Alloy wheels, benefits only!

Published on June 21, 2016 in Tires by The Car Guide Partner

Article produced by the PMCtire.com team

You've all heard a friend, a neighbour, or a colleague bragging about the new "rims" he installed on his car. Enhanced look and improved road grip are only some of the benefits that motivate car owners to buy alloy wheels. And you? Do you really know all the benefits of owning alloy wheels?

Save money on mounting and balancing

First of all, there is the practical side: your vehicle is originally sold with a basic set of tires and wheels already mounted. At each change of season, you have to go to a garage to get your tires removed, install another set of tires and balance the new wheels.

When you purchase an extra set of alloy wheels, you only have to do this once, and you are good to go: install your winter tires on the original wheels, and your all-season tires on your new alloy wheels. No more money spent on wheel balancing every change of season, since you will have two complete sets of wheels and tires, already assembled. Want to save even more? Since the wheel balancing has been done, you can now, with a jack and a wrench, install your set of wheels and tires yourself!

A great way to personalize your car

Second, there is, of course... the look! You bought your vehicle with steel wheels and wheel covers, or alloy wheels. In most cases, these wheels are not very attractive; they have a smaller diameter and can make your vehicle less interesting. A set of larger-diameter alloy wheels could make your vehicle more appealing, while giving it a sportier or more refined look. It's one of the most impactful ways of doing automobile customization, yet one of the simplest.

You can choose from thousands of designs, colours, finishes, sizes, and alloys to make your car unique and suit your image. A tip: leave the original wheels on your winter tires, because they are more likely to get damaged by salt, and install alloy wheels in the summer for a look that is sure to turn heads!

Better handling

Third, alloy wheels with a larger diameter can improve your vehicle's handling and road behaviour in general. You will see a big difference in the curves, because by enlarging the diameter of the wheel, you will lower the tires’ position, making them less susceptible to distortion caused by the centrifugal force. You can also, to some extent, buy larger alloy wheels than your original ones. Larger wheels will further improve the car road grip, because a larger area of rubber is in contact with the ground. And ... an alloy wheel means a lighter wheel! Your fuel consumption could be reduced because your engine needs to make less effort to rotate them.

An asset for your vehicle!

The alloy wheels are therefore an investment to consider when buying a new car, or even when you change tires. However, you still need to ask a professional for advice on choosing the right alloy wheels for your vehicle, and above all, ensure compliance with the manufacturer's specifications on the overall diameter of the tire / wheel assembly.

Not taking such specifications into account may change the speed displayed by your speedometer in addition to skew your mileage recorded data. Find the wheels that will fits your vehicle on PMCTire.com.