Alloy Wheels
As we all know, alloy wheels can transform a car instantly and dramatically! Replacing your car’s factory fitted 14” steel wheels (and plastic trims) with a striking set of aggressive ‘rims’ can transform your car’s appearance from runabout to ‘coolmobile’!
Until fairly recently, the vast majority of new cars came off the production line with standard 14” or 15” steel wheels and a plastic cover for purely aesthetic purposes (steel wheels are strong and durable, but oh-so-ugly, hence the plastic trims).
Higher end motors, on the other hand, have increasingly been offered with 16” or 17” alloy wheels as standard. Why? It’s simple – alloy wheels enhance a car’s appearance massively. The right set can give your car that prestigious finish and a wider, more aggressive stance. They can also improve handling and performance, as the alloys are considerably lighter and wider than steel wheels.
Nowadays the marketplace is saturated with alloy wheel suppliers, which means they have become more and more affordable. Add to that a growing number of cheap tyre manufacturers and it’s obvious why alloys have become so popular.
In order to make the most striking visual impact, ‘modified’ cars will commonly have the largest, widest rims possible. However, caution is advised! Most vehicles have limits as to what size wheel they can accommodate - if the rim diameter is too big, tyre scraping can damage the car’s wheel arches.
Design patterns vary hugely so it’s worth spending plenty of time looking around. Some suppliers use computer software to generate ‘virtual’ pictures of your own car sporting your chosen alloys, giving you a good idea of how the car will look before you pay!
Alternatively there is the Replica Alloy. This type is common where car owners want to raise the profile of their car without deviating too much from the original factory finish. As an example, ‘original’ BMW alloy wheels (let’s say 17” versions) may cost around £600 per wheel from a BMW dealership. That’s without tyres! ‘Replicas’ of these alloys (near perfect copies) sell for a fraction of that cost, even if you include the cost of tyres. You may be lucky enough to find a complete new set of 4 replicas, with tyres, for around £550. Even the most trained eye will struggle to spot the difference between a ‘genuine’ alloy and the replica version.
The affordable, ‘prestige’ image offered by alloys is so effective that many used car dealers now fit new alloys to older cars in order to create a higher spec appeal, and boost the selling price of a previously standard model.
Whichever style you choose, here are a couple of tips for those on a tight budget:
1. Use caution when considering second hand alloys – they sometimes have damage that cannot be easily seen with the naked eye. Hairline cracks and buckles are dangerous, particularly at speed.
2. Tyres – most alloys need larger tyres, adding to the overall cost of the new wheels. Be sensible here – remember your tyres are the only part of your car in contact with the road!