Wheels of the country of the Soviets: factory wheels of VAZ cars

On domestic VAZs of the Samara family (VAZ models from 2108 to 2112), you can install not only standard 13-inch wheels, but also their analogues of increased diameter (14 and 15 inches). However, when making such a decision, it is necessary to take into account several nuances - manufacturer tolerances, the use of low-profile tires, stem dimensions, and others. In addition, you need to make a choice in favor of stamped (steel) or cast (alloy) wheels. We will tell you in detail about all the details of the choice.

Stamped and cast wheels R14

What kind of R14 wheels are available on VAZ?

First, let's look at the question of what kind of rims there are for VAZ, and their differences. Classic Soviet Zhigulis, including front-wheel drive ones (VAZ 2108, 2109 and their derivatives), were equipped with stamped metal wheels with a diameter of 13 inches from the assembly line. However, over time, due to increased demand from consumers, manufacturers began to produce 14-inch wheels, which became very popular among tuning enthusiasts.

There are two main parameters by which rims differ in this context. This is the diameter and the material from which they are made. Let's first touch on the issue of diameter. The first and main reason why car owners install 14-diameter wheels on a VAZ is their desire to visually change the car. After all, disks of increased diameter look more solid.

However, as the diameter of the disks increases, additional nuances and complications appear. Among them:

Wheel offset

• The need to use low profile rubber . After all, the outer diameter of the wheel must remain unchanged. You can read about this in additional material on our website.
• Using low-profile tires means increasing its width. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account compliance with the offset allowed by the manufacturer (designated ET or OFFSET). The width of the disc should not be more than 6 inches. Please allow ±0.5 inch discrepancy in dimensions.
• As for the overhang, it should not exceed 45 mm .
• The number of mounting holes and the diameter of the circle where they are located . Some manufacturers have their own tolerances in this regard. The standard values ​​for mounting bolts are a PSD bolt pattern of 4x98 mm (this means that four mounting bolts are used, which are inscribed in a circle with a diameter of 98 mm), and the diameter of the central hole is from 58.5 mm or more.

Also, when selecting a wheel and tires (according to the markings of the wheel and tires), it is necessary to take into account that the same tire may or may not touch the arches on the same car, depending on:

• wheel rim width;
• wheel offset;
• steering settings (they may get lost when adjusting the camber/toe).

ET or OFFSET is the disc offset (measured in mm), the distance from the mating plane to an imaginary plane passing through the middle of the disc rim.

As for the specific choice of R14 wheel for a VAZ, there are several criteria. Among them:

• Wheel width (measured in inches). There are such varieties - J4.0, J5.0, J5.5, J6.0 and J7.0. Accordingly, the numbers at the end of the marking indicate specific sizes.
• Overhang value (measured in millimeters). They are as follows - 30, 35, 35...38, 35...40, 35...43, 45 mm.
• Tire size . The most popular today are 135/80, 165/65, 175/65, 185/60.

We present for you a table of correspondence between wheel and tire sizes, as well as their sizes for popular front-wheel drive VAZs - 2108, 2109, 21099, 2110, 2111, 2112.

Calculation, index, code, marking

Few people understand codes and markings. So, for example, the designation with the Latin letter R means radial, and the number that is stamped after R means the diameter of the disk. You can calculate the parameters of wheels and tires with your own hands, or rather with your own head.

Anyone who wants to learn how to drift with front-wheel drive in the summer, do not forget to prepare the car: wide tires forward, narrow tires back.

Calculation of rubber profile height

To calculate the height of the rubber profile, you need to multiply 175 mm by 0.7 (this is 70% divided by 100). The profile height is 122.5 mm.

You can decipher a car’s VIN code yourself, or you can use online services.

Calculation of diameter (conversion from inches to cm or mm)

Calculation of the total wheel diameter (disc + tires)

The car's passport indicates what size wheels can be installed on this model. These are: R13, R14.

If you install 15-inch wheels on this car and tires that are not low profile, then on bumps during shock absorption the rubber treads will touch the wheel arch liners or the wings themselves.

If you still decide to install R15 wheels, then you need to choose the following tires:

• 185/55 R15;
• 190/50 R15 (this option needs to be checked to see if the width is suitable or not).

Classification of disks by manufacturing method:

Stamped wheels 14th radius

Classic stamped wheels for VAZ

Any stamped wheel disk consists of two parts - the disk itself, which is made of sheet steel from a special reinforcing profile, and also the rim. These two parts are connected using spot welding. Next, the metal surface is rubbed, polished, paint and a protective coating (enamel and varnish) are applied.

Looking ahead, let's say that one of the main advantages of stamped rims is the ability to repair them. In particular, rolling. This procedure is performed at a service station using special equipment. In addition, the owner of a car with stamped wheels must remember that they require regular care and monitoring of their condition . In particular, it is necessary to constantly monitor the absence of chips on their surface, the absence of rust and other mechanical damage. If they are found, carry out repair work as soon as possible!

According to statistics, stamped wheels are the most common not only in the CIS countries, but throughout the world. The reason is that their price is 2…3 times cheaper than their cast counterparts, and also has a greater load capacity.

Manufacturers of steel rims

There are several trusted manufacturers of stamped wheel rims for VAZ cars. Among them:

• EuroDisk . Discs under this brand are produced by EurasiaTAPO-Disk CJSC (Fergana, Uzbekistan). This is an Uzbek-English enterprise, based on the former Tashkent Aviation Production Association named after. V. P. Chkalova (TAPO). The production volume of the enterprise is about 1 million wheels per year.
• KFZ _ Discs of this brand are produced at enterprises that are part of the ALCAR . The high quality of the discs is confirmed by the fact that they are supplied to the world's largest automakers. In particular, Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Citroen, Daewoo, Dacia, Daihatsu, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Iveco, Jaguar, Kia, Lancia, Landrover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes- Benz, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Rover, Saab, Seat, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo.
• Mefro . The company's production facilities are located in Germany and South Korea. Discs released under this brand are of high quality. This is confirmed by statistics - the company produces more than 22 million discs per year. Their advantages are the absence of radial runout, the ability to withstand a side impact while maintaining pressure in a tubeless tire, and the presence of a protective layer of zinc and aluminum powder on the surface. The only indirect disadvantage is the fact that there are currently a large number of fakes on the market.
• VAZ . They also produce wheels for their cars directly at the plant itself. They belong to the middle and lower price category with mediocre quality of the products themselves.
• KrKZ (“Kremenchug Wheel Plant”, Ukraine, Kremenchug). It produces cold-formed steel wheels and wheels for cars and agricultural machinery. The products are of high quality and low price.

When choosing a particular manufacturer, you need to proceed from the ratio of quality and price. Naturally, European manufacturers sell their products at a slightly higher price, but their quality is also better. With domestic discs it's the other way around. But when buying imported goods, there is always a risk of purchasing a fake . This is especially true for discs in the high price category. Therefore, buy products only from trusted and certified stores.

Advantages and disadvantages of stamping

The manufacturing technology described above implies that 14-radius wheels on a VAZ have the following advantages:

• low price (about 20% cheaper than cast ones);
• ease of manufacture;
• possibility of repair;
• in the event of a significant impact, the disc is not destroyed, but only deformed, which significantly increases the safety of the car when driving at high speed;
• the stamped wheel absorbs most of the impact, thus protecting the suspension and steering system;
• use of standard mounting bolts (alloy wheels often use individual elements).

However, stamped wheels are not without their drawbacks. These include:

The appearance of the discs is hidden behind the caps

• unsightly appearance (stamped discs are often covered with various decorative caps);
• greater mass than alloy wheels, which affects the dynamic characteristics of the car and also places additional load on the car’s suspension;
• discs are susceptible to corrosion, which reduces their strength and service life;
• difficult balancing due to the fact that they “walk” along the axis;
• stamped wheels hold the road worse at speeds of 80-90 km/h and above, which is caused by their greater mass and, accordingly, inertia.

However, the balance of advantages and disadvantages of stamped discs is still shifted in a positive direction . They are very common in the domestic and foreign automotive industry. Especially among commercial and budget vehicles. We will move on to comparing stamped and cast wheels at the end of the next section, after we look at cast wheels.

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On domestic VAZs of the Samara family (VAZ models from 2108 to 2112), you can install not only standard 13-inch wheels, but also their analogues of increased diameter (14 and 15 inches). However, when making such a decision, it is necessary to take into account several nuances - manufacturer tolerances, the use of low-profile tires, stem dimensions, and others. In addition, you need to make a choice in favor of stamped (steel) or cast (alloy) wheels. We will tell you in detail about all the details of the choice.

Stamped and cast wheels R14

Alloy wheels for fourteen

The production of cast wheels, as their name implies, is based on the use of casting metal alloys into special prepared molds. Engineers use an alloy of aluminum and magnesium as the starting material. It does not rust, does not rot, and is lighter than steel. Let us briefly touch upon the issue of mass. Many are convinced that cast wheels are much lighter than stamped ones. This is partly true, but there are nuances.

Alloy wheels come in a variety of shapes

The fact is that the alloy of aluminum and magnesium is light, but fragile. Therefore, when in the 90s of the last century the first such samples began to appear in the vastness of our country, soon many car owners were faced with a situation where, when driving on domestic roads with a large number of holes, they simply cracked. Manufacturers drew the appropriate conclusions and simply increased the amount of alloy used to produce each disc, thus increasing their mechanical strength. However, this affected the mass, increasing it. Therefore, today the difference in weight between four stamped and alloy wheels is only 10…12 kg . Thus, one should not expect a significant increase in dynamic indicators.

Many car owners think that 14-radius alloy wheels on a VAZ will significantly increase the price of the car. In fact, the high cost of a car is often due to the presence, in addition to alloy wheels, of climate control, parking sensors, cruise control and other additional systems that create comfort for the driver and passengers.

Next, let's look at the advantages of 14-inch alloy wheels on a VAZ:

• Beauty and style. Nowadays you can buy alloy wheels in a variety of shapes.
• Reduced weight. As described above, the difference is small, but it is there. This factor ensures less load on the suspension, faster recovery of the trajectory at speed (less inertia, which has a positive effect on the car’s handling at speed), lower fuel consumption, and less wear on the brake pads.
• Easier balancing. Typically, alloy wheels themselves are stiffer, so they hold their shape better.

But if there are positive aspects, then there must be negative ones. These include:

• Because. Since alloy wheels do not bend, but crack, they cannot be driven at high speed on bad roads. Unfortunately, for our country this parameter is critical. Especially if you use budget drives.
• Unsuitable for repair. In some cases, alloy disks are soldered, but in any case, after such a procedure, their mechanical strength will be lower than the original one.
• When hitting a bump on the road, they transfer its energy to the suspension, which is harmful to its components and the system as a whole.
• Servicing alloy wheels is more expensive, since the procedure itself for removing and installing rubber costs more. In addition, balancing weights are also more expensive.
• Alloy wheels are used on light and medium-duty vehicles. So, they are never used on trucks. This is due to their fragility.

In accordance with traffic regulations, a car with wheels that differ significantly from the factory ones cannot pass inspection. However, as practice shows, traffic police officers are calm about 14-diameter alloy wheels. But the 15th may already cause disapproval on their part.

Next, as promised, we will draw conclusions whether it is worth using alloy wheels on a VAZ of 14 diameters or whether you can get by with standard stamped ones.

Parameters of standard nuts and bolts

M12x1.25 bolts were used as fasteners in the VAZ-2107. As a replacement, you can use studs with nuts. Both bolts and nuts have a pressure shaped surface under their heads. The choice of nuts and bolts according to the shape of the clamping surface is made in accordance with the shape of the seat of the mounting points on the disk being installed. The use of fasteners that do not comply with this requirement is unacceptable.

The material of alloy wheels is much softer than steel. For this reason, an increase in the contact area with the clamping surface of the fastener is required. But, even if everything is selected and tightened correctly, during the first time of operation you should regularly tighten the bolts or nuts until the metal has completely settled and compacted in the drilling areas.

Is it worth using alloy wheels on a 14-inch VAZ?

Small disc ensures a comfortable ride

Let's start by discussing diameter. In this regard, it is worth saying the most important thing - the smaller the disc diameter among those allowed by the automaker, the more comfortable and safe the ride will be . Agree that for domestic roads this indicator is far from the last when making a decision. The use of a larger-diameter disc and low-profile tires means that on bad roads the suspension will experience additional stress and passengers will experience discomfort. In addition, the risk of damage to the tire and/or disk increases, which can end very tragically at speed.

Now let's move on to discussing materials. Similar reasoning holds here. Stamped discs are softer and safer . They are repairable, and if damaged, even at speed you will not lose control of the car. However, when using them, you have to sacrifice the beauty and increased inertia of the machine. Alloy wheels, on the other hand, are much more beautiful, but are also prone to failure. Therefore, if you live in an area with very bad roads, we strongly advise against using alloy wheels. Especially driving them through pits at high speed.

Thus, you must make your own choice based on the information provided. As always, the truth is in the middle. If you want to tune your car, then there is no problem with this. But remember that 14-gauge alloy wheels are more fragile. Be sure to obey the speed limit while driving, especially on bad roads. But on good surfaces the car will hold the road better and corner more smoothly. Therefore, the decision must be made based on the operating conditions of the machine .

How do they look

Almost everyone can imagine what stamped wheels look like, since stampings are currently the most common car wheels - about 70 percent of cars use them. And also almost all commercial vehicles are equipped with stamps.

Many consider the appearance of stamped wheels to be their main disadvantage. Indeed, they do not have such a variety of designs as their forged and cast counterparts, and they are all similar to each other. Only the colors can differ radically.

Life time

The level of wear resistance of stamped discs is strongly influenced by two indicators:

• disc deformation while driving;
• corrosion.