Tire Dealers Association of Canada Convention - Autosphere

Éric Descarries
104420.662@compuserve.com
Wheels
Éric Descarries
104420.662@compuserve.com
Steel or alloy Wheels
Winter Can Be Rough on your Wheels
No matter where you live in Canada, winter will be rough on wheels. If it’s not the snow and ice, it will be
the salt and potholes that might damage your customers’ wheels. What to do in such a case? This is what
we asked Dan Beaton of Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists in Ottawa, Ontario, an area that is usually hit pretty
hard by winter.
A lloy
Wheel Repair Specialists deal
with a lot of wheel repairs, mostly
slightly bent alloy wheels for high end
cars and light trucks. It also deals with
refurbishing alloy wheels. A quick look at
its website—www.alloywheelrepair.ca—
will show you more about this Ottawa
business, as it includes refurbishing,
straightening, providing, and caring for
wheels.
Winter is a season that brings a lot of
business to Alloy Wheel Repair. Most
of the time, the damage is caused by an
accident or a road hazard. According to
Dan, people don’t always drive carefully
in the rain or snow, and they hit potholes
and curbs. Also, Nature alone may cause
cosmetic damage to wheels.
34 Tire News tn October 2008
What to choose—steel or alloy?
A wheel thus damaged can be considered non-repairable.
The first question we asked Dan was
concerning the choice of winter wheels.
Should a customer go for a generic black
steel wheel, or a fancier but more vulnerable
alloy wheel? “Steel wheels are
definitely less expensive,” he answered.
“But other than looking bland—and in
some cases, ugly—they also add extra
unsprung weight to the vehicle. It is
not surprising that people who own
automobiles such as BMWs, Mercedes,
Cadillacs, and other similar products will
rather go for better-looking wheels.”
And if your customer intends to keep
his vehicle for a while, Dan considers
that buying an extra set of wheels, even
if they are alloys, is a good investment,
as changing tires twice a year will surely
damage the original wheel. “And original
wheels might not be as expensive as
first thought,” he said. “Some import
car wheels are even less expensive than
many domestic car wheels if we are
looking at some luxury cars. What’s
more, they are good quality wheels—
sometimes a lot better than some reproduction
wheels.” In this case, a set of
refurbished OE wheels would be a great
buy. And a simple design with less webbing
would be easier to clean.
Many motorists think that a nice looking
aftermarket wheel will do the job, especially
since it will be cheaper than an original
equipment wheel. Dan has a warning
concerning wheels that are not always
at par with original wheels, mostly their
finish and durability. “Aftermarket wheels
can be of a very good quality, but good
wheels are not cheap and cheap wheels
are not necessarily all good,” he added.
What to avoid
Not all aftermarket wheels are well
protected. Dan pointed out that some
aftermarket wheels look good with
their polished finish and clear coating.
But, according to him, they do not fit
our climate. Most of his customers
discover that the clear coating has
peeled off after winter. The same goes
photos: Éric Descarries