Winter tires on their own rims
A second set of rims turns the seasonal changeover into a job that takes minutes instead of an afternoon — and it stops the bead damage that comes from mounting and unmounting the same tires twice a year.
Prices up front
Every service, with the price on it
Same-day service
In and out, not booked out
A quote before we start
You approve the price first
One shop, every job
Tires, wheels, alignment, exhaust
Why buy rims for your winter tires
If your winter tires live on the same rims as your summer or all-season set, every changeover means breaking the bead, pulling the old tire off and mounting the new one — twice a year, every year. That's more time in the bay, and it's wear on the bead itself that a wheel-off, wheel-on swap never puts on the tire.
Put the winter tires on their own rims and the changeover becomes exactly that: wheels off, wheels on, torqued and checked. It's the same swap either way — the rims just decide whether it takes minutes or an afternoon of mounting and balancing.
The trade-off is money up front against time and tire wear every season after. A rim set is bought once and used twice a year for as long as you keep the car, which is why dedicated winter wheels are so common on cars that see a real Ontario winter. If you're still choosing the tire that goes on them, the tires page covers what we stock and how sizing works.
Price before tax. Wheels-off swap once your winters are on their own rims.
Already on rims, or thinking about it for next season? See the full winter tire changeover page for how the swap works and when to book it.
Only running one set at a time? We can store the set you're not using so it's clean and dry when the season turns.
Steel or alloy for winter
Steel rims are the cheaper option and they shrug off what a Scarborough winter throws at them — road salt, slush and the odd curb tap don't do much to a steel wheel that would leave a mark on alloy. That's why a lot of dedicated winter sets are steel: it's a wheel you don't have to baby.
Alloy is lighter and it looks better, and plenty of drivers run alloy year-round and don't think twice about it. Winter rims are also often sized down from the summer set, which is normal — a smaller wheel with a taller sidewall handles better in the cold and costs less to fit with a winter tire.
Neither choice is wrong. It's steel if you want a wheel you don't worry about, or alloy if you'd rather it look good in the driveway too.
Fitting aftermarket rims
We fit aftermarket and custom wheels, but whether a given rim works on your car comes down to three things: bolt pattern, offset and centre bore. Get any one of those wrong and the wheel either won't bolt up or won't sit right once it's on.
If you've already bought a set, or you're looking at one, bring it in or call with the rim's specs and your vehicle's year, make and model. We'll check it against your car before anything gets mounted.
Winter rims & packages FAQ
- Is it worth buying winter tires on their own rims?
- For most drivers who swap twice a year, yes. Buying a set of rims for your winters means the seasonal changeover is a straight wheel-off, wheel-on job instead of dismounting and remounting the same tires from one set of rims twice a year. That's faster at the shop and it's easier on the tire itself — every mount and dismount stresses the bead, and doing it half as often means the tires last longer.
- Steel or alloy rims for winter?
- Most people who drive their winter set hard through salt and slush put their money into steel and save the alloy set for summer. Steel is cheaper to buy, and it shrugs off road salt and curb knocks that would mark up an alloy wheel. Alloy is lighter and looks better, and plenty of people run it year-round anyway. There's no wrong answer — it comes down to what you want to spend and whether you care how the car looks in February.
- What does a winter tire and rim package cost?
- A changeover on its own is $60. What the full package costs — tires, rims and mounting together — depends on your rim size and which tires you pick, so we're not going to quote a number that doesn't match your car. Call with your size and we'll price it properly.
- Will aftermarket rims fit my car?
- It depends on the bolt pattern, the offset and the centre bore matching your vehicle, not just the rim size looking right. A wheel that bolts up fine on paper can still rub or sit wrong if any one of those is off. Bring the car in, or call with the rim's specs and your vehicle's year, make and model, and we'll tell you straight whether it fits.
- Can you store the set I'm not using?
- Yes, we store off-season sets. Call to confirm what your set costs to store — pricing depends on what you're bringing in, so we'll give you a real number over the phone rather than guess at it here.
Ready to stop remounting the same tires?
Call with your rim size or bring the car in — we'll price a set and get your winters mounted the same day.