OEM Reproduction Wheels
11-18-2011, 05:19 PM
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2012 Mercedes CL550, 2004 Mercedes CLK500, 2010 Audi S5, 2005 BMW X5, 2009 BMW X6, 1968 Pontiac GTO
OEM Reproduction Wheels
I know there is alot of talk regarding OEM Rep Wheels and the quality of the wheel.
Does anyone have any advice on the following;
What makes a good wheel? To avoid vibrations etc, is there something that I should be looking for in a reproduction wheel? The material it is made out of, or one piece vs. two piece etc.
Where is the best place to buy reproduction wheels? There are a variety of options on ebay...how do your tell if some are better than others? (besides the ebay ratings).
As this is one of my first posts, a little about my ride! I have a Black 2004 CLK 500 stock with AMG appearance package. Red & Black interior. Looking at some 19" wheels, H&R springs, quad exhaust and a single fin front grill. Can't wait to get started and post some pics up!
Does anyone have any advice on the following;
What makes a good wheel? To avoid vibrations etc, is there something that I should be looking for in a reproduction wheel? The material it is made out of, or one piece vs. two piece etc.
Where is the best place to buy reproduction wheels? There are a variety of options on ebay...how do your tell if some are better than others? (besides the ebay ratings).
As this is one of my first posts, a little about my ride! I have a Black 2004 CLK 500 stock with AMG appearance package. Red & Black interior. Looking at some 19" wheels, H&R springs, quad exhaust and a single fin front grill. Can't wait to get started and post some pics up!
11-18-2011, 05:55 PM
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me: 2015 SL400 & 2015 ML400; wife: 2022 GLC Coupe kid: 2017 GLC SUV
my car broker recommended OE Wheels in Fla. Google it; I don't want a(nother) infraction for linking a non-sponsor.
11-19-2011, 08:41 AM
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I think one of the main differences is forged vs. cast. Cast is melted metal poured in a mold. Forged is metal pressed into shape. There are also a couple different tyles of casting. Forged are both lighter and stronger, and more expensive. The main knock on e-bay wheels that you can get for $500-$700 a set is weight. Of course weight is not a stat that is usually published, either for your OEM wheels or the e-bay wheels. I once got some for a Volvo and each wheel was several pounds heavier and I really could feel the difference.
11-19-2011, 10:18 AM
#4
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I think one of the main differences is forged vs. cast. Cast is melted metal poured in a mold. Forged is metal pressed into shape. There are also a couple different tyles of casting. Forged are both lighter and stronger, and more expensive. The main knock on e-bay wheels that you can get for $500-$700 a set is weight. Of course weight is not a stat that is usually published, either for your OEM wheels or the e-bay wheels. I once got some for a Volvo and each wheel was several pounds heavier and I really could feel the difference.
And...from what I have experienced the build quality is below OEM as well. I bought a set of 19" Audi tri-5 spoke wheels from Hartmann for my CC. Upon close inspection there were some surface defects that you could see thru the paint. The biggest bummer was that they took a LOT of weights to get them to balance, and the style of the wheel was the kind that you could see them - and it looked like cr@p to me. I ended up selling them at a a 50% discount and going back to stock.
Pics to illustrate:
11-19-2011, 07:20 PM
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2012 Mercedes CL550, 2004 Mercedes CLK500, 2010 Audi S5, 2005 BMW X5, 2009 BMW X6, 1968 Pontiac GTO
Thanks for the replys, balancing seems to be the common issue with OEM Rep wheels. I'll update the forum on what I decide to buy, from who, and how well they balanced. I't always nice to read real life feedback on some of these wheel manufacturers.
