Does buying DEMO rims make sense?

DEMO rims are a topic that heats up numerous online discussions on automotive forums and practically everyone has their own opinion on this subject.

Discover the advantages of DEMO rims and also their disadvantages. Thanks to this, you will be able to decide for yourself whether it is worth looking for such a product and whether its installation is fully safe and cost-effective. Buying rims is a very important matter for the safety of your vehicle. Remember that DEMO rims, like any other rims, are primarily a matter of comfort and certainty of good behavior on the road, and only then aesthetics - which, unfortunately, many people use in the opposite order or completely ignore aspects related to the quality of driving and driving safety.

What are DEMO rims and why are they available on the market?

DEMO rims are simply rims dismantled from various types of cars, which were used to present both nice wheels and the appearance of the entire vehicle in this configuration. This means that they were founded, but most often they did not travel any distance or several or several dozen kilometers. This, of course, should be honestly stated in the description of a given set of rims. DEMO rims are most often used in situations such as:

• Manufacturer's showroom - a car with more expensive rims looks much better, but they are often sold in cheaper versions or the buyer requested a completely different pattern. Hence, a large number of rims, the use of which was minimal, may come from here. Perhaps some of them never left the showroom;
• factory tests - after production, cars undergo various types of tests on the factory track to verify that everything works as it should. If the car is later customized to a specific customer's request, this may include changing to different rims;
• assembly for the time of transport by a tow truck (truck, train) - cars must have their own wheels for the time of transport, so that they can enter or be pulled onto the tow trucks and later put into the showroom or parked. Here again perhaps, later they were replaced and just such a minimally used set remained.

Advantages of buying DEMO rims

The basic advantages of DEMO rims are quite obvious and you can, thanks to their order, get a great product at an attractive price. These can be, for example , original rims for Toyota or for any other car brand - but mainly the most popular and most visible on our streets.

Lower price

Because DEMO rims are de facto used rims, the price of DEMO rims may be significantly lower than a brand new set that has never been fitted to a vehicle. This is often a very good opportunity if you find a model that interests you. The price reduction can vary from a few to even several dozen percent, depending on the condition and popularity of a given type of rims. Usually it is a dozen or so percent, which is worth considering, especially with more expensive models.

Relatively low mileage

The advantages of DEMO rims are also their minimum mileage. This, of course, is the rule, but there may be some situations when this mileage is greater or took place in quite difficult conditions. Such very accurate information should be provided for each set of rims. The rims could only stand in the living room and have a mileage really counted in single meters, and they could also be used for various types of road tests.

Disadvantages associated with the purchase of DEMO rims

Buying DEMO rims also has some disadvantages. There are several of them and they have different consequences. It is important that you know them beforehand and know which ones you can avoid, and which ones you just have to treat as a risk, perhaps worth taking if only the price is attractive enough.

Possibility of damage and traces of use

The disadvantages of DEMO rims are, first of all, the possibility of traces of use and minor damage. That is why you should always ask for good photos of the set you are buying or go and see it in person if you have the opportunity.

Limited choice

The second major downside of DEMO rims is the limited selection. If you want to buy a specific model, you may not find it for a very long time. In the store offering new, aluminum rims, they are available immediately in a large selection - there are a lot of them on the market and they are also available in less common sizes. So buying DEMO wheels can simply take a lot of time and require waiting for an opportunity and analyzing whether in a given case the advantages of DEMO wheels outweigh the disadvantages of DEMO wheels and it is worth making such a purchase. It is similar with the availability of maybe less impressive, but cheaper and equally good rims, which are steel rims .

No manufacturer's warranty

It is very important that you check the condition of DEMO rims very carefully before buying them. As used goods, they are deprived of the manufacturer's warranty and this may mean that there is no possibility of return or exchange in the event of disclosing even very serious defects. Unfortunately, there is a possibility with aluminum rims in particular that there may be some internal damage not visible to the naked eye. Various types of smaller defects can also make it much more difficult to properly balance the wheel, which you will only learn about when they are installed in the plant that performs the balancing.

This should be done by any workshop changing rims or tires. This is something that many people forget when changing tires or rims by themselves. This is not a very complicated activity, so you can do it yourself with very good results. But you can't do balancing or optimization yourself. Larger or smaller inequalities in the distribution of weight always appear. Especially at higher speeds, this can lead to faster wear of bearings or suspension components and the steering system. With greater unbalance, it will also be simply felt by the driver and passengers, which will significantly affect the comfort of their travel.

Is it worth buying DEMO rims?

This question has only one answer. If you find a size that fits your car and a model you like in good condition, then of course yes. When looking at the DEMO rims you are interested in, check all the same parameters as when buying new rims, i.e.:

• rim width;
• rim diameter;
• ET rim seating;
• number of holes;
• hole spacing;
• flange profile.

And in addition, the number of kilometers traveled by the seller, as well as the date of manufacture. Also assess their visual condition very carefully in the photos or through inspection, if you have such a possibility. However, if you do not have time to search through many offers or wait for something interesting to appear on the market, it will be much easier for you to take advantage of the offers that you will find in stores with new rims, i.e., for example, original Audi rims available in a very large number of versions and designs, or original wheels for Opel with an equally wide choice. This option is definitely simpler, safer and guarantees you receive the highest quality goods. In the store you get the manufacturer's warranty, and the quality of DEMO rims and their possible defects can be a very difficult matter to assess even for experienced people.

Also remember to use reputable stores with rims and tires. Unfortunately, there are still dishonest traders offering rims of dubious quality or hiding part of the price in very high shipping costs. It is worth checking reviews about a given store before making a purchase there. This is the best guarantee of using the services of good providers that someone has already rated and was satisfied with their services.