Trailer rim choose steel or aluminum alloy?

The rim, commonly known as the wheel rim, is a component that installs and supports the tire around the wheel, and its role is mainly to connect the trailer axle and the wheel, to jointly bear the wheel load with the tire, and to dissipate the heat generated by the tire.

According to the different raw materials, rims can be mainly divided into cast iron rims, steel rims, aluminum alloy rims, magnesium alloy rims, carbon fiber composite rims, etc., of which steel and aluminum alloy are the most common, also known as "steel ring" and "aluminum ring".

Previously in the freight market, the proportion of steel rings is relatively large, but with the prevalence of lightweight trend, the heat of aluminum rings began to get higher and higher. It is understood that in developed countries such as Europe and the United States, aluminum rings are widely used in freight vehicles, and to a certain extent, it also improves the reliability and maturity of its technology. In the domestic market, the aluminum ring is also an optional accessory on most freight models, and the owners have mixed opinions on it.

Today, Darong Axle will simply talk about the characteristics of steel rings and aluminum rings for you to choose.

1. Steel ring.

As one of the most widely used rims in the market, the most obvious advantage of the rim is that the price is cheap, the production process is simple, the cost is low, the cost is low, the price of the common truck rim is generally about a few hundred yuan, most owners can afford it.

In addition, the strength of the steel ring is generally higher than that of the aluminum ring, the bearing capacity and impact resistance are stronger, not easy to deformation, more suitable for complex road conditions, and the service life is relatively longer.

2. Aluminum ring.

The most obvious feature of the aluminum ring is its light weight, which is about half lighter than the steel ring. According to relevant tests, if a semi-trailer is equipped with aluminum rings, it can reduce the weight of nearly half a ton than when installing steel rings, which can not only save fuel, energy and consumption, but also install more goods, so that the owner can obtain higher operating income.

In addition, in terms of heat dissipation, the thermal conductivity of aluminum is about 3 times that of steel, and the use of aluminum rings can improve the heat dissipation efficiency, reduce or avoid overheating of the wheel end, which is conducive to extending the service life of tires, brake drums, brake pads and other parts.

In addition, the corrosion resistance of the aluminum ring is also higher than that of the steel ring, the daily maintenance is more convenient, and the appearance looks more upgraded.

Through the above content, we can see that the aluminum ring is more comprehensive in its advantages, but this does not mean that the aluminum ring is definitely better than the steel ring, after all, the choice of vehicle parts depends on the daily use conditions, and it is not advisable to talk about the advantages of the working conditions.

Under normal circumstances, aluminum rings are more suitable for long-distance standard load transportation, such as the transportation of hazardous chemicals with higher safety requirements and long-distance cold chain transportation with high timeliness requirements. In some road conditions that require frequent braking, the use of aluminum rings can also be considered, because its heat dissipation performance is indeed better than that of steel rings, which can ensure the stability of the braking system to a certain extent.

The main advantage of steel rings is in the load-bearing capacity, and it is relatively more resistant to construction. Some goods with high load requirements, such as sand and stone, wood, coal, steel, cement, or steel rings are more suitable.

Of course, which kind of rim should also consider the budget, the price of aluminum ring is more expensive than the steel ring, the average individual is about 1,000 yuan, and the damage rate caused by improper use is higher than the steel ring, such as the tire is out of air, resulting in direct contact between the rim and the road, the aluminum ring may be directly scrapped.

It is worth noting that whether it is steel ring or aluminum ring, it must be well maintained and maintained during use, and once damage is found, it must be repaired or replaced in time.