Picked up a new set of wheels for my '09 Ranger yesterday.

Used stock XL (seven-spoke gray painted steelies) Ranger rims, off an '07.

Not real pretty, but cheap and functional- I bought 'em from a guy who was upgrading from them on his Ranger, with TPMS sensors installed- and paid less than I would have for just a new set of sensors (aftermarket sensors...Ford sensors and bands were much higher even than that).

Too dark out for pics, and they're hardly worth it anyway, but this style:



EDIT: Was a nice ride to get 'em, too- I was within a quarter mile of the Canadian border last night.

Good deal. Now you have your spare set of rims.

smokey said:

Good deal. Now you have your spare set of rims.

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Yep- snows mounted on the stock chromies, and today I got the stock Goodyears mounted on the painted steelies.

Now all I need is a training tool for the TPMS ($20 or $30) and I can swap back and forth between summer and winter tires in my driveway.

Why don't you put the winter tires on the steel wheels and the summer tires on the alloys?

nobodyspecial said:

Why don't you put the winter tires on the steel wheels and the summer tires on the alloys?

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They're not alloys, they're steelies with chrome skins.

But, anyway...I thought about it, but it would've cost more (since I don't have access to mounting/balancing equipment), and it always seems to me every time you mount/dismount a tire, the bead takes a little bit of a beating. Add in the possibility of the shop crushing a TPMS sensor ($$$), and I decided I just didn't care enough- I had four good, mounted tires, four bare rims, and four unmounted tires. This was the simplest, cheapest option with the fewest possibilities for problems.

And, like I said, I just don't care that much about how it looks- I've got other things to spend my money on.

*When these Goodyears wear out, I may consider upgrading these...or having them sandblasted and powdercoated gloss black. That's a few years out, though.

Ahh, for some reason I thought you had the nicer alloys.

Flat black is the way to go, that's what my new wheels are.

nobodyspecial said:

Flat black is the way to go, that's what my new wheels are.

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It's easier to wash glossy surfaces, though.

*If I rattlecan 'em, they'll be flat black Rustoleum. Doubt I'll do that, though, 'cause I know it won't last very long.

I should have stated that better. Sure, rattle can flat blat will look like crap in no time. Mine are factory, I guess the correct term is "satin", but not shiny.

Black is not good... You can't tell where the tire starts and wheel ends.

Ryan

White walls.

O'Rattlecan said:

Black is not good... You can't tell where the tire starts and wheel ends.

Ryan

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I gotta admit, I'm not feelin' the love for the back wheel look. Very few exceptions to that, like a Black Corvette. I saw a fairly new Porsche Carrera Turbo the other day- White with (I assume) stoopidly expensive flat black wheels on it. Looked like crap, IMO. At least, didn't look like a $130,000 car. More like a $2000 ricer with a body kit.

Then again, it's a matter of taste.

I got them because they are cheap, durable and strong. Mine are powdercoated, so it will last better than paint.

Oh, and white steelies would look like crap, so black it is.

1985 Ford F-150 said:

White walls.

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come on Dan, white walls are for old people

polarbear said:

I gotta admit, I'm not feelin' the love for the back wheel look. Very few exceptions to that, like a Black Corvette.

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Cheap is good. Steel wheels are cheaper than alloys.

Powdercoating holds up better than paint or cheap chrome, so powdercoated steel wheels are the way to go on a budget, IMO.

Leading you to whatever colors they powdercoat steel wheels in- typically white, black, and sometimes a silver/grey. Of the three, black is my favorite...but at less than $25/corner for factory rims and TPMS, I'm pretty happy with silver/gray, too.


EDIT: as to the whitewalls...I put the factory Goodyear ATs on these rims, to run for the summer. Being an XLT, they're white-letter tires...but I had the letters mounted in- they're tires, they go dirty places frequently. Unless you've got a lot more time than I do to spend cleaning them, the white gets dirty and stays that way forever.

I want a 1965 Lincoln Continental 4 door with white walls.

That is all.

Ryan

bwahaha gangsta' ride FTW