Top Tips for Upgrading Your Ride the Right Way
Is it time to upgrade your ride with a set of custom rims and wheels? Getting the right set for your vehicle is critical to its performance and your safety. You can’t just choose the first kind that catches your eye on the internet. If you’re ready to show off your style and refresh your vehicle, read this quick guide on what to consider when picking out custom wheels and tires.
Get the Right Wheels for Safety and Superior Handling
Of course you want your wheels to look good, but riding safely is a lot more important than riding in style. That’s why it’s essential that you find wheels and tires that fit your vehicle properly. Here are the three things you should look for when checking the fit of your custom wheels:
Overall Diameter
Your custom wheels and tires should always clear the braking components and other parts of your vehicle. This is important when you want to make your wheels bigger for a more stylish look, or make them smaller for off-roading.
Offset and Backspace
You need to make sure your wheels and tires have enough room to sit inside of your wheel well. When your wheels or tires have improper backspace or offset, they might affect how well your vehicle can steer or even decrease your turning radius.
Correct Mounting
Most automobiles are made with factory rims that are made precisely for that model. This keeps manufacturing streamlined and simple. However, it increases the likelihood of your custom wheels and rims vibrating your steering wheel because of an improper fit. It’s best to always take your car to a professional for any aftermarket upgrades, in order to get the best fit possible.
Pick the Correct Tires to Match Your Wheels
Wheels come in a variety of sizes, and you need to make sure you pick the right tires to match. When you pick the incorrect tires for your wheels, you risk constantly having low tire-pressure, which is bad for your car’s alignment, and may cause damage to both your tires and wheels.
You also need to make sure you’re picking the right rims and tires for the environment you plan to be driving in. For instance, large rims require tires that don’t do well in heavy rain or snow. So, consider another ride when bad weather strikes, if you plan to keep your rims and tires in good shape.
There are also tires that are made just for winter. These tires are soft and have an extra grip on icy roads, but they shred easily in the summer. Getting a set of winter tires and a set of summer tires might be worth the investment, because they offer extra protection on the road when you really need it.
The Material of Your Wheels Matters
Custom rims are made from several types of materials, and the right custom rims and tires can make your ride look ultra-cool. Check out what kind of rims you can get for your vehicle to show off your style:
Alloy Wheels
Alloy rims are the most common on the market and are more expensive than steel wheels. They are light, which improves your fuel economy, and they come in a variety of styles and colors. However, alloy rims are more prone to cracking and bending than other types of wheels.
Steel Wheels
These wheels are the most cost effective aftermarket available. They provide a lot more function than they do style, but can stand up to harsh weather and serious driving styles. Keep in mind that steel is heavy, and might affect your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Forged and Cast Wheels
Cast wheels are made by melting metal into liquid and pouring it into a mold. When the metal cools, it takes the shape of the mold. This process is quick and less expensive than forged wheels, where rims are milled out of a solid block aluminum. Forged wheels come in sleek and super stylish designs, because they are designed on a CAD program.
Before you dish out your hard earned cash for a set of custom rims and tires, talk to a professional about which option is right for your vehicle. They can tell you what wheels and tires are ideal for your ride and which ones to avoid.
Think About What Else You Can Upgrade
While it’s true that your rims and tires are one of the first features people see on your vehicle, they aren’t the only ones. After you pick out the right custom wheels and tires for your automobile, start thinking about other parts you can improve.
Are you an audiophile? Then it’s time to think about new subs and tweeters. If fashion is your main gig, talk to a professional about window tinting and custom wraps to add something sleek and unique to the exterior of your car. Whatever you do, make sure your car represents you. That way, you always arrive everywhere you go in style!
