A popular joke in the 1960s at full service gas stations was “filler up with Ethel and change the air in my tires.” Today with the price of gasoline approaching $3.00 per gallon, why not replace the air in your tires. Not with air but with nitrogen. Filling your tires with nitrogen rather than air will improve gas mileage, help maintain correct tire pressure, keep tires 25% cooler, improve handling and performance and prolongs the life of your tires. NASCAR drivers use nitrogen in their tires for safety reasons, you can too.
Why should you stop putting air in your tires! Compressed air you find at tire shops, gas stations and the compressor you use at home have a high concentrations of water vapor. Compressing air concentrates the water in it and unless really efficient air dryers are used chances are there is water vapors in your tires. Water vapor absorbs and holds heat. This wet air plus heat can increase the pressure in your tires, causing highway blow outs, and is one of the reason you should check your tire pressure when they are cold.
Have you ever thought about a set of spinner rims for your vehicle? Sure you have and buying on line is the best way to go. Dare to drive something different, spinning car rims are one of the most popular car, truck and SUV accessories available. A spinning chrome rim is a step up from your normal custom aluminum alloy or chrome wheel and their flashy looks are very appealing.
Most spinning rims are spinner attachments mounted on custom wheels. But they will not work on just any custom wheels. Custom wheels that are designed with a negative offset or designed for rear wheel drive (RWD) vehicles can accept spinning rim attachments. Negative offset of a wheel means that the mounting surface of the wheel is positioned closer to the disk/drum, axle or behind the center line of the wheel and is commonly referred to as a deep dish wheel. This offset is common in older vehicles. Modern RWD custom wheels are deep enough so that the spinning rim attachment can ride inside the wheel. A negative offset custom wheel with a large rim lip of 1 to 2 inches is ideal for most spinning rim attachments.
American Racing has again introduced the classic vintage Vector SE Series 47 wheels. The Vector SE was originally introduced by American Racing on that very popular orange 1969 Dodge Charger, the General Lee. The General Lee was the star of the 1970s and 1980s hit TV series The Dukes of Hazzard.
The Dukes of Hazzard was about racing on the backs roads of Hazzard County, Georgia. In the early 1980’s the TV series was thrilling Saturday evening viewing. You just could not miss one single episode as the Duke Boys (Bo and Luke) tried to get away from, out fox and out jump the tricky and materialistic Boss Hog along with his child like henchman Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane as they run around Hazzard County in their souped-up orange Dodge Charger named, The General Lee.
When choosing a set of custom wheels for your car, truck or SUV remember these five points. (1) You can choose the manufacturer! (2) You can choose the style and/or model! (3) You can choose the finish! (4) You can choose where purchased! and (5) Let the experts choose the size of the custom wheel and tire, the backspacing, negative or positive offset, bolt circle diameter and centerbore.
Your supplier, whether they are local or on the Internet, has the expertise to make the right choice. They have access to manufacturers specifications either by computer programs or printed manuals. However, below are a few technical term and definitions you should be familiar with.
Tire care and safety is a simple and easy process. In fact the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) recommends that you make a habit of checking them every month. It only takes five minutes. Remember to check the spare too! It is also recommended that you check your tires before a long trip.
Maintaining the correct pressure is essential. In fact under inflation can result in the tire failing. Check your owner’s manual to make sure you know the correct pressure required by your tires. When you do check the pressure make sure the tires are cool. The pressure goes up as the tires get hot from driving. This will give you an incorrect reading. Do not over fill the tire either.
The best way to buy custom wheels and tires on line for your car, truck or SUV is to buy them as a package deal. Pick out a set of your favorite custom wheels and tires, then have your preferred on line merchants match them up perfectly. To encourage or persuade you to buy both custom wheels and tire from them, most on line suppliers will give a discount when buying both the tires and custom rims together.
If you live in “small town USA” chances are you won’t have any custom wheel street stores. Most larger cities may have one or two custom wheel stores but they may only carry a couple of wheel brands. However, major large cities such as Houston, Los Angeles and New York may have more choices. If you don’t live in one of these major large cities then shopping for custom wheels on the web is good judgment. On line merchants also make sure you don’t increase the weight of your wheel and tire combo by using plus sizing. This method improves handling capabilities by mounting tires that are wider and have a shorter sidewall on a larger diameter custom wheel.
Custom wheels can make a big difference in a car, truck or SUV. They offer improved handling and a beautiful appearance. Because of this, auto enthusiasts have been upgrading to custom wheels for years, replacing basic steel wheels and hubcaps on their vehicle to set them apart from others and to provide a smoother ride.
Most Custom wheel manufacturers offer chrome, aluminum and alloy wheels in their inventories. They also have been offering custom wheels in colors such as the very popular silver along with bronze, gun metal, gold, anthracite, white, black and gray.
Rally racing in the 1960s and 1970s was very popular and still is today. This type of racing is one of the most challenging and demanding form of motor sports in the world. It involves sports cars going real fast, battling the elements and other race cars. Combine the physical action of road racing with the glamour and excitement of international sports car racing and you have Rally racing. Because Rally race cars are also street legal they had a special appeal to race fans. Race Fans wanted their cars to look and perform just like Rally cars. So some auto manufacturers offered accessories such as Rally wheels to the consumer. The original Rally steel wheels usually had five distinct oval slots and came with different center caps and trim rings. They were made of heavier gauge steel, which makes them weigh more but also adds structural integrity.
American Racing makes a chrome wheel that sure looks like the old style Rally wheels used on the Camaro and Chevelle. These triple chrome plated steel alloy wheels come with a baby moon hub cap and will compliment white wall tires. This top of the line chrome wheels are offered in 14, 15 and 16 inch rims. Widths vary from 6 to 10 inches. You can also choose many different offsets, back spacing and bolt circle patterns for that just right fitment.
Look around and you will see an increase in custom wheels used on trucks today. Less than 20 years ago trucks were just cargo hauling vehicles. In the early 1900s trucks were used primarily for local wholesale and retail deliveries. Today when we talk about trucks we are talking about light trucks. Light trucks include pickup trucks, minivans and full-size vans, and sport utility vehicles. Twenty five percent or more of all new vehicles sold are light trucks.
There is an huge amount of accessories that allow pickup truck owners to convert their weekday work horse to comfortable, efficient and enjoyable transportation. Accessories like lowering kits, lift kits, tonneau covers and custom wheels. Most of these accessories don’t have to be practical, people just want to modify a truck to suit their life styles.
One of the largest full size pickups on the market today feature two wheels and tires on each side of the rear axle. These large trucks are referred to as a “dually” and were made for hauling and towing heavy loads. They are often equipped with large V8’s, V10’s or Diesel engines. In the past few years, diesel performance has become an enormously popular.
Typical accessories found on dually pick up trucks are grille guards, nerf bars, headache racks, bed rails, mud flaps and large custom wheels. Turn your Chevy, Ford or Dodge dually diesel into a beast with custom wheels from Alcoa. The same company that gave us Alcoa aluminum also make popular custom dually wheels.
This year is the 50th anniversary of American Racing Custom Wheels. American Racing vintage wheel collection consist of 27 different custom wheel designs. If you have ever been to the American Racing web site, then we are sure you noticed the distinctive vintage styling of their “Torq-Thrust” custom wheels.
American Racing’s Torq-Thrust Original Series 309 is a 1-piece painted/machined alloy custom rim that has been around for a long time. In 1956 this wheel started a trend with American hot rod and muscle car enthusiast. The original magnesium five spoke American Racing Torq-Thrust with its unique tapered curve form spoke design is considered by many to be the most famous custom wheel of all time and one that changed world of racing on the strip and the street.
What’s Hot in custom wheels? Wheel diameters keep getting bigger and bigger, SUV’s in particular are now running 28 to 30 inches. Even Honda owners are asking for 19s these days. However, have you noticed all the Black Wheels that manufacturers are offering today? Have you noticed how many black wheels are now seen on cars, trucks and SUV’s. Especially on Trucks and SUV’s. Call it redefining beauty or what ever you like, black rims are hot!
Manufacturers often describe black wheels in the following manner: painted black, chrome and black, gloss black, matte black, flat black, powder coated black, satin black, charcoal, hyper black, iridium black, black with a machine lip, black paint with polished stainless lip, black with a diamond cut face, chrome with black spoke caps, chrome with black inserts, carbon, graphite, anthracite, and black chrome. However, black and hyper black are the most popular descriptions used by manufacturers.
Automotive technology that was developed on the race track has trickled down to the street in one form or another for the last 40 years or more. This is the case with American Racing Vintage custom wheels they call the “Hopster.” The Hopster has been around for a number of years and is a very good choice for that classic vehicle such as a 1955, 1956 and especially 1957 Chevrolet street rods. American Racing Hopster wheels are beautiful wheels for your classic ride that features timeless 5-spoke styling. Street rods and customs often have over sized wheel wells and huge fender openings that must be properly filled to achieve the right look. American Racing Hopster’s would be a good choice. When properly fitted, it’s tough to beat the look of a fender full of great looking aluminum custom wheels and high-performance low profile tires. Stock wheels just don’t cut it any more as the baby boomers of the 1960s start to retire and relive their teenage years.
The American Racing Hopster series 550 is a 2 piece custom wheel that comes in fully polished aluminum and will fit various bolt patterns and sizes from 15 X 10 inches up to 17 X 9.5 inches in width. Looking for something bigger? American Racing offers the Hopster in a custom offset series 450. The Hopster series 450 is also a fully polished 2 piece aluminum alloy custom wheel. The series 450 is offered in 15 X 10 inches all the way up to 20 X 10 inches in width. The Hopster series C450 is a third choice offered by American Racing that features a 2 piece alloy polished rim and a chrome center. All Hopster’s have the American Racing logo featured on their great looking center caps.
Custom wheels are one of the most common ways in which old car buffs and younger car enthusiasts customize their vehicles. As with most things in life you can settle for being average or you can stand out in the crowd. Installing a new set of custom chrome rims on your car will surely make heads turn.
Appearance oriented car enthusiasts look for the shine in chrome wheels. However you can also get great looks with polished aluminum wheels. Be prepared to spend more time on polished aluminum wheels compared to chrome plated custom alloy wheels. Black custom rims are a new hot style now seen on small tuner cars. Plus there are many other colors to choose from that will match your Honda tuner car.
Because they look cool right! The performance benefits of custom wheels should be your answer. In the 1950s and 1960s race car drivers developed lighter magnesium wheels to reduce weight and enhance performance in all form of racing. They were called Mags by the racers, a term still widely used today. However, most magnesium wheels were far to fragile for daily street use. Plus magnesium oxidizes very quickly and require frequent polishing. Magnesium wheels used in modern race cars are often forged to make them stronger and reduce weight. As a result contemporary forged magnesium custom wheels are very expensive. The oxidization problem is the reason you don’t see contemporary custom wheels made of magnesium.
Fortunately for the custom wheel market today manufacturers developed light weight aluminum alloy wheels that provide the strength needed and come in numerous finish options while reducing wheel weight. Trendy wheel finishes include chrome and polished aluminum, plus painted aluminum alloy come in hyper-silver, silver, white, black, gray and Anthracite. While many of us choose aftermarket custom wheels for their good looks, there are many important performance benefits resulting from reducing a wheels weight compared to factory steel wheels.