I do not mean to start an argument, but does it annoy anyone else when wheels are referred to as "rims"? It's been something that has bothered me more and more as an increasing number of people use the terminology interchangeably.

A "rim" is:

2 a : the outer part of a wheel joined to the hub usually by spokes b : a removable outer metal band on an automobile wheel to which the tire is attached

Or put simply a rim is a part of a wheel not the wheel itself. I used to attribute it to automotive ignorance, but I have increasingly heard more and more knowledgeable people doing the same, and frankly its annoying. I know i am a stickler for clarity in speech but this is kind of a biggie it would be like calling an engine a block or a sway bar a "track bar" it can lead to very confusing discussions.

Does this bother anyone else or am i the only one annoyed by this terminological inexactitude?

 

Doesn't really bother me. I know what they are talking about. Kind of like saying a cement truck, or telephone pole. It's a concrete truck and a utility pole. I usually correct people with those two and laugh. Oh-well.

 

Also, I have a feeling this thread will be moved soon. So, you are kind of in the wrong here too.

 

Been in the car industry for 12 years now and sadly most refer to them as rims now a days. When I hear the word rims what comes to mind are 20+ inch spoke wheels for some reason .

 

I hate when they call them dubbs.

 

used the term "rims" back in the 80's. wheels are what came stock, rims are what were added aftermarket.

is it a slang term, maybe. is it wrong. not at all. same as calling a carbonated beverage in the north a soda, and in the south its a coke. dont matter the flavor. your circle just doesnt use the term, my circle does

 

It's pretty clear what people mean when they use the word "rim" in an automotive setting. I don't see where the potential for confusion lies.

 

 

People that don't really know what they are talking about tend to use the names wrong at times. While the use of rim doesn't bother me in the least I think it is used because the rim is where the diameter of the wheel is measured... So bro ends up with 22 inch rims on his ride.

 

I agree. I am in the south but grew up in the west. I have heard factory wheels and after market rims, to clarify that they different. By the way out west it is called a pop, kinda confusing when I got to the south. Thought I was talking about my dad and not a soda. The coke thing in the south kills me.