +0200 From: RCS <e9225126nopsam1.tuwien.ac.at> Subject: Re: Alloy wheels
1) Iīm afraid you are right. Alloy rims were developed to decrease the wheel weight (rotating mass) but nowerdays the alloy rims have nearly the same weight as the steel rims. Alloy rims are not so resistent against deformations as steel rims, you have to lever them more often. The advantage is that they offer more cooling effect to the disc brakes and you need no rim cover. Main point is that they look much better and have little less weight. 2) Saab offers (as all the others too) special rim bolts with a special pattern, some years ago (when the designers thought that visible rim bolt designs are not so attractive) Saab also offered lockable rim center covers - I think it was the better solution. I think that the new Saab rims look very awful (17" and 18") they donīt fit to such a car, I prefer the old 3-spoke Aero rims (16") not because of the size but of the design. Greetings RCS Andrew Stephenson : > Can anyone suggest, please, what effects alloy wheels have on the > performance or behaviour of a car like the 9-3 ? _Are_ they just > a "show" thing? > > And do SAABs incorporate any tricks to resist wheel-thieves? > > TIA. > -- > Andrew Stephenson