SoundSpeed

Do you guys leave your rims on in the winter or take them off?
If you leave them on in the winter, have you had any problems keeping the rims in good shape?

Thanks.

OldGuy

In Canada where I live, hundreds and thousands of cars drive winters with the stock aluminum wheels. The average car owner seems not to be concerned about it. It is surprising how many aluminum wheels still look ok after several winters of use. The clear coat on the OEM wheels seems to be quite good. However, all it takes is a small scratch, perhaps where a balancing weight was installed or in the area where the wheel wrench touched the clear coat during an installation. Once the salt gets inside the clear coat, the corrosion begins. It is the road salt that is the culprit, not the cold weather. In areas of Canada like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal where huge amounts of salt are deposited on the roads, the likelihood of damage is high but it might take a while to spread. To avoid the problem altogether, take the wheels off and use steel wheels with snow tires. In Canada, the problem with this approach is that you might only have your good wheels on for six months of the year. If you feel lucky take the chance. After two or three years, you probably won't have all that much damage. As far as after market wheels are concerned my experience is that they do not stand up as well as the OEM models. It may only have been my experience.