Winter Rims for Your Ride

You’ve heard it said a thousand times by now—you should get winter tires for those months when the temperature drops off. Heck, we even recently mentioned it as something you should be doing every year to get your vehicle ready for the winter! One thing you may not hear quite as often, though, is that you should also look at making sure you’ve got some winter rims for your vehicle as well.

Wait, winter rims? Don’t those just come with winter tires? Well . . . yeah, sometimes. But not always. Even if they do, you might also want to ensure they’re the right sort of rims to get you through the winter months. Fortunately, we here at Go Auto Don Mills Chrysler have you covered, with a quick rundown on what you need to know about getting the right rims for your vehicle.

Okay, what sort of rims should I be using in the winter?

A harsh Canadian winter can take its toll on any wheels, no matter the type, but generally speaking steel wheels tend to fare a bit better than aluminum. Make no mistake, aluminum wheels are strong and can take a beating; the issue is they don’t deal with temperature changes quite as well as steel. When the temperature fluctuates, aluminum expands and contracts more than steel tends to. This can cause the air pressure to drop in your tires, which can both impact your vehicle’s overall performance, and contribute to your tires wearing out faster.

Why not just use steel all the time, then?

Well, a few reasons. First off, frankly, steel rims are pretty boring. Most steel wheels have simple designs and require hub caps to look good. Moreover, steel is more susceptible to rust than aluminum, so when the temperature (and humidity!) rises, they’re going to wear out faster. Finally, aluminum manufacturing has improved quite a bit over the years, and some stylish aluminum wheels can be fairly inexpensive.

Does that mean I should have two sets of rims?

Yeah, honestly, the best solution is to have a second set of steel rims for your winter tires. Best of all, if you have your winter tires already mounted on some winter rims, they’re easier to change! Assuming you’re handy in the garage (and know how to change a tire), you could pop off the summer wheels and affix the winter wheels yourself, saving time and money when it’s time to swap tires.

We’d be happy to help you find a set of winter wheels to keep you safe on the road! Our team of trained service technicians is also more than happy to help you with swapping your tires when the seasons change!

So what size of rims should I look for?

Isn’t it weird how we seem to anticipate what your next question will be, Todd? (We just blew Todd’s mind, by the way.) It’s a good question, though! Different vehicle types require different rim sizes. The good news is, we know the standard factory wheel sizes for our vehicles, and we’ve put together a handy table to help you out. You should still to double-check with your dealer, though, as some models and trims do offer different wheel size options.

You should still to double-check when you come in to get your new rims, though, as some models and trims do offer different wheel size options!