Facts to consider about choosing lorry alloys

If you're looking to buy alloy wheels for lorries, you need to consider a few things to ensure you get the right fit for your specific model of vehicle.

If you’re unsure as to what will fit your HGV, or need further information, call the Bush Tyres commercial team for friendly, free advice on 08455 214222.

Here are some facts you need to know about buying lorry alloy wheels:

Weight

Alloy wheels are going to be much lighter than steel wheels without compromising on strength. The biggest advantage to these wheels is the weight reduction across the whole vehicle. A lorry’s weight can be reduced by around 130kg just by switching to aluminium wheels. These weight savings grow to approximately 220kg for a lorry/trailer combination.

A high proportion of commercial lorries in the UK are running dual wheels as standard or they are running a super single wheel, which is also available as standard. In both cases alloy wheels are available as replacements.

Strength

Alloy wheels have proven to be more durable than their steel counterparts, even in extreme conditions such as those found in the logging industry.

Because alloy wheels take advantage of the strength to weight ratio and are thicker in the areas where the extra strength is needed, they can be up to five times stronger than steel wheels.

Other benefits

As well as a reduction in weight and an increase in durability, many operators also notice and increase in tyre life as well as reduced brake and suspension wear.

Size

There are alloy wheels out there designed to fit every make and model of lorry you can think of. When choosing something for your vehicle, you need to make sure you get the right size. Thankfully, choosing the right alloy for a lorry is much easier than choosing one for a car or van as a lorry will stay on the same size wheel with many measurements (such as offset) being standard to the type of wheel you’ll need.

Firstly, you need to look at the hub set up. How many wheel nuts are there holding the wheel in place? This number will give you the first part of your wheel fitment. Lorry wheels are either six-, eight- or 10-stud and, with the exception of the six-stud configuration, all of the pitch circle diameter (PCD) numbers are standard.

PCD refers to the stud spacing of the wheel where it connects to your vehicle. UK wheels are only 6, 8 or 10 stud. On lorry wheels there is no reference made to the PCD as the pcd is standardised.

Ensuring the width of your wheel is correct is also important, this is usually linked directly with the tyre size. For example, a 295/80R22.5 tyre fits on a 8.25×22.5 wheel where as a 315/80R22.5 tyre fits on a 9.00×22.5 wheel. Your local Bush Tyres brand will be able to advise on the right fit if you’re not sure what you need.

Look

There’s no reason a HGV shouldn’t look great and alloy wheels can certainly contribute to this. An alloy wheel is going to look much better than a steel wheel so if you’re in the market for something to make your lorry more aesthetically pleasing, alloys are definitely the way to go.

Alloy wheels are much easier to keep clean and tend to look brighter and shinier, which an contribute to a positive brand image.

Construction

There are several different constructions of alloy wheels you could consider for your lorry.

Cast: A cast wheel is created by pouring molten aluminium into a wheel-shaped mould. This is cost-effective and produces a wheel of decent strength.

Forged: Forged wheels are created by milling a round billet of forged aluminium in a CNC machine. This process uses less material than a cast wheel and also tends to be much stronger, making them more suitable for lorries that carry heavier loads. Because of this increased structural integrity, these wheels tend to carry a higher price tag.

One-Piece: A one-piece wheel is made from one continuous piece of metal and this construction represents the majority of wheels on the road. These are very affordable.

If you need some advice or would like to take a look at the range of lorry alloy wheels, visit the Bush Tyres website for further information.