Do I REALLY need to change my wheels for the winter?

[blueIce]

I have a big dilemma here on whether or not to put on my stock rims for the winter. I could sell them and get about 300 bucks towards a suspension, or keep them in case I need them one day or for the winter. We had 1 big snow so far here in NY and my car seriously sucked when it was still on the roads. Once the plows come it is fine. I guess the thing that I am worried about is the salt on the road. How damaging is it to the rims? I am planning on getting my wheels refinished this spring, so any damage that happens will be fixed anyway. I cant say the same about next winter though. What else could happen during the winter to my wheels?

I have 2 other friends with BMWs, one has Giovanna chromes and the other HRE 540's, and both dont have their OEM rims so they are using their good wheels in the winter also. I kind of dont want to be the one to rock the stockers, and its even worse that mine are so small and fugly. :laugh

[BlackThorN]

I'm in VA now and personally if I had rims....or not my car in the garage really....I'd change to stock and keep my purdy ones looking nice

just my .02

Nick

[bungy42]

Salt eats aluminum for breakfast. I run steels in the winter for this reason. If you have the space to store them, the thing to do is put snow tires on the stock rims and run them in the winter and save the spiffy rims for summer only.