WHY swap wheels/rims?

[kaitlyn2004]

Currently have stock wheels+tires, about to switch off the tires but had me thinking (longer term I guess) about the wheels.

As far as I know there are two main things about the wheels - the size, and their offset which may be used to fit bigger tires.

Outside of that, and outside of purely looks, WHY would you swap out your wheel? Is there a utilitarian reason why you'd want something instead of the stock wheels?

 

[ads2539]

My 4Runner is 16 years old. I bought factory rims from a new (2019) 4Runner because my old rims looked bad.

 

[MAST4R]

Another one is weight. But with weight also comes the question of strength. Lots of lighter aftermarket options won't be as strong as the OEM wheel. Higher-end wheels can be both strong and lighter weight.

Does it matter much in practice? As always, it depends on the driver and the use. A significant change in the combined weight of wheel and tire will impact how the vehicle feels in various circumstances. Lighter is generally said to be better but that is only true with a softer suspension. A lighter wheel/tire combo with a heavier duty suspension will feel really stiff on road.

A vehicle that is not frequently used on 4x4 trails and does not use a very stiff suspension setup can benefit from two sets: lighter weight wheels and SL tires for daily driving to maximize performance and stock wheels plus heavy duty tires for the occasional 4x4 trips. That worked well for me in the past. Say, you can only do dirt roads and easy trails around town and have to travel far to get to areas with lots of 4x4 trails.

But if you live in a place where you can offroad on day trips, having two sets is just a pain to deal with. And if you have a suspension that allows higher speeds offroad, the heavier combo will feel more comfortable on road.

 

[Uemdss]

Why not spare tires? Think of occupying space? You can place it on the roof of the car.