Q. Why would anyone want to fit alloy wheels to their car, in place of OE steel rims?
They're expensive, easily damaged, easily stolen, bump up the insurance and offer a negligible benefit to the car's handling.
Having said that, I'm currently considering fitting alloys to the Civic, with some nice new tyres (which are about due for change) as I think it would look pretty with something suitably subtle.
I've clearly answered my own question, but have I missed anything in the arguments for and against? Somebody help convince me it's a bad idea, as I'm sure I would regret forking out for such a pointless 'boyracer' fashion accessory.
cheers
Ed.
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Well perhaps I can persuade you not to fit alloy wheels. My cousin has twice had a car stolen for its after-fit alloys. On both occaisions the car was found minus the alloys having been set on fire after the wheels had been removed. Oh and by the way locking wheel nuts don't help if they are determined to get your wheels, sad but true.
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I think alloys are a bind. They take ages to clean, which is boring and wastes my valuable time. They are always getting kerbed (the wife does it not me - honest). Give me steel wheels and easy to clean cheap to replace hubcaps anytime.
VD5D.
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The original fit Sierra 88 wheel trims do not overlap the rims.
So gentle kerbing removes a little steel but the trims survive OK.
They may not be the most pretty around but they are great survivers
Nearly all the cheap modern trims seem to overlap the rims and thus suffer damage if kerbing occurs. Great for sales but not for your pocket. For many image overides all so off they go to the alloy shop. I will keep the steels and have another holiday
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I agree. The crazy 17" jobs that the boy racers stick on their cars is just going too far IMHO.
Personally I bought a set of Nissan alloys from a scrapyard and just paid out for new tyres. If the model you own came with steel wheels there's a good chance the higher spec models have got alloys.
I do think they improve the vehicle's aesthetics and have you seen the state of the hubcaps on sale now - most of them have got pretend shiney wheel nuts - who are they kidding???
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Personally I think Alloys look a whole lot better than a set of tacky cheapo wheel trims that are held in place by different coloured cable ties!! If cable ties aren't used; then a car with one or more trims missing, showing black "Mad Max" wheels, looks even worse.
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I have some original equipment BBS spoked alloys that people use to comment favourably upon when I first got the car. But now that I haven't cleaned them for a year, and one of the BBS badges has fallen off, nobody seems to say 'nice wheels' any more. Ho hum.
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This has just brought back memories for me - I remember with my first car, a Mark 2 Escort, that I used the in-thing at the time on the wheels!
I sprayed them with the shiny silver wheelspray paint that was the fashion at the time, and I blackened the tyres with paint! Yes Paint! I can't remember what they were called but every tarted up car in a backstreet garage always had the shiny tyres!
LOL!!!
No such things then as alloys or back to black sprays!!
Christ, I'm older than I thought and I won't even mention the B7W telly that I used to plug my ZX81 into.........
I'm depressed!
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Cheers people, pretty much the responses i expected. I think i'll stick with the steel rims. Unless i win the lottery this weekend of course. Hang on, no, maybe i'll get a new car...
Ed.
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>>Personally I think Alloys look a whole lot better than a set of tacky cheapo wheel trims that are held in place by different coloured cable ties!! If cable ties aren't used; then a car with one or more trims missing, showing black "Mad Max" wheels, looks even worse.
Quite possibly, but they are still a bitch to clean. The worst thing I did was to accept 17 inch alloys on my V70 wish I had specified the 16 inch with higher profile tyres. Steel wheels weren't an option! I'm going to give up cleaning them now and let the brake dust do it's worst, I think they will look quite good in black, I've just lost patience with them!!
VD5D
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My C5 has expensive alloys that look exactly like cheap wheeltrims! Now that is the worst of all worlds! Devils to clean too!
Graeme
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Are these the Imola wheels? On a 2.2 HDI SX?
I quite like the Silverstone ones, other SX models.
Ben
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Alloy wheels make a huge difference to the appearance and sellability of your car (if you pick the right ones). My BMW came with wheel trims and the first thing I did was pick up a set of alloys (the ones which were an optional extra) and put them on - they transformed the car.
Yes, if the other half kerbs them they will look tatty after a while but so do most trims (the ones which came on my car were dented and scuffed). Don't kerb them then!
I always remember my dad saying about my first little Fiesta "Why do you want alloys, they aren't as strong as those steel wheels you've got". But Dad, they look better and I've never heard of an alloy breaking because it wasn't strong enough (unless it smacked a kerb).
Get alloys - but stay away from those 17" jobs unless, as others have rightly said, you want to worry every time you leave it.
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It's easy to avoid kerbing your alloys. When you get them, ask them to put tyres on that bulge out very slightly beyond the actual wheel.
I made this mistake when I put a set of alloys on my Cavalier and somehow managed to kerb 3 of the 4 within a week.
When I got my Audi I put on £1200 worth of 18" BBS alloys with wide tyres.
The tyres take the kerbing instead of the wheel. You'd have to be pretty negligent to hit the actual wheel.
And before you all shout about wrecking the sidewall of the tyre. I'd rather do that than wreck a £300 wheel!
I have two different sets of locking nuts per wheel to stop tea leaves, but they still nick the silver valve caps!
Lots of kids round my way with nice valve caps on their bikes I reckon!
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What a good idea, 2 sets of locking nuts per wheel! I'd never thought of that. It's all about time and that would slow the thieves down. You could go the whole hog and get 3 or 4 sets which would still be cheap relative to the cost and inconvenience of replacing them if nicked.
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I wish someone would pinch mine then I could get a new 16 inch "un-kerbed" set for just 50 quid excess on the insurance! I think I'll remove the locking nuts and put the normal one's back in!!
VD5D
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Mr Volvo chap, If you have a set of 17" Tethys then I'll happily swap you my 16" Mimas unkerbed, used for only 9000miles! I may even add cash! such is my willingness to purchase such a wheel :)
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>>Mr Volvo chap, If you have a set of 17" Tethys then I'll happily swap you my 16" Mimas unkerbed, used for only 9000miles! I may even add cash! such is my willingness to purchase such a wheel :)
Mr Crombster chappie,
What's a Tethy? My 17inch wheels came with my Volvo V70 as standard so I would only consider replacing them with a current Volvo 16inch wheel. Sorry.
VD5D.
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A quick Google shows that Thethys and Mimas are both
a. moons of saturn and
b. Volvo OEM alloy wheels
I can't find any pictures of them online though, or at least not pics that say what they are.
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No, Ben, I've got the 2.2 Exclusive - it's 16" Monza wheels. The spokes are much closer together than the 15" Imolas. They're nice when newly cleaned, but pretty unremarkable when dirty (about 10 minutes down the road!)
Somebody somewhere remarked that the 16" wheels fill the arches better, so maybe the bigger wheels have that in their favour. I haven't kerbed it once yet. (Now that I've made that extravagant claim, I'll be on a collision course with a kerbstone in the morning - s**'s law!)
Graeme
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The Tethys is a multispoke alloy featured on S60 SE's and perhaps V70's. My 16" alloy is found on 2002 Volvo S60's. If you look at the Volvo website both Tethys and Mimas will be found somewhere :)
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>>The Tethys is a multispoke alloy featured on S60 SE's and perhaps V70's. My 16" alloy is found on 2002 Volvo S60's. If you look at the Volvo website both Tethys and Mimas will be found somewhere :)
Crombster.
Sorry, didn't realise you were talking Volvo alloys. Mine are 17inch Thor alloys with 225x45x17w Pirelli 6000s. I'll look on the Volvo website and see what Mimas look like. Do they have 215x55s tyres? What spare have you got? I have a spacesaver.
Cheers
VD5D.
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Crombster,
Perhaps we should continue off-site. Contact me on volvod5_dude@hotmail.com
VD5D.
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Also worth bearing in mind is the changing fashion period. Current favourite with the Saxo boys is the Kahn RS-R, but this is already becoming too common.
It must be an expensive business to stay in fashion at over £1000 a set, but then again, to change the thread, there are many ladies who will spend that on a dress to be worn just the once.
A great deal of aftermarket alloys are of very poor quality, construction wise compared with original spec alloys, which are generally forged, much stronger although very boring, at least they are on my Supra.
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Crombster,
I have looked in my Volvo V70 catalogue, your alloys are 6.5 inch rims and have only 205/55 tyres. I want 7 inch rims with 215/55 tyres like I had on my old V70 2.4T. Either a Sirius or Metis wheel. Sorry.
I'll have to ask my local dealer if he can help.
VD5D.
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Fear not, Tethys or Nebula are my preference although I just need to find a good independant Volvo parts stockist as I do not fancy spending £1250 buying them from the dealer.
I have found websites in the US offering the same wheels for less than £500 so I remain hopeful that there is a similar deal to be had in the UK!
Cheers,
Stuart
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If you take this debate a bit further,all you guys that put up the reasons against having alloys because they get damaged and they get nicked,then by the same token you should all get rid of your stereo CD players,the fancy and expensive metalic paint should go and maybe replaced with a quick blow over in matt black or similar.then when it gets scratched no problems! just a quick squirt with the aerosol.
No chance of it getting nicked either.
I expect that you ought to get a reduction in insurance premiums as well.
Me ? well I would not have a car without some nice looking alloy wheels.Ever!
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I have a lovely set of 17" alloys on my car that are undamaged.
The reason for this is that I can clearly see kerbs and other obstructions so I simply avoid them and end up with a nice looking car.
It's really not that hard
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I forgot to add that they are very easily cleaned. I cover a lot of miles and I just clean them regularly with car shampoo.
Again it's really not that hard.
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Yeah fine, but my wife hasn't been driving it!
Friend of ours works at the local Jag showroom in Worcester. They had the James Bond Jag in a few months ago. One of the salesman took it for a drive around the city and ended up kerbing the 20inch (I think) alloys. OUCH!!
VD5D.
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Okay, I can understand why people buy alloy wheels, since they make a car look nice...but why wheels that are double the value of the car?? What percentage of the value of the car are you guys willing to pay??
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Including tyres I'm willing to spend £1600 on 18" wheels for my S60, so round about 10%. However I spent £1000 on wheels for my last car which equated to just under 20%.
However, unlike some I wouldn't put £1000 wheels on a £1000 car as its highly unlikely that it will make the car any less of a shed than what it is :) Hence the reason the first car I owned was bought a set of second hand alloys for £150!
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When I bought my car for £475, I did look at alloys for £500 or so but decided that I wanted to make the rest of the car perfect first. It's not perfect, but it is in pretty good nick, and has the factory 14" alloys on it anyway; otherwise, who knows what idiocy I might have been tempted into. I still think seriously about fitting a CD player to it.
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I'd be lost without my CD player!
Blue
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