18" or 19" Wheels: Aftermarket or OEM.....which ones and why?
08-30-2006, 02:12 PM
#1
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18" or 19" Wheels: Aftermarket or OEM.....which ones and why?
This horse is dead, but I keep beating it anyway....please don't be mad at me for dredging up this topic. I really want 18" (or maybe 19")wheels for my A8L and have been looking for a couple of weeks now. I really like the RS-6 style but I also like the regular 18" fat five spokes on the newer A8s. There are zillions of replicas out there and a ton of sellers. I mostly see German made and Italian made wheels so I suspect that all of the people selling them actually get them from the same 2 or 3 manufacturers. I hear of aftermarket wheels bending easily. But when a seller (ebay) says "made at an OE plant" does this mean the "factory" makes the OEM wheels and also the EXACT same wheel without markings on it for much cheaper? I had a set of RS-6 Rondells on my last A8 and I could never totally eliminate a vibration....drove me nuts. Many aftermarkets claim to be hubcentric, but this could still require those darn hubcentric rings. Do any aftermarket wheels have the hub hole made to exactly fit Audi so no adaptors are needed? I would welcome any real world experiences good or bad...Thank You Everyone.
08-30-2006, 03:23 PM
#2
18" will give you a better ride, 19" better performace (all other things being equal).....
Whether you buy OEM or aftermarket, be sure to get forged, not cast, wheels. Most Audi stock wheels are forged, so you can't go wrong there. Most aftermarket cheap wheels are just that- cast wheels that bend easily and aren't well balanced. There are many good aftermarket forged wheels, however. BBS and Oz both make forged wheels, as well as many others. If the manufacturer went to the trouble of forging the wheel, it is very likely to be of high(er) quality. IMHO ;-)
08-30-2006, 05:49 PM
#3
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I agree and the saying,"you get what you pay for" couldnt be more accurate
when buying wheels. Its probably a good idea not to buy your next set of wheels off of just any random person on ebay. Find a reputable dealer, they can be on ebay but its rare. Search the A8 forum for Fiske wheels with PaulW. Good luck on your search
08-30-2006, 06:10 PM
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HRE wheels are forged and hubcentric without an adapter.
These is my 20x9 HRE 546 with black anodized center and polished rim. Many other finishes are available, see Pricing-Finishes at <a href="http://www.hrewheels.com/wheels/series.asp?series=540">HRE Wheels</a>
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/17157/acid1b.jpg">
Here's three of the HRE 5-spokes.
<img src="http://www.hrewheels.com/images/wheels/545_lrg_a.jpg">
<img src="http://www.hrewheels.com/images/wheels/542_lrg_a.jpg">
<img src="http://www.hrewheels.com/images/wheels/547_lrg_a.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/17157/acid1b.jpg">
Here's three of the HRE 5-spokes.
<img src="http://www.hrewheels.com/images/wheels/545_lrg_a.jpg">
<img src="http://www.hrewheels.com/images/wheels/542_lrg_a.jpg">
<img src="http://www.hrewheels.com/images/wheels/547_lrg_a.jpg">
08-30-2006, 07:05 PM
#6
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If you buy used authentic Audi wheels, you can't go wrong. There are lots of deals out there...
You'll be assured of quality, clearance and fit issues. Do you spend a lot of time in snow? If not, I'd go w/ 19" and low profile tires if the roads in your area are good and smooth.
08-30-2006, 07:29 PM
#7
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I think BBS and like Randy has stated HRE are hub centric without adapters.
I have a different theory on wheels than most on the board. Yes, forged wheels are stonger and lighter than cast. But I have the opinion that for almost the third of the price of a good set of forged BBS or HRE wheels, I can get a decent looking set of wheels and run them for about 3 or 4 years. Just change them if the get bent or to just update the style. I run a group of tire stores and I see so many forged wheels come in bent up from potholes that I would rather have three sets of cast wheels than one set of forged wheels, especially when running 19" wheels. JMHO
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08-31-2006, 01:16 AM
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Do we know which A8 wheels are forged and which are cast?
This <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/wheel/msgs/30408.phtml">2001 Post</a> implies that only the pie-plates and the polished 5-spoke are forged.
I was also under the impression that most oem Audi wheels were cast, and that their strength was just the result of using a lot of aluminum. My original 18x8 Avus wheel weighs 27.2 lb, which is actually slightly <i>more</i> than my 20x9" HRE 546 at 27.0 lb. According to <a href="http://www.wheelweights.net/">Wheelweights.net</a>, an 18x8.5 HRE 546 weighs only 20.0 lb. Forged wheels from Fikse, BBS, OZ, iForged, and Kinesis have a similar weight advantage.
And you're absolutely correct about the cost advantage of cast wheels. The cost to repair (replace) the damaged outer of one of my 3-piece wheels at HRE was $250. Even if I didn't get bored with the wheel, just buying a brand new replacement cast wheel at about the same price saves the hassle of shipping a wheel to California and back.
I was also under the impression that most oem Audi wheels were cast, and that their strength was just the result of using a lot of aluminum. My original 18x8 Avus wheel weighs 27.2 lb, which is actually slightly <i>more</i> than my 20x9" HRE 546 at 27.0 lb. According to <a href="http://www.wheelweights.net/">Wheelweights.net</a>, an 18x8.5 HRE 546 weighs only 20.0 lb. Forged wheels from Fikse, BBS, OZ, iForged, and Kinesis have a similar weight advantage.
And you're absolutely correct about the cost advantage of cast wheels. The cost to repair (replace) the damaged outer of one of my 3-piece wheels at HRE was $250. Even if I didn't get bored with the wheel, just buying a brand new replacement cast wheel at about the same price saves the hassle of shipping a wheel to California and back.
