Rims are a standard structural element of a car's design, but these metal cylinders can also be a custom accessory that improves the car's appearance, traction and steering. Car enthusiasts of all kinds browse the huge aftermarket selection for rims that suit their vehicle and make a statement that's often as distinctive as the owners themselves.

Function

• Technically the rim is the outer perimeter of the wheel, a circular band of metal that holds the tire. Over time, however, wheels without hubcaps, particularly the custom wheels sold to enhance hot rods and low-riders, have come to be referred to as rims.

  The size and style of rims affect not only the looks of the car, but also the ride and handling. Shiny chrome rims are flashy and get the car noticed. Larger diameter rims are used with low profile tires for improved handling. Choose lightweight alloy rims for easy maneuverability in city traffic.

Size

• Rims are measured by diameter, starting at 13 inches for small cars and going up to 30 inches for SUVs and trucks. Car owners often change standard size rims to larger diameter rims for a different look, or to provide better traction and handling. Drastically changing the rim size requires adaptations to the suspension to ensure the car handles correctly and operates safely. Rims are also available in varying widths, and must match the tire section width for proper, safe car function.

TYPE:


Standard wheel rims are made of steel, while custom rims are usually cast aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. Magnesium tires ("mag wheels" or mags") are super lightweight rims used for racing. They are impractical for street driving and can be flammable after a blowout.

Rims come in a variety of sizes to fit every car, matching the standard size or altering it to change the appearance or handling. Rim finishes typically run in varying shades and sheens of gray, chrome and silver, but can also be white, black, blue, gold and other custom colors. Rims can have solid or spoked styles, with infinite design details that range from subtle grooves to interlaced spokes to carved figure silhouettes. Spinner rims attract a lot of attention as they rotate freely even after the car has stopped moving.

Choose the offset on the rims you buy. Front-wheel-drive offset means the center spider is flush or nearly flush with the exterior edge of the rim, while the spider is set further back for rear-wheel-drive offset. Be aware that offset is labeled rear or front wheel drive, but is not necessarily tied to the car's drive mechanism.

Wheels

When you live in a place that gets a lot of snow, or even moderate snow, the vehicle you choose is one of the most important decisions you will make. This is especially true for those who commute to work. In this age, the issue of four-wheel drive vs. two-wheel drive is in the past. Times changed and with the addition of the AWD (all wheel drive) to the vehicle line-up decisions became a bit more difficult. So which is better in the snow? Four- wheel drive or AWD?

1.

Four-Wheel Drive


There are actually two types of four- wheel drive: True four-wheel and full time four-wheel.
In the first, all the wheels are turning at the same time because the transfer case redirects power to all four wheels. In other words, the front end and the rear end are driving at the same time.
In traditional two-wheel drive the rear end would basically be turning and "pushing" the front end. In front wheel drive the front end would be turning,"pulling" the rear end.

With true four-wheel drive, the operator decides when they need the extra traction of all four wheels and manually (either by inside switch or outside wheel lugs) turns on the four- wheel-drive. When all four wheels are engaged the vehicle should not be driven on dry pavement. It is designed for snow or mud now.
There are two settings for four- wheel drive: Low and high. High is for driving at speeds above 30 to 45 miles per hour on a highway. Low is for driving at slower speeds that need more traction, such as deep snow or mud on a back road--or sometimes your own driveway.

Some vehicles have what is called full time four- wheel drive. These vehicles have an additional set of gears in the transfer case, which allows it to be driven on hard surfaces such as a dry road.

All Wheel Drive (AWD)


All wheel drive is controlled by the vehicle's internal system. When the vehicle senses loss of traction it will switch from two-wheel drive into AWD, so it is considered a full time system. The other difference between all wheel and four- wheel- drive, is AWD wheels turn independently from one another. This makes it better on a hard surface or dry pavement. The power is split evenly between the front and rear axle. An AWD vehicle has the ability to increase traction no matter what condition the road is in. Some AWD vehicles allow the driver to choose a high or low mode.

Comparing AWD and Four-Wheel Drive


Driving a four- wheel -drive vehicle or an AWD in the snow definitely gives an advantage as far as traction is concerned. While AWD is convenient, especially for those who drive in more urban settings, there are pitfalls. In four- wheel drive the amount of torque sent to the different axles has a set ratio, but in an AWD vehicle the system will send the torque to the wheel with the most traction. Sometimes it may send all the power to one axle only. In addition, AWD is definitely less fuel efficient as it is engaged all the time, as compared to four- wheel drive which is engaged only as needed. Cost is also an issue with AWD, as repairing the system is more complicated.

Which is better in snow?


Which is better in snow? Both are equally good depending on what type of road conditions you drive. Choose your vehicle by the way you drive. If you are driving "off road" often, then a four- wheel drive will be better as the low setting gives more torque to all four wheels. For those who drive daily on snowy roads, the convenience of AWD may be preferable as it takes away the stress of knowing when to switch into four-wheel drive -- as long as you don't mind losing gas efficiency. When it gets right down to actual performance, all systems require the proper tires to provide good function. Without good tires and tire pressure, your four-wheel or AWD vehicle will not get proper torque. In fact, your AWD system can turn a worn tire into a "slippery" situation.

Safe Driving


Having four-wheel -drive in any form does not mean you should drive fast or that you have the "God-like" vehicle. Power sent to four wheels, instead of two, only helps in starting out not cornering or stopping. With all four wheels turning, you also have four wheels which can suddenly stop. Sliding in this situation can sometimes be worse.

Regardless of which vehicle you choose for driving in snow, it is important to always think in terms of stopping, especially in an emergency situation involving the safety of other drivers. All the traction in the world will not help if you are driving too fast for the road conditions.

Rims

The rim of a wheel is the outer circular design of the metal on which the inside edge of the tire is mounted on vehicles such as automobiles. For example, on a bicycle wheel the rim is a large hoop attached to the outer ends of the spokes of the wheel that holds the tire and tube.

Chariots introduced an iron rim around a wooden wheel in the 1st millennium BC.


Characteristics
Scratched rim on one-piece wheel. Black residue remaining from where the tire was seated on the "safety profile" rim.

* Diameter (effective): distance between the bead seats (for the tire), as measured in the plane of the rim and through the axis of the hub which is or will be attached, or which is integral with the rim.

* Width (effective): separation distance between opposed rim flanges.

* Type: Depends on the type of vehicle and tire. There are various rim profiles, as well as the number of rim components.

Modern passenger vehicles and tubeless tires typically use one-piece rims with a “safety” rim profile. The safety feature helps keep the tire bead held to the rim under adverse conditions by having a pair of safety humps extending inwardly of the rim toward the other tire bead seat from an outer contoured surface of the rim.
Heavy vehicles and some trucks may have a removable multi-piece rim assembly consisting of a base that mounts to the wheel and axle. They then have either a side ring or a side and lock ring combination. These parts are removable from one side for tire mounting, while the opposite side attached to the base has a fixed flange.

* Vehicle performance: Because the rim is where the tire resides on the wheel and the rim supports the tire shape, the dimensions of the rims are a factor in the handling characteristics of an automobile. For example:

Overly wide rims in relation to the tire width for a particular car may result in more vibration and less comfortable ride because the sidewalls of the tire have insufficient curvature to flex properly over rough driving surfaces. Oversized rims will cause the tire to rub when turning.
Overly narrow rims in relation to the tire width may cause poor handling as the tire may distort sideways under fast cornering. On motorcycles, a narrow rim will alter the tire profile, concentrating tire wear in a very small area during cornering, with a smaller contact patch during braking.
On bicycles, the optimum tire width is approximately twice the rim's internal width (e.g. a 35mm tire on a rim with an ETRTO 17mm internal width) or one-and-a-half times the rim's external width.[citation needed] Considerable variation outside this range is safe, but very wide tires on a narrow rim can overstress the rim and damage the tire sidewalls, whereas very narrow tires on a wide rim give a hard ride and can result in a high-pressure tire blowing off.

RIMS AND TIRES

New rims and tires can actually improve your vehicle's performance. Wider tires can help with steering and control. High performance tires and custom wheels aren't just for looks.

But it is important to note that you should do research and make sure you are getting the right fit.

If a wheel's lug pattern is not the right one for your vehicle, it will not fit. Determining a wheel's bolt pattern involves both counting the number of holes in the wheel and measuring the holes themselves.

Count the number of holes in the center of the wheel through which wheel studs or wheel lug bolts slide. The wheel will generally have anywhere from four to eight holes, depending on the make of the vehicle for which it was made. Many older Japanese vehicles use a wheel with four holes, but most newer Japanese cars and trucks use a wheel with five holes. Most American cars use a wheel with five lug holes, but some trucks use wheels with more than five holes.


Measure the distance from one bolt hole to the bolt hole directly across from it on wheels with four and six holes. On wheels with an odd number of holes---five, for instance---measure from one lug hole to the area halfway between the opposing bolt holes. The most common distances between lug holes are 100 mm and 114.3 mm, though a multitude of other measurements exist.


Combine the number of holes in the bolt circle with the distance between them, determined in Step 2, to arrive at the measurement of the wheel's bolt pattern. For instance, if the wheel has four holes and the holes are 100 mm apart, the wheel has a bolt circle pattern of 4x100.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System TPMS

One-third of drivers don't know what this dashboard light means.
Remember the Ford Explorer tire debacle a decade ago? Much of the blame fell on insufficiently inflated tires, costing Ford billions of dollars to replace the tires on just about every Explorer still left on the road.
TPMS sensors constantly measure the pressure in all four tires, and when one or more tires is more than 25 percent below the recommended amount, a light illuminates on the gauge cluster. Most of us know the light (on right) and if you do, you're among the 54 percent of drivers who know what it means. But more importantly, less than half of the population doesn't.
Oro-Tek's team has been engineering and manufacturing OE replacement sensors since 2006, virtually the beginning of TPMS. They have thoroughly validated all vehicle applications. Oro-Tek sensors have the same fit and function as the OE sensor at considerable savings as compared to OE and Aftermarket sensors. At victoriatire.com you will find TPMS Oro-Tek sensors at discount prices.

Sizing Your Rims

Measure the size of your car's factory rims, or dig out your car's owner's manual and look up the factory specifications regarding rim size. Most vehicles can mount rims that are a couple of inches larger than the factory rims. Altering rim size affects the style and performance of your car in very specific ways.


Decide on rims that are smaller than your current rims if you want to reduce the overall weight of your car slightly. While you may not experience significant improvements in fuel efficiency or performance simply by altering your rims, keep in mind that owning a car is a marathon, not a sprint. Saving a few cents on gas every trip can add up to a significant sum over the life of your vehicle.


Opt for wider rims if you're looking to improve the performance and handling of your automobile. Rims with a wider horizontal diameter will help your car's acceleration and improve its cornering.


Select rims with an outstretched vertical diameter if you want your rims to look good above all else. Rims of an elongated, vertical size tend to be more aesthetically pleasing than horizontally stretched rims or those that are perfectly circular.

Go for rims that are 1 or 2 inches larger than your factory rims to combine slightly improved performance with slightly improved aesthetic appeal. While horizontally stretched rims are the best route to go to get more speed out of your car and vertically stretched rims are the gold standard for a sharp appearance, you can split the difference. Large rims do a little of both.

Custom Wheels and Tires

Wheels and tires are one of the best ways to customize your vehicle. Especially now, with all of the different styles and manufacturers to chose from, the consumer is in the best position ever to get a tremendous deal on a set of rims and tires that only five years ago, might have been unaffordable.

As with most industries, the economy's tank put a strain on rim manufacturers and retailers. But the companies that have survived the worst times in the last 60 years have emerged with incredible deals for the consumer. The abundance of choices and the amazing savings on rims and tires is almost unbelievable. If you've got the funds and you are looking to set your car apart, now my be the best time ever to buy some rims and tires.

Think about it. You might not want to put 20, 30 or 40 G's on a new car. Instead, just dress up your ride with some rims. Look out for your tax refunds and then get to shopping for some custom wheels and tires.

Custom Wheels - I Want to Paint Them Black

Custom wheels have been around for quite some time now. But in the last few years, there has been an explosion of options for the consumer. Perhaps the most innovative and appealing development has been the color options for custom wheels and rims. About 10 years ago, no one had ever heard of, let alone seen black rims on the street. Now, you can pretty much find any color rim you want to go with your car, in addition to dozens of finishes from machined to polished to powdered to chrome.

And with all of the options now available, the consumer is in a better position than ever to make a statement about his car. Car enthusiasts have always viewed their ride as an expression of themselves, an entire concept from the car's paint, to the interior, right down to the shift knob. But the enthusiast was limited to silver and chrome rims up until only a few years ago. It's about time that manufacturers put forward more options with respect to custom wheels and rims. After all, they are like a pair of shoes. You can't go out with a pair of socks on. You can't wear a suit with a pair of tennis shoes either.

Rims are essential to completing the look and it looks like the true car enthusiast is better situated than ever to personlize his ride.

Rims, Rims, Rims

When it comes to buying new rims, you have to take your time and do the research. Make sure you do business with a reputable company. There are several fly by night companies selling wheels on the itnernet. The market is full of these start up companies. It might be a good idea to go with a true and tested company that has survived the test of time. A wheel and tire store that has been in business for several years most likely survived because of its good prices, quality products and customer service.

After you have found a reliable company, take your time browing the products. Don't be affraid to call and ask the company a question about a product before ordering it on the internet. Usually, it makes sense to clarify your concerns before placing the order. That way, there are no misunderstandings. Often, you can get a deal by calling the company directly....potentially a deal that does not exist on the website because new prices might come in before the website has had a chance to update.

Its all about feeling comfortable with the rims and tires BEFORE you make the purchase. Make sure you like the rims before placing the order.