# Eco rims surviving winter salt?



## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

A little planning ahead here... Now I know the eco wheels are polished, but if I do a somewhat good job of keeping them clean in the winter time, will the salt spare them from pitting and such? I ask this, because I am trying to avoid buying a dedicated set of winter wheels. I would be putting winter tread on these.


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## gojira (May 1, 2011)

My guess is even with the coated wheels, they will start to pit after a while.

I'll probably buy winter wheels. I tend to keep cars a long time, so it is generally cost advantageous: the normal tires last a little longer, and the "summer" wheels look better. Also, I can take them off/put them on on my schedule. It usually only takes me a 1/2 hour to change over 4 wheels. I also like the security of 4 snow tires, especially in northern New England. (Of course if the weather is going to be really bad, I'll take the Jeep for the ground clearance  )

I also don't worry about having TPMS stems installed. Let the car complain for the winter. I had a Prius for a while; I'd put electrical tape over the TPMS warning light for the winter.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...pitting of the rim, due to salt, will occur wherever a scratch or stone-pit breaks through the clearcoating on the rim...lots of washing will help slow that pitting, but won't 100% stop it. Waxing the rims will help a lot, however.


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

THANKS for the input.


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

Does anyone know where to get steelies in 16". Tirerack didn't offer them. LS Stockers are 15' steels or are they?


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## 72buickgs (Mar 20, 2011)

the steel rims are 16". at this point in time, u might have to purchase them from the dealer since some idiot decided to make the bolt pattern a non standard 110 mm.


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## BucaMan (Mar 22, 2011)

72buickgs said:


> the steel rims are 16". at this point in time, u might have to purchase them from the dealer since some idiot decided to make the bolt pattern a non standard 110 mm.


Aren't our wheels 105 mm?


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

I don't know about the Eco rims, but the wheels on my '03 Mazda are polished and clearcoated. After seven years in Northwestern Ohio (the roads are white in winter with salt, not snow), the wheels are as good as new. I scratched one while changing a flat, but clearcoated the scratch after getting a new tire mounted and even the scratched area is free from pitting. They get cleaned well when I wash the car, but have had no special treatment otherwise.


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

Jim Frye said:


> I don't know about the Eco rims, but the wheels on my '03 Mazda are polished and clearcoated. After seven years in Northwestern Ohio (the roads are white in winter with salt, not snow), the wheels are as good as new. I scratched one while changing a flat, but clearcoated the scratch after getting a new tire mounted and even the scratched area is free from pitting. They get cleaned well when I wash the car, but have had no special treatment otherwise.


I'd imagine it would be the same for these too then. Thanks for your input.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

The Eco wheels should hold up just as good as the others, they're all aluminum and they're all coated...


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## northvibe (May 4, 2011)

the wheels should hold up ok, but if you use the stock wheels/tires in the winter with snow...I dont even think the tires will grip  I highly suggested to my roommates to get some steelies with winter tires.


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## limited360 (May 6, 2011)

northvibe said:


> the wheels should hold up ok, but if you use the stock wheels/tires in the winter with snow...I dont even think the tires will grip  I highly suggested to my roommates to get some steelies with winter tires.


I am definitely buying snow tires, mainly because I think everyone should have snow tires on their car in the winter! I am sure I could make it through the winter on the stock tires, but for a mere $200 I can have snow tires on all 4 corners.

I will most likely buy some cheap rims to put on for the winter is all..


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## northvibe (May 4, 2011)

I would say depends on your location and how harsh the winter is. The stock eco wheels are low roll resistance...and after looking at them...I dont think they would work well where I live (hills and cold/ice). In a flat city probably be okay. Once you drive on snow tires, you never want to be without them....


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## eagleco (May 3, 2011)

I bought snow tires on steelies for my Mazda 3 a few years ago, and it does make a big difference as well as saving the alloys a bit. My Eco will probably get the same treatment. Changing them out is also the perfect time to do a tire rotation. I just mark on the tire in chalk where it should be mounted next time it goes on.


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

Yeah right now I am definitely getting snows as I swear by them. I just don't know yet whether or not to stick the snows on the eco rims or another set of dedicated winter rims. I still have a while to decide.


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## northvibe (May 4, 2011)

jsscooby said:


> Yeah right now I am definitely getting snows as I swear by them. I just don't know yet whether or not to stick the snows on the eco rims or another set of dedicated winter rims. I still have a while to decide.


spare set of wheels. So much cheaper and easier to swap wheels in your garage than paying someone too. Steelies new are $50 each, so you could totally find a cheap wheel or used steely fairly cheap. Problem, is chevy used some ungodly weird bolt pattern...yay..my cobalt has an odd one too...doesnt make sense.


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

northvibe said:


> spare set of wheels. So much cheaper and easier to swap wheels in your garage than paying someone too. Steelies new are $50 each, so you could totally find a cheap wheel or used steely fairly cheap. Problem, is chevy used some ungodly weird bolt pattern...yay..my cobalt has an odd one too...doesnt make sense.


I did just recently get a cordless impact wrench (300 ft/lb ability) and I only used it to take off wheels twice. Perhaps I should go with an extra set to use this awesome tool some more


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## northvibe (May 4, 2011)

jsscooby said:


> I did just recently get a cordless impact wrench (300 ft/lb ability) and I only used it to take off wheels twice. Perhaps I should go with an extra set to use this awesome tool some more


haha I JUST got a corded (electric) one as well! But make sure to set it to 100ftlbs or whatever the cruze uses as its torq spec. I just swapped wheels on my ss to the summer ones and ya maybe took 30 min with someone feeding me lug nuts.


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## jsscooby (May 11, 2011)

northvibe said:


> haha I JUST got a corded (electric) one as well! But make sure to set it to 100ftlbs or whatever the cruze uses as its torq spec. I just swapped wheels on my ss to the summer ones and ya maybe took 30 min with someone feeding me lug nuts.


Unfortunately it is a base model DeWalt and I cannot set it for any particular torque, so I have to torque them on by hand, but it's the getting them off that I love the tool for.


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## northvibe (May 4, 2011)

jsscooby said:


> Unfortunately it is a base model DeWalt and I cannot set it for any particular torque, so I have to torque them on by hand, but it's the getting them off that I love the tool for.


ohhhh heck ya the impact gun would make taking wheels off WAY faster. Hmm I'll have to try that next wheel swap.


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