Whoopicat

After doing a quick wheel search on Ebay I found a huge price difference on wheel sets. If I like the style of a $300 set of rims is there any reason I should not get them? I mean, it's not like they're going to fall apart, right. As far a affecting the ride, I think that would be all in the tire.

Sorry if this a lame question, I'm very new at this.

Thanks.

CHPRBOX8

i would say they should not fall apart but look at it this way. you will get what you pay for some places on ebay sell complet $h*t. i would say the best thing is go to a shop or look in a mag for wheels the best place for tires in the world is discout tires you can pay like a extra $25 a tire for free lifetime replacement

OldYeller

Sometimes you are paying for brand names. The big guys all run lots of ads in magazines and online. They also sponsor racers, tuners, and show cars--all costs money. On the other hand, sometimes you get what you pay for. Why don't you post what you are looking at and see if anyone has them already on their car. That is the beauty of this site, it is a community of Scion owners with lots of experiences that they share.

FModFTD

Be very careful with auto parts that are much cheaper than all the others. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

There's a lot of junk out there, and most of it is on eBay. Just shop around at well known online places (just search SL). That way you get a warranty, shipping insurance, and return policies.

mattxb

I thought I would save a buck. Below is a pic of the rims I decided to go with. They were pretty cheap, they were just under a hund per wheel. I only wear them in the nicer months and rock 15's in the winter. I have had them for 2 seasons and they are all out of round. I have them balanced as best they can and once the tires go I think I will fork over the extra loot to get a wheel that is constructed a bit more durable. Just my 2 cents.

RTon20s

As stated before, you get what you pay for. However, more important than price is construction. The best thing you can do for yourself is find out how (and sometimes where) a wheel is constructed.

Most of the cheaper wheels you find will employ casting as a construction method. Casting, on the norm, is typically cheaper, heavier and of lower quality than other types of construction. The majority of cast wheels are also come from China. Whether the company that sells them is from China, Japan, the United States, or anywhere else for that matter. Another drawback to cast wheels is that the options available are limited. Things like diameter, width and offset are limited by what molds are available.

Next you move up to a method called forging. There are multiple forging methods, but as a whole this can be considered "better" that cast. First you need to look at one-piece forged wheels. These wheels carry some of the benefits of more expensive multi-piece wheels as well as benefits of cast wheels. The one-piece forged wheel is typically higher quality, lighter and stronger than a cast wheel. But it is also usually more expensive. One piece forged wheels also typically have the same size limitations as cast wheels.

Next you move up to multi-piece wheels. These can be either two piece or three piece. Most of these wheels make use of forging techniques and are often referred to as "forged" and in some cases billet. The pricing for these wheels are quite a bit higher as the construction is specialized for each application. Putting a set of these wheels together is much more labor intensive.

Two piece wheels consist of a forged hoop and a forged or "billet" center that is welded to the hoop. Where that center is welded into the hoop is determined by the vehicle specs. A three piece wheel consists of an inner and an outer forged hoop as well as a forged or "billet" center. The three pieces are mechanically fastened together using either rivets or bolts. The only real advantage of three piece wheels vs. two piece wheels is that you have a bit more options in terms of width and backspace. This usually only at the extreme ends of the spectrum though.

mattxb

^^^^^^^^^
Great blurb on wheel construction. Unfortunately, I only decided to research this after I purchased the cheepo's. Live and learn.

Question:

Is one method of casting better then another.
Gravity vs. LP Cast?
Also, what is shot peening?

RTon20s

Honestly, I haven't done enough research on casting methods to tell you what's what off the top of my head. I do know that different methods provide different benefits. Usually in the areas of strength and weight.

Shot peening is a method for hardening material. In simple terms small pellets are blasted on the wheel creating a more uniform, stronger material.

A couple good wheel construction technique resources...

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/....jsp?techid=90
http://www.carrimsguide.com/#226

Short_Bus

I just wanted to show a pic of my old ebay bargin wheels... the were not cleared and the road salt crushed them..even washing weekly couldn't save them...

tyrantcold

i bought my wheels from ebay , 17 x 7 CN cam wheels , most china companies have sellers in the USA , California usually , that sell their stuff on ebay, had them since febuary and everyone that sees them are amazed by the quality , i had some sportmax 15x6 before and I absolutly hated them. a good ebay guy will have all the information on the wheels their selling plus you can even check out the manufacturers website to see the quality

David_Seale

biggest difference is cast wheels and forged wheels. heres a description i got off jtuned...

Cast Wheels (One Piece)
A cast wheel is made by pouring molten aluminum ingot into a mold; the metal then takes the mold's shape as it cools and hardens. There are several types of casting methods which include low pressure/gravity, counter pressure, and high counter pressure molding (HCM); each method has its place in today's market. A wheel manufacturer will select a particular method according to the weight, strength and finish that they have specified for that design.

The benefit of casting wheels is the relative low cost for set up and manufacturing. However cast wheels are typically heavier and less robust compared to a wheel manufactured using a forging method.



Forged One-piece Wheels
A forged wheel is made by forming a wheel under extreme high pressure. The material used is an aluminum billet—a solid piece of dense aluminum. A forging press, a huge machine that exerts thousands of tons of pressure on the metal, basically presses or rolls the billet into its fundamental form. This forging is then machined to final finish. This process allows wheels to be built with much less material, allowing for lighter weight and unique designs, because the process creates a much stronger wheel than other methods.

Many premium wheels are made using forging technology.




for some more info on how wheels are made and what means what, check out this link... http://www.jtuned.com/content/templa...=288&zoneid=16

rim_doc

On a practical side, at work I've seen all sorts of cast wheels bent. These are wheels with lots of serious tire around them. My wheels are forged and my tires have such a low profile, I get asked all the time if they're solid. (Noooo......) Anyway, I've rammed a lot of pot holes on accident and my wheels are as true as the day I got them.

From a weight standpoint, my wheels are 19x7.5 and weigh less than the 15x6 factory wheels.

Stronger and lighter but almost never cheaper.

Cast wheels are generally fine for 50 series tires on up. In fact, if you look at what's out there, OEMs almost always follow this rule. For the car companies and the enthusiasts, it always comes down to the performance benefits vs. cost comparison.