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I think that the reason to be for 17" rims, is specifically to mount low profile tires.
I don't see that 500 miles is an issue. If you hit a bad road defect, then the dammage occurs in a few milli seconds. A pot hole will take out both rims on one side of the vehicle if it is bad enough. A single event. Perhaps a bad rail crossing could take out four rims at once. For less severe road defects the front rim is typically the only one that is bad.
I expect that for most vehicles that have seen the miles, every rim is bent to a lesser degree. Most of these problems will not create noticable rolling vibrations, but could affect wheel balance. So minor damage is hidden quite well with a quality wheel balance, which can be elusive in it self.
Myself, I would like to see a hybrid wheel. Cast or forged aluminum center, with a high strength steel rims. The steel would be springy, and would survive defelections created by road hazards. I also expect that such wheels would be lighter as well. The rims could also be stainless steel, which would look better for those wanting bright metal. But, that might not be a necessary, as most wheels seem to be painted these days. But rusty rims edges need to be avoided somehow.
Part of the reason that wheels get bent, is the weight of the tire, wheel and strut. This inertia causes the load. The road defect is not going to deflect. So the road defect and vehicle speed dictate the acceleration that the suspension will experience. So when you have a stylish alloy wheel that weighs more than a comparable steel wheel, the added weight of the allow wheel will actually increase the impact loads that it must endure.
So a properly made new-design wheel, while being ligher, would actually reduce the inerial load that the wheel must endure for any given road defect. First thing to do is find out is such a wheel is already available in the market place. I expect that the main stream alloy wheel producers really have no interest in change. They have a huge infrastruture dedicated to producing the current product. So change would have to come from an outsider. The success of such products would be then coopted by the larger players once the threat was recongnized. But they might be protected by consummer ignorance and apathy.
Cleary there is a need for some good engineering design, not just impressive alloy metal work. Cast aluminum is not strong, and as others have pointed out, it is not lighter than steel wheels. The wheels simply are not up to the task of every day driving. The tires and suspention are ok, it is the wheels which are not suited to the task. If a bent wheel caused loss of control, then people would die, and the wheels would be properly designed. In summary, it is very uncommon for alloy wheels to not be deformed after being in service. They are decorative junk.
So why do we put up with alloy wheels that weigh more, and cost 6 to 10 times more than steel wheels, which are clearly weaker and damage prone?
, Fri, 29 Dec 2000 07:37:35, Fri, 29 Dec 2000 13:29:09
, Thu, 28 Dec 2000 21:16:42
, Wed, 27 Dec 2000 19:08:43
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