Choosing Your Alloys - Some Points To Remember

If you have found a set of alloys you like the look of make sure you read up on user reviews and reports before buying them, so you get an idea of the handling and performance from other owners Big wheels can look brilliant but will not necessarily improve the handling of the car. If you really want the big wheel look try to go for an ultra low profile tyre on a larger alloy wheel. And remember the handling of your car will differ depending on which wheels you choose. It is worth remembering that low profile tyres will improve the handling of your car, but the tyres are more expensive and the ride will be harder.

Be careful when choosing your alloy wheels; remember what they will look like if you have the misfortune of curbing your wheels. Some designs will curb better than others so try to go for a design that does not protrude too much, and also have a look at the split rim designs. Also remember that some designs have been known to crack when hitting a curb or pothole at high speed.

Remember to make sure the pattern of the wheel nuts (PCD) matches your car before buying and also check the bore and offset measurements. If the measurements are not correct the wheel may not fit properly over your brake discs and you may find the wheels grinding into your arches when you either go over a bump or turn a corner. If this does happen you may need to get your wheel arches cut or rolled to make them fit.

Try to make sure the overall rotational diameter of the car wheels and tyres is the same as originally specified for your car or you will need to get your Speedo recalibrated as well as having your tracking and suspension realigned so that you don't have uneven tyre wear under acceleration.

One last thing to consider is to choose wheels that will be easy to clean.