Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[howesc]

Looking for some feedback on this.

I had bad luck with my first set of Avant Garde 341's. Actually returned them today. Had weird vibrations right out of the gate. Took them to the tire shop 3 days after I put them on and they said they couldn't even correctly balance the rear set. Tech said they didn't seem true. I am really ticked, they were gunmetal and looked amazing on my Black E93.

Now struggling about what to do next. Do I have to go forged?

I am actually surprised how little candid feedback there is on any of the forums about the many aftermarket wheel brands out there and their short and long term quality. I have Miro M6 reps for my Winter setup and was pleased for the 5-6 months they were on the car. But with Blizzaks being so soft, they could distort any negative feel or feedback.

I appreciate any input or suggestions.

[ModBargains.com]

In terms of the hierarchy of quality and strength of wheels the list goes from lowest to highest as follows: gravity cast, low-pressure cast, flow form, and forged.

You don't necessarily have to go forged as forged wheels can be costly (3-6 grand depending on the brand). A good choice for you is the Forgestar F14 Flow Form wheel. Flow Form Casting is a production procedure that turns the wheel (or rim section) over a special mandrel and three hydraulic rollers using tremendous pressure. The pressure and turning then force the rim area to form against the mandrel, creating the shape and width of the rim. During Flow Forming, the rim actually "flows" down to create the full rim width. During Flow Forming, pressure applied to the cast rim actually changes its mechanical properties, so its strength and impact values become similar to those of a forged rim. That translates to up to 15% less weight when compared to a standard cast wheel.

This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel. During Flow Forming, the pressure applied to the cast rim actually changes its mechanical properties, so its strength and impact values become similar to those of a forged rim. That translates to up to 15% less weight when compared to a standard cast wheel. The resulting grain structure within the alloy of the wheel is linear, flowing in a single direction.

This grain structure pattern, combined with the exceptional quality of casting required for the process, gives the rim area of the wheel huge mechanical strength, and elongation. As a result of these mechanical characteristics, Forgestar is able to reduce the thickness of the rim area resulting in reduced weight, without compromising strength and resistance to impact.

I don't have a picture of a Black E93 with these wheels but here's a picture of an E90 M3 Sedan with the Forgestar F14 in Gunmetal for you to check out. I think you'll get the idea of how it'll look on your car! I'll shoot you over a PM with more details

- Alan

[Victory Road]

Choosing a quality wheel can be confusing, especially in a market that uses so many different manufacturing techniques and a wide range of price points. Often times when buying a wheel the ideology of "spend more now, to save more later" comes into play. You can spend a little bit more on a wheel set and really get a quality wheel, that won't bend in the future like you have already experienced. This doesn't mean going to a $4000 forged wheel, but somewhere in the $2000-$3000 range you can get great quality. I really like offerings from Yokohama, and WedsSport, which use high quality aluminum combined with low pressure casting, flow forming, and heat treatment. This can give strength and weight characteristics similar to a forged wheel. These wheels are also designed from extensive track testing and a long time company history, so the overall finish quality and finish strength is great.

The WedsSport SA-67 is a quality wheel with a classic mesh design. These are available in 19x8 and 19x9 for E9x fitment




The Advan RS is a very popular wheel as well. Great styling and its very well priced.

[david @ eas]

Personally for the money, nothing beats VMR. They have a great quality, strong wheel that looks great. That's what my personal preference goes to:



Hopefully that helps

[inter1032]

bbs?

[ska///235i]

Morrs

[JoosyJoos]

I picked up a set of used Volks LN28Ns (forged) for about $1500 with a set of halfworn Kumho XS tires on them. Probably one of the better deals I've seen but if you browse the used forum and don't mind some light usage then I think that's your best bet. Just have to be patient. For me it wasn't a big deal since they are only used as my track rims.

[boostd92]

And remember that expensive does not always mean strong - neither does "forged."

A few years ago there were several models of "3-piece" "forged" SSR wheels that would bend if you farted in their general direction.

I hate when people reiterate the cliche of "fast, reliable, cheap - choose two." but it really does apply here. Except I would rephrase it, "strong, light, cheap"

That being said, personally I'll be going for light and cheap next time. I'm in love with the Miro STP3 wheels (OZ mito modular knock offs). With the right hookup you can get 19's for close to $250/ea.

I'm a very careful driver. I dodge potholes, I don't talk on the phone while driving, and I PAY ATTENTION. Everyone makes mistakes though. I'd much rather have to replace a $250 average weight wheel that I love the looks of, than have to replace a stunning $1,000 wheel.

[ALUFELGEN]

Nothing beats ALUFELGEN. Excellent quality. Lighter and stronger than anything in its category. For the price, they are the best wheel you could buy.

[cstavaru]

Pretty much all the vendors advertised all of their wheels in this thread

[335iMIAMI]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

Pretty much all the vendors advertised all of their wheels in this thread

I would say check some bbs good wheels and won't break the bank.

[smack]

You cant go wrong with BBS

[ska///235i]

BBS is one of the best aftermarket wheels but they're not CHEAP!

Alot of the OEM wheels are made by BBS, ie oem 197s, oem M wheels

[Gavin@MMW]

BBS is actually quite affordable depending on the style you want, the CH and CHr are very manageable for most budgets.

[Devil's Advocate]

Originally Posted by Craven 328

BBS is actually quite affordable depending on the style you want, the CH and CHr are very manageable for most budgets.

Probably worth it to note that not all BBS are created equal. The CH and CH-Rs that you mentioned are flow-form cast, whereas many (most? all?) other BBS are forged. From what I can tell, the CH and CH-Rs run about $600 to $700 per wheel for '19s, compared to about $1,000+ for the BBS forged '19 wheels like the MR-R and RG-R. Not saying the value-to-quality ratio of the CH and CH-R wheels will not be appealing to some potential buyers, but it's just worth noting so guys know what they're getting.

[r_seng]

/ THREAD

[Tag]

Originally Posted by AluFelgen

Nothing beats ALUFELGEN. Excellent quality. Lighter and stronger than anything in its category. For the price, they are the best wheel you could buy.

These looks like Forgestar F14 wheels which are flow formed. How are the Alufelgen's better?

[Wosby]

Originally Posted by **********s.com

In terms of the hierarchy of quality and strength of wheels the list goes from lowest to highest as follows: gravity cast, low-pressure cast, flow form, and forged.

You don't necessarily have to go forged as forged wheels can be costly (3-6 grand depending on the brand). A good choice for you is the Forgestar F14 Flow Form wheel. Flow Form Casting is a production procedure that turns the wheel (or rim section) over a special mandrel and three hydraulic rollers using tremendous pressure. The pressure and turning then force the rim area to form against the mandrel, creating the shape and width of the rim. During Flow Forming, the rim actually "flows" down to create the full rim width. During Flow Forming, pressure applied to the cast rim actually changes its mechanical properties, so its strength and impact values become similar to those of a forged rim. That translates to up to 15% less weight when compared to a standard cast wheel.

This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel. During Flow Forming, the pressure applied to the cast rim actually changes its mechanical properties, so its strength and impact values become similar to those of a forged rim. That translates to up to 15% less weight when compared to a standard cast wheel. The resulting grain structure within the alloy of the wheel is linear, flowing in a single direction.

This grain structure pattern, combined with the exceptional quality of casting required for the process, gives the rim area of the wheel huge mechanical strength, and elongation. As a result of these mechanical characteristics, Forgestar is able to reduce the thickness of the rim area resulting in reduced weight, without compromising strength and resistance to impact.

I don't have a picture of a Black E93 with these wheels but here's a picture of an E90 M3 Sedan with the Forgestar F14 in Gunmetal for you to check out. I think you'll get the idea of how it'll look on your car! I'll shoot you over a PM with more details

- Alan

Are these custom colors painted or powdercoated?

[ddigangi]

damn you mod bargains....i want my f14s so bad now hahaha

[jacky822]

+1 on forgestar.. i love them..

[awei130]

Flow formed wheels are what you find on F1 race cars and is pretty much the industry standard. In terms of quality, strength, and weight it really can't be topped other than by something that's Forged. Take into consideration that other flow form wheel companies charge about 3x as much as Forgestar for the same technology. It really is your best bang for the buck wheel out there period.