How to do rimming

How to Measure Rims

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University.

There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 54,850 times.

There are 5 key measurements that you need to accurately take when assessing rims. The diameter, width, bolt pattern, offset, and backspacing are all important figures that will help you figure out whether a rim will fit on a vehicle or tire. A key element is knowing when to include or ignore a rim’s lips in your measurements. Measurements for width and diameter must always ignore the rim’s lips, while offset and backspacing measurements must always include them. Measuring a rim correctly will ensure that you fit your rim with appropriately-sized tires. Always remove the tire and take the rim off of the wheel to get accurate measurements.

How to Select Rims for Your Car

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.

There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 18,241 times.

A fresh set of rims can give your ride a sleek, upgraded look. Before you get rid of those generic wheels and slap on some custom rollers, however, take the time to figure out what size will work best for your vehicle. Once you know what size you need, you can turn your attention to the fun stuff, like deciding on a material, color, design, and finish.

\u00a9 2022 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n

Tip: To save yourself some trouble while shopping around for a new set of rims, only compare models that match your vehicle’s specific bolt pattern.

Ask HOOPSBEAST: How Tall Do You Have To Be To Dunk?

In this week’s user submitted question, we’ll be answering the question: How tall do you have to be to dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim?

A lot of basketball players dream of being able to dunk, but are under the false impression that dunking is a skill limited to only the tallest of people.

With the average height of NBA players being 6 ft 7 in/2.01m (based on player statistics from 1985 to 2006), it’s easy to understand why so many people think that way.

However, this assumption is completely wrong. While being taller does carry a substantial advantage, dunking on a 10-foot rim is very possible for shorter folk. (Of course, being able to dunk effectively on a court full of giants defending against you is another story.)

To answer the question, we first need to look at the two key statistics that determine whether or not you can dunk. They are 1) your Standing Reach and 2) your Vertical Jump.

Standing Reach

Standing reach is how high you can reach with one arm while standing. To measure it, simply stand up and reach as high as possible.

People tend to be aware of their own height, but their standing reach? Much less so. But when it comes to dunking, standing reach is everything!

Being tall obviously helps your standing reach, but your arm length is also a major factor.

Your limb length and wingspan are equally important as height

If we look at the NBA Draft Combine, we can find interesting cases such as one where a 6’2″ player has the same standing reach as a 6’9″ tall player!

On average, a person’s standing reach is around 1.33 times greater than their height. We have looked at NBA Draft Combine statistics from 2015 to 2018 and looked at how the reach-to-height ratio (standing reach divided by height) varied among players.

As you can see from the graph, NBA prospects are skewed towards the right. In other words, Basketball appears to favor players with longer arms.

That’s why it is essential to stop worrying about your height, and instead measure your standing reach to get a better idea of whether or not dunking is within your reach (pun intended).

Vertical Jump

The other factor that determines whether or not you can dunk is your vertical jump. You too can find out how to measure your vertical jump.

This part is more interesting, because whereas height and reach are genetically determined, your vertical jump can be trained. There are plenty of training programs out there that can significantly boost your vertical. The one I personally had most success with is Vert Shock, and you can read more about my experience with the program.

Below is a small infographic that gives you an idea of how your standing vertical jumps measures up. Note: A run-up will typically add between 3-7 inches.

Now, let’s get a rough idea of how easy or difficulty it will be to dunk depending on your height.

Difficult: 5′ 7″ – 5′ 9″

While not impossible, dunking at this height will be tough for most people. Let’s assume you’re 5 foot 9 and have average length arms. You’ll then have a standing reach of around 7 foot 7 inches.

That means you’ll need to jump 29 inches to touch the rim. To dunk, you’ll need to be jumping around 35 inches high, which would be considered impressive even in professional sports.

In the NBA there are players who consistently produce 40+ inch running vertical jumps that enable them to perform spectacular dunks in games. Popular examples are Nate Robinson and Spud Webb. However, attaining this level of physicality will be tough.

Nate Robinson is only 5′ 9″ but pulls off some of the most spectactular dunks seen in the NBA

Challenging: 5′ 10″ – 6′

If you are close to being 6-foot tall, dunking becomes a lot easier.

You’ll need to jump roughly 24 inches to touch the rim and 30 inches to dunk a full sized basketball (assuming average arm length).

While the height difference between a 5 foot 9 person and a 6 foot person is only 3 inches, it’s actually a lot easier around this height for two reasons.

First, when you train and are nearing your physical limits, the last few inches are the toughest to gain.

Second, a 6 foot person will (on average) have longer arms, adding another

1 inch to their standing reach difference.

In this height range, very few people will be able to dunk without training their jump. However, with some training you will be able to dunk quite comfortably.

Normal: 6′ 1″ – 6′ 3″

At this height, athletic people will be able to dunk without any serious form of dunk training.

A lot of NFL and College football players fall in this height range, and being significantly better jumpers than their basketball counterparts due to the explosive nature of football training, dunking will prove no challenge.

Football players make excellent jumpers as they train for explosiveness

Less physically fit people will still need to go through sufficient training.

Easy: 6′ 4″+

Although being this tall you’ll still need to be physically fit in order to dunk, after some explosive conditioning dunking will be relatively easy. You have a big advantage over an average sized person.

However, as the human body becomes bigger, reaction time, acceleration and strength-to-weight ratio decreases. Smaller bodies are typically more athletic than larger bodies. (Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling, Thomas Samaras 2006).

It’s therefore very rare to see sprinters like the legendary 6′ 5″ tall Usain Bolt. He is very much an exception to the rule – most sprinters fall under the 6′ mark.

Despite this, being tall is definitely more of an advantage than not when it comes to dunking a basketball.

Want To Dunk?

Want to dunk but lacking the hops? If you’re interested in finding out about the science behind jumping and the best exercises to increase your vertical jump, head over and check out our Ultimate Jump Guide.

How to Rim a Glass for Cocktails

Dress Up Your Drinks and Add Flavor

Rimming Is a Great Addition to Cocktails

Rimming a glass is an easy way to spruce up and add flavor to your cocktails. For instance, margaritas commonly get a salt or sugar rim and a drink like the salty dog would not be salty without the rim.

A number of other drinks, from sweet martinis to savory highballs, can be enhanced with this simple bartending technique as well. While plain salt or sugar can be added to almost any drink, you can also have fun with unique additions. Imagine a pumpkin martini with nutmeg and cinnamon sugar or a piña colada with a coconut flake rim. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity!

The Basic Steps in Rimming

We’ll dive deeper into the details and give you plenty of tips and tricks, but there are four basic steps to rimming a glass:

What You Need

You want to work quickly while rimming. To ensure the best results, prepare your glasses and all of the tools and ingredients you need before starting:

Once you have gathered your supplies, you can quickly rim an entire set of glasses. Don’t worry about making the actual cocktail until after your glasses are prepared. You can even rim hours in advance if needed.

Choosing the Sugar and Salt

Some salts and sugars work better than others when rimming a glass. Which you choose is going to depend on your drink and personal preference.

Kitchen Salts

Kosher salt works best, just be sure it is not too coarse. Iodized salt is not very good and sea salt can be too briny.

Specialty Salts

For the right drink, some of the specialty salts (e.g., smoked, pink, gray, etc.) can work really well. Try adding a smoked salt rim (or a mix of smoked and kosher salts) to your next bloody Mary.

Margarita Salt

Many companies produce «margarita salt» which is designed specifically for rimming glasses. This is often a large-grain salt that is packaged in convenient rimming trays. They are also available in a variety of flavors and colors, like Rokz Colored Margarita Salts.

Granulated Sugar

That same sugar you use to make simple syrup can be used to rim a glass. It works well, is inexpensive, and you probably already have it. For the best results, transform it into superfine sugar.

Specialty Sugars

Just like simple syrup, you can use your favorite specialty sugar for rimming. Turbinado, demerara, powdered, and brown sugars are all good options.

Cocktail Sugars

You do not have to look hard to find sugars that are sold specifically for rimming cocktails. Available in a variety of colors and flavors, like Rokz Cocktail Sugars, these add a fun flair to drinks.

Wetting the Rim

The first step to rimming a glass is to choose the appropriate liquid to moisten the rim because sugar and salt will not stick to dry glass.

Fresh Citrus Fruit

The most common technique for wetting the rim is to run a fresh lemon or lime wedge around the outside of the glass. This is a good choice for the majority of cocktails, particularly any that include fruit.

You can use any piece of cut fruit (e.g., peach, pineapple, etc.) in the same manner.

Liqueurs, Syrups and Other Rimming Options

Citrus is not the ideal wetting agent for every cocktail. Sure, you can use water, but rimming goes beyond presentation and is designed to add to the drink’s flavor experience as well. Water adds nothing other than a medium to get the salt or sugar to stick.

The next best thing is to turn to your drink’s ingredients for an appropriate base. For instance, if you want to rim a chocolate martini with cocoa and sugar, use that same chocolate liqueur you’re pouring into the shaker. Likewise, for this talking monkey recipe, you could use either the banana or coffee liqueurs.

Choose any liquid ingredient that will complement your drink; syrups or juices, even soda, wine, or beer will work.

A Rimming Dish

You have probably noticed rimming stations set up in bars that serve a lot of margaritas. This is often a three-tiered, round dish that unfolds to reveal a rimming sponge and two compartments that hold salt or sugar.

Though not necessary, a bar glass rimmer is a great device that can make rimming a glass very easy and quick. If you enjoy salt-rimmed glasses often, it’s a worthy (and cheap) investment and it folds up for easy storage.

Rimming the Glass

With a wet rim, it’s time to add the sugar, salt, or whatever you like and create the perfectly rimmed glass for your cocktails. There are two basic methods—dipping and rolling—to apply the rimming ingredient, and each has benefits.

Tip: Remember to add moisture to the rim immediately before dipping it into the sugar or salt.

Dipping the Rim

Dipping the wet rim is the most common method, though it’s not necessarily always the best. It is, however, extremely easy and works best when using a rimmer dish.

Tip: When you pour your cocktail, be sure to do so slowly so the liquid doesn’t splash up the sides of the glass and ruin your rim. Some liquid-dry ingredient combinations cause messy reactions, too. For instance, if beer hits salt when making a michelada, the foam will form very quickly and get out of control.

Rolling the Rim

Dipping is good, but the problem is that your salt and sugar may stick on both the inside and the outside of the glass. Many drinkers do not enjoy this because those sugar or salt crystals on the inside can drop into the glass and alter the balance of the drink.

To prevent this problem and keep the dry ingredient on the outside of the glass, roll the glass instead of dipping it. This method is just as easy and will give you greater control. With practice, your rims will look very neat and professional.

Tip: With either of these methods, you can customize the amount of sugar or salt that is on your rim. Some bartenders prefer a light coating while others prefer to get it nice and thick. Experiment for yourself to discover what you like best.

Customizing the Rim

Once you get the hang of rimming, you can play around with the dry ingredients and rim a glass with almost anything. This is where the real fun begins because you can create custom rimming ingredients that set your drink off in real style.

Rim Just Half the Glass

You don’t have to rim the entire glass, simply stop halfway while rolling and serve the drink with half a rim. This option has an interesting look and it serves a purpose:

Make Your Own Colored Sugar

You can buy colored sugar designed specifically for cocktails or use colored sugars from the baking aisle of your local market. However, there’s a simple way to do it at home and it can save money. It’s easy but there are a few tricks and a little time involved.

Tip: Liquid food coloring will solidify more than gel food coloring and requires more effort to break up into granules. Also, if you need a specific color (for king cake shots, for instance), you’ll get the most vibrant look if you avoid mixing food coloring. For example, use purple gel food coloring rather than mixing red and blue liquid food coloring.

Add a Hint of Spice

Some cocktails could do very well with complementary spices or herbs. This is also an easy trick: Add one or more of these spices to your plate of sugar or salt and stir with a fork until it’s thoroughly mixed.

Skip the Sugars and Salts

You don’t even need a sugar or salt base. Instead, allow one of these ingredients to stand on their own:

Find Inspiration in Rimmed Cocktails

Many drink recipes already have creative rims. Browse through these cocktails and notice how the rim is used to enhance and complement the drink. Use them as inspiration to fuel your own rimming experiments.

How Much Do Rims Cost and What Should You Be Spending on Them?

Have you just bought the car of your dreams? Are you having fun customizing it, but the wheels are giving you a tough time? Well, no need to worry — I’m here to help.

I’ll show you what the best rims look like, what they’re made of, and how you can get your hands on them. I’ll also tell you how much rims cost and where to find some at bargain prices. Without further ado, let’s jump right in.

Types of Rims

The most important thing that’ll determine the price of your wheels and rims are the materials used for them. There are three basic types you can choose from.

Steel

Steel wheels and rims have been around for years, and they’re pretty widespread. Back in the day, you could see steel rims on pretty much any car, from minivans to supercars. However, in recent years, alloy rims have pushed them out of the market. Now, they’re mostly fitted on compact and subcompact cars.

But steel rims are extremely heavy, and the weight can take a toll on your car’s handling and fuel economy. What’s more, since they don’t dissipate heat like chrome or alloy, they could potentially damage your brakes.

Alloy

Most cars nowadays use alloy or aluminum alloy rims because they’re pretty lightweight as well as durable. They’re usually made from a mix of different metals to increase their performance and longevity.

Compared to steel ones, alloy rims conduct heat much better, and they can handle a heavy braking load. Manufacturers also often paint them in silver or gold colors to mimic chrome rims but at a fraction of the price.

When buying alloy rims, you should also take into consideration what kind of finish you want. Some of the most popular ones include:

However, the one area where alloy rims fall short is with wear and tear. Since they’re not as durable as steel, they’re more prone to scratching and breaking.

Chrome

You’re most likely to see chrome rims on more expensive, luxurious cars because of their hefty price tag.

Now, the most important thing you have to know about chrome rims is that they’re not actually made of chrome. Since the material is pretty expensive on its own, making an entire wheel out of it would cost a fortune.

One thing to remember about chrome rims is that they won’t add much to the overall performance of your car. The biggest difference between these and the alloy ones is that chrome coating prevents oxidation. So if you’re often driving on wet roads, they might be a worthy investment.

If you want to learn more about the history of wheels and rims, you can check out the article below. There, you’ll get more in-depth information about the different types and what you can expect from each one.

Rim Dimensions

Depending on your personal preference and what you want from your car, you can go for different rim sizes. For example, if you want to buy them just for aesthetic reasons, I recommend going for the exact same size as your tires.

However, if you want to improve your car’s cornering and acceleration, you should go a few inches bigger. Just know that bigger rims might wear out your tires faster than smaller ones would.

Also, you could get smaller rims to ensure a smoother and more comfortable ride. But by doing so, your car’s handling performance might decrease a bit.

Nowadays, you can buy rims that range from 10 to 22 inches. Some luxurious cars like Porches and AMGs can even have different-sized rims on the front and back.

How to Measure the Size of Your Rims

Before you buy a new set of rims, you need to consider a couple of factors like:

Width

When you measure the width, make sure you’re doing so from the barrel section, not just the overall width of the rims.

Diameter

For the diameter, you’ll want to find the actual and overall measurements. To find the overall size, measure from lip to lip of the wheel.

If you want to find the actual diameter, you need to measure from one edge of the inside of the barrel to the other. For example, if your overall diameter is 19.5 inches, the actual size will probably be 18 inches.

Offset

You’ll also want to be extremely careful when measuring the offset because otherwise, your rims won’t fit your tires. To start, you have to look for the distance between the hub mounting surface and the centerline of the wheel.

Also, make sure to measure or convert the offset size into millimeters since there are three different types:

Backspacing

To measure the backspacing, you’ll have to take down the distance between the back lip of the rim and the hub surface of the car. The backspacing will determine how much the rims stick out past the fender.

Bolt Pattern

Your bolt pattern will consist of two numbers. The first one tells you how many bolt holes your car has, and the other is the diameter of the circles that those holes make. These measurements can be both in millimeters and inches, so keep an eye out for that.

If you’re more of a visual person, you can check out YouTube tutorial to see how to measure your wheels and rims properly.