If you’re familiar with our wheels then you know all about our single piece wheels, but if you’re new to the scene and are confused by the title of this article, you might be asking yourself, what are multi piece wheels? Aren’t all wheels made in a single piece? Well, yes, but also, no. At Factory Reproductions, we only make single piece wheels because, overall, we find single piece wheels to be more durable and reliable, not to mention much more economical for the aftermarket enthusiast.
What are Single Piece Wheels?
A single piece wheel is constructed from a single mold material using aluminum alloy. The process consists of the material being either flow formed, pressure cast or forged. Being a fully intact and shaped piece of aluminum alloy, single piece wheels are of very high quality, with increased durability due in part to the density of the material used during construction and the strength that builds once the material is bonded together.
Single Piece Advantages?
A single piece wheel can weigh less than a multi piece wheel in most cases. The wheel center, nuts, bolts, silicon or welds used to hold the two and three pieces together tend to add some weight. A single piece is less prone to damage with its strength and durability. If indeed your wheels do become bent or cracked, the single piece wheel is able to be repaired quicker, rather than having to pay for a part of the wheel to be entirely replaced (which can get costly) and then having to wait for the wheel to be reassembled. Lastly, a single piece wheel will generally run you a whole lot less to purchase and/or replace if need be, because let’s face it, no wheel is completely indestructible or repairable.
Single Piece Disadvantages?
The biggest disadvantage you’ll face with a single piece wheel is the customization factor. With multi piece wheels, you are able to swap the wheel center out and change the depth of the inner barrel and outer lip, as well as add custom paint or finishes to each of those parts. Single piece molds are solidified in the casting or forging process and are only able to be recoated for customization. Your options for width, backspacing and offsets are somewhat limited, but not out of sight. In some instances, single piece wheel molds become inoperative due to wear and tear over years and the wheels become difficult to replace when the wheel is no longer in production.
What Are Multi Piece Wheels?
Multi piece wheels are exactly what they sound like – multiple pieces that come together to make a single wheel. A large majority of wheels, however, are made of one piece of alloy that has been pressure cast, forged, or milled into a specific design that makes up the entirety of the wheel. Our wheels are pressure cast and or flow formed to create the final designs that you can find on our site. Multi piece wheels are not made much differently, but there are a few extra steps in the manufacturing process.
Essentially, all the individual parts of a multi piece wheel are combined to make up the familiar shape that we all know and trust. Multi piece wheels are typically made up of 2-3 separate pieces that are bolted together to form an air-tight connection.
Multi Piece Advantages
If you’re interested in wheels enough to read about them, you’re probably an enthusiast, and as such, you want to customize your vehicle to your exact specifications. Multi piece wheels allow more customization than one piece wheels because different offsets and widths are easier to manufacture and interchange with existing wheels. To that point, multi piece wheels are generally easier to repair and, hopefully, less expensive than replacing an entire wheel. Also, since multi piece wheels are able to be disassembled, painting individual parts is also easier to achieve than with a one piece wheel.
Multi Piece Disadvantages
There is a hefty price increase for multi piece wheels because of their added customization and repairability. On average, multi piece wheels cost upwards of 3 times that of a standard single piece wheel. For those that are not looking to spend a small fortune on their wheels, single piece wheels are the way to go.
We hope this topic was helpful in answering questions about the differences of single and multi piece wheels. If you have any questions about wheels that weren’t answered here, please feel free to give us a call or use our chatbox. Want to learn more? Check back monthly for new blogs about more interesting and informational articles!