Alloy wheels

An alloy wheel is a wheel made from aluminium or magnesium alloy. Alloy wheels are lighter than steel wheels and so performance is increased. Alloy wheels are becoming increasingly popular and so most manufacturers fit these as standard on their new cars or offer an option to upgrade to them.

Aftermarket wheels

Many companies sell aftermarket alloy wheels due to the popular demand from the street racing and cruising crowd. Some of the most popular include Wolfrace, BK racing, and fox racing. Alloy wheels are more expensive than ordinary steel or plastic wheels. Because of the price they are popular in the hip hop and r and b scene with rappers talking about having 30 inch chrome rims as a sign of wealth and prosperity.

Why fit alloy wheels?

There are two benefits with fitting alloy wheels. The first is performance. Most alloy wheels are lighter than normal steel wheels and so performance will be increased.

The second is looks. Any car no matter what it is will look better with alloy wheels over hub caps, so long as they are not over the top. If you are into showing off your car and competing at shows then it’s an absolute must.

The Downsides

The main downside to having alloy wheels is that your insurance will be higher as the car or the alloys are at more risk of being stolen. The larger and shinier your rims are the more likely your car will fall victim to car thieves.

The second drawback is that if you have big rims and low profile tyres they are at more risk of being damaged when driving over bumpy roads and potholes etc. Cleaning will take longer, especially if the wheel has a lot of spokes so be prepared to spend a couple hours a week cleaning them.

Final advice

Buy alloys that you like and think suit your car. Everyone has their own opinion so don’t be influenced too much about what other people say.

Chrome rims look great but take a lot more cleaning, are heavier, and if curbed look ugly when the chrome is chiselled off.

Author: Jim Haskard – More auto articles can be found at www.cruisegb.com