The Wheel Buying Guide
According to a recent survey, a large percentage of people modifying their vehicles choose wheels as the first modification. Wheels happen to be one of the most noticeable parts on a vehicle, and many people refer to getting new wheels as buying "new shoes." But because of the relatively high price of rims/tires compared to other parts on the car, buyers need to be extra careful, and even spend extra time researching the wheels, tires, and even the company they purchase the wheels from.
Here are a few important things to consider to know when purchasing wheels:
Size x Width: For example, 18x7.5" is 18" diameter by 7.5" inches wide. Wrong width wheels may result in incompability issues such as rubbing, or rubbing of the wheels/tires against the shocks. Think about the type of roads you drive on daily. Is it bumpy? full of potholes? If the roads you drive thru every day have potholes everywhere, it is not smart to get a huge wheel with super low profile tire due to there being less rubber to absorb the impact.
Ride Quality: Again, installing bigger wheels may affect ride quality, so check the type of roads you drive on. If the roads are smooth, then you will not notice a difference in ride quality. If you drive thru NYC streets on a daily basis, consider a smaller increase. However, most people get used to the inreased bumpiness within a few days of installing the new rims.
Offset: The offset is the distance between the center of the wheel to the hub (or wheel mounting surface). Wheels with incorrect offset can stick out past the fender, or even be too far in, resulting in rubing when turning.
Weight: Weight of the wheels affect your car's suspension and braking. If the wheel is too heavy, it will increase braking distance, reducing handling, and have excess wear/tear on suspension. When buying bigger wheels, it is inevitable that the weight will be heavier than factory. However, in general, you will not feel a 5-7 lbs increase per wheel or any small increases of diameter (i.e from 16" to 19".) But if you go from a 16" wheel to a 24" wheel, you will definitely notice a difference, and this may be undesirable.
Center Bore: This is the diameter of the center hole on the inside surface of the wheel. This needs to match with the centerbore of the vehicle or unwanted vibrations will occur. Many manufacturers use a "universal" centerbore with hubrings to adjust to specific vehicle fitments. This is done to reduce costs and increase compability. However it is always best to buy a wheel with a pre-drilled centerbore that matches your vehicle.
Compability- As an educated buyer, you should know your vehicle's compatible sizes and specs. Figure out the max diameter and width, along with centerbore and offset range. Most sellers are out there to sell you the product without even knowing exactly what fits, so be wary of what they tell you in terms of fitment and compatibility. Make sure the eBay auction has this information. Chances are if the auction doesnt have this information, the seller either doesn't know about the product, or simply does not care.
eBay provides an excellent platform for people to purchase new wheels/tires, especially with the feedback rating system. But what happens when problems occur? Diagose the problem before contacting the seller.
Vibrations at certain speeds: First bring the car to a tire shop and have them check the balance of the wheels, make sure the weights are put in the right places. If this problem still persists, check to make sure the wheel hub spec matches that of the wheel. Easy way to tell is to see if there is a gap between your wheel hub and the wheel's centerbore. If so, hubrings are needed. If the problem STILL persists, ask the tire shop to rotate the tire along the wheel 180 degrees, as a high point on the wheel might have been matched with high point on the tire. If problem STILL persists, dismount the tire and have the tire shop spin the wheel on the balancer to see if it is balanced. If the wheel requires 3-4 ounces of weights BEFORE tires, then it is likely you have defective wheels. If the wheels is fine, then try a different tire to see if that solves the problem. If problem solved, then you have a bad tire.
Rubbing while going over bumps at high speeds: Although your tires shouldnt rub in the first place, sometimes the problem is so minor that you can solve the problem yourself. Or, if you are "pushing" the tire size to the limits, it can cause this problem as well. Check if you are rubbing on the outside or inside. If you are rubbing on the inside, try a 3mm spacer (remember to buy longer bolts or check stud length). This should solve the problem. If you are rubbing on the outside by the fender, then you'll need to roll/shave the fenders. If done properly, shaving/rolling fenders will not cause damage to the vehicle. This is done to increase clearance, as some fenders are not tapered in enough to give bigger wheels/tires the clearance it needs.
Unever tire wear: This is caused by by bad alignment. Bring your car in for an alignment.
We hope this helps your wheel/tire buying experience. Best of luck and enjoy your new wheels!
Here are a few important things to consider to know when purchasing wheels:
Size x Width: For example, 18x7.5" is 18" diameter by 7.5" inches wide. Wrong width wheels may result in incompability issues such as rubbing, or rubbing of the wheels/tires against the shocks. Think about the type of roads you drive on daily. Is it bumpy? full of potholes? If the roads you drive thru every day have potholes everywhere, it is not smart to get a huge wheel with super low profile tire due to there being less rubber to absorb the impact.
Ride Quality: Again, installing bigger wheels may affect ride quality, so check the type of roads you drive on. If the roads are smooth, then you will not notice a difference in ride quality. If you drive thru NYC streets on a daily basis, consider a smaller increase. However, most people get used to the inreased bumpiness within a few days of installing the new rims.
Offset: The offset is the distance between the center of the wheel to the hub (or wheel mounting surface). Wheels with incorrect offset can stick out past the fender, or even be too far in, resulting in rubing when turning.
Weight: Weight of the wheels affect your car's suspension and braking. If the wheel is too heavy, it will increase braking distance, reducing handling, and have excess wear/tear on suspension. When buying bigger wheels, it is inevitable that the weight will be heavier than factory. However, in general, you will not feel a 5-7 lbs increase per wheel or any small increases of diameter (i.e from 16" to 19".) But if you go from a 16" wheel to a 24" wheel, you will definitely notice a difference, and this may be undesirable.
Center Bore: This is the diameter of the center hole on the inside surface of the wheel. This needs to match with the centerbore of the vehicle or unwanted vibrations will occur. Many manufacturers use a "universal" centerbore with hubrings to adjust to specific vehicle fitments. This is done to reduce costs and increase compability. However it is always best to buy a wheel with a pre-drilled centerbore that matches your vehicle.
Compability- As an educated buyer, you should know your vehicle's compatible sizes and specs. Figure out the max diameter and width, along with centerbore and offset range. Most sellers are out there to sell you the product without even knowing exactly what fits, so be wary of what they tell you in terms of fitment and compatibility. Make sure the eBay auction has this information. Chances are if the auction doesnt have this information, the seller either doesn't know about the product, or simply does not care.
eBay provides an excellent platform for people to purchase new wheels/tires, especially with the feedback rating system. But what happens when problems occur? Diagose the problem before contacting the seller.
Vibrations at certain speeds: First bring the car to a tire shop and have them check the balance of the wheels, make sure the weights are put in the right places. If this problem still persists, check to make sure the wheel hub spec matches that of the wheel. Easy way to tell is to see if there is a gap between your wheel hub and the wheel's centerbore. If so, hubrings are needed. If the problem STILL persists, ask the tire shop to rotate the tire along the wheel 180 degrees, as a high point on the wheel might have been matched with high point on the tire. If problem STILL persists, dismount the tire and have the tire shop spin the wheel on the balancer to see if it is balanced. If the wheel requires 3-4 ounces of weights BEFORE tires, then it is likely you have defective wheels. If the wheels is fine, then try a different tire to see if that solves the problem. If problem solved, then you have a bad tire.
Rubbing while going over bumps at high speeds: Although your tires shouldnt rub in the first place, sometimes the problem is so minor that you can solve the problem yourself. Or, if you are "pushing" the tire size to the limits, it can cause this problem as well. Check if you are rubbing on the outside or inside. If you are rubbing on the inside, try a 3mm spacer (remember to buy longer bolts or check stud length). This should solve the problem. If you are rubbing on the outside by the fender, then you'll need to roll/shave the fenders. If done properly, shaving/rolling fenders will not cause damage to the vehicle. This is done to increase clearance, as some fenders are not tapered in enough to give bigger wheels/tires the clearance it needs.
Unever tire wear: This is caused by by bad alignment. Bring your car in for an alignment.
We hope this helps your wheel/tire buying experience. Best of luck and enjoy your new wheels!
by ebay member velocitymotoring