Q: How do I care for my wheels?
A: Care and maintenance for your wheels The following precautions should always be taken when taking care of your wheels. Prior to installing new wheels, applying a coat of wax will provide additional protection for your wheels against the elements and ease the process of cleaning them when dirty. It is always a good idea to wax wheels just like you would regularly wax a car. Never use abrasive cleaners or scrub pads that could corrode or scratch the finish. Wash wheels regularly with mild soap and water. Use tar and bug remover solutions only on areas of the wheel with tar. Never have your wheels steam cleaned. Hot steam often can accelerate corrosion and dull the finish of your wheels. Dont clean wheels that are hot from operation. Water and soap in contact with hot wheels will create water spots that could pit on to the surface of the wheels. Custom wheels are not to be used during winter where road salts and corrosive additives can cause irreparable damage on the finish of the wheels. Road salts on wheels that are hot can accelerate the corrosion process. When temporarily exposed to conditions mentioned, immediately use water to wash off the debris and wipe off the wheels to prevent further corrosion. Always clean your wheels on a regular basis. Wheels along with tires are the first to contact debris and elements that could be highly corrosive. It is always advisable to keep wheels clean to ensure the longevity of the finish on your wheels. When cleaning your car, always clean your wheel with a different cleaning sponge. The dirt and debris on wheels could harm the finish of your vehicle if you use the same sponge. Be sure to also use soft bristle brush to dislodge any debris from your wheels to prevent any scratching. Wheel finishes are often as delicate as the paint on the vehicle and require maintenance to retain the original appearance of the wheel.
Q: How to ascertain correct tire pressure and proper inflation?
A: With upgraded wheels and tires, please observe the recommended tire pressure as indicated by the tire and vehicle manufacturer. Do not inflate the tires to the maximum psi allowed by the tire manufacturer as the air inflated into tires are going to be cold. Under use, air in the tires will heat up and usually increase the psi, pushing overall pressure to exceed the recommended psi as outlined by the tire manufacturer. Always check tires with a quality tire gauge when cold to ascertain the correct tire pressure. Note that it is recommended to check your tires once a month to maintain the proper inflation. This is because each month passing usually means that there is 1 psi lost in tire pressure. And the fluctuation of every 10 degree change in ambient temperature changes your reading by 1 psi.
Q: How to check wear on tires?
A: Your tire treads will eventually wear down and the tires will need to be replaced. Most modern tires have tread wear indicators, horizontal bands of hard rubber in the groove of the tread of your tire. If you can see these indicators exposed or flush to the tread, it is a good sign to change tires. Wear patterns on your tire can tell your driving habits and any problems with the car. Excessive wear on the middle of the tire means over inflation Excessive wear on the sides of a tire mean under inflation Excessive wear on the edges of the front tires means excessive sharp turns Excessive wear on one edge indicates vehicle requires an alignment Bald spots on tires indicates the requirement of balancing or replacement of shocks.
Q: What is plus sizing?
A: Plus sizing is a good way to enhance the look and performance of your vehicle. Stock vehicles usually come with standard tire and wheels from the manufacturer that operate within a set parameters of performance comfort and appearance. By increasing the sizing of wheels, usually road handling and cornering ability is enhanced. Depending on the increase in size relevant to your vehicle, performance is enhanced with minimal effects in comfort. Plus 1: when the wheel replacing factory wheels are bigger by one inch. Example: Original equipment wheels and tires : 215 50 17 New replacement custom wheel and tires: 225 45 18
Q: What is TPMS?
A: Tire pressure is required to maintain the optimal traction and prevent tire failure from under inflation. Vehicle manufacturers have in recent years added TPMS systems into their vehicles. Check your vehicle’s owners manual to see if your vehicle has a system in place. However, the TPMS system only warns the drivers when under inflation of 25% or more is reached. Thus, it is always still a good idea to have a quality tire pressure gauge in your vehicle and regularly check the tire pressure in your vehicle. It is recommended to check once a month your tire pressure. Transferring a TPMS system to your new wheels. When replacing custom wheels, it is ideal to have the installer take out and put your factory TPMS onto the new wheels to maintain reading and prevent any warning lights that may appear on your dash. Another alternative if you wish to retain your stock wheels is to purchase new tpms sensors from the dealer. This would require the dealer to reset tpms to read new sensors. Please consult your vehicle owners manual and with your dealer on how to perform such an action. If you are upgrading your steel wheels to aluminum wheels, often times there would require the purchase of new TPMS sensor that are specifically made for aluminum wheels. On many instances, TPMS sensors on steel wheels are different from sensors for aluminum wheels. An alternative to purchasing aluminum wheel compatible TPMS sensors is the use of a TPMS adaptor strap kit. This kit consists of a strap with a sensor bracket that relocates your TPMS sensor to the barrel of the wheel. This allows your factory steel TPMS sensor to be retained without resorting to purchasing new aluminum wheel compatible TPMS sensors. These strap kits are readily available online for purchase.
Q: Whats the difference between wheels made for road use vs track use
A: Wheels are similar to shoes that we wear. We have shoes for running, hiking, office, and cross training. Each require specific design considerations to optimize their respective performance. So why not wheels? Wheels that are subject to road use contend with constantly changing load, road imperfections, higher volumes of hot cold cycles, and real world conditions that often require added fortification to ensure consistent performance over a longer duration than that of a race wheel that will usually have a shorter lifespan with a focus on the lightest possible weight. Similar to race engines that require rebuilding in shorter intervals than street engines, a racing wheel should not be considered over a street wheel with the sole consideration of weight. In fact, weight savings of 30 lbs or less end up yielding minimal gains in performance vs the limitations it presents to the proper use of the vehicle.
Q: Where can I see the warranty information for my wheels?
A: Warranties are viewable either on line or available on the instruction manual of each wheel box.
Q: Why are there more vibrations in the steering wheel?
A: There are usually more vibrations from your steering wheel because a larger tire and wheel will transmit more information in terms of road conditions. However, if there are vibrations and noises that are constant, possible causes would be: Irregular tire wear Tire and wheel out of balance Rim is damaged Tire is damaged If constant vibrations or pulling exists, immediately have a professional inspect the tire and wheel.
Q: Why does my car have different size tires front and back?
A: Vehicle manufacturers that offer high performance packaged trim levels for their vehicles have introduced larger tire and wheel packages with unequal sizing for the front and rear. The term used for utilizing larger wheels and tires for the rear and smaller in the front is called staggered setup. Although there are clear benefits for staggered wheel setups such as enhanced grip and appearance, there are also drawbacks in terms of tire rotation and replacement factors. Equal sized enhanced wheel and tire set ups if sized correctly can offer similar performance without the drawbacks of a staggered setup while still offering the ability for tire rotation and enhanced longevity. Refer to our vehicle selection guide to see if your vehicle qualifies for equal sized tire and wheel enhancement.
Q: Why has my ride changed?
A: When upgrading wheels and replacing stock tires with lower profile performance tires, it is not uncommon to experience a slightly stiffer ride. Even changing tires on a stock size, it is possible to have a stiffer ride as well due to tire wall construction, and the stiffness of the tire compound. Other factors that influence ride comfort level are shocks. If your stock vehicle comes already with performance oriented shock settings, changing bigger and lower profile tires will increase its stiffness. The benefits of bigger wheels and tires are that it provides added safety through additional traction and grip but with a slight tradeoff in terms of comfort.
