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Wheels of Fortune
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| How to Find Deals on Custom Wheels |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:55:16 |
| Rating |
 322 ( -22 -6.83% ) |
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Description:
Wheels of Fortune
How to Find Deals on Custom Wheels
By Bruce Caldwell
Custom wheels are great for
anyone who wants to quickly and easily improve the looks of their vehicle. In this feature
we explore the many options for finding a great deal.
Hubcaps are for taxi cabs, wheel
covers are for base model cars, and custom wheels (also known as alloy, aluminum, or
chrome wheels) are for high-performance cars, luxury cars, and anyone who wants to quickly
and easily improve the looks of their vehicle. Custom wheels used to be primarily an
aftermarket product. Then auto manufacturers realized that they could tap into a lucrative
market and make their cars look better in the bargain. Custom wheels are so pervasive that
it's not uncommon to see alloy wheels on minivans and economy cars these days.
Since alloy wheels have become so
commonplace, many people are again turning to aftermarket companies for more distinctive
wheels than the factory offerings. The variety of wheels is so immense that it can be
overwhelming. If you're new to the custom wheel scene or just want to find a great deal,
check out the following ways to get your wheels spinning.
FACTORY WHEELS: Standard
equipment or optional factory alloy wheels are often one of the best deals. You need to do
a little comparison shopping to be sure about factory wheels. The biggest problem with
factory-supplied alloy wheels is that you may want something different.
If factory alloy wheels come as
standard equipment, there isn't anything you can do about it. With the trend to larger
diameter wheels and lower profile, high-performance tires, you may get much more desirable
wheels and tires by stepping up a model or trim level. The cost difference between models
with 15- and 16-inch wheels shouldn't be the full cost of the more expensive wheels and
tires. The manufacturer has to give you some rolling-stock, so the increase should be
relative to the cost difference between the sizes. Remember that models with larger wheels
and tires frequently have suspension and brake upgrades included in the package.
Factory wheels are sometimes offered
in more than one finish. The current hot trend is chromed alloy wheels. Standard alloy
finishes include natural, clear-coated, and brushed. The natural finish wheels have a flat
silver appearance and they can be a little difficult to keep clean. Clear-coated wheels
have a durable, protective finish applied over the raw metal. They're easier to maintain,
unless the clear finish gets chipped or starts to peel. In those cases, the wheels will
need to be refinished. Brushed aluminum wheels have more of a textured look. Chrome wheels
are the easiest to keep clean as long as you keep them waxed. You don't want rust to form
on chrome wheels.
Factory custom wheels have the
advantage of being mounted and ready to go. You don't have to spend time shopping for
custom wheels and getting them installed. Mounting and balancing costs are usually in
addition to the price of aftermarket wheels.
Should you decide to change wheels
on a new car, consider doing it as soon as possible. If your factory wheels are virtually
new, the tire store may give you a decent trade-in value. The store will resell the wheels
which are known as "take-offs."
AFTERMARKET WHEELS: Check the
ads in any of the popular car magazines and you'll be amazed at the incredible selection
of custom wheels. When you realize that the wheels in the ads are only a sampling of
what's available, you may be overwhelmed. Fortunately, not all custom wheels fit all
vehicles. Many wheels are designed strictly for front-wheel drive cars, while others are
built for SUVs.
Prices can vary from less than a
hundred dollars per wheel to over a thousand dollars each. Wheels in the $150-$300
category can yield an excellent variety. Unless you have a very high performance car or
plan on racing, you probably won't get much benefit from the exotic wheels. On the other
hand, we don't recommend the super cheap wheels. Stick with modestly priced wheels from
well known, reputable companies. Check out their warranties. When shopping for aftermarket
wheels, it pays to compare tire stores and mail order companies. The mail order companies
can offer some excellent prices, but they're not as convenient as local sources. The big
mail order firms have the most extensive selections, but often local tire stores can
special order a particular wheel and have it for you in a matter of days.
WHEEL SIZES: Our advice for
people new to custom aftermarket wheels is to stick with the factory wheel sizes. If
you're only changing wheels, you need approximately the same size wheel to properly match
the tire width. If you change tire diameters, you will need to have the speedometer
re-calibrated.
Wider wheels and tires will improve
cornering, braking, and handling capabilities, but they may interfere with suspension
components. It's best to have an experienced performance wheel specialist assist you if
you want to run wider than stock wheels and tires.
Using wider wheels and tires may
mean using non-stock offsets and backspacing. Offset is the distance between the center of
the wheel and the mounting surface. A wheel with equal proportions on both sides of the
mounting surface is said to have zero offset. If more of the wheel is toward the outside
of the wheel well it's called negative offset. Negative offset wheels look deeply
recessed. If the majority of the wheel is back toward the suspension or brakes it's called
positive offset. Most modern high performance cars favor wide wheels with positive
offsets. Front-wheel drive cars are virtually always fitted with positive offset wheels.
Backspacing is the distance from the wheels mounting pad to the back (brake side) edge of
the wheel.
A popular trend is to increase the
wheel diameter, which means that you'll also need new tires. If your car was originally
fitted with 15-inch diameter wheels, you may want to move up to 16- or 17-inch wheels. The
key to making everything fit is to use lower profile (reduced sidewall height) tires. With
a lower profile tire, it's possible to increase the wheel diameter without changing the
overall tire diameter. This concept is known as Plus 1 or Plus 2 depending on how much
larger the new wheel is than the factory wheel.
USED WHEEL DEALS: Pre-owned
cars and trucks can look sharper and newer with the right wheels. The aftermarket wheels
apply to pre-owned vehicles as well as new ones. Installing the alloy wheels from a newer
model of the same vehicle works well. You can purchase these wheels through the dealership
parts department, but this isn't the most economical method. We previously mentioned new
car "take-offs" which can be excellent deals.
Wrecking yards know the value of
custom wheels, and they resell the salvageable ones. Prices at wrecking yards can vary
considerably. Carefully inspect any wrecking yard wheels for signs of damage. Ask if they
will exchange any wheels that the tire store says are defective before you buy.
Some people advertise their own
"take-off" wheels and tires in the classified ads. These wheels can be very
attractively priced. Be wary of prices that are too good to believe--the wheels may be
stolen. It's nice to see that the seller still owns the donor vehicle.
You can also find good bargains on
"take-off" wheels and tires in the small ads in the back of enthusiast
magazines. Companies that do limited edition conversion vehicles (e.g. Camaros, Mustangs,
pickups, and vans) frequently upgrade the wheels and tires. We've seen some excellent
deals on the original wheels and tires there.
FINISH UPGRADES: Sometimes
the cost differential between the factory plain alloy wheels and the chromed versions is
more than what it would cost to have your "plain" wheels chromed. There are
companies that specialize in chroming alloy wheels. Most of these companies will sell you
already chromed wheels and take your wheels, chrome them, and sell them later. This way
your car won't be out of commission while the wheels are chromed.
Standard alloy wheels can be custom
polished for a very shiny finish. Polishing aluminum is an extremely dirty, gritty job.
You can do it by hand, but you won't get anything near as nice as wheels polished with
specially designed equipment. You can find custom polishing firms yourself (big rig truck
drivers usually know of good local polishing sources) or tire stores can sublet the job.
Since tire stores get volume prices, they can be as cheap as having it done yourself. |
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