Your Guide To Automotive Features and Options

What To Look For When Shopping For Wheels

Buying new wheels, such as ESR wheels, for your car or truck is a great way to add some personality or style to the vehicle and make it stand out. A set of wheels can change the way a car or truck looks dramatically. Sometimes a subtle change is all it takes to catch people's attention.

Design and Style

The design of the wheel you choose can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of the entire vehicle. A car or truck with bright chrome wheels takes on an entirely different look than one with blacked-out wheels or wheels that match the body color of the car. If you are choosing a wheel with cutouts or spokes, the style of those cutouts can change the look as well. 

Take some time and look over the options carefully so when you do pick a wheel design, you will be happy with it over the long run. If you pick a set of wheels too quickly, you may find they look great in the showroom but in a couple of weeks, they may not have the same appeal. 

Material and Construction

The material that the wheels you choose is made from can change not only the look of the car, but it can also affect the durability and longevity of the wheels. A steel wheel, for instance, is going to stand up to abuse much better than an aluminum wheel will. At the same time, that aluminum wheel offers you a great resistance to corrosion over time. 

Along with the durability, the material also affects the weight of the wheel and tire package. For performance cars where weight is a factor, the lighter wheels are a better option, but for an offroad SUV or truck, a heavier steel wheel is a better option and the weights of the tire and wheel combination are not nearly as critical. 

Care and Maintenance

Buying a new set of wheels for your vehicle is great but it does mean you need to take the time to clean and care for the wheels. A new set of wheels will not look nice for very long if you never take the time to wash the brake dust off them or clean the mud off after a trip through the woods with your truck. Painted wheels are often easier to care for, requiring only washing with soap and water. 

Aluminum or chrome wheels however, require washing and polishing to keep them looking new. Soap and water is a good place to start with these wheels, but remember to get some polish from your auto accessories store to add some luster to those wheels and make them stand out in the crowd. 


Share