Picking Your Next Pair of Rims
You love your car, right? Sure you do. That’s why you take so much pride in making it look as awesome as possible.
Tricking out your ride is one of the most satisfying parts of owning a car. In fact, you could invest a fortune in adding on performance upgrades and other details that will make it turn heads out on the road.
When you’re shopping for your next pair of rims, you need to know exactly what to buy for your car. This article takes a look at what to look for in your next pair of car rims so that you get the most for your money. Keep reading to learn all the important details.
1. Bolt Pattern
Buying rims that match the bolt pattern for your axle is crucial. After all, if the bolt pattern doesn’t match, you won’t be able to mount your rim on your vehicle.
This is important to keep in mind as you shop around. In some cases, you can use adapters that will convert the bolt pattern to your ride, but there’s really no reason to take a chance when you can simply look for wheels that were designed for your axle.
2. Diameter
The next thing to keep in mind is the diameter of the rim. One of the key things to remember about diameter is that large-diameter rims are more expensive than smaller-diameter rims.
You should also keep in mind that not every rim will fit every tire. For example, if you currently have 17-inch-diameter rims, the biggest tire you could upgrade to would be a 35-incher.
But you should also consider the fact that 17-inch rims currently offer the widest range of tire options on the market today. That gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to upgrading to some pretty sweet tires on your vehicle.
3. Width
The third thing to know about when choosing rims is the width. Again, not every rim will fit every car or every size of tire.
Most manufacturers recommend purchasing wheels that are 2-3 inches narrow than your tire. That’s why it’s important to read your owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer in order to identify the idea wheel width for your ride.
4. Offset
Offset is a specification on a rim that refers to the mounting surface relative to the centerline of the rim. For example, a zero offset places have the rim on each side of the mountain surface.
It’s important to note that positive offset results in a mounting surface that are closer to the outside of the rim, while the opposite is true when using a negative offset.
5. Load Rating
Rims are load rated just like tires. This rating is primarily a function of the bolt pattern and overall rim construction. For example, steel rims typically have a lower rating that cast aluminum rims, and forged rims generally come with the highest load rating.
Tips for Choosing the Best Pair of Rims for Your Vehicle
Buying a new pair of rims for your ride can be fun. Fortunately, these tips can make your shopping experience a bit faster and easier.
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