We have just moved to the northern US and my 2000 SE with its stock wheels, 102k miles and not even a speck of rust is probably going to get beaten down by the salt and ice over the coming years, but one thing I want to know is what will happen to the wheels if I do not replace them with steel ones for the winter? I have all season tires on there now and the stock wheels. I know in the past that wheels on cars would get hideously disfigured from the salt and muck, but are the wheels on a 2000 Max of such material that they'll stand up ok?

Thanks!

 

depends where you live, and if it's more ice or snow. ice will do the damage of course, and the salt will do some as well, but mine are fine i guess, with about the same mileage as you, and this car has been in philly/jersey forever

 

i live in the Boston area and i have gone through 3 winters now and my wheels still look new! just clean them often.

 

Thanks, guys. Looks like no steels for me this winter!

 

yeah I wouldn't be too concerned. Just take it to a self-spray washer every week or two and hose em off.

I'd be more concerned if you spend a few G's on some aftermarket rims.

 

Nissan consults God when they make Maxima rims. These things are insanely strong.

 

I live in CT and have spent winters in Albany, NY, I never had a problem with winters damaging my wheels.

 

I have lived all my life in the NorthEast, with the exception of my time in the military.

As long as you wash your car regularly, don't let that salt settle. You will be fine. I doubt we'll have a strong winter anyway.

 

I wouldn't get stealies just to preserve my stock rims but if you are thinking of getting winter tires get some cheap stealies to go with them.

 

+1 or pick up some used 240 rims like I did. 16" snow tires are WAAAAY cheaper than 17" snow tires.

 

anything non chrome will be just fine.

 

I have slammed curbs, nailed potholes, and put my rims through six nasty upstate New York winters.... Not a bend in them, and since I just painted them... They look new. but before I painted them, they still looked great.

 

^^^ so how is your suspension?

 

Perfect...

 

hahaha, i second that!

 

too bad they can't say that about their service

 

My '02's rims survived a Chicago winter with IDOT's and Streets & Sanitation's copious amounts of salt. As others have said, keeping them washed is critical because the rims themselves are clearcoated just as the paint is. Additionally, I treated my rims with a polymer sealant over the summer to keep them looking decent over the winter months.

....if they only would have used the same clearcoat for the regular paint......

 

My buddy went to school up in Rochester. The salt and chemicals ate his car alive. Good luck.


James

 

Just wash it regularly and they should be fine. I believe they are clear-coated so that will protect them.

 

I live in NJ with some pretty bad winters. I have the chrome wheel option and even with the chrome wheels, after 6 years, they look brand new.

 

no need to take them off for winter.




Nissan made the rims strong but with that came lots of weight

 

They'll survive any winter...but they won't survive armour all wheel cleaner

These are my perfect rims after armour all...
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/prpatel/Maxima/IMG_1819.JPG

 

Did you keep it on for to long?

I used all sorts of harsh stuff on my rims and they never had a problem... The trick is to not keep it on for long.

 

Not if you give them a good coat of wax and wash them
a few times during the winter. I've had both aluminum and
chrome wheels on my cars over the years. I've never had any
problems with all the salt they throw on the roads in St. Louis.

SJ

 

steel rims suck. it's also heavy. get yourself some nice rims on tirerack.