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Spinning Wheels

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It’s hard to ignore a vehicle with a set of spinning wheels. Also known as spinners or spinning rims, they are a type of hubcap that spins independently of the wheel itself while the car is moving, and they keep spinning when the car is stopped. They are popular in the hip hop community.  A common line in hip hop tracks is the phrase “the rims keep spinning every time I stop.”

Spinning wheels attract so much attention because of their movement and the shiny chrome. The wheels will actually appear to move backward during acceleration and deceleration. When driving down the freeway at faster speeds the may even appear to remain still and then move backwards. This is due to an optical illusion called the stroboscopic effect.

Most spinning wheels are actually attachments to a set of existing custom wheels. They are attached using lugs and ride on a heavy duty sealed ball bearing. Sometimes the spinners and the wheel are all one unit. When buying spinners for custom wheels the offset of the wheels is important.

Rear wheel drive offset works best for spinners because the wheels are deep enough to accommodate the rims. Front wheel drive offset give no room for the rims to ride in- making them stick out. This is very dangerous, the spinners can hit the fender when making turns, and can be damaged easily, and more importantly the wind will keep the rims from spinning properly. There are some front wheel offset wheels that come with the spinners built in.

Spinning wheels were first designed and created in the late eighties by James Gragg. They were patented in 1994 and due to their huge popularity many companies emerged making illegal copies. Because of this the spinners account for the largest case of patent infringement in legal history.

The phrase spinners has actually been used since the fifties. Back then spinners were the rigid mounted accessory attached to hubcaps that looked like a propeller. This was to imitate the look of vintage racing vehicles and classic sports cars. The spinners themselves did not move independently of the wheel the way spinning rims do today.

One of the reasons spinning wheels are so popular is the status they convey. Because of the high price of the spinners they are very much a status symbol. The normal price range for spinning wheels is between fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred dollars.
Sometimes discounted prices can be found for a low as seven hundred dollars. Some pricey models can even hit the ten thousand dollar price range. Those looking to add this eye-catching upgrade to their ride should be prepared to see high prices.

Nothing adds shine to a ride like chrome, but make those chrome wheels spinners and it will be almost impossible to not notice the vehicle. Spinners look good on almost any ride from classic low riders, flashy sports cars, to bold SUVs. Adding a touch of elitism will surely draw attention from the ladies and from car enthusiasts alike. They are often seen on hip hop artists’ vehicles, along with star athletes and actors. Spinning wheels are the ultimate accessory for those looking to make their ride truly stand out.