If you are considering buying chromed alloy wheels for your car there are a couple things you should be aware of. If a set of alloy wheels are really cheap to buy its possible that short cuts have been taken in the manufacturing process resulting in a product of poor quality and finish.

Some chrome alloy wheel manufacturers do not copper plate the alloy wheels before the chroming process takes place. If the wheels are not copper plated first the alloy underneath the chrome finish can start corroding, which results in the chrome finish peeling away from the wheel. This peeling can start with in a few months of buying the wheels and you may need to replace the whole set with in a year.

In some cases the clear coat finish over the top of the chrome plating is not sufficiently thick or of a good enough quality, again due to short cuts by the manufacturers and may start lifting off the wheel. If this does happen to your chrome wheels it means that water will be able to seep underneath and start damaging the chrome finish. As soon as this starts happens the chrome finish will start to pit and corrode where the lifting is occurring. Eventually the wheels will need replacing, or re chroming as they look so bad. Unfortunately low quality chrome wheels are prone to this happening.

Occasionally the manufacturers of Chrome alloys will not offer a refund when damage to the chrome effect has been caused rather than happened naturally; e.g damage caused by kerbing the wheels. This is because the damage has been caused by you accidently or not, however a set of good quality chrome alloys should not corrode as easily.

You should always do some research on the manufacturer of the wheels you are thinking of buying to make sure they offer the high quality chrome wheels that you are after. If you do not research the Wheel properly you may have to learn the hard way and end up having to buy a second brand new set of wheels. Forums are a good way of finding info about specific wheels and how they actually work in operation.

When purchasing a set of alloys find a reputable dealer, they will offer advice on treatment and care of the alloys as well as fitment specifications for your vehicle. Then decide whether you want to make the extra effort involved with chrome wheels, remember you get chromes to make a statement so keep the clean and scratch free because you not making much of a statement with expensive brake dust coated chrome wheels.

In conclusion Chrome Wheels look great but can be prone to corroding and flaking, if you want to go Chrome its worth while spending that little bit extra and go for a quality set. Remember you need to take good care of the chrome if you want it to last but it is definitely worth the extra effort involved.

Over the last few years there has been a massive increase in the numbers of both car manufacturers and car dealers offering alloy wheels as an option on new cars, so that the potential owner can customise their new vehicle at the point of purchase. It could be asked if this is in anyway affecting the manufacturers of the alloy wheels. Obviously some of them are going to be supplying the wheels directly to the car manufacturers, and those that are have said that production runs are getting shorter and shorter. Due to the number of dealers and manufacturers now offering more and more alloy wheel options to their customers, the amount of OEM designs has increased quite significantly over the last few years. There have been occasions when some wheel manufacturers have had as many as twenty-five alloy wheel designs in production in their factories at any one time. Being able to achieve this level of production means the companies have to be able to switch between the designs quickly and efficiently without losing too much production time, which calls for extremely strict time management patterns within the factories.

There are several major factors that car manufactures have to consider when deciding on which factory alloys to install. Firstly the cost of them, the more expensive the alloys are the more the price of the vehicle will. Secondly Image, the alloys have to match the car. The whole point of having alloy wheels is that the vehicle looks better with than without. Thirdly the availability and production time when producing the alloys. Combining the three factors usually restricts the amount of choice that vehicle manufactures have when deciding of the correct wheels for a specific vehicle.

However, although car manufactures are improving the designs of factory fitted alloy wheels the truth is they will always be behind the major manufactures. The production of vehicles are designed and scheduled years in advance. Choices on Image, design, Styling, Materials and features are all made months before the vehicle goes into production. For this reason the standard alloys will always be slightly behind the times in both styling and performance when compared to the aftermarket option. The priorities for the alloy wheel manufacturers who are not lucky enough to have a contract with one of the car manufacturers are somewhat different. They have to be able to monitor the trends in sales and designs, and by careful marketing and design keep ahead of consumer demands so that they are able to offer designs that appeal to those who want to add after market alloy wheels to their car.

You would not imagine that places like a machine shop and a metal foundry would be affected by fashion trends but that is exactly what is happening too many of the alloy manufacturers today. The fairly recent boom in alloy wheel sales, no longer the domain of prestige car owners or the motor sport racers has meant a change in the way the wheel manufacturers have to go about their business. In some respects this is good news for the manufacturers as the increase in turnover and profits will show in the company accounts, but on the other hand the manufacturers now have to be more and more innovative with their designs and also trying to keep production costs down so that the company profits.

While the desire to have alloy wheels for the average car on the street has led to a big boom in sales and profits for the alloy wheel manufacturers, their marketing departments have to be constantly thinking one step ahead of the competition if they want to be a market leader, rather than a follower of fashion. They have to constantly keep abreast of the consumer’s tastes and try to come up with awe inspiring new designs, which the customers will want to buy for their cars. Once the designs have been approved as a part of the companies range, the manufacturing plants need to be highly flexible, and able to implement the new designs quickly and efficiently, or they risk lagging behind the competition in a highly competitive and constantly changing market.

A prime example of the competition between the manufactures is the Kei Racing and the Kato racing ranges released this year, although both ranges are from the same manufacturer the competition between both ranges is evident. Both have produced an attractive range of alloy wheels at competitive prices and are pushing the boundaries visually and in performance. However this alone isn’t enough to succeed in a harsh and competitive market.

Alloy manufacturers have realised that to be competitive in today’s market, the alloys they produce must be

A) Better than other competitors in price, desirability and performance

 B) Better than the standard factory fit alloy (or steel) wheel supplied with the vehicle

C) Wheel Ranges MUST be advertised and promoted in a manner different to others ranges. The advertising must be unique and attractive to the target audience (this is obviously expensive)

This competition is driving up the quality, performance and value for money of alloy wheels and this is obviously good for the end consumer as competition within the manufacturers community brings down the prices for retailers and ultimately reduces the price of alloy wheels for the customers, this being the main reason why many more people are purchasing new alloys now more that ever before, lets face it you can now buy alloys with tyres for approximately the same price as purchasing new tyres for standard wheels. THIS can only be positive for the consumer in the long run, but what effect will it have on the manufacturers?

If you really want your car to stand out from the crowd have you looked into getting a set of custom designed alloy wheels made for it. You can pretty much guarantee that if you go the custom route no one in your area will have the same wheels, as you and your car will be unique. There are a few firms out there who can design an alloy wheel to your specifications and produce wheels that are absolutely stunning to look at.

Performance Alloys, for example, offer a custom alloy design service that includes the following options; various offsets and different paint finishes including having the wheels painted to match your car. You can choose from various build types, including one or three piece wheels. They can supply a range of wheels from 18” to 26” diameter and from 7” wide up to 13” for cars such as the Ferrari F50, and they also supply all the fitments to exactly match your car as well. If you decide to give them a try they do charge £30 for the custom design service, due to the amount of time involved in the design process, but this is refunded off the full price if you decide to go ahead and have the wheels made for you.

Going the custom alloy route will cost more obviously, probably in the region of double the price of a set of alloys bought off the shelf, but you will definitely have a unique car at the end of it. Its also worth bearing in mind that if you go the custom route these wheels are being made just for you and you will not be able to return them.

Performance Wheels also provide an excellent range of off the shelf alloy wheels, including Kato Racing, Kia Racing and Finichi. All offering fantastic designs and competitive prices

If you have found a set of alloys you like the look of make sure you read up on user reviews and reports before buying them, so you get an idea of the handling and performance from other owners
Big wheels can look brilliant but will not necessarily improve the handling of the car. If you really want the big wheel look try to go for an ultra low profile tyre on a larger alloy wheel. And remember the handling of your car will differ depending on which wheels you choose. It is worth remembering that low profile tyres will improve the handling of your car, but the tyres are more expensive and the ride will be harder.

Be careful when choosing your alloy wheels, remember what they will look like if you have the misfortune of curbing your wheels. Some designs will curb better than others so try to go for a design that does not protrude too much, and also have a look at the split rim designs. Also remember that some designs have been known to crack when hitting a curb or pothole at high speed.

Remember to make sure the pattern of the wheel nuts (PCD) matches your car before buying and also check the bore and offset measurements. If the measurements are not correct the wheel may not fit properly over your brake discs and you may find the wheels grinding into your arches when you either go over a bump or turn a corner. If this does happen you may need to get your wheel arches cut or rolled to make them fit.

Try to make sure the overall rotational diameter of the car wheels and tyres is the same as originally specified for your car or you will need to get your Speedo recalibrated as well as having your tracking and suspension realigned so that you don’t have uneven tyre wear under acceleration.

One last thing to consider is to choose wheels that will be easy to clean.

Alloy Wheels are an expensive but worthy investment, so it makes sense to look after them as best you can. However it’s inevitable that at some point in your driving life you will get the odd knock, scuff and chip from curbs whilst parking or stone and gravel kickups from other vehicles passing.

Whilst the scuffs and chips don’t affect the alloys performance they do make the alloy appearance look flawed and messy and can ruin the vehicle image. Many people just live with this problem because they think that it’s too expensive to be repaired or fixed, and if you don’t look in the right places or for the right people it can be.

There’s a surprisingly simple solution to the problem of alloy scuffs, and many products available that will fix the problem quickly and effortlessly Alu Scratch is certainly one of the market leaders. As with similar products alu scratch is specifically designed to repair surface damage to metal or aluminium products (so not just alloy repair) however this is the purpose it was created for.

Almost all cosmetic damage to the alloys can be repaired by the kit, and in most cases the repair can be done with out removing the wheel. All you have to do is clean the area around the chip or scuff, mix the relevant components of the kit together and apply into the chip, when this is done to a satisfactory level apply the reacting agent that sets the material hard and decreases the curing time. It sets in about 5 mins and is ready to sand down. Often spray paint is used to finish the colour but this is not always necessary.

This system of alloy wheel repair is available from many other manufactures at very reasonable prices, and is usually much cheaper that having them repaired using the same method professionally or sandblasted, you’ll have them looking as good as new in no time, every time you chip them.

Alloy wheels differ from normal steel wheels because of their lighter weight, which improves the steering and the speed of the car, however some alloy wheels are heavier than the equivalent size steel wheel. Alloy wheels are also better heat conductors than steel wheels, improving heat dissipation from the brakes, which reduces the chance of brake failure in more demanding driving conditions. In addition to this, most alloys make the car looks  a great deal better.

Alloy wheels can be prone to corrosion if preventive measures are not taken, which can in turn cause the tires to leak air. Also, alloys are far more difficult to repair than steel wheels when bent, but their higher price usually makes repairs cheaper than replacement and even severely damaged wheels can often be repaired to like new, though this depends on how badly the owner wishes to salvage the wheel and its intrinsic worth or availability.

For passenger vehicles, alloy wheels are not only for improved driving performance, they are also for cosmetic purposes. The alloy wheel itself is shiny and/or has an intricate design, so there is no need for paint or wheel covers. By contrast, steel wheels either have to be painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut, or be hidden with plastic wheel covers.

Alloy wheels are more expensive to produce than standard steel wheels, and are not included as standard equipment on base models of many non-luxury vehicles, instead being marketed as optional add-ons or as part of a more expensive trim. However, alloy wheels have become considerably more common since the 2000s, now being offered on economy and subcompact cars, compared to a decade ago where alloy wheels were often not factory options on inexpensive vehicles. Alloy wheels have long been included as standard equipment on higher-priced luxury or sports cars, with larger-sized or "exclusive" alloy wheels being options. The high cost of alloy wheels have made them attractive to thieves; to counter this, automakers and dealers have issued wheel locks where one of the wheel nuts require a special key to remove.

Alloy Assault offer aftermarket alloys at great prices to really transform the appearance and performance of your vehicle. From 12" wheels all the way through to 23" wheels!

All cars have wheels, (an obvious thing to say), well except those that have been stolen, but that’s a different matter. The majority of cars now come with alloys, generic factory fitted alloy wheels but alloys all the same. The thing is the importance of them is significant, but we don’t realise how significant until we either don’t have them or till we have upgraded. Why do we choose to have upgraded or aftermarket alloys over the standard steel wheel?

The Main reason is down to our desire to show off, or to be unique. Style and image are some of the most importance features we look for when purchasing a new car or updating the image of the car you have currently. The easiest way of doing this is to upgrade to your alloys, it’s surprising how much difference a good set of wheels make to the appearance to a vehicle. It goes with out saying that different styles of alloys will suit different cars & portray them differently for varying reasons, an example of this is putting an aggressive set of alloys on a Japanese performance car would make them more sporty and performance ready where as to add stylish wheels would make the whole image more fashionable.

The other reason of upgrading your wheels is one that people don’t often realise; the performance. The technology behind alloy wheels now is much more advanced than it was many years ago. Alloy wheels are now much lighter and stronger than the generic steel cousins. This not only reduces the weight of the car but they are also designed with more surface area touching the road increasing grip and performance of the wheels, thus increasing speed, handling, wear of the tyres and can often reduce fuel consumption dramatically. Occasionally when performance is increased the ride comfort is reduced so finding the right balance is the key when purchasing new alloys.

Information about alloy wheels and compatibility with your car can be found at alloy assault