Most people buy a car, drive it off the lot, and don’t give a second thought to the wheels. But custom rims are a must-have for some people. Maybe they want rims with a different style or colour. Or maybe you’re having a custom car made, and you’re very picky about the wheels you want on it.
No matter why, you should know what the different kinds of rims are. You should also know how much a set of rims will cost you. You could get in an accident and need new wheels. Or, you might want to give your car or truck a facelift.
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Here, we’ll talk about what makes steel wheels different from alloy wheels. We’ll also talk about where to buy wheels if you want to get the most for your money.
What Factors Affect the Price of New Rims?
There are a few things to think about when you want to buy new or replacement rims for your car or truck. The price of new rims and how easy it is to get them depend on a few things:
What kind of car you drive – The harder it will be to find wheels for your car, the more unique it is. Also, the price will go up. For example, rims for a Corvette will cost more than rims for a Ford Taurus.
The year your car was made – For older cars, it can be hard to find new wheels. For example, if you have an old car, it might be hard to find new wheels. And you may end up paying a lot more than you would for a newer car.
Size: It may seem obvious, but the bigger the car, the bigger the wheels need to be. Getting bigger wheels will cost more.
Type of Wheels – You’ll need to decide between steel and alloy wheels. Because they are harder to make, the alloy rims cost more. But they do come in more colours and finishes than before.
Finish: If you want a simple finish, new rims might not cost that much. But if you want a custom finish or a brushed finish, it will cost you a lot.
Now that we know what affects the price, let’s talk about the main types of rims.
What is the Difference Between Alloy and Steel Rims?
Steel and alloy are the two main types of rims. Steel wheels are exactly what you think they are. Steel is used to make them. They are not as fancy as alloy wheels and cost a lot less. Because they are so much easier to make. They don’t come in very many colours either.
Aluminum is used to make the parts of alloy wheels. Because of this, they cost a lot more. Also, they are made in different ways. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and finishes. If you want your car to look unique, you should spend the extra money on alloy rims.
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There are different prices. We couldn’t tell you how much the rims would cost for your particular car. But size is a big thing to think about. Prices go up slowly for wheels with a diameter between 15 and 18 inches. The price of 18-inch wheels isn’t that much higher than the price of 15-inch wheels. But the price goes up a lot when you start looking for 20′′ to 22′′ wheels. In fact, the price difference between 20″ and 22″ rims is huge.
It’s a Lot More Money to Customize Your Rims
You won’t want to spend a lot of money if you get into an accident and only need to replace a couple of rims. It will depend on the wheels you already have. If you have steel rims, it won’t cost you much to replace the ones that are broken. But if you already have alloy rims, you’d have to buy a whole new set of steel wheels or just replace the damaged rims.
Customizing rims, on the other hand, can be more expensive. If how your wheels look is more important to you, you might want to go with alloy rims. So many colours are available. Steel wheels only come in black, white, and grey, but alloy wheels come in almost every colour.
The way alloy rims are made is also different. They come in many different finishes. You can even get rims that have the best features of both types. How much you want to spend will be the deciding factor. What kind of car you have will also be a factor.
Rims Are Made Differently Too
Steel rims are pretty easy to make. There are many ways to make alloy rims. Most alloy wheels are made with a cast, which is also the cheapest way to make them. They take molten metal and pour it into a mould that looks like your wheels. After they let it dry, they put it on your car.
The most expensive wheels are alloy rims that are made from a single piece of metal. One piece of aluminium is used to make them. Then, a special machine turns them into cylinders and gives them their shape. They last longer, fit better, and are stronger than other kinds of rims. If you can afford to spend a few hundred dollars more, it’s worth it. Even if you don’t pay extra for a fancy colour or finish, alloy wheels are a much better choice.
They can also make wheels with several pieces. There are two or three pieces that are forged together to make these. Because this takes a lot more work and skill, it costs a lot more. No matter what type of alloy rims you choose, you can still choose from many different colours and finishes.
Almost any colour can be used to make alloy wheels. They also come with different finishes, such as:
Powder-coated
The paint was on
Clear-coat
Chrome-covered
Chromed with PVD
Polished
Machined
Keep in mind that the polish will cost more money the more complicated it is. Wheels can cost a few hundred dollars. Or, you can buy rims that cost several thousand dollars.
Where Should You Buy Your Rims?
When it’s time to buy new wheels, you’ll have to make a choice. Do you want to buy them from the manufacturer (OEM) or do you want after-market rims? There are many ways in which the two are different.
OEM wheels are made by the company that made the car. If you have a Chevy, you will get your new wheels from a Chevy dealer. If you drive a Ford, your replacement wheels would come from Chevy. But if you want to save a little money, you might want to buy your new wheels from a dealer who sells after-market parts.
OEM wheels cost more money for a few reasons:
They are checked for safety.
They get an official stamp of approval.
They are controlled by the people who make cars.
You don’t get these guarantees when you buy aftermarket wheels. You might end up with wheels that aren’t good at all, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But, most of the time, you’ll get good wheels no matter where you buy them. So, why not get them if you can get them for a lot less?
If you want to save money on wheels, you should go to a wholesaler or store that sells wheels. You might even be able to find them in a department store or auto parts store. Just remember that you pay for what you get. You don’t need anything fancy unless you want to really customise your car. You just need safe wheels that will let your car move.
Never Buy New Rims from a Dealership
One piece of advice: never buy rims from a car dealership. Most of the time, when you buy a new car, they will try to sell you better wheels. The problem is that they charge too much for these wheels. They know you can’t wait to drive away in a nice car. If they think you like the wheels, they will try to get you to use them. And you might want to buy some. Don’t. You can drive off the lot and buy the same stock wheels and rims from other after-market sellers.
And remember, you don’t even have to buy new rims if you just want to replace rims that are broken. You can always go to a junkyard and look for wheels that fit your car. Or, call a mechanic near you. Sometimes they have cheap wheels that are already on other cars and ready to sell. They will not only sell them to you, but they will also mount them for you at a reasonable price. Just make sure you don’t get taken advantage of.
Sources: https://micdot.com
Category: Car
