Car wheels are one of the key determinants for the performance of the car. However, many people do not really understand wheels, their parts and how their performance affects the whole car.
Wheels can be of two types; the OE Wheels and the Aftermarket wheels.
Original Equipment or OE Wheels refers to the original wheel parts that came along with the car when it was rolled out of factory.
As with all machinery, replacement of parts is essential after a certain point of time and here arises the necessity of Factory Rims. So when a rim has been replaced by OE, it means that the replaced part is same as the original part that the car came with.
Sometimes a replacement is even marked with ‘Exceeds OEM’ which means the replaced rim is better than the one it was originally fitted with!
Aftermarket wheels are not similar to the original wheels that came with the car.
OE Wheels can either be of steel or alloy. Steel rims are popular on trucks and on vehicles that are cheaper, because steel rims are cheaper to manufacture. Automobiles that fall in the line of luxury or high performance, prefer alloy wheel rims that are made of aluminum because they are stronger and better looking that the steel ones.
Oddly enough, OE Wheels are made by the same companies that manufactured aftermarket wheels. What is the difference then? The difference is in product as well as in branding. Car companies order the wheel manufacturers to make the wheels according to their car specifications. These specially manufactured wheels have the car company’s name on them rather than that of the wheel manufacturer.
Now that OE wheels are explained, we need to look at the positives and negatives of OE wheels from the user’s point of view.
First the negatives.
Cost as always tops the list here. OE wheels are costly, because of their ‘original’ tag. As mentioned before, the alloy wheels cost higher therefore, mostly, instead of alloy, people prefer to go for steel rims.
Here arises the second major issue. Steel rims are cheaper for a reason. Steel rims are considerably more heavy than their alloy counterparts and unfortunately that means that these rims bend much more easily, requiring frequent replacement.
Another issue is that the steel rims are not attractive to look at. Found mostly in silver or black, one cannot blame someone for finding steel rims boring and dull.
Now for the positives, which exceeds the negative considerably.
Just as we mentioned the price, that is higher, it also ensures that vehicle stays original, with all its parts according to the specifications that the manufacturers recommended for it. This aims at the increased longevity of the vehicle.
Having all parts of the vehicle marked as original ensures a good resale value. In times like these, selling our vehicle is rather common, may that be more downgrading or for upgrading, for accommodating a bigger family or buying first car for your kids.
One must note that manufacturers often demand and ensure a higher standard of product than the regular after market wheels. The OE Wheels therefore are always of better quality and longevity.
Thus we come to another positive. OE wheels are durable. They are checked against road hazards and conditions, car wash acids, road salts. Their durability means that the user has to make less number of insurance claims compared to after market versions. Having the OE wheel ensures that one is abiding by the recommendations of the manufacturers as OEM wheels are properly designed to support the weight of the car, passenger as well as the cargo, with a considerable safety margin.
Aftermarket wheels have a tendency to stand out as the misfit which seriously damages the look of the car. One does note if the wheels looks bad on an otherwise good car.
Ultimately it is the buyer’s choice, however, buying at Texas Wheel Empire is always the best.
