Austin — AUSTIN -- Custom tire rims that extend beyond the wheels by several inches continue their popularity in Austin. Over the weekend, one station wagon with exaggerated "swangers," as they are also known, popped up on I-35 and made its rounds on Reddit.
Many posters questioned its legality. We took it to Austin Police Detective Pat Oborski.
"Those rims on that vehicle are actually sticking out way more than 12 inches from each side, so its way more than eight feet wide," said Detective Oborski.
He said anything that makes a passenger car wider than eight feet is illegal. Oborski also said the tire rims, or pokes, were also in the other lane and that the car was violating more than one state law.
"Failing to drive in a single marked lane, and probably not letting others get past safely, and also violating the width of the vehicle law," said Detective Oborski.
Most of us are used to drivers showing off their vogues and swangers, or wheels and rims, at gatherings and car shows. But swangers in general are something Adam Shishakly's customers are asking for.
"There's a large demand for them in Austin. People know if you have swangers, you spent quite a bit of money on them," said Shishakly.
And the rims aren't cheap either.
"So we don't do any swangers for anything less than $4,500, wheels and tires," said Shishakly.
Some go up to $10,000.
Shishakly even warns his customers that getting swangers is bad for the car.
"It reduces the quality of the ride, the ride becomes fairly poor," said Shishakly.
But their popularity continue.
"We do see that on a regular basis," he said.