I've got some fancy-pants alloy rims on my 4-runner. Besides looking all spanky, do they have anything going for them? I personally think they look prissy and would gladly sell them and get the nasty steel rims.
Ugly is cool!
R.
"Z" wrote in news:kTiXb.1157$n17.248 @clgrps13:
and
Let me get this straight: you're saying stock rims are ugly but don't use, what's a good word, hideous maybe, to describe your "prissy, spanky, fancy-pants" rims? Yeah, I'm not one to go for that ghetto-look and think anyone who puts "dubs" on a decent vehicle like a 4-Runner ought to meet a horrible death but that's just me.
The first time you have to change a tire and feel the weight of a steel rim and tire you'll know.
The first time you have to replace one of your rims that's been damaged by hitting a curb, etc., you'll wish you had stock, steel rims. Generally speaking, while "mag" wheels make some vehicles look nice, and draw a viewer's attention away from the rest of the truck, for the most part they tend to be an ego trip for the owner. I always have to laugh at the (older) little rice-rockets running around with wheels and tires that are worth probably twice what the car would sell for. Add to that an exhaust system that could qualify for its own insurance policy and a sound system that's powerful enough to serve a football stadium, and you have a $20,000 car that would sell for about $2,500... :>))
Oh, we should also factor in the occupant's need for hearing aids in later years due to their hearing loss from listening to the "cool" audio system in their cars... :>))
Tom - Vista, CA
The quality of the OEM ones are good. Aftermarket - ya get what ya pay for. They reduce total vehicle weight maybe by 90 lbs. More importantly they decrease what is called unsprung weight which results in better ride/handling. I'm sure someone will trade you even up - their rusty steel wheels for your alloy wheels. If you do a lot of off roading steel wheels are probably better cus the rocks don't chew them up.
Because of the lighter weight, the wheels spin up in speed with less effort (accelerate faster) and also stop (brake) faster. Is it noticeable on a truck/SUV? Maybe, maybe not. The benefit of a reduction in spinning weight is the reason why serious bicycle riders put more money into lightening their wheels and crank than they do in lightening other parts of the bike...more benefit for the buck.
Ken
When I was into bicycling, they said that 1 pound added to the wheel was equivilent to adding 10 pounds to the frame due to the spinning. Considering that my '87 4runner has a
22re(not very powerful) and AT, I like to save as much weight as possible. Maybe, there isn't much weight saving though. Most of the 4runners I see with steel rims have smaller tires than the stock alloy rims.MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.