99 XLE - Winter Wheels
 

Hi all,

I'm looking for a set of steel winter wheels for a 99 Camry XLE. The stock alloys that came with the car have seen better days. I'm in Canada and our winter's can often be pretty harsh. I've read a fair bit on several different forums and have some questions about wheels. I'm a light-duty user, typically driving no more than about 6000 km/yr and not for driving to work. My technical/mechanical knowledge is average.

I've read about "Multi-Fit" wheels and I'm pretty sure I will NOT be buying them as I do plan to keep the car as long as possible and I don't wish to take the risk. I also noticed that TireRack has model-specific 15" wheels that are **specific** to the 99 Camry XLE (often referred to as OE, not OEM.) I know that multi-fits are not for me, but what about these "OE" wheels? Are they just as risky as multi-fits? Apparently they're cheaper in quality/build (vs. OEM), but fit as good as OEM wheels. My main concern isn't build quality (assuming they are radially/laterally true and can be balanced) it is that I don't want to stress or pre-maturely wear-out any of the steering, suspension or drivetrain components.

OEM's would be a no-brainer here except, this isn't the whole story.

I contacted my local Toyota dealer, parts department and they told me a 15" steel wheel is not available for a 99 XLE. They would sell me the base model CE 14" wheels instead. While this doesn't sound like a problem (I'm assuming that the base models and the XLE have the same or similarly spec'd suspension/brake/steering), I did look up the specs on the CE's 14" steelies and found that the offset is different (42mm vs 45mm), also I already have a set of 15" winter tires I wish to use. The parts person recommended I bring in the car and they would "try" to fit a 15" wheel from a newer model of Camry. While I do trust the dealer, I'm uncertain if this is a good idea.

Since TireRack has claimed on their website that they've taken detailed measurements of specific car models and that they gaurantee the wheels fit like OEM, I'm more inclined to trust them vs the dealer's "attempt".

Any suggestions? I'm thinking the model-specific wheels from TireRack would be good enough.

Thanks for any help/advice.

Cheers,
-Eric

There is nothing wrong with a multi-fit rim as long as it is hubcentric (locates off the hub not lug nuts) and has the same offset. Suggest calling Tirerack and inquiring about the OE rims.

Check with Toyota again about rims for a 99 Camry with V6 option as this option had 15 inch rims.

Thanks Joey, I found a few other makers of these "OE" or sometimes called "Factory Fit" wheels and they do state that they're hubcentric for the 99 Camry. I was hoping that someone had tried something similar and found no issues. Thanks for the info on the multi-fits.

Cheers,
-Eric