For many drivers, appearance is the strongest reason for what they might buy for their vehicle. The same rationale holds true for the Hummer owner. He is basically taking a truck, an SUV to be more precise, and making it into a boulevard beauty. What is one of the quickest ways to transform the hulk of the Hummer SUV into a real head turner.

The answer is Hummer rims. There is absolutely nothing else that will turn the heads of would-be Hummer owners than beautiful, shiny, unique Hummer rims. Many owners let eye appeal alone dictate what they want to put on their vehicle. But there is a lot more to consider than just looks.

There are three basic steps in considering the right rims for your Hummer:

1. If you do a lot of driving out in the mountainous areas of the country or in day-to-day city traffic, consider buying alloy wheels. The big plus of alloy wheels are built-in designs to assist introducing air flow to the brakes to deal with overheating. One nice thing about the makeup of the alloy material itself is that it naturally dissipates heat.

2. Wheel/tire size is an important factor. The Hummer H2 stock wheel size is 17” front and rear. Optional sizes are 18”, 20”, 22”, 24”, and 26” diameters. If you choose to ‘plus-size’ your rims you will find that performance may improve quite a bit plus give the vehicle a sportier look. Steering is far more responsive with larger inner diameter rims. Traction also is improved with the larger inner diameter rims.

When you purchase rims that are one or two sizes greater than original equipment will require you to buy new tires also. The important maxim to remember is to attempt to keep the outside diameter of the tire about the same, while you increase the inner diameter, the area which wraps around the rim.

3. Keep in mind the weight of the Hummer rims. You really don’t want to buy rims that are too heavy. Heavy steel rims are not supported by the Hummer’s suspension. That extra weight does not improve the smoothness of the ride or creating better balance as you steer.

The prices of Hummer rims are quite varied. H3 Hummer Detata Cross 20×9.5 rims cost $370 apiece and weigh 50 pounds. Boulder Accessories makes a H2 Hummer forged Chrome Wheel in the original equipment size of 17” diameter x 8.5” width at a price of $249.95 each. The JBT Conquistador Silver forged H2 Hummer Rim is 22” diameter x9.5 width and requires an 8 lug hub. It’s price is $749.95 apiece.

Making your Hummer look great, run great, and look classy is easy, but not cheap when you replace the Hummer rims. But good rims will increase your overall investment in far more ways than just being a pretty set of wheels.