What do you all think of aftermarket wheels?

**Scott P** · 06-30-2003, 01:23 PM

I was thinking about getting some nice rims for my GP. Snce there are something near 1.2 trillion black GP`s on the road, I wanted something that would make my car a tad different. I found the rim, but they don`t make them in my size...

**imported_Intermezzo** · 06-30-2003, 01:36 PM

Originally posted by Smoker

That and when Mexicans space their wheels out ...

WHY ?????????????????????????????????

They can pick up roller skates alot cheaper down at WalMart.

Are you sure it`s "Mexicans" who do that? Aren`t they also the same people who turn their cars into things that appear in the "Transformers"? Yeah, I think they`re referred to as the Decepticons.

Tortoise, those wheels look nice. :up Imprezza`s are definitely NOT part of the "wanna-be" category...

Luster, that`s not a pic of my ride but someone else`s at a different forum I go to. Mine are the same design but silver (hyperblack)... But I agree...I think this design is SIC! A definite improvement over my plastic hub-cap covered steelies.

**TortoiseAWD** · 07-01-2003, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by Intermezzo

Tortoise, those wheels look nice. :up Imprezza`s are definitely NOT part of the "wanna-be" category...

Just giving you some grief . . .

I really like anthracite for my car because it contrasts with the silver body color . . . the stock wheels kind of clash, because the silver comes close to, but doesn`t match either the color or the flake of the body paint. The biggest plus to the dark wheels IMO, though, is that they never look dirty, even when coated in brake dust.

Tort

**boywonder** · 07-06-2003, 07:48 PM

Originally posted by RedSled91SC

Well, maybe I can get an opinion on the wheels I was thinking about before the Cobra R`s. Thought they didn`t look as "stock" but not bad, not too flashy. Not as wide though, and I really want the 255`s. Borrowed some pics from tirerack.com & tires.com.

ASA JS5`s 18 x 7.5" (kind of like these, but 18`s are expensive to keep tires on)

or

MB Motoring Rev 17 x 7" (*really* pushing it, narrow, but I like the 2 tone, with the textured metal and painted in the openings)

Out of the two you posted, I like the last one.

**rskurtzer** · 07-07-2003, 12:00 PM

(Newbie to Autopia)

I love what a nice set of aftermarket rims can do for a car. I`m running 17x8 BBS RK`s on my Audi. The agressive offset and beefy tires (255/40 17") really fill the wheelwells out nice and the car handles a thousand times better than with the stock rollers (16x8`s) The nice thing about the BBS rims is that their design is pretty timeless. Trends come and go, but wheels such as BBS, Panasport, Fikse, etc... (ones that have roots in racing) tend to stand the test of time better. Here`s a pic of my baby

**rskurtzer** · 07-07-2003, 12:02 PM

One more pic:

**EricZ** · 07-13-2003, 04:03 PM

For me, the decision to change to an aftermarket wheel for looks depends on the factory rims the car has. I`ve worked for a few car dealers and I`ve talked to a lot of people trying to decide whether to go factory or aftermarket. Right now I work for a Porsche/Audi dealer, and I`ve seen a lot of cars change rims even before delivery, especially on A4`s. Take these eBay cars, for example.

Here`s one with the standard 16`s. I don`t like this look, the 215`s look too fat for the car IMO.

This is my personal favorite factory rim. It`s a 17 in, and it still retains the clean look. The only factory rim I like better are the Avus S4 wheels.

Finally, here`s a car that`s been lowered w/ aftermarket 19`s

While I think this last car looks very good, for the expense of those 19`s and lowering springs, the owner could`ve had a car that looks just as good by ordering the larger 17`s from the dealer when he bought it. Its all personal preference, but sometimes I think people are too hasty to ditch factory wheels when often times they look just as good.

**alsey** · 07-13-2003, 05:11 PM

EricZ, its not just the appearance of the wheels that some people go for, its also the weight. I have the Avus S4 wheels but they weigh 28 lbs in 17" size. Many higher quality 17" wheels are 20lbs or less, and can be stronger than factory if they are forged.

**Pats300zx** · 07-13-2003, 05:25 PM

I love the look of aftermarket wheels on some cars. I was never totally fond of the stock 300zx wheel. So I eventually upgraded to the SSR Integrals with 17 inch tires.

Kinda got bored with them and got a beautiful set of fully polished HRE`s in a 18/17 combo. I love them.

There are alot of cars that I love the standard/stock wheel on though. It all boils down to your personal pref.

**SickOfItAll** · 07-13-2003, 08:52 PM

HREs = $$$ - nice wheels, but kinda pricey

How was the fitment on yours? I know some people have complained that the wheels were somewhat damaged out of the box - either some of the bolts that hold the spokes to the outer rim would be loose, or the chrome would be blemished, or other minor things of that nature - any problems with them?

**EricZ** · 07-13-2003, 11:47 PM

Originally posted by alsey

EricZ, its not just the appearance of the wheels that some people go for, its also the weight. I have the Avus S4 wheels but they weigh 28 lbs in 17" size. Many higher quality 17" wheels are 20lbs or less, and can be stronger than factory if they are forged.

I hear that. :up I just thought we were more focused on appearences for the moment than performance. I couldn`t agree more. On my Acura I`ve had a similar experience, only opposite. When I looked at upgrading my wheels I discovered my factory alloys actually weighed less than most of the other factory and aftermarket wheels I liked. Don`t get me wrong, wheels+tires are a performance upgrade too.

**imported_dookiebob** · 07-14-2003, 12:56 AM

Originally posted by alsey

EricZ, its not just the appearance of the wheels that some people go for, its also the weight. I have the Avus S4 wheels but they weigh 28 lbs in 17" size. Many higher quality 17" wheels are 20lbs or less, and can be stronger than factory if they are forged.

I say AMEN to that! My wheels are 18" x 7.5" and are 16.5 pounds each... ahhh, the benefits of forging

Of course, the downside to forging is $$$$$

Mine are definitely the kind of rims that look smaller than their stated size. Many people are surprised that mine are 18" when they see them in person.

My brakes defintitely need to get bigger. I`m getting some new calipers and cross-drilled rotors in the near future.

Oh, and to bring up the issue of OEM vs. aftermarket again... if you saw the ugly rims that come standard on the WRX, you may change your tune about keeping your OEM wheels

-Bob