Genuine vs. Replica Wheels

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dave.ah

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What is everyone's opinion on replica wheels? I am looking at some 18" RS4 replicas, as genuine ones are rather pricey, but is it worth it? I don't want to buy them and then buckle them easily on a pot hole,however, if I accidently curb them, I would much prefer to curb cheap replicas and save the originals for when I sell it.....
 
I think it depends on the maker.

I have seen some Italian reps for other makes and they out lasted the own rims!
 
My reps were gash, so I had them refurbed. Doesn't make them a better wheel, just hides the poor finish but means I've paid out enough to have had decent ones in the first place :redface:
 
Dont bother with aftermarket copies, they are all complete rubbish.
Any Genuine wheel that Audi fits will be in a different league, & will not buckle on a pot hole.
Think of it this way, the only thing between you & an accident firstly is your tyres, secondly is your rims.
How much is your life worth?
 
I think it depends on who the rep manufacturer is,a few are known as cheese cos of how porous the alloy is thus making it prone to distortion as said previously
 
I've seen numerous genuine wheels crack/ buckle on our crappy potholed roads, at least with reps you can replace them for around £80 each.

Just because genuine ones cost 4 times as much doesn't make them 4 times stronger :)

Genuine ones weigh less but after fitting reps to mine i haven't noticed a drop in mpg or performance
 
Reps are much better than they used to be thats for sure, My only recommendation is to avoid them if they have any polished surfaces as these tend to be poorly laquered and corrode easy. I've had 4 sets of reps now and none of them have cracked or give me any trouble at all. Saying that OEM is always better is generally the case but not always. I think the following rims are poorly made

1) Golf GTI mk5 Monzas, They peel within months and they weigh a ton (BBS made)
2) Golf GTI mk4 Anniversays. Ball burnished finish pits badly and looks terrible, if you buy a replacement now, even BBS gave up and painted them!
3) Audi BBS/Speedline 2 pieces. Rim starts flaking, laquer is poor and are sometimes known to leak air. Best looking wheel though when mint!

OEM not always great!!
 
The real thing lasts

The replica's don't

Basically thats it in a nutshell - my BBS CH are genuine and are over 3 years old now and have done up to 100k miles. Still look great but have a couple of tatty areas, no dents or dinges from potholes and have a much nicer finish compared to the replica CH's out there!
 
id always go oem, but the thought of these rs6's :) too bad the oem dont make the 19" ones
 
my rs6 reps are fine, they have been through many pot holes and not been affected at all. plus, if one were to break, its a cheap replacement. if i have the money then i would go oem but i dont. spending over 1 thousand on wheel is something i would not do.
 
The problem with many reps is that frequently the company goes out of business or change its source for the wheels, so if you do damage one, the likelyhood of getting a matching replacement is rare.

The OEM wheels are frequently heavier, thus that's where some of the reps will try to gain on the OEMs, but most of the time, they just make it out of thinner material, not stronger, thus it being weaker and bending easier. Some aftermarket wheels are indeed stronger, but those are usually not reps, but of a completely original design.
 
I think its a matter of cost. If you can afford OEM or Real BBS, for example, go for that. If not...... Reps, but do your research and look at them, some of the Reps dont look like the OEMs at all IMO.
 
I have Reps lol, but when the time comes i will bother N8 for some info on where to get the Audi BBS's.
 
In my experience you generally get what you pay for (no such thing as a free lunch and all that). Reps are cheaper for a reason.;)
 
Id love a set of CH, CK`s etc but ill be damned if im spending that sort of money. I guess its like everything in life there are good and bad replicas, ( you can spend 10 dorrar! or thousands on a fake rolex). whilst sort of on topic....am i right in thinking you cannot get a set of genuine BBS LM`s in the correct offset to fit the 8p S3?
 
I have ch reps and there fine, finish isn't great but I couldn't care you're never close enough to see. I live in a pot hole ridden village and they ain't buckled. Tbh if the finish was such an issue I could go out and have them redone with a better finish than any real rim and still not get any where near the cost of real ones.
 
how much did you give for them if you dont mind me asking Mr H? any pics of the wheels?
 
I have pics I'll post them later when I get back to my computer. I paid £300 for the wheels and £650 in total with falken ze912 tyres in 225/40/18. But like I said the finish isn't great but it's not somthing I was botherd about and I plan to get them powder coated black anyway.
 
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