tertiumquid

I'm looking to replace the OEM wheels on my 2016 ZO6 Convertible with forged ones. Tired of dealing with the cast ones that get bent and cracked too easily. I don't want to mortgage the house to buy them but I know I'll have to pay $2k+. What manufactures have you dealt with and what are your recommendations?

C5-VERT

The only way to get close to $2k for all 4 forged wheels is for sure a one piece. Not even sure you can find that for $2k, most likely used . Most are going to start around $3,500 to $4k. Especially for a decent set. Signature Wheels (4-5 week build time, find Khoa @ Deity), Forgelines/HRE you won't get close for that price. Maybe one wheel lol. Lot's of guys here are running Signature wheels including myself, in fact some may be for sale used for better prices you are looking for. Used may be your best bet.

tertiumquid

Thanks for the reply. Have you had any experience or knowledge of MMR wheels?

C5-VERT

I personally haven't. Maybe some others can chime in. Look for certifications. Forgot the exact cert but that means they go through extensive stress testing, etc. Ensuring they can handle weight and load-bearing stress. Just b/c it's forged doesn't' mean it's any stronger than some nicer cast wheels. You may be in the same boat with cheaper forged wheels. Especially on bad roads.

tertiumquid

Ok, let me simplify my question by explaining the circumstances. I've had bad luck with the original rims. Three are bent and at least one is cracked, probably all three. What I want to accomplish is a solution that will get me away from repeating the problem. It currently has the Michelin SS run flats. One of them has suffered somewhat in the form of a wear spot in the middle of the left rear from the bent wheel but there's probably a good 5k miles left in them. i only use the car on the street, never on a track and even then I'm pretty easy on it. I'm in Atlanta so there's not a lot of pavement problems here and I have no recollect of hitting anything that might have caused the problems, especially on 3 out of 4 tires. I'd rather have an quieter and less harsh ride that the Michelin's and probably would switch over to Conti's. There's a reputable wheel repair shop in Atlanta who can supposedly straighten them out but having never had this problem before I have no idea how well that would work out. I'd hate to spend 500 bucks to repair them only to find them bend again in 6 months. What I want to find is the best and most economical combination of wheels, tires or repair. Right now, I don't even want to drive it since it rides pretty much like a '50 Studebaker pickup I had years ago. I'm grateful for anybody's advice and wisdom on this one.

RACE U

Forged wheels are not the answer for rough pavement. They will just be more expensive to fix/replace.

Conti's are not runflats. AAA doesnt guarantee your car will fit the clearance on their contractors roll back tow trucks. You will not have a spare tire.

Just things to think about.

Mikec7z

im in the same boat as the OP, and im about to buy forgeline ga1r race wheels with the lugs exposed, but the center cap add on.

The stock wheels bend easily. I just had them all replaced and want to sell them off and get new wheels before it happens again.

I am not sure that i follow Race U's post about forged wheels not being the answer. Sure, you can still hit a pothole and mess them up... but they should get messed up less easily than the stock wheels.

Mikec7z

oh, and they wont be able to fix the wheels, dont bother, they will charge you for it, and they will bend again the next day... my wheel and tire insurance company just put me through that circus

AORoads

I think it can go either way with forged vs. "stock" wheels. If you read that C&D article from another thread (url below), you'll see they mention it happens to many different makes of stock OEM tires/wheels on cars they tested, but they are in Michigan and their roads are horrendous. If it were me, I wouldn't dismiss the benefits of runflats so easily; it may be the "model" of tire, not the make or type (runflat vs. non-runflat). Still, forged wheels should last better in most instances, but I agree that unless you're looking used (which I wouldn't), you won't find a set for $2K.

I read the initial intro of Deity's Signature wheel line very closely and liked what I read about his testing of the wheels. You can search for them, look at their website, or talk with the owner as named in above post. If it were me, I'd give them a try even tho they are across the country (the good thing is, they are a forum vendor and will hopefully stand behind their product).

Also, there's a e-tailer on here named Doc-Z in FLA who sells repro, non-forged wheels (some posters have actually stopped by and bought them directly from him). You'll find threads started by him on here, too. They're relatively inexpensive and will be below the $2K mark for four. I've not read of any bending, breaking, returns---but it still may have happened.

Big difference in construction betw. forged and non-forged but you decide if it's worth it to your wallet. I also know of another long-term repro retailer named OE Wheels Inc. in FLA and they used to have what I considered to be strong and inexpensive cast wheels. There are several other choices of wheel vendors on CF; just check.

C&D: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...pdate-3-review

A thread on Deity/Signature Wheels: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ack-specs.html

DOCZ: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ake-a-l-k.html

hcvone

I have tried many brands thru the years, I replace the wheels and exhaust on every car and truck I own, right now 3 of my cars have Forgeline wheels, Z06, ZR1 and the TTS, and could not be more pleased. Gerry at Wheels for Less.

0HRE_Jurrian

$2k is a little light for Forged wheels, but you may find something on the used market that'll be a high quality Forged wheel. From time to time I see HRE Wheels being sold as used just in case you want to check the classifieds for a great deal. We do have sets that could be as little as $5400 realistically (in a 19/20" fitment using our HRE 540).

That's not Forged though...


Forgeline is another brand to consider here. No point in considering the bad no-name brands out there, they're going to put you in the same boat that you're in with the OE wheels. If your goal is to get into a wheel set that won't bend or break, go high quality, don't go cheap and cheerful because you'll end up buying replacements just like the OE's.

CandyRed77

Is there a specific reason the HRE Flowform wheels have never been made available in Z06/GS wide body sizes? I know they are not truly a forged wheel, but from what I understand they are better than cast, and are at least under $3,000 ?

0HRE_Jurrian

Quite an easy answer, our FlowForm wheels max width is 11" wide (manufacturing limitation). Most GS and Z06 guys want 12" wide so we felt if we came out with an aggressive fit 11" it would fall flat on it's face. If you have the ability to run a 12" on your car, why would you run 11"s? So we decided not to do it.

With Forged there's certainly no issue with width availability since forgings come in multiple sizes.

C5-VERT

Hmm, yeah I lived in Dunwoody, ATL for many years I know the roads there quite well. Had a C5 with iForged wheels back then (long time ago) with 19/20 never had any issues. The roads are quite good there I still go through there quite a bit. Honestly, the stock cast wheels should be just fine. Just dump the ZP (zero pressure) to a non-run-flat and you will get the ride you are looking for. Are you sure you didn't hit some pothole? I am just curious how you bend 3 wheels and crack another? Did you buy the car from someone or where used? Maybe done before you got it? Personally, I would wait until you can feel comfortable spending $6-7k on wheels + tires, a NICE set of good brand wheels (Signature, HRE, Forgelines, etc). You shouldn't have that many issues up there unless I am missing something???

RichieRichZ06

Mike, those are a great choice and you can't go wrong with Forgeline. The abuse we put race wheels through on track (jumping curbs, high load corners etc) typically is much more than you'd encounter on the street and we've never witnessed a failed Forgeline wheel.

Let me know if I can help you out on any questions or if you'd like a quote on a set.

Rich

MerakiAutoworks

HRE's.. Drool...

-Jos

thewb

tertiumquid

The car had $5k miles on it when I got it but I know the original owner and I'm certain it was never abused. When I first got it, it had a little more "road feel" than my '16 Stingray but I attributed that to the different ZO6 suspension characteristics. It's just gotten worse over the last 3 months and I don't recall hitting anything or even a hard bump on 400 or the Interstates in Atlanta

tertiumquid

Thanks to everybody for your thoughtful and helpful input. I guess it boils down to the old chestnut about how you get what you pay for so I'll probably end up paying the long buck to fix this as well as possible but it sure doesn't seem right to have to spend $5k+ just to be able to drive the car without fear of needing to visit the repair shop every year for straitening/new rims. Toys can be expensive....

tertiumquid

A lot of good advice. Thanks a lot.