I'm finally going to upgrade from the stock wheels to some aftermarket ones.
I've searched on tirerack.com and found some that range in price from $200 per wheel to over $1100 My question is, aside from your own personal preference how did you guys decide on which wheels to get? And how much of an issue was the cost? The reason I ask is that other than Volks I don't know or hear about any other style of wheel and that's primarily from the members on this forum. I haven't really seen any Volk wheels that I'd actually want on my car and I don't want to screw up and buy wheels that make my car look cheap or ricey. Is there an "average" price for a decent set of aftermarket wheels?

And I'd hate to get something that I considered "economical" and then have it turn out to be the equivalent of those "spinner hubcaps" that they sell at Walmart

Any info would help out alot....

 

SSR makes some quality semi-forged wheels at a fair price, as does Enkei.

Volk wheels are all forged technology; in this case more expensive IS better. If youwant to avoid the Walmart scene, avoid the ebay knockoff cast wheels. There are so many...

 

For the most part, you get what you pay for.

If you shell out for some Volks, you'll get a bad-*** set of lightweight forged wheels. If you skimp and get a look-alike set from some cheap wheel manufacturer, you'll end up with some crap that might look nice, but ends up weighing MORE than stock (thus making car feel sluggish as ****).

This holds true for most other high-dollar wheels.

 

avoid chrome, avoid knockoffs, avoid ebay.

Did I miss anything?

 

^ summed it up pretty well

 

OK. Two brands I did like were from Kazera and Gram Lights, ever here anything about either of these two?

thanks!

 

Not all volks are fully forged. Some are forget barrel, and cast centers... IE the SF series wheels.

 

Gram Lights are made by Rays, who also make Volks (all owned by Mackin Industries). It's a good wheel.

I don't know anything about Kazera... I'll take a quick look.

 

Sorry about that... I didn't clarify.

He's right... not all Volks are fully forged. But even the non-fully forged ones are gonna be better than copies.

 

Study the various processes used to manufacture wheels. Generally, the more expensive the process, the more expensive the wheel. You should know this stuff.

http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp

 

Correct the GT series are not 100% forged like the monoblocks.

 

you need to decide what are your priorities
form over function or function over form.
meaning if you want wheels primarily for looks or performance.

once you decide that, get what ever wheel you want. You don't need us to tell you how to dress. Do it as YOU like.

 

Gram Light makes a forged wheel. Which one? Easy. The most expensive one.

 

Actually Mackin Industries is the US distributor for Volks which are made by Rays Engineering but...anyway

There was an article in Modified which says that 1 lb saved on rotational mass (ie. rims/wheels) = 10 lbs else where on the car. So if you can save 5 lbs on rotational mass on each wheel, it equals 200 lbs saved on the weight of you car. Point is, buy some strong and light wheels - you'll have better acceleration, better cornering, and better braking. If you can't afford them yet I'd suggest saving up because it's worth it.

 

You can also check out Work Wheels.
www.workwheelsusa.com
The Work Emotion series are affordable wheels. Many have them on there.

 

I think the distribution of the weight factors in also. A fully cast wheel weighing 25 lbs. may have a lower rotational inertia than a two-piece wheel with forged outer barrel and cast center, since the heavier (cast) portion is closer to the rotational axis in the latter case.

Anyways to the OP, if you're not concerned with shaving fractions of a second off your 1/4 mile or lap times, then you should probably just get something that you will enjoy looking at every day. And I personally wouldn't go with anything heavier than stock, because while I am not hell bent on making the car faster, I sure don't want to make it slower.

 

Jesus... I'm just getting owned everywhere today...

Tony (has had barely any sleep the past week)

 

All 2 piece Ray's (Volk) wheels are cast center pieces. Forged isn't always better than cast. There are some crazy strong cast wheels made by Enkei and ADVAN. They are as light as forged Monobloc wheels and just as strong.

Axis is a lower priced wheel and has good quality and fitment. Post pics of what you like and ask here on the boards what people think.

JET

 

Didn't axis have that issue w/ wheels cracking? They do make nice looking wheels and not to mention the owner of the company is a true enthusiast.

Very good wheels mentioned. You can also take a look at G-Games, also made by Rays.

You could also check out these wheels



Made by Auto-Couture hehehehhe

Here's a sample of price list for these babies in 19's in popular Z widths.

19inch


8.5J 226,000 JPY
9.0J 228,000 JPY
9.5J 230,000 JPY
10.0J 232,000 JPY
10.5J 234,000 JPY