February 26, 2019

Consider These 5 Things Before Changing the Rims on Your Vehicle in Houston, TX

For many, a vehicle is an expression of the driver. That means paying a little extra attention to how your ride presents itself by perhaps putting better-looking rims on it. As an authorized Volkswagen Service Center, our experience suggests that there are two ways to upgrade your rims. Either consider every factor and maintain the quality standards set by the manufacturer or take the risk that a third-party aftermarket rim will work just as well. Below, we discuss 5 things we think everyone should know before changing out the rims on their vehicle.

If you're in the greater Houston area with any questions about aftermarket rims, or any other Volkswagen-related question, please reach out to us at Archer Volkswagen. Our factory trained technicians are always looking for a reason to talk about VW car repair. Take a minute to fill out our quick and secure online appointment form to let us know when you'll be by, and we'll have everything ready when you get here.

5. Ride Quality with Aftermarket Rims

Since the wheels are the contact point between the road and the car, they play a big role in how well the vehicle handles bumps and turns in the road. A big part of how comfortably a vehicle goes over bumps is the height of a tire's sidewall. Bigger rims with tires that have a shorter sidewall don't always cushion the bumps as well as tires with taller sidewalls.

4. How will New Rims Affect the Resale Value?

When done correctly, different rims can certainly improve the resale value. However, unique aftermarket rims can turn off potential buyers for a variety of reasons. That's why we recommend choosing from the wheel options that are available at an authorized Volkswagen dealer instead of independent shops or looking online.

3. Which New Wheels will Fit Your Ride?

We mentioned that you can put larger rims on a vehicle with shorter sidewall. However, there's a limit to everything. Too large of a wheel could rub on the wheel well when turning or going over a bump. While changing the suspension to allow for larger wheels may be OK for certain types of vehicles, we wouldn't recommend it for Volkswagen models today.

2. What Size Rim Will Fit Your Volkswagen?

Ultimately, an authorized dealer will know exactly what size wheel options are appropriate for your specific model. You'll also find an OEM Volkswagen parts department on sight that should have the wheel in stock. Did you know that most dealerships are also one-stop wheel shops?

1. How Will Different Wheels Affect Your Vehicle's Factory Warranty?

This is perhaps one of the most important things to consider if you're looking to upgrade the wheels on a vehicle that's still covered by the factory warranty. Since the wheels are so integral to the entire drivetrain, modifying them outside of the warranty terms could leave you stuck with the bag if something goes wrong. Once again, this risk is easily avoidable in the tire shop at an authorized VW service center like ours at Archer Volkswagen in Houston, TX.