You may have seen concave wheels on the streets and not known what you are looking at, but concave wheels have taken over the custom wheel world in recent years. With their extreme popularity these days, it is hard to imagine that they are only about a decade old.
The first custom concave wheels took the aftermarket wheel world by storm in 2009, but truthfully they have hardly looked back since. Yet, there are still a lot of people who are unsure what the difference between conscience and convex wheels are, and what makes the concave counterparts so popular. Here is a quick guide on the differences between concave and convex wheels.
Custom Wheels: Concave v. Convex
The most barebones, straight to the chase answer when defining the differences between the two types of custom wheels comes down one key difference. Concave wheels have lines that curve inward on the wheel, while convex wheels have lines that curve outwards. Simple enough!
Concave wheels, despite only being slightly older than a decade, have saturated the custom wheel market to a point where they may actually be the wheel that you picture when you close your eyes and picture a custom car. But, what practical difference is there between the two types of wheels?
Style And Durability
One of the easiest, and most obvious places to see the difference in function of these two different wheel types can be seen on a semi-truck. The front wheels tend to be convex, while the dual rear wheels are usually concave. What is the reason for this? Well, the front wheels do the steering, which means the scrub radius here is essential and is not to be messed with. However, the back wheels tend to be concave because the change in offset here can allow for more space for brake calipers.
This post was written by Justin K, owner of Wheel Identity. Wheel Identity is Tampa Bay’s premier tire shop in Tampa. We carry custom wheels and tires for every vehicle, custom suspension kits, and all accessories for the interior or exterior of your vehicle. We only hire highly trained technicians using state of the art equipment with experience in all areas of tire, wheel, suspension, and 4×4 needs.
