Ally wheels. Are they really worth it?

Yes. Only pikey cars have steelies :-)

Oh dear. My wife will be so disappointed. :-) Mike.

I want a prius, they've got alloy wheels with trims - classy

-- Chet

2002 SEAT Leon 20vT - 1994 Renault 19 16v Cabrio 1991 Integrale 16v - 1991 Renault 19 16v - 1982 Wife who says theres too many cars

I don't any more care: kerbing is bad, evil and unnecessary. It is to be avoided at all costs. Wheel make, design, construction of colour is of an irrelevance here.

That's a design issue, trims can be just as hard to keep clean.

I argue that *all* wheels need locking wheel nuts.

Yes. Have you obtained a quote from a Toyota dealer for a Corolla wheel?

Ewwwwww no I don't think so.

From a half mile I should think. If it's moving at the motorway speed limit. Coming towards you. :)

Erm, wheels can also be removed, cleaned and then waxed. It isn't difficult. It didn't even annoy Charlie too much, as long as they didn't litter the living room for more than half a day. :)

I disagree. Three years ago I costed out Ka wheels. The original Luxury wheel (5J 14") was £80 plus the tyre. The equivalent Ka steelie (5J 13") was ~£65 plus the wheeltrim, which was £12 or so, plus tyre. £3 difference.

What made the bigger difference in cost is the tyre. 165/60/14s are dearer than 165/65/13s.

I'm not the biggest fan of my 9-3's standard alloys. Hardly big, 6J 15", but as Dan says, they look less pikey than those with steelies. :p

Seriously: why?

I too dislike alloys. Another problem with them is that they don't bend!

A side impact on a steel wheel caused by a collision, or sliding sideways into a kerb, may cost you a new steel wheel and tyre. The same thing with an alloy wheel is much more likely to do suspension or chassis rail damage. That's why insurance companies insist you tell them if you fit aftermarket alloys.

Chris

Because he lives somewhere more pikey ;)

Because having two or more wheels nicked is a real ballache.

Some alloy wheels are heavier and they can get marked easily. Steel ones are more robust and less prone to damage from huge holes in the roads. They also don't need expensive low profile large tyres fitting. I prefer steel wheels even though my current car has alloys. At least people don't pinch steel wheels to put on their Nova or Corsa.

Agreed, but in a tight congested situation it can be difficult to avoid, unless one is particularly cautious and prepared to wait if there is a possibility of kerbing. After all who can guage where their n/s wheels are within say 10mm of a kerb?

Wheel make, design, construction of colour is of an

Forget dealers. If my wifes Corolla needed a wheel, I'd be straight down the breakers.

10 or £20 at most. I'd be lucky to even find a s/h matching wheel for my BMW, so I'd have to pay BMWs price.

They're not quite as bad as that :-)

You must be joking. 10 mins at most to remove and replace 4 wheel trims. At least an hour to jack up, remove and replace 4 road wheels at home using just a jack.

As I said earlier. From a breakers they'd be much cheaper, and the chances of finding a Ka or Corolla wheel in a breakers yard would be very good. Mike.

snip thought!

What about the difference in weight, is it a big amount? A reduction in weight means more acceleration, better fuel economy, etc, due to less unsprung weight...?

Mark

Never use just a jack, a wheel brace and set of axel stands are a must.

Some alloys are lighter, most are heavier than steel wheels, alloys are more of a style statement than anything else.

I paid £80 for 4 17" alloys! Admittedly not Ford "Luxury" ones.

I'm not sure, but I think you'll find there can be little difference in weight, between an ally wheel and a steel wheel. At least as far as road cars are concerned. For any significant performance benefit you need wheels made from magnesium. Mike.

IMHO, one of the best reasons for having alloys over steels (other than steels being a bit pikey) is that they allow much larger 'cut outs' than steels, keeping your brakes nice and cool.

The previous owner who bought the M-Tech wheels now on my BMW, paid £600 for the 4 s/h. They were completely undamaged though. He then paid well over £400 for a set of tyres for them. He also paid BMW around £1500 to convert the car from std suspension to M-Tech suspension. A bit of a nutter IMO, but I don't mind reaping the benefits. :-) Mike

we had an old bora in works car park that belonged to a customer, was only there for a day and some pikeys nicked the steelies!

Nothing wrong with using a wheel brace and jack on it's own if just changing a wheel. It's all the manufacturers provide. Mike.