Editing Wheel (section)

==Construction==
{{about|the structure of a wheel|the making of wire-spoked wheels|Wheelbuilding|the making of non-wire spoked wheels|Wheel construction|section=yes}}

=== Rim ===
{{main|Rim (wheel)}}
[[File:AluminumWheel spoke design.jpg|thumb|An [[Aluminium|aluminum]] [[alloy wheel]]]]
The '''rim''' is the "outer edge of a wheel, holding the tire".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fUE0bazkcxAC&pg=PA722 |title=The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus |first=Elizabeth |last=Jewel |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-530715-3 |page=722 |access-date=2012-01-04 |archive-date=4 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504123938/https://books.google.com/books?id=fUE0bazkcxAC&pg=PA722 |url-status=live}}</ref> It makes up the outer circular design of the wheel on which the inside edge of the [[tire]] is mounted on vehicles such as [[automobile]]s. For example, on a [[bicycle wheel]] the [[rim (wheel)|rim]] is a large hoop attached to the outer ends of the spokes of the wheel that holds the tire and tube.

In the 1st millennium&nbsp;BCE an [[iron]] rim was introduced around the wooden wheels of [[chariot]]s.

===Hub===
The hub is the center of the wheel, and typically houses a [[bearing (mechanical)|bearing]], and is where the spokes meet.

A [[hubless wheel]] (also known as a rim-rider or centerless wheel) is a type of wheel with no center [[wikt:hub|hub]]. More specifically, the hub is actually almost as big as the wheel itself. The [[axle]] is hollow, following the wheel at very close [[Engineering tolerance|tolerances]].

=== Spokes ===
{{main|spoke}}
[[File:Wheel Iran.jpg|thumb|A spoked wheel on display at The [[National Museum of Iran]], in [[Tehran]]. The wheel is dated to the late 2nd millennium&nbsp;BCE and was excavated at [[Choqa Zanbil]].|left]]

A ''spoke'' is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a wheel (the [[Bicycle hub|hub]] where the [[axle]] connects), connecting the hub with the round traction surface. The term originally referred to portions of a log which had been split lengthwise into four or six sections. The radial members of a wagon wheel were made by carving a spoke (from a log) into their finished shape. A [[spokeshave]] is a [[tool]] originally developed for this purpose. Eventually, the term spoke was more commonly applied to the finished product of the [[wheelwright]]'s work, than to the materials used.

====Wire====
{{main|wire wheel}}
The [[Rim (wheel)|rims]] of ''wire wheels'' (or "wire spoked wheels") are connected to their hubs by wire [[spoke]]s. Although these [[wire]]s are generally stiffer than a typical [[wire rope]], they function mechanically the same as [[tension (physics)|tensioned]] flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads.

Wire wheels are used on most [[bicycle]]s and still used on many [[motorcycles]]. They were invented by aeronautical engineer [[George Cayley]] and first used in bicycles by [[James Starley]]. A process of assembling wire wheels is described as [[wheelbuilding]].

===Tire/Tyre===
{{main|tire|motorcycle tire|bicycle tire}}
[[File:BMW tire.jpg|thumb|A wheel with car tire made by [[BMW]] company]]
A '''tire''' (in [[American English]] and [[Canadian English]]) or '''tyre''' (in some [[English in the Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth Nations]] such as UK, [[India]], [[South Africa]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]]) is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel [[Rim (wheel)|rim]] to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground. The word itself may be derived from the word "tie", which refers to the outer steel ring part of a wooden cart wheel that ties the wood segments together (see [[#Terminology|Etymology]] above).

The fundamental materials of modern tires are [[synthetic rubber]], [[natural rubber]], fabric, and wire, along with other compound chemicals. They consist of a tread and a body. The tread provides [[Traction (engineering)|traction]] while the body ensures support. Before rubber was invented, the first versions of tires were simply bands of metal that fitted around wooden wheels to prevent wear and tear. Today, the vast majority of tires are [[pneumatic]] [[inflatable structure]]s, comprising a doughnut-shaped body of cords and wires encased in rubber and generally filled with compressed air to form an inflatable cushion. Pneumatic tires are used on many types of vehicles, such as [[car]]s, [[bicycle]]s, [[motorcycles]], [[truck]]s, [[Heavy equipment (construction)|earthmovers]], and [[aircraft]].

===Protruding or covering attachments===
Extreme [[Off-roading|off-road]] conditions have resulted in the invention of several types of wheel cover, which may be constructed as removable attachments or as permanent covers. Wheels like this are no longer necessarily round, or have panels that make the ground-contact area flat.

Examples include:
*[[Snow chains]] - Specially designed chain assemblies that wrap around the tire to provide increased grip, designed for deep snow.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=?p=snow+chains |title=Examples of snow chains |access-date=6 December 2020 |archive-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212164743/https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=?p=snow+chains |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Dreadnaught wheel]] - A type of permanently attached hinged panels for general extreme off-road use. These are not connected directly to the wheels, but to each other.
*[[Pedrail wheel]] - A system of rails that holds panels that hold the vehicle. These do not necessarily have to be built as a circle (wheel) and are thus also a form of [[Continuous track]].
*A version of the above examples (name unknown to the writer) was commonly used on heavy [[artillery]] during [[World War I]]. Specific examples: [[Cannone da 149/35 A]] and the [[Big Bertha (howitzer)|Big Bertha]]. These were panels that were connected to each other by multiple hinges and could be installed over a contemporary wheel.
*[[Continuous track]] - A system of linked and hinged chains/panels that cover multiple wheels in a way that allows the vehicles mass to be distributed across the space between wheels that are positioned in front of / behind other wheels.
*"Tire totes" - A bag designed to cover a tire to improve traction in deep snow.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://tires.tirerack.com/tires/Tote |title=Examples of "tire totes" |access-date=6 December 2020 |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517200408/https://tires.tirerack.com/tires/Tote |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://shop.tesla.com/product/tire-tote |title=Another example of "tire totes" |access-date=6 December 2020 |archive-date=3 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103071434/https://shop.tesla.com/product/tire-tote |url-status=live }}</ref>
Truck and bus wheels may block (stop rotating) under certain circumstances, such as brake system failure. To help detect this, they sometimes feature "wheel rotation indicators": colored strips of plastic attached to the rim and protruding out from it, such that they can be seen by the driver in the [[side-view mirror]]s. These devices were invented and patented in 1998 by a Canadian truck shop owner.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Here Is What Those Strips Hanging Off Of Truck Wheels Are For |url=https://jalopnik.com/here-is-what-those-strips-hanging-off-of-truck-wheels-a-1848314282 |access-date=2022-01-07 |website=Jalopnik |language=en-us |archive-date=7 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107161233/https://jalopnik.com/here-is-what-those-strips-hanging-off-of-truck-wheels-a-1848314282 |url-status=live }}</ref>