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Question about quality of cheap rims

Juice3

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I was going to buy a set of 18" rims that I really liked but now I've been put off after seeing pictures of cracked rims etc so my question is how likely will it be for cheap $250 each rims to crack from normal daily driving
 

vc commodore

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Honestly I have seen newish factory rims crack especially when they are 17" and bigger.

How it occurs is due to offsets required to fit the car, combined with low profile tyres not giving support to the rim when used on our terrific roads.

When you look at the rim, there is no support on the inside area of the rim and a tyres side wall actually provides a form of shock absorbsion, so having very little sidewall width, means very little absorbsion....Combine this with the roads and you get the cracking.

So to answer your question....It will be pot luck.....You might get away with them not cracking, they might crack....No one can give you a honest 100% correct answer either way
 

Vin999

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I was going to buy a set of 18" rims that I really liked but now I've been put off after seeing pictures of cracked rims etc so my question is how likely will it be for cheap $250 each rims to crack from normal daily driving
I wouldn't say $250 a rim means they cheap, look at the original factory alloys selling 2nd online
Buy what you can afford, most rims crack from abuse from slamming against gutters and hitting potholes not from tyre offsets or low profile tyres which most lastest cars use in their combo as standard on factory cars.
 

shane_3800

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First of all they're wheels not rims a rim is the outer section of a wheel.
If they're stamped with the approval logo then they "pass" but cheap wheels break easy it doesn't matter if you have gold plated tyres.
I would buy a forged wheel personaly as they're far superiour to the cast ones.
 

vc commodore

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I wouldn't say $250 a rim means they cheap, look at the original factory alloys selling 2nd online
Buy what you can afford, most rims crack from abuse from slamming against gutters and hitting potholes not from tyre offsets or low profile tyres which most lastest cars use in their combo as standard on factory cars.

If they don't crack from offsets and tyre profiles, explain why they crack from hitting pot holes especially on the inner edge....

Why don't smaller diametre rims, eg 14 to 16" rims crack, yet it is more common for 17" and higher diametre rims crack? All rims cop the same abuse s you are stating
 

Skylarking

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... so my question is how likely will it be for cheap $250 each rims to crack from normal daily driving
Ive heard that factory wheels are tested to a higher standard than aftermarket wheels so that’s always something to consider. That’s why my preference is to always buy factory wheels where possible.

But it seems cracked rims aren’t just isolated to cheap aftermarket stuff :eek: BMW cracked wheel class action settlement gets initial ok

Luckily there are other threads on JC that discusses wheels, genuine verses aftermarket, etc which you should search for and read. Here is one post I made not long ago ;)
 

shane_3800

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Ive heard that factory wheels are tested to a higher standard than aftermarket wheels so that’s always something to consider. That’s why my preference is to always buy factory wheels where possible.

But it seems cracked rims aren’t just isolated to cheap aftermarket stuff :eek: BMW cracked wheel class action settlement gets initial ok

Luckily there are other threads on JC that discusses wheels, genuine verses aftermarket, etc which you should search for and read. Here is one post I made not long ago ;)

The BMW wheel thing is only a certain models. My bosses wife had one with the wheel issue had them welded 3 times.
I think they were trying to get the weight down. I think they moved to using BBS for there performance stuff because BBS has a CNC roll forge.
I'll find the video I saw of it 7 or 8 years ago.

Edit found it.
 

vc commodore

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Ive heard that factory wheels are tested to a higher standard than aftermarket wheels so that’s always something to consider. That’s why my preference is to always buy factory wheels where possible.

But it seems cracked rims aren’t just isolated to cheap aftermarket stuff :eek: BMW cracked wheel class action settlement gets initial ok

Luckily there are other threads on JC that discusses wheels, genuine verses aftermarket, etc which you should search for and read. Here is one post I made not long ago ;)


I have struck factory Holden and Ford rims that have suffered from the cracking issue, as well as aftermarket....

Is this because I deal with wheels day in day out, I don't know....Worth considering
 

Skylarking

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I have struck factory Holden and Ford rims that have suffered from the cracking issue, as well as aftermarket....

Is this because I deal with wheels day in day out, I don't know....Worth considering
Not surprised you see lots of cracked wheels but it's impossible to know the ratio ration of genuine to aftermarket wheels on the road and thus determine something from your experiances. You could obectively see lots of the same brand wheel being cracked but statisticians would say that's an anomaly.

What would be interesting would be the owners explanations when you tell them that the rim is cracked, whether they admit to fast driving on pothole roads or track work or such.
 
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vc commodore

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Not surprised you see lots of cracked wheels but it's impossible to know the ration of genuine to aftermarket wheels on the road and thus determine something from your experiances. You could obectively see lots of the same brand wheel being cracked but statisticians would say that's an anomoly.

What would be interesting would be the owners explanations when you tell them that the rim is cracked, whether they admit to fast driving on pothole roads or track work or such.

They can tell me what they like...Where they most commonly crack, it's obvious it's a result of no support on the inner edge, combined with no sidewall in the tyre to help cushion potholes...If it was a result of fast driving over potholes, you have to ask the question, why don't smaller diametre rims ie 16" and lower, on Commodores suffer the same fate as much as the 17" and bigger...And yes I could mention a dozen other manufacturers, but it'd be pointless.

Yes I do see cracks and gauges as a result of neglectful driving, and again, it's not difficult to pick that....So owners can say what they like....I tend to switch off to those excuses ;)

As for statistics...Impossible to gauge whether aftermarket fail more than factory or visa versa...I can only go by what I see constantly with 17" and larger diametre rims and post my reasons why it occurs...If people which to research what I say and use a little common sense, they can determine whether there is any truth in it or not....

Of course there are some 16" and lower diametre rims that do suffer the same fate, but considering we are talking predomonently about Commodores, I won't post up all the other makes and models that it does occur with...But needless to say, it is still the result of what I have posted
 
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