Section 181 (Tires & Wheels): Wheels: Description: Wheel

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Fig 1: Identifying Wheel/Rim Design

Courtesy of CHRYSLER LLC

All vehicles use either steel or cast aluminum drop center wheels. The original equipment wheels are designed for proper operation at all loads up to the specified maximum vehicle capacity.

Every wheel has raised sections between the rim flanges (1) and drop well (3) called safety humps (2). In case of air loss, these raised sections help hold the tire in position on the wheel until the vehicle can be brought to a safe stop. When being installed on the wheel, initial inflation of the tire forces the tire bead over these raised sections into place.

The wheel studs and nuts are designed for specific wheel applications and must be replaced with equivalent parts. Do not use replacement parts of lesser quality or of a substitute design. All aluminum and steel wheels have wheel stud nuts with an enlarged nose. This enlarged nose is necessary to ensure proper retention of the wheels.