Protect the finish of your new wheels by regularly washing them with mild soap and warm water. Before washing your wheels, allow them to cool and never spray them with cold water while they are still hot. Chrome wheels or polished wheels that do not have a clear coat can be protected even further by using a wax, cream, or polishing cleaner, but these products should not be used on clear-coated wheels. Steam cleaners and strong chemicals used in car washes can be damaging to the finish of your wheel.
That depends on your vehicle and the amount of work you're prepared to put in. Generally, most cars will be able to handle an increase in wheel size of up to four inches, with no need for any modifications. However, this degree of upsizing should be coupled with a lower profile tire, to make sure the overall radius of the wheel/tire is the same as the car's original equipment specifications. This means that the car's overall gearing will be unchanged and the speedometer will still be accurate.
A bolt pattern refers to the number of wheel lugs and a bolt circle is the arrangement of those lugs. Typically, U.S. cars will have a 4 or 5 lug pattern, where trucks and larger vehicles may have 6 or 8. To determine the diameter of a bolt circle of a 4, 6 or 8 bolt pattern, measure from center to center between two holes directly across from each other. To measure a 5 bolt pattern, measure from the center of one hole to the back of the third hole. Bolt circles are typically expressed in millimeters.
The offset of a wheel is the distance between the center line of the wheel and the hub mounting surface. A positive offset means that the hub mounting surface is closer to the outside edge. A negative offset means that the hub mounting surface is closer to the inside edge. An improper offset can cause the tire to rub against the outside fender or inside fender well.
This is a plastic ring that sits inside the alloy wheel, locating it centrally on the car's wheel hub. The hub centric ring doesn't form part of the mechanical join between the car and the wheel, that's done by the wheel nuts/studs. The hub centric ring simply makes sure that the wheel is located centrally on the hub. If it wasn't, the wheel nuts/studs would have to center the wheel, and if the wheel wasn't perfectly central on the hub, there could be possible vibration and balance problems.
The load rating of a wheel as determined by the wheel manufacturer, either by a stamp on the wheel or in the wheel wheel manufacturer's literature, must never be exceeded. If such a load rating is not available, the wheel should not be used on the vehicle. Wheel load rating requirements are determined by diving the vehicle's heaviest gross axle weight rating by 2. The axle weight rating for most vehicles is shown on the identification label located on the driver's side door jamb, gas tank door. Regardless of the tire's maximum load rating, do not exceed the maximum load rating of the wheel.
First and foremost, wheels are purchased for styling the vehicle. You've got to like how they look. Second, decide on the build method and quality. The discussion of manufacturing methods above was intended to inform you of the different ways wheels are made. Choose the manufacturing method you want at the price you are happy with. Finish quality is important, so demand a nicely finished wheel. Finally, decide on the price.