Need info on Replica Alloy's

[dann959]

Hey guys i'm in a bit of a jam,

I have had a bad run of luck with my alutec java 17'"s. I love the look of these babies but i have bent 3 rims (all positioned on the passenger side of my a4) I only have 2 alutecs that are still pefectly round, So my car is making all sorts of hops and vibrations on highway driving.

I was considering going back to my stock audi 15"s wich seem to be bulletproof to potholes, but they just look so dinky on the car. However they are made by ronal and are extremely strong.

I was also considering going the other route for a set of 17" replicas, because the toyos i have on the alutecs are still in great shape, it would be a shame to scrap them. However everytime i research replicas i just get more and more confused. I want a strong rim, i dont want to have to worry about another bent rim. So far i have looked at fm replicas, hartmann replicas, replica alloys found at discount tire direct, and replicas from lakeshore wheel and tire. But i have no idea what to trust. differences between german, italian, and asian replicas? Any suggestions. Please share your experiences and knowledge on replicas. I am in the US. Any US guys with these reps? any UK chaps buy from US distributors or know of european companies that deal internationally?

 

[jojo]

Without sounding funny, surely your bent rims are caused by poor road surfaces like potholes or manholes, or driving over hard objects like stones or even driving up kerbs! I've been running 19" wheels for the last 4 years on my S3, on UK roads renouned for their poor worksmanship, and avoid potholes in the road by driving left and right like a lunatic, but all my rims seem to be still straight.
If you definitely need a stronger rim, I would recommend BBS alloys, amongst the strongest mass manufactured alloys. If replicas you are after, then they are pretty much the same, I'm on my 3rd set of 18" replicas fitted to my VW Passat, and they have all stayed true.

 

[dann959]

sounds like you've been very carefull and have had some good luck with rims. Thats great! My situation is is painfull though because all 3 alutec rims I have bent have been mounted on the front passenger side of the car. This seems to be the prone spot for rim damge, but could it also just mean that maybe my suspension is deathly weak up there?

i'm very hesitant to by another set of wheels because even the alutecs were german tuv approved, but they didnt make it to my standards. So many rims i have been looking at have the tuv approval, but the aproval has lost my trust. Ronals seem to be the way to go because they are the oem make for audi anyway and have been highly suggested to me by many shops, but they do tend to run the higher price tag. Has anyone heard of or had any experience with Rondell's or Autecs. They are featured on www.thewheelexchange.com

Also the hamann opera designs look catchy any info on those?

 

[jojo]

I'm not sure what the market is like in the USA, but from the list that's featured on the website you have suggested, I would go for the OZ's for strength, or the replica Hamann wheels that you like. Replicas are generally best when made in Italy imo, but be aware that alloys made in the far-east can have 'made in Italy' printed on them lol.

As for my alloys, I take care in avoiding objects, but my alloys take some stick also from hard driving and the odd trackday - alloys made by Mille Miglia BTW /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif