buying rims for my car?

Question

should i get aftermarket rims/wheels for my car or is it a waste of money? i have a black car and want black rims with chrome lip.

Answer 1

Of course it isnt a waste of money. Anything to improve the looks and performance of a car is worth every penny.
A few recommendations:
#1. DO NOT skimp out when buying rims. Dont just buy the cheapest wheel out there, because whenyou hit a pothole doing 20mph, your rim will bend.
#2. Buy 5 wheels instead of 4. If you bend one wheel, and its not repairable, and your wheels are no longer made, you will be thankful that you spent an extra $200 on it.
#3. DO NOT BUY USED WHEELS. Unless the person you buy them from can prove too you that the wheels are less then a year old. Aluminum/steel wheels have a lifetime on them. You might see a pair of 5 year old wheels, and think they look fine, but wheels break, and the break isnt visible.
#4. DO NOT SKIMP OUT ON TIRES. Dont go an buy a $800 set of wheels and some $75 tires.
#5. Contact the manufacturer and see if those wheels are compatable with your car. The offset might be different, the wheels might not fit in the wheel wells, the brake calipers might be too big for that wheel. Dont think that if your car has 16" wheels, 18" wheel will automatically clear the caliper.
#6. When buying a wheel/tire combo, be sure the wheel has been balanced from the factory. THis will save you money.
#7. Polished wheels require much more maintenance, where as painted wheels require very little.

Answer 2

Is it a necessary purchase? Of course not, but if you have the money to spend and know what you want, then why not?

Do yourself a favor and don't buy the bottom of the barrell, lowest cost option you find, unless you actually like that particular set of wheels. Usually, by spending just a little more, you can get a very nice set. Don't buy the most expensive either, because then you're only paying for the name (Dub, Foose, Jesse James and so forth).

You generally get the best price/quality combo by going with a company like Enkei or MKW / Avenue. They both have a wide variety of nice wheels at a relatively moderate cost.

IF YOU GET CHROME WHEELS, DO NOT GO THROUGH THE CARWASH WHILE THEY ARE HOT!! Either wait for them to cool, or wash your car right after leaving for the day. Also, do not put any kind of tire cleaner (Bleach-white, tireshine) on chrome. You're just asking for pitting.

Answer 3

no it is not a waste of money go for the wheel and look you want