People who are serious about their cars have known for a long time that the lusterless, cookie-cutter wheels that come in stock can easily be replaced with a set of snazzy alloy rims, which will improve a car's handling and appearance. So, they have done so, trading in their stock rims for attractive allow wheels, setting themselves apart from the endless stream of other cars and getting a more comfortable ride in the process. Perhaps it's time you did the same.



Making the most of consumer demand, wheel makers have started to adapt their product so that it meets the demands of all consumers, many of whom demand bigger, shinier rims to put on the SUV they drive around the city in, or the tiny coupes they dart back and forth to work in, or even to add a special flair to their vehicle or motorcycle. These large diameter, high shine finish wheels appeal to a wide variety of consumers.

Despite their glossy shine and attractive look, equipping a car with alloy wheels can present a set of problems. If you buy a set of rims from a European wheel manufacturer, such as Volvo, or a set of multi-piece wheels, such as BBS, your wheels may be less sturdy than the basic, bland steel ones that came as stock with your car. They might be easily bent out of shape, marred by a sidewalk, or otherwise damaged. And when they are, you will be presented with the question of whether or not you need to purchase an entire new set.

Replacement can add up to be a costly venture when you do it through one of your local dealer of performance wheels, up to several hundreds of dollars or more, and can take up to a week or more. This depends of course on the severity of the damage that the wheels have sustained. In severe cases you might have to debate whether it is better to replace or repair your wheels.

The question of whether to repair or to replace is often answered by that great spirit of inspiration, cost. Since it is often the case that a replacement tire can be extremely expensive (up to $2,000 dollars or more for some performance wheels), people who did not want to spend an arm and a leg started asking if their technician could bend their damaged wheel back into shape. So was born the rim repair industry.

As long as a wheel repair technician can be sure that a tire can safely be reshaped, which is to say, as long as a wheel can drive safely after it has been reshaped, then simple repair is a more economical option for damaged alloy wheels. If, however, your wheels have been totaled, the tire technicians at Metro Wheels will not risk you or your passengers' lives. You will have to purchase replacement wheels if there is any risk involved in repair.