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Was wondering of any BAD experiences with replica rims on why I should NOT get them, and those on why i SHOULD get them.
Thank you!
You get what you pay for.
Most low cost repros are made as cheaply as possible for obvious reasons and do not go through the rigorous design and testing as do the really higher priced after market wheels or the OEM's. They are heavier and add more unsprung weight to your car. They might look good when new but may show quicker signs of wear than OEM's because of poorer quality control.
I just browsed that wheel site and saw what you want to buy. $600 for a set of four wheels made in China. Do you really want that for your Corvette?
YMMV
Last edited by ExRedRacer; Sep 4, 2014 at 01:56 AM.
It depends on the wheel company, the wheel manufacturer AND the wheel specs (the quality specifications that are in the written agreement as well as the quality control by the buyer who is the supplier or e-tailer, in this case, not you). There are many products made elsewhere that meet the best industry standards---even GM uses them for wheels for C6s! That said, I've had good luck w. repro wheels made for OE Wheels in Sarasota, but I've not tried other repro wheels other than big-names.
Whatever you do, read and take notice of the "trying them out" policy (mounting, balancing, on the car testing, etc.), shipping back and forth costs, and any restocking fees if you wish to return all of them or even one wheel. Not saying this vendor will have any onerous policies, but check in advance or you could be sorry in the future.
it depends on the wheel company, the wheel manufacturer and the wheel specs (the quality specifications that are in the written agreement as well as the quality control by the buyer who is the supplier or e-tailer, in this case, not you). There are many products made elsewhere that meet the best industry standards---even gm uses them for wheels for c6s! That said, i've had good luck w. Repro wheels made for oe wheels in sarasota, but i've not tried other repro wheels other than big-names.
Whatever you do, read and take notice of the "trying them out" policy (mounting, balancing, on the car testing, etc.), shipping back and forth costs, and any restocking fees if you wish to return all of them or even one wheel. Not saying this vendor will have any onerous policies, but check in advance or you could be sorry in the future.
i am going to purchase a set of rims from oe wheels in the next few weeks for my c6, i also heard pretty good things form them..
Thanks for the info!
Jhonathan at JWMotoring(the link you posted) carries top shelf products and does a great job standing behind what he sells. You can shop with JWMotoring with confidence.
Jhonathan at JWMotoring(the link you posted) carries top shelf products and does a great job standing behind what he sells. You can shop with JWMotoring with confidence.
I have a set of replica ZR1 wheels on my vette that a purchased off ebay for $300ish. They are amazing! They needed to be powder coated when I bough them but that was only $180ish. I would def buy replica / reproduce wheels again. I saved an ***-ton and now own would know the difference. They're super smooth, no mounting issues, no balance issues. I get looks everywhere I go!
I thought I had a photo of the wheels before powder coat... Guess not.
I got some 2014 GM wheels for my NNBS Nali and they look great. I've only had them for two weeks. They fit better on my 305/50/20. They look sharp. Drive it more than my vette. Vette is starting to get neglected a lot. She gets turned on once every two weeks and doesn't move.
Have not bought rims from Jhonathan yet no. But I have probably made a dozen mod purchases from him and had an issue with one that he quickly took care of beyond my expectations. No dodging me or the issue prompt and quick communication/resolution. Everything that I have purchased from him has been top quality stuff. Not chinese junk.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'19,'22
Thanks for suggesting us. Those wheels are not currently available and will not be for a while. I will go through and make them unavailable to purchase.
Reproduction wheels are all made overseas. That's why they're inexpensive. We've been with the same distributor for 6 years and we believe in their quality. I ran two sets on my own personal Vette before selling it.
We do not sell junk. It goes against how I conduct business. If it's bad, we remove it from our line
I got burned badly trying to save some money by buying repros through WCC. After weeks of frustration trying to get the pieces of crap to balance and taking a financial hit of several hundred dollars, I swore to only use OEM quality. If you do decide to get them anyway, take them to a good shop first and have them spun first to check for proper shape and runout. It will be good to know before mounting the tires, etc...
Good luck.
Thanks for suggesting us. Those wheels are not currently available and will not be for a while. I will go through and make them unavailable to purchase.
Reproduction wheels are all made overseas. That's why they're inexpensive. We've been with the same distributor for 6 years and we believe in their quality. I ran two sets on my own personal Vette before selling it.
We do not sell junk. It goes against how I conduct business. If it's bad, we remove it from our line
I got burned badly trying to save some money by buying repros through WCC. After weeks of frustration trying to get the pieces of crap to balance and taking a financial hit of several hundred dollars, I swore to only use OEM quality. If you do decide to get them anyway, take them to a good shop first and have them spun first to check for proper shape and runout. It will be good to know before mounting the tires, etc...
Good luck.
And that is the operative phrase, "before mounting the tires" or, for that matter the wheels with tires on the car.
I think WCC was the first to implement a rule of sale that restricted returns or credits for wheels that had tires mounted, or wheels run on a car already. Their logic was about the fact that possibly the wheel was damaged by installer mounting a tire, or by driving on streets where it could be dropped in a pothole, curbed, etc.
So, check the fine print and know what is required of you. But the phrase in the above post (take to a good shop and have each wheel spun WITHOUT a tire on it) will keep the wheels safe and tell you what you need to know about any repro wheel: does it look like it will balance, is it out of round, is it bent or damaged, and does it have any/acceptable runout?
Replica Rim Problems
