sovette

Hello,
does anyone know a good spot to purchase decent wheels for a 2018 C7 Z06? Since the rears are 20x12, it's a problem. Man, we're having a tough time finding any we like that aren't chrome or black or that are in stock. Need a decent company to buy from. Any help would be awesome. Need another set for our winter tires. Thanks for helping the newbie!

DebRedZR1

tertiumquid

[QUOTE=sovette;1598184604]Hello,
does anyone know a good spot to purchase decent wheels for a 2018 C7 Z06? Since the rears are 20x12, it's a problem. Man, we're having a tough time finding any we like that aren't chrome or black or that are in stock. Need a decent company to buy from. Any help would be awesome. Need another set for our winter tires. Thanks for helping the newbie![/Q
There have been many threads on this recently, Search back through the last 2-3 months and you'll see many posts on wheel problems on the ZO6's. They bend and crack with disturbing regularity, even under normal use. If you want to go right to the real solution without a lot of aggravating attempts to deal with the OEM or genuine GM replacements, get ready to pay $3.5 K and up for a set of quality forged wheels. All sorts of colors are available; you can get them if iridescent green if you want. There are several vendors on the Forum to work with. I dealt with Khoa at Signature which worked out great but a lot of other guys and gals have also used other vendors with good results. Just stay away from any cast wheels and don't but cheap forged ones...you get what you pay for. Also a lot of us believe that the Michelin run-flats with their hard side walls contribute heavily to cracked/bent wheels problem because they don't absorb any of the energy from a road hazard impact and transmit the shock impact directly to the wheel. The inner wheel edge is especially prone to the damage problem. Your option on the tires is to get rid of the run-flats and go the something like Continentals although fronts are currently hard to find but in any case a combination of forged wheels and non run-flats will greatly reduce the wheels problem for street use with little sacrifice, if any, in handling or traction. Track use is another matter and that's where you'll need the Mich's. Do your research and choose wisely; you may not like paying for new wheels right out of the gate but if you do it, you'll get much less aggravation and a lot more pleasure from your ZO6.

ahero4eternity

ahero4eternity

ahero4eternity

tertiumquid

Flow form forged are certainly better than the cast but, metalurgically speaking, they are not as strong as mono-block forged. That's why they're less expensive than mono-block.

ahero4eternity

I never said flow form wheels are a strong forged wheels. In fact, I literally acknowledged that flow forged wheels are a compromise between weight, strength, and price.

I've had mono-block forged wheels, 2 piece forged wheels, 3-piece cast wheels, and flow forged wheels. Forged wheels are great, but just too rich for my blood these days. Flow forged wheels give me the strength I need at a weight and price I can live with. Others can feel free to spend their money on forged wheels. I would if I could. But I can't, so I won't.

hcvone

I have Forgeline wheels on my Z06, ZR1 and turbo s, got them from Gerry at custom wheels for less, great service and great wheels, had lots of wheels thru the years, 100% happy with Forgeline and Gerry.

tertiumquid

I hear you. You have to get the best for what you're willing to or can spend. My comments were only meant as a comparison to give the reader and understanding of the relative differences between the various options out there. I wasn't very happy about spending $4k for wheels and another $1,6k on tires but I was so sick of the cracked OEM wheel situation that I bit the bullet on the mono's. Even then, the ones I got were quite a bit less than some of the others available so, like you, I had to make a choice of what was best for me given what I was willing to spend..Everything in life is a compromise and the flow-forms are a good example; for 90% of uses they're just fine for our cars.

Thomasmoto

I've got a buddy that has a custom shop. I'm sending him this and you can check out his website Meanstreet Motorsports in Greer,SC. He's up on all the latest things and great to deal with. Just ask for Pete. 1-864-968-1435

0Cajun @ Edgyvette

Lightweight, strong, name brand and priced right https://www.edgyvette.com/product/sa...t-sv-f-wheels/

spoolin98

Warp Factor

What evidence do you have for that? Both flow-forged and monoblock forged start out with aluminum castings, with the metal deformed in order to take it close to the final shape.

tertiumquid

Here's a complete rundown on the different types of wheels and should answer all of anybody's questions:

There are predominantly 6 different methods for construction of wheels. Each one varies in quality, weight, strength, and price. There are pros and cons for each type. After reading this you gain a better understanding of each. You'll also see why the OEM wheels are prone to cracks and bends:

1. Cast aluminum wheels
2. Flow-Formed wheels
3. 1-piece "Monoblock" forged wheels
4. 2-piece welded construction wheels
5. 2-piece bolted construction wheels
6. 3-piece bolted construction wheels

Cast Aluminum Wheels
These are the lowest priced wheels, and are typically what are found on production vehicles. Cast aluminum wheels are created by pouring molten aluminum into a mold that is shaped like a wheel. This produces a wheel casting. Some final machining work is then done to clean up the rough surface, and paint/finishing is applied.

Pros: Lowest price, easiest to mass-produce.
Cons: More brittle than forged wheels. Spoke details and edges aren't as sharp as a machined forged wheel. Heaviest weight of all wheel construction types. Lowest quality. Limited offsets, width increments, diameter selection available. Nearly impossible to repair when cracked or severely bent - safely, that is. A damaged cast wheel usually needs to be replaced.

Flow-Formed Wheels
Flow-Formed wheels start out identical to cast poured wheels, but with different hoop thickness. The casting process above is used to create the spoke pattern only. Then the wheel castings are put into a flow-forming machine to form the outer hoops. This is done using high heat and high pressure rollers, which "flow-form" the outer hoop. This results in a stronger outer hoop, with aligned aluminum grain structure. The resulting wheel is a cast faced wheel with a hoop that has properties similar to a forged wheel. They are stronger and lighter than cast wheels.

Pros: Low Price, Lightweight, Higher strength than cast wheels.
Cons: Cast face still lacks the sharp edges and details of a machined forged wheel. Limited width increments and diameters available. Hard to repair when severely bent or cracked.

1-Piece Monoblock Forged Wheels
The term "Monoblock" is used throughout the industry to describe the 1-piece forged wheels. "Mono" meaning one, and "Block" meaning it was created from one block of aluminum. The block in this case is actually a round bar stock of high quality, aerospace-quality 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy. The round bar is pressed in a huge forging machine, to stamp out a wheel shaped blank. Forging is a hot working process, and helps to align the grain structure of the alloy. This results in a very strong, very lightweight wheel construction material. The wheel blank is then flow-formed to create the outer barrel shape. Following that process, the wheel blank is loaded into a CNC milling machine and there the spoke pattern is milled out.

Pros: Lightest of the forged wheel construction methods.
Cons: Priced about the same as expensive 3-piece construction. Difficult to repair when bent or severely damaged.

2-Piece Welded Construction Forged Wheels
These are considered the entry level forged wheels, as they are priced slightly lower than 3-piece forged wheels. The centers start out as a blank of forged 6061-T6 Aluminum alloy, and the spoke patterns are CNC machined with a milling machine. The wheel hoop is also a forged aluminum material. On a 2-piece wheel, the center is simply welded to the hoop on the backside of the wheel. Some manufacturers also offer cast aluminum centers, to reduce cost. Quality and weight of the cast centers is not as good as forged/machined, however.

Pros: Lowest Price of the Forged wheels. Same weight, appearance, quality as 3-piece wheels.
Cons: Limited widths increments available. Cannot easily chrome plate or paint the lip, since it has to be welded on. More difficult to repair a bent lip compared to a 3-piece wheel, as the center has to be cut out and a new hoop welded on.

2-Piece Bolted Construction Forged Wheels
These are built very similar to the 2-piece welded construction wheels above, but use a hoop that has a bolting ring already in place. Instead of welding the center to the hoop, it is simply bolted on. This is the least common method of forged wheel construction, as the hoops tend to cost more than simple welded hoops. Some manufacturers also offer cast aluminum centers, to reduce cost. Quality and weight of the cast centers is not as good as forged/machined, however.

Pros: Lips can be easily chrome plated or painted, since no welding required. Easier to replace a hoop when it gets bent.
Cons: Limited width increments available. Few brands offer this type.

3-Piece Forged Wheels
Three piece forged wheels are usually the most expensive wheel construction, mostly due to the assembly labor and components used. The wheels consist of three main pieces; the center, the outer hoop (lip), and the inner hoop. These three parts are held together with a series of perimeter bolts. Silicone RTV is used to seal between the two hoops. Some manufacturers also offer cast aluminum centers, to reduce cost. Quality and weight of the cast centers is not as good as forged/machined, however.

Pros: Most width increments available, truly perfect fitments available. Easiest of all wheels to repair if lip gets bent or damaged, as hoops are easy to replace. Easy to paint or chrome plate lip, since no welding is required. Can have different color rear hoop and outer hoop, since they are two different pieces. Highest resale value for used wheels.
Cons: Most expensive forged wheel construction. RTV silicone seal can be damaged by inexperience tire installers, resulting in leaks.

Here's a link with pix and video: https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...lained-w-Pics?

01silverbullet

Check out Vibe Motorsports!