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[ilia]

Hello everybody,
I have been asking myself lately if I need forged wheels or not. I plan on purchasing wheels that will stay on the car all year with A/S tires. They will see some snow. I don't plan on tracking the car, but a couple of times. My choice is between used forged wheels and new cast (BBS) wheels. I can't make up my mind. Is the forged wheel much stronger and is the 3-5lbs weight saving in each corner that noticable. Any thougths are welcome. Thanks!

[HighQ]

Weight reduction in unsprung mass (wheels) is very effective. If you drive around all year you should avoid wheels with a reversed lip, I've read some horrible stories about them in the rain. When watter gets trapped inside the lip the wheel becomes unbalanced and this makes the car undriveable at high speed.

Don't think forged wheels are the best or lightest, this is pure marketing. Take a look at the offerings from OZ on tirerack. The ultraleggera and its new version (don't know name) you should recognize it because it's available in a lot of colors like red, blue, orange,...

These wheels are cast, strong and light and are highly recommended. OZ supplies wheels to teams in F1 and rally. Making it the best option for a weight minded person on a budget. ...IMO

[ilia]

Originally Posted by HighQ

Weight reduction in unsprung mass (wheels) is very effective. If you drive around all year you should avoid wheels with a reversed lip, I've read some horrible stories about them in the rain. When watter gets trapped inside the lip the wheel becomes unbalanced and this makes the car undriveable at high speed.

Don't think forged wheels are the best or lightest, this is pure marketing. Take a look at the offerings from OZ on tirerack. The ultraleggera and its new version (don't know name) you should recognize it because it's available in a lot of colors like red, blue, orange,...

These wheels are cast, strong and light and are highly recommended. OZ supplies wheels to teams in F1 and rally. Making it the best option for a weight minded person on a budget. ...IMO

Thanks for the advice. The OZ's look good, but I didn't see 19" options .

[Joonsup]

what's your budget

[ilia]

3500. I can go up a little (500) if the right choice presents itself.

[cbad335]

$3500 should get you a nice set of gently used, 19" forged wheels.

[chrisE92]

Originally Posted by cbad335

$3500 should get you a nice set of gently used, 19" forged wheels.

+1, you can probably get a set that's almost new

[evoi19]

There's not a "what's best" out there. There's pro's and cons to each type (forged/cast). Hit a pot hole big enough and both types will bend regardless.

Forged wheels are lighter overall and do take more abuse than cast. But beware, some lesser companies claim to be forged but don't take the time to stress test or put it through it's paces compared to reputable forged companies (bbs/volk/ccw, etc). They may be bit more expensive, but you do pay for what you get when it comes to wheels.

Cast is a great option for those who are budget minded and/or not too interested in the differences between cast/forged. There are some great wheels that are cast as well (advan comes to mind). Some say cast tend to bend/crack easier but i've personally seen some hard abuse on good cast wheels with no issues.

In the end, it's a personal choice. Some swear by forged some don't care and others just see forged as a marketing hype. I will tell you this...most if not all professional racing teams used forged for a reason. Personally, I've owned one set of cast and 3 forged sets so far. The main thing i look for in a wheel is who it's made by and the process they take to test them for consumers. When I buy a set of wheels and invest that much into them, they better last and withstand the abuse i put them through.

If you haven't seen these videos, you might want to check them out. They're videos of the process in making wheels from Ray's Engineering and BBS.

[stressdoc]

Quality forged wheels (BBS, Volks) are superior. Weight savings can be as much as 10 lbs per wheel or more. I currently have my eye on a set of Volk RE30s that TireRack has on sale for $2600. 17 lbs for the 18". We all have different priorities -- looks are very high for some, function for others (like me). In general 18" wheels function better (track and DD), but some prefer the appearance of 19". IMO the sweetest current wheels are the new BBS FI -- 16 lbs. for the 19" -- but those are not yet available for an E9x. Volk CE28n is also a great wheel, but hard to get in E9x sizes.

[ilia]

Originally Posted by andrew@Karbonwerke

There's not a "what's best" out there. There's pro's and cons to each type (forged/cast). Hit a pot hole big enough and both types will bend regardless.

Forged wheels are lighter overall and do take more abuse than cast. But beware, some lesser companies claim to be forged but don't take the time to stress test or put it through it's paces compared to reputable forged companies (bbs/volk/ccw, etc). They may be bit more expensive, but you do pay for what you get when it comes to wheels.

Cast is a great option for those who are budget minded and/or not too interested in the differences between cast/forged. There are some great wheels that are cast as well (advan comes to mind). Some say cast tend to bend/crack easier but i've personally seen some hard abuse on good cast wheels with no issues.

In the end, it's a personal choice. Some swear by forged some don't care and others just see forged as a marketing hype. I will tell you this...most if not all professional racing teams used forged for a reason. Personally, I've owned one set of cast and 3 forged sets so far. The main thing i look for in a wheel is who it's made by and the process they take to test them for consumers. When I buy a set of wheels and invest that much into them, they better last and withstand the abuse i put them through.

If you haven't seen these videos, you might want to check them out. They're videos of the process in making wheels from Ray's Engineering and BBS.

Thanks you soo much, this advice is very helpful! Videos are great as well. Also, good luck on your wheel sales.

[ilia]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Quality forged wheels (BBS, Volks) are superior. Weight savings can be as much as 10 lbs per wheel or more. I currently have my eye on a set of Volk RE30s that TireRack has on sale for $2600. 17 lbs for the 18". We all have different priorities -- looks are very high for some, function for others (like me). In general 18" wheels function better (track and DD), but some prefer the appearance of 19". IMO the sweetest current wheels are the new BBS FI -- 16 lbs. for the 19" -- but those are not yet available for an E9x. Volk CE28n is also a great wheel, but hard to get in E9x sizes.

Thanks for the advice. My current choices are BBS CH's (wheel/tire package) or looking for a set of forged (bbs re, lm, lmr, others - suggestions welcome) gently used wheels. My problem with the forged wheels is that I will have to buy the wheels only, which is within my budget, and then add on the cost of tires, TPMS, installation etc. That made me wonder if the forged wheels are worth the extra money and hassle. Thanks again!

[HighQ]

BBS CH's are great in terms of design and quality. The CH design and BBS name is loved by many, something that comes into play when you move up and need to sell them. A good quality cast wheel is better then a low quality forged wheel. Budget forged wheels desperatly try to claim "forged" and hold back on the quality in many important areas. What they don't tell you is that not all components are forged. BBS, like OZ has strong ties with motorsport, you won't find a single budget forged wheel that can claim the same. BBS is also an OEM for BMW, for example they made the original M3 CSL wheel.

[200Duece]

Ask yourself what the real purpose of the wheel is. If you are going to track the car the saving in unsprung weight will make a difference as HighQ mentioned before. If its just a style thing then it really doesn't matter as much. Get whatever wheel floats your boat.