2009 Custom Wheels & Tires Guide

Today's wheels and tires from the vehicle factories are designed to do the right job. They also include that government safety standard feature that becomes very boring or out of style. For most of us, slipping into a set of wire wheels with 5.20s or plus-size chrome, polished, or colored rims with matching low-profile tires is the definitive fashion statement for our rides. The number of wheel and tire choices available these days can also be overwhelming.

For the past few years the aftermarket wheel manufacturers have been trying to reinvent the wheel. Custom wheels have become the ultimate automotive accessory and are really on an entirely different level from the days of sporting humble moon-type hubcaps. Back in the day, your car came with hubcaps that attached to the stock rims, which weren't very attractive but still looked better than the stock wheel. If wheels were dressed up at all, they were fitted with dog dish-shaped hubcaps and chrome trim rings or maybe, if an owner had a true sense of style, crossbar or spinner wheel covers. Then in the late '60s came the aftermarket five-spoke mag wheels, and soon after that, the wire wheels broke out. But today, newly designed wheels come off those CNC machines every five minutes. The choices are endless.

The more knowledge you have about the wheels you're looking for, the better off you'll be. It's easy to find basic information about plus-size rim options (17-30 inches) for any vehicle, or even to rolling on smaller wheels like 13s. Don't be scared to ask about rolling on 13s or 34s when you go to a wheel shop. You should ask as many questions as possible. Wheelwell space has a lot to do with automotive design, once the right sized wheels are applied.

Many retailers both online and in stores should ask for basic information from your vehicle's year, make, and model to help you find a set of wheels that will fit your ride. Once you give up this information, look for your application of wheels. You see, aftermarket wheels are divided into car and truck/SUV designs. The next question should be: Is your vehicle front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive? Rear-wheel-drive rims tend to have a deep dish or, in technical terms, a zero or negative offset. Front-wheel-drive rims tend to have a very shallow dish or a positive offset to clear the brake calipers and various suspension components. Offset is the distance from the center of a wheel to its mounting surface-the place where it bolts to your vehicle's axle hub. The lower the offset, the closer the mounting surface is to the inner edge of the wheel. The higher the offset, the more space there is inside the wheel, behind the mounting surface. You also need to know your vehicle's bolt pattern so you can buy wheels that will bolt right on, instead of using wheel adapters.

Backspacing is the distance between the innermost edge of a wheel and the mounting surface. Backspacing and offset affect whether the wheel will fit within your vehicle's wheelwell or stick out beyond the fender. It will also affect the bearing load path. In general, you want your wheels to be as far out to the sides as possible, as long as they aren't rubbing against the wheelwells when your suspension compresses, which is especially important with hydraulics or air ride. Placing the wheels out to the sides gives you a wide stance for improved stability and handling. If the new wheels and tires extend beyond the wheelwells, keep in mind that some states mandate the addition of fender flares or fender extensions to cover the tires, and some states even require the use of mudflaps.

By Saul Vargas

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