The late model Ford Mustang is fast becoming an extremely popular vehicle for both customizers and enthusiasts. This is partly due to the volume of aftermarket parts available and the demand from consumers to set their Mustang apart from the crowd and show off their personal style.
In addition to custom paint jobs and
aftermarket wheels (rims), many Mustang owners are opting to
lower their cars for more aggressive handling and appearance. Due to the flexibility of the late model Mustang chassis, there are several ride height and stiffness options available.
Depending on the version of Mustang, there are several options for lowering from standard
non-adjustable springs to fully adjustable
coil-over kits. Coil-over kits offer the height and dampening adjustability that is not possible with a spring-only application.
It's important to note that when changing a vehicle's ride height,
alignment adjustments will be needed for your vehicle. For lowering, this typically includes reduction in camber to counter the camber increase caused by shorter springs. For the newer Mustang, a set of
camber bolts will do the trick for the front and an
adjustable panhard bar or trailing arm for the rear.
When you're looking for Mustang shocks, springs, coil-over kits or other suspension parts for your ride, be sure to
shop by vehicle to find the parts that are a great fit.
Despite what some automotive experts say, I really like the new Volkswagen Jetta. And, if the original Jetta tires and wheels are not to your liking, some aftermarket car rims and tires could really increase the vehicle's style.
As you try to envision how a given wheel will fit on your car, keep in mind that the
offset spec effects the overall look. How would the
17x7.5 5-112 bolt pattern 45mm offset Bright Silver Enkei Tuning Fujin look on the car, even though your Original Equipment wheels are 16" in diameter and 6.5" with a 50mm offset? To help you gain a better picture of how these Enkei rims would sit on your vehicle, look at where your valve stems sit and picture them moving 17mm (roughly 3/4") out towards the fender.
Manufacturers will determine what sizes of wheels they'll make, as not all wheels come in all sizes. However, when you purchase wheels from Tire Rack, you can be assured the wheel you order is a perfect match for your vehicle. To see how we get the proper fitments for each vehicle, read "
How We Know What Fits."
Since I am a big fan of the
Jetta TDI let's use this application as an example. For 17" wheels you can choose Volkswagen tires in either
225/45-17 or
235/45-17. If I were picking tires to use here in Indiana, I'd get the
225/45-17 Michelin Primacy MXM4 for its combination of great steering response, wet grip and efficiency.
Since the new Jetta uses the indirect
Tire Pressure Monitoring System with ABS sensors, you don't need to get separate sensors. And when you're looking at our online tire prices for the Michelin Primacy, create a
Tire & Wheel Package with the Enkei wheels for $1388* plus shipping.
Create the perfect
Tire & Wheel Package for your Jetta today!
As the snow starts to fly, there's a mad rush for customers to get winter wheels and tires. However, should you order steel or alloy wheels with your
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package? The decision depends on the vehicle, price, the customer's needs and availability.
Availability: Certain vehicles can only be installed with alloy wheels, as steel wheels are not designed as aftermarket rims (wheels) for all applications.
Price: Steel wheels are the most affordable option even when you add a set of
wheel covers to your purchase. However, the price differe
nce can be minimal at times and many customers choose alloy wheels because they prefer the look and ease of not purchasing wheel covers.
Appearance: Obviously, there are many more styles of alloy wheels available than the simple black steel wheels. For some drivers, this is important. For others, the black steel wheel is perfectly sufficient.
Performance: Alloy wheels offer several performance advantages over steel. Compared to a steel wheel, an alloy wheel is lighter, stronger and will not rust. To gain a better understanding of how to compare alloy to steel wheels, read "
Alloy vs. Steel Wheels in Winter Tire & Wheel Packages."
Winter / snow tires offer dramatic improvement in safety and performance in winter conditions including snow, ice and freezing temperatures. This improvement is especially important for vehicles that include Max Performance Summer tires as Original Equipment.
The Porsche Panamera and new body style Cayenne commonly come with O.E. Max Performance Summer tires and are dangerous to use in a winter environment. The few all-season Porsche tires available are not well-suited for deep snow and ice.
Tire Rack offers custom
Winter/ Snow Tire & Wheel Packages for these vehicles in 18", 19" and 20" diameters. The packages come completely mounted and balanced and have the option of coming with TPMS sensors and Porsche center caps.
Winter packages for the Panamera start at around $1,800* for the 18" fitment. This package includes the
Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozero Serie II tire and
Sport Edition Cup 4 alloy wheel. And after you buy Pirelli tires for your Porsche, read "
Breaking In New Winter Tires" to better understand how the personality and handling traits of your new tires are different than your Original Equipment.
Winter packages for the Cayenne start at around $1,300* for the 18" fitment. This package includes the Bridgestone
Blizzak DM-V1 and the
Sport Edition TX8 alloy wheel. This combination of Bridgestone SUV tires and aftermarket wheels will make winter driving a breeze compared to any all weather tires you may find.
Find the right wheels/rims and tires for your vehicle by creating a
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package today!
*Prices subject to change
Aftermarket wheels designed to use the Original Equipment center cap are available at Tire Rack. Let the wheels from Bremmer Kraft, Breyton, ASA, Elbrus and O.Z. Racing give your vehicle that custom look while maintaining the factory edge. Take a look at a few options that will set your car apart from the rest:
Use our website to view exact fitment and availability as some wheels may not be compatible with certain makes and models.
Note: Click the "Product Description" tab on the rim summary page to see if the wheel will accept the O.E. center cap. If available for the wheel selected, the O.E. center cap can be purchased from the "Optional Hardware" tab.
Aftermarket wheels designed to use the O.E. Mercedes-Benz center cap are available at Tire Rack. We offer Mercedes wheels from Bremmer Kraft, BE by Breyton, and ASA for your model.
Use our website to match exact fitment, as some wheels may not be compatible with certain Mercedes-Benz models.
Note: Click the "Product Description" tab on the summary page to see if the wheel will accept the O.E. center cap.
Many people refer to the aftermarket wheels on their vehicle as "rims"—but the two terms are technically not interchangeable.
Aftermarket wheels are the steel or alloy units on which your tires are installed. A rim is really the outer part of the wheel that holds the tire. But don't worry, we'll know what you're talking about if you
call us in search of some new rims. And really, we sometimes refer to aftermarket wheels as "rims" ourselves.
Speaking of wheels, have you checked out the latest and greatest
additions to our
Tire Rack inventory of aftermarket wheels?
Breyton rolled out a new line—
BE by Breyton—and they're fairly sleek. In addition, a few
Dick Cepek wheels are
on sale through August 31.
You can shop our entire inventory in the
Upgrade Garage, where you'll get to see different wheels on your vehicle—well, at least a visual representation of it since we can't come down to your real garage with our wheels. This is the next best thing! Take a look.
The 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Coupe at right is a sleek and powerful vehicle. But when you add an equally impressive set of aftermarket Mustang rims, it's hard to believe, but the vehicle manages to look even sleeker.
The particular wheels you see at right are
Rockstar Car wheels from
KMC, so named because the brand gets its inspiration from an elite group of famous musicians and actors. The Rockstar Car is a new wheel at
Tire Rack, and we're very excited about its aesthetics.
In fact, we are so excited that we decided to carry it in a version made specifically for lifted trucks and SUVs, too. The Rockstar is part of KMC's
XD line, which focuses on creating aggressive wheels that work on and off the road.
Shop by vehicle today to see if KMC can outfit your vehicle.
In 1970,
BBS rolled out their first aftermarket wheels that promised high quality and excellent performance. Today, 40 years later, BBS continues to make those same promises—and drivers everywhere continue to support the brand, making it a true leader in the aftermarket wheel industry. And on the track.
BBS has won more races (and in a wider range of categories) than any other wheel manufacturer. From F1 to Rally and Hillclimb vehicles, even GP
Motorcycles—BBS knows what it takes to cross the finish line. And they've always applied that knowledge to every aftermarket wheel they create. This is certainly a quality standard
Tire Rack can appreciate, which is why we've always stocked a great selection of
BBS rims.
Capture the essence of motosports—
shop by vehicle to find your perfect set of BBS aftermarket wheels.
Visually speaking, the answer to that question is fairly obvious. But there's more to an
aftermarket wheel than simply the good looks. Aftermarket alloy wheels produce a number of
performance benefits for your vehicle, starting with reduced unsprung weight compared to steel wheels. What is unsprung weight? Any portion of your vehicle not supported by the suspension system. Without that support, those components get hit with road shock and cornering forces. To combat that, wheels make steering precise and improve "turning in" characteristics.
Aftermarket rims are also lighter than steel rims, which helps reduce the overall weight of your car. Clearly a lighter car handles much easier than one with significant weight to it. In addition, alloy wheels are quite strong. And strong wheels support your tires in the corner.
Finally, alloy wheels are made with metals that conduct heat most excellently. Heat is moved away from the brakes, which reduces brake fade. And often, alloy wheels are designed in a way that allows air to flow away from the brakes a little easier.
Still wonder why aftermarket wheels are so great? Let's go back to that visual note. Play around in the
Upgrade Garage to see what some of
Tire Rack's best aftermarket wheels look like on your vehicle. You just might find yourself sold on a particular set from one of our manufacturers. A list that includes
BBS,
moda,
MSW and
more.
Tire Rack is your complete source for all things auto tires and wheels. Aside from our collection of
rims and
tires online, you'll find first-hand product reviews from our sales specialists and Tire Rack consumers alike. We essentially don't hold anything back so that you can make the best purchase possible. And so that you can feel comfortable doing so.
In fact, now is most definitely the time to buy. With the onset of spring, we rolled out (pardon the pun) our biggest and best collection of aftermarket rims and tires to date...and a few other new things, too. Like car suspension products, a brake system upgrade and even a few engine tuning products.
Click here to see it all.
The Audi S4 is pretty easy on the eyes, but if you upgrade to aftermarket wheels, it can be even more impressive—and who doesn't like to turn a few heads driving down the road?! We chose a set of
ASA wheels for the 2010 above.
ASA GT1 wheels, to be specific. At
Tire Rack, we work with a lot of
wheel manufacturers and ASA always comes through with high quality wheels. They're exotic, elegant and exciting. Much like the Audi itself.
Use our
Upgrade Garage to see a visual representation of these wheels on your vehicle. You can also choose from other ASA wheels, too. And if you're really feeling the aftermarket itch, you can check out Audi tires from some of our reputable
tire manufacturers, too.
If you're looking for BMW rims, maybe Mercedes rims, or if you drive a Volkswagen or Audi, you might want to look at
Bremmer Kraft wheels as an aftermarket upgrade.
Bremmer Kraft wheels are manufactured with strict quality control standards to produce a very reliable wheel. And as your online wheels and tires store, we feel completely comfortable suggesting them as an attractive option for your vehicle.
We recently added the following to our collection:
The BR05 wheel comes in black with a machined lip (left) or bright silver paint (right) finishes. A quick
search according to vehicle will help you determine if these would work for you, or you can check out our
entire collection of Bremmer Kraft wheels. You'll find size and pricing information for every option we've got.
Cutting edge design meets precise manufacturing in a set of
MSW rims. No matter what you drive, installing a set of MSW wheels instantly upgrades the style of your vehicle.
Check out the MINI Cooper at left. The addition of 17"
MSW Type 16 rims makes for an eye-catching, unique twist on an already impressive vehicle. Let it be known, however, that the benefits aren't purely aesthetic.
Aftermarket wheels make it really easy for you to switch out tires between seasons.
Keep your summer tires installed on your MSW wheels, then swap out the whole set for your
winter / snow Tire & Wheel Package when the weather turns—doing so protects your MSW wheels from harmful salt and ice, and it also saves you time and money by cutting down the installation process.
Check out
Tire Rack's complete collection of MSW wheels, or
select your vehicle for a customized list. (Looking for MINI Cooper tires as well?
Start here to complete a Tire & Wheel Package.)
We understand that a wheel purchase isn't always an inexpensive purchase. Though aftermarket wheel benefits are worth every penny, sticker shock still exists. So at
Tire Rack, we do our best to help you out whenever possible. And right now, you can find a number of our wheels on the
clearance rack.
Find wheels for snow tires. Search reputable brands like
MSW Wheels and
Sport Edition Wheels,
Borbet rims and more. Push the savings even further by
searching tire and wheel sets. With a discounted wheel, these packages are even more affordable in the long run.
Start your
search by vehicle today. See how much you can save...
We recently added
Platinum Wheels to our list of premium aftermarket wheel brands. Produced by Ultra Wheel Company, these car and SUVrims will enhance the style and improve the performance of your vehicle.
Three styles—Apex, Saber and Widow—come in a variety of different finishes. Choose from hyper black with a machined lip, chrome plated or black with a machined lip and more. Take a look:
Apex Hyper Black with Machined Lip
Saber Chrome Plated
Widow Flat Black PaintedSee all
Platinum Wheels.
Update your vehicle with a set of aftermarket car rims from our
clearance rack. Act quick, though—this offer is only good while supplies last.
Search by vehicle and look for wheels with Closeout (blue) and/or Special (yellow) prices. And while you're at it, you may want to check out
tires. Wheel prices this low make
Tire & Wheel Packages even more affordable!
To drive a Corvette is to believe in the beauty of a high performance vehicle. And at
Tire Rack, we tend to think that means you'll also appreciate a beautiful set of aftermarket Corvette rims.
Like, for example, the
O.Z. Racing Botticelli III wheels featured on the Z06 at right. A polished lip and bright silver finish create a winning look that complements the Corvette's existing high style. Same goes for these Corvette wheels, too:
•
BBS RS-GT•
O.Z. Racing Alleggerita HLT•
O.Z. Racing Raffaelo IIIAnd the most beautiful aspect of aftermarket Corvette rims—they increase the performance levels of your vehicle as much as they enhance aesthetics. (
Read more.)
Search for these wheels in our
Upgrade Garage, and we'll show you what they look like on your Corvette. We'll also show you a selection of Corvette tires suited to your vehicle. (In case you're wondering, the Corvette above features
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires.)
Pretty cars need pretty wheels. Or, to take it from another perspective—high performance vehicles benefit from aftermarket wheels to enhance tire performance and handling. But still, they do make a car look really good. The 2009 135i Coupe below features 18"
O.Z. Racing Allegerita HLT wheels in an anthracite finish. The following BMW wheels will look just as good:
•
ASA GT1 (Bright Silver Paint)
•
Breyton Race GTS-R (Black with Red Stripe)
•
moda MD7 (Machined with Anthracite Accent)
Now, search by vehicle in our
Upgrade Garage to get a visual representation of what different BMW rims might look like on your vehicle. You'll also get the opportunity to see matching BMW tires.
And you might not want to stop there. The Upgrade Garage helps you search our entire inventory of suitable products, like BMW brake pads and
BMW suspension upgrades. Are your BMW shock absorbers absorbing enough bounce? Feeling every bump in the road? New BMW shocks might be just what the doctor...or, mechanic...ordered.
It's important to note that when changing a vehicle's ride height, alignment adjustments will be needed for your vehicle. For lowering, this typically includes reduction in camber to counter the camber increase caused by shorter springs. For the newer Mustang, a set of camber bolts will do the trick for the front and an adjustable panhard bar or trailing arm for the rear.
Chrome rims certainly do make an impression. They're shiny, and have a reputation for making a stylish statement. We put 
