Wheels: 1 vs 2 vs 3 piece design (info)

[geno]

I found the following information on another BB -- it answered my question on the subject and I thought others may have the same question.

-gene

The following information was posted by a member named legendary of the clublexus.com forum:

Custom wheels, combined with high performance tires, continue to be increasingly popular among consumers. Not only do custom wheels provide a sportier appearance, but upgrading tires and wheels will also enhance a vehicle's performance and handling.

In the custom wheel aftermarket, there are three types of wheel constructions available:

One-piece cast aluminum wheel
Two-piece modular wheel
Three-piece modular wheel
The one-piece cast aluminum wheel is used as original equipment on many high performance production cars. Because they are light and resist flexing, the handling of a vehicle may be improved. These one-piece wheels are usually les expensive than modular wheels, but they have limited applications and are made for a specific make and model of car.

The two-piece modular wheel may provide performance superior to that of the one-piece wheel because it is lighter and can be assembled for a specific application. This modular wheel consists of a center section (aluminum or steel) fastened to an aluminum or steel rim. This design offers a greater variety of sizes and configurations to meet more application needs and tire combinations than does a one-piece wheel.

The three-piece modular wheel offers the most versatility in size and application. It is constructed of two outer halves that make up the rim (made from aluminum alloy) and a center section (made from magnesium or pressure-cast aluminum).

The three-piece wheel offers many advantages over one- and two-piece wheels. The construction allows the individual pieces to be changed to achieve the required offset and back spacing. It is very lightweight, so vehicle unsprung weight can be reduced, which may improve handling. Also, a damaged section of this wheel can be repaired by the manufacturer at a cost much less than that of a new three-piece wheel.

The disadvantages of the three-piece constructed wheel are the relatively high cost and the need for periodic re-torquing of the bolts. Also, if the seals are not perfect, they may leak air.