Wheels and T'ars

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

How can one resist this amusing little debate?

Without first looking it up in the only true dictionary of English (O E D) 
I speculate as follows:

Wheel: a generic term encompassing a wide variety of circular devices. Gear 
wheel, steering wheel, Ferris wheel, vehicle wheel etc; "Wheel" has meaning 
only in context. There is no single correct useage, even if one restricts 
oneself to referring to motor vehicles. A wheel consists of the entire 
assembly, though occasionally it consists of one piece. This would include 
the hub, spokes or wheel center, rim and cover, all rolling down the road 
as primitive man might first have envisioned (assuming the first wheel 
really was for this purpose, which is by no means established)

Rim: in the context of a wheel, the extreme outer edge, though not if the 
wheel has a tire or tyre mounted thereon as the tire is then the  extreme 
outer edge. In the case of a wheel with a separate tire (sometimes 
pronounced t'ar as bes' as I can figger) the rim would be the attachment 
surface for the tire. Wooden wagon or carriage wheels were often made with 
an iron or steel tire. Early motor vehicle wheels had their rims protected 
by "covers", a quaint British term for a rubber and canvas composite 
structure later universally referred to as a tire, or more correctly 
"tyre", though earlier in the development of the pneumatic tire, it was 
merely a cover for the steel or iron tire that held the cover on.

Hub: the center of a wheel around which the entire structure rotates, 
permitting performance of its intended function (please note correct 
useage: no apostrophe on the possessive).

Spoke: a suspending structure connecting the rim to the hub. Commonly 
misunderstood by lay people to be a compression structure. Formerly this 
may have been partly so but with the advent of metal wheels spokes were 
designed to operate purely in tension. Latterly, the partial compression 
function has been restored although one can be forgiven for failing to 
notice the spokes in modern alloy rims.

Please note that some modern alloy wheels do indeed have separate rims ( 
preferably machined forgings) from the combined hub/spoke casting (or 
sometimes a forging).

And so to the OED: I thought so, no definition of "wheel" excludes or 
includes any particular parts thereof. "Wheel" is a relative term to be 
construed in context.

Fascinating tidbit, the OED still defines "tire" as a "band of metal placed 
round the rim to strengthen it" whereas a "tyre", alternatively spelled as 
"tire", is defined as "a.... rubber ring placed round wheel of vehicle to 
prevent jarring"  ( so those wide low profile tires just don't qualify 
...so to speak). "Cover" still includes the quaint definition: outer case 
of a pneumatic tire, thus differentiating it from the inner tube.

I just can't help liking the old British terms for the assembly: a "road 
wheel" which consisted of the central hub, spokes, and rim ( or "disc" if 
the wheel was a solid one) inner tube and cover. The wheel was what you 
bolted the road wheel to, it never touched the ground while in motion, one 
hoped. This reminds one that the whole danged thing was an accidental 
invention. When Dunlop put the early covers on those bone shaker iron 
tires, no one foresaw the incredible road holding advance this represented. 
Wanna see just how big an advance the pneumatic cover was? Drive an indoor 
forklift hard through a shop with a concrete floor...woah baby, zero slip 
angles and no cornering force!

So call 'em whatever works for you in the context of your communication 
with your intended audience. And watch yer spelling eh? This post is 
intended to elicit a response or two, but anything illicit will be treated 
with the appropriate caution.

Cheers




Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
91 Alfa 164L, White, original owner

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