shopping for alloys Options

[xkillerx]

hello

i have stock 14" six-spokes with winter tyres and was hoping to purchase a new set for the summer. 15, 16, 17 inches, name your best picks, unfortunately i think i'll have to shop for second hand wheels because i'd rather buy new tyres and used rims than vice versa. what should i look out for and which rims from other cars can i fit? audi a3? subaru impreza? chrysler neon?


what about tyres? european members - looking for cheap but good (heh...). should i go with falken? or pay extra and go with yokohama? i'd gladly buy hankook's but nobody's importing them at the moment


heeelp!

[jc47]

I'd look at the wheels that come as a set with new tires already mounted and balanced. They usually aren't much more expensive than the wheels alone, and when you add the cost of new tires plus mounting and balancing (plus they'll charge you for other things like valve stems, old tire disposal, etc.) it usually ends up being better to buy them as a set. You can get into a lot of problems with used wheels, like bent wheels, scratches/defects, etc.

I'd go with 15 or maybe 16 inch wheels. The lower profile tires that you have to use for the larger wheels are much more expensive. They wear out faster and sometimes don't have any warranty. These tires usually give a very harsh ride, and it is very easy to bend rims. 15 or 16 wheels will perform fine and it will save you a lot of money.

As for best picks, it depends completely on your taste. Try tirerack.com, they have lots of wheels, and the website will show you pictures on your make/model car.