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[drvai]

Hi to everyone.

Which is the difference?

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by drvai

2-piece Vs 1 piece wheels

Hi to everyone.

Which is the difference?

Pretty simple: 1-piece wheels are just that, rim and center cast or forged as one integral piece. 2-piece wheels have rims fabricated seperately from the centers and then fastened together, usually with bolts. 3-piece wheels take this a step further and split the rim in 2 pieces so offsets and widths can be easily varied. A properly done 1 piece wheel is theoretically technically superior, but there are lots of variables. The latter two are often done to easily adapt a wheel design for multiple fitments, but it is not the purest way to do it.

[Eddy@ApexWheels]

a one piece wheel is made from a single piece of metal through either forging or casting.

a two piece wheel is a wheel face bolted to a rim with hardware. The same face can be used with different width barrels to change the wheel fitment and offset with only minor changes. technically you could just replace the wheel barrel if you damage it by curbing or bending, although in some cases it's almost as costly as replacing the entire wheel. Most people running 2 or 3 piece wheels (3 piece wheels consist of the wheel face and an inner and outer barrel piece sandwiched together) purchase them for aesthetic reasons.

2/3 piece wheels aren't necessarily better. it's entirely dependent on the application. And in many cases a one piece is preferred for weight savings.

[drvai]

Thanks! Super clear now.

Seems that the 2-3 piece are more expensive and "more cool"

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by drvai

Thanks! Super clear now.

Seems that the 2-3 piece are more expensive and "more cool"

More "bling"; not cooler IMO.

[crimsone90]

Originally Posted by drvai

Thanks! Super clear now.

Seems that the 2-3 piece are more expensive and "more cool"

More expensive retail prices and more "bling". A 2/3 piece wheel is very easy to make and has led to the thousands of multi-piece wheel manufacturers we have now. Think about it, you have to buy the inners and outers which are already pre-made even pre-polished or chrome. You get a center, bolt in with stainless steel or titanium bolts and voila!

A one-piece wheel, properly made, is a God-given piece of engineering that is worth of eternal admiration. Based on manufacturing process alone, a one-piece wheel should cost at least 50% more than a 3pc wheel. Forging it is more difficult and expensive, it involves flow forming, machining is more time consuming and requires several steps and coating is also more difficult.

Here is something I wrote a few months ago:

There are several things to consider.

Three-Piece Construction:

Advantages:
- High Availability of widths and offsets.
- Low cost of replacement parts for repairs
- High availability of styles/designs

Disadvantages:
- Spun rim halves (not forged)
- Prone to cracking and bending.
- Vibration under heavy rain.
- Air leakage due to improper sealing.
- High cost due to labor.
- Heavier than one piece.
- Higher repair cost due to labor

One-Piece Forged Construction:

Advantages:
- Higher stiffness than 3PC
- Lighter and Stronger than 3PC
- Less Prone to mechanical failure
- Lower replacement cost

Disadvantages:
- High initial manufacturing cost
- Low width/offset availability
- Limited style availability

Like I said in a previous thread, the true advantages of a 3PC were back in the 70s-80s were you could track a wheel, bent a rim half and have it replaced by the next race. Labor was low since it was done in house and the replacement parts were not that expensive as well. Nowadays, you pay $1600 for a 3PC wheel and $900 to replace a rim half. Makes no sense to me.

I would not consider or recommend a 3PC wheel to anybody since the performance advantages are almost non-existent. Is a pure cosmetic upgrade unless is a TRUE 3PC wheel like a BBS or similar.

BTW, If you want a true performance wheel upgrade go with a one piece wheel. People buy 3PC wheels because of the looks and not performance.

And please stay away from the new trend of machining a forged blank and calling it a wheel. Make sure you buy products from a reputable manufacturer that tests and certifies their wheels and uses proper engineering to develop them.