Custom wheels are a pretty big part of custom car culture. Yes, that’s still a thing. Though the bling may have faded since MTV’s Pimp My Ride, people are still wild about custom wheels for just about every kind of ride.
But just how much do rims cost for a car? A couple of things factor into the cost, which we will have a look at now.
How Much Do Rims Cost for a Car?
A natural question, and alas, one without a cut-and-dry answer.
Some of the factors that come into play are the year, make, and model of your car; the size of the rims; the type/brand of tires; installation costs; and lastly the color or finish you want on the rims will all play a role in the final price.
With so many variables the best we can do is explain them and offer a ballpark estimate.
Types of Tires
When you’re shopping for tires, you have three options; alloy, steel, or chrome.
Steel is, you guess it, made from steel. They are sturdy, simple, and quite easy to replace, and at $30 a pop, they are the most economic choice. They are quite heavy though and may impact your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Alloy wheels are made from aluminum alloy and come with a variety of finishes in many sizes. They are lightweight and are what you generally find on cars. They are a bit more expensive than steel wheels.
In general, the bigger the wheel the more expensive. But when you’re tricking out your ride go big or go home, right!? You can get custom rims from 10-inches to 22-inches.
Chrome rims aren’t actually made of chrome – that would be crazy expensive. They are coated with chrome though and can run you upwards of $100 per tire. There isn’t a real benefit to chrome unless you will be driving through lots of water as they don’t oxidize.
Customizing Your Rims
The material you decide to go with will impact how much customization you can do.
Steel wheels are fairly limited here. They tend to come in a handful of stock colors, like black, white, grey, or a powder coat. They are minimal and inexpensive because of it.
Alloy wheels you can really go nuts with. Depending on what choices you make alloy rims can run you from $50 per tire. You can get alloy rims for flow form wheels and really stand out.
Chrome rims are usually reserved for deep pockets and high-end luxury cars. You can make your money go way further with alloy.
Know the Details
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question; how much do rims cost for a car. So, before you drop any money on rims for your ride make sure you know exactly what you need.
You’ll need to know the bolt pattern for your axle, the diameter you need for your tires, the width your car can handle, what the offset and load rating are for the rim you choose.
Once you’ve got all that down let the fun begin! Getting new rims is a great way to give your ride a facelift and add value.
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