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Looking to do a wheel upgrade to my 02 C5 Coupe. Want to do a 18/19 upgrade. Which would be the better option, CCW or HRE wheels? Or any others you can recommend. Also the place place for buying them that is not going to rip me off? Thanks in advance.
Looking to do a wheel upgrade to my 02 C5 Coupe. Want to do a 18/19 upgrade. Which would be the better option, CCW or HRE wheels? Or any others you can recommend. Also the place place for buying them that is not going to rip me off? Thanks in advance.
Justin
Only you can decide which wheel you want, for your car. Just know that new HRE's will cost approximately twice as much, as new CCW's.
I'm sure there are plenty of honest wheel retailers out there.
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The forum has a vendors that sell both brands you mentioned and they will treat you right. Which wheels would be best are something you will need to decide, but there are plenty of threads that discuss both the CCW and HRE offerings.
CCW's are your best value for money spent. SP500's , IMO, are the best looking aftermarket wheel you can buy for a C5 Corvette. New, around $3K, used for $2K. Good luck.
Both are awesome; can't go wrong. Spendy for new ones but they do retain a large part of their value. If you find a used set you will always be able to get your $$ back out of them - it's like depositing money in the bank, but prettier
I bought my used 18/19 CCW for around $2k; they were 3 or 3.5k new.
Which would be the better option, CCW or HRE wheels?
Define "better". There are many parameters to consider: Buyer's budget, preferred wheel style, preferred wheel construction, wheel weight, etc. Throw us a bone here.
Both are outstanding in terms of quality and customizable fitment. The HRE's are going to be markedly more expensive than the CCW's. Personally, I gravitate towards the CCW's because the HRE designs just don't appeal to me.
But for you, all that matters is what you think looks good and what your wallet is telling you that you can afford.
Both are outstanding in terms of quality and customizable fitment. The HRE's are going to be markedly more expensive than the CCW's. Personally, I gravitate towards the CCW's because the HRE designs just don't appeal to me.
But for you, all that matters is what you think looks good and what your wallet is telling you that you can afford.
I agree. If the OP has the budget for HRE's, he should also look at Forgelines.
Both are outstanding in terms of quality and customizable fitment. The HRE's are going to be markedly more expensive than the CCW's. Personally, I gravitate towards the CCW's because the HRE designs just don't appeal to me.
But for you, all that matters is what you think looks good and what your wallet is telling you that you can afford.
You have to compare apples to apples. Most HRE wheels are 3 pc wheels and are custom fit to your specific vehicle. You can also choose different finishes between the 3 pcs. Same goes for Forgeline which is what I bought. I spec’d mine out to exactly what I wanted as far as the finish (polished outer lip, powder coated barrels and powder coated spokes, hidden ARP fasteners attaching the spokes to the rim. Mine cost me $5,500.00 and 8 weeks to get them (I drove to Forgeline to get them to save a few days to ship).
As for CCW’s (500’s and 505’s) yes they are a great looking wheel but they are a 1 pc wheel and polished only. I’ve been told by several owners that if they aren’t wipe down after they get wet or not treated with some type of polish they get water spots on them that are hard to get out. That is the downside to unfinished aluminum. Furthermore, the 3 pc wheels will be lighter stronger.
So you get what you pay for. That’s the bottom line.
Last edited by I’m Z one; Mar 29, 2019 at 08:59 PM.
All of the above brands make great quality and great looking wheels. I have HRE 545's which are my favorite style by HRE but are no longer being made.
CCW 550 and 500 are great looking rims that are readily available. Forgestar and Forgeline have some nice choices too.
It's true that Forgeline offers many finish options but CCW does, also. Three-piece wheels are nice but not everyone needs or wants them, on a pure street car. They have their pro's and con's, as well. A forged monoblock wheel is really strong and light, too.
Whatever you do, decide if you want big brakes ever. Decide before you buy the wheels.
My only complaint is the stock brakes (especially the rear calipers) look like little toys when more revealing larger wheels are installed.
Personally I’d only want big brakes and wheels to fit them; that brings up another topic all together such as what is the best fitment and deciding which wheels look best with the funky offsets. For example CCW wheels lose an inch of lip when cut for big brakes. They don’t look quite as killer losing some offset but (to me) they look better when you see large calipers between the spokes.
Can of worms, as then you need to decide which brakes to go with and the costs/benefits are as varied as the wheels.
As for CCW’s (500’s and 505’s) yes they are a great looking wheel but they are a 1 pc wheel and polished only. I’ve been told by several owners that if they aren’t wipe down after they get wet or not treated with some type of polish they get water spots on them that are hard to get out. That is the downside to unfinished aluminum. Furthermore, the 3 pc wheels will be lighter stronger.
Lol, tell that to my SP500's:
As for your stronger claim, I'd need to see some data backing that up. I have seen a LOT of 3 piece wheels for sale due to bent barrels that cost and arm and a leg to have replaced. Lighter is a toss up too, as (for example) the SP500's are aluminum and VERY light.
But, I will admit, Forgeline knows how to do it. I was pretty close to choosing between a couple of their designs, but decided to keep the extra couple grand in my pocket instead. That's really the only reason why I don't have a set of SO3 or CF3 on my car instead of the SP500's.
Whatever you do, decide if you want big brakes ever. Decide before you buy the wheels. My only complaint is the stock brakes (especially the rear calipers) look like little toys when more revealing larger wheels are installed.
Personally I’d only want big brakes and wheels to fit them; that brings up another topic all together such as what is the best fitment and deciding which wheels look best with the funky offsets. For example CCW wheels lose an inch of lip when cut for big brakes. They don’t look quite as killer losing some offset but (to me) they look better when you see large calipers between the spokes.
Can of worms, as then you need to decide which brakes to go with and the costs/benefits are as varied as the wheels.
On a C5 with stock front fenders, it's just not possible to fit a wheel with a lot of lip. Very few front wheels will allow much lip, at all, when fitting big brakes on these cars.It's not just CCW's that have to deal with that issue.
Lastly, I prefer a narrow lip on front wheels. Again, it's just personal preference, to most people.
On a C5 with stock front fenders, it's just not possible to fit a wheel with a lot of lip. Very few front wheels will allow much lip, at all, when fitting big brakes on these cars.It's not just CCW's that have to deal with that issue.
Lastly, I prefer a narrow lip on front wheels. Again, it's just personal preference, to most people.
Completely agreed. I personally think the CCW's look better with the narrower 1 and 2 inch lips on the big brake cut than the standard 2 and 3 inch wheels.
CCW or HRE wheels?
