Aftermarket Wheels

"PyramidHat" (pyramidhat) 06/22/2018 at 00:52 • Filed to: None

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Right, then...

Shortly after I got the Outback, I realized that it lends itself well to mods and upgrades, the most obvious being new wheels.

There are brands that we all trust, like Enkei, BBS, and Method...then there are “lesser” brands like Motegi and RTX. Reading reviews doesn’t shed much light because somemsay they’re great, some say they suck and some use their cost as an indicator of quality.

What are your experiences with aftermarket wheels from unknown manufacturers? Did you regret getting them? Or did they turn out to be good bargains? While I’m not against getting something that’s rally-quality, I’m not sure that’s something I really need, as my driving isn’t rally-quality.

Thankx.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Christ - Looking through posts, I just realized that I posted something similar about 2 weeks ago. A mind is a terrible thing to lose...

AestheticsInMotion > PyramidHat 06/22/2018 at 02:40

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Do you want something for looks, or for performance? If it’s looks, buy whatever you like, super simple. If it’s performance, are you looking for a mild offroad capable wheel or something to improve handling and responsiveness? For the latter, most important thing is weight. Most of the “lesser” wheel manufacturers (and many of the established ones) don’t publish weight. That’s generally a bad sign. If these companies made light wheels they would want you t o know. Try to find a wheel that’s significantly lighter than stock, and if possible increase width so you can get wider tires that are properly supported. Boom, your Outback suddenly feels twice as sporty. If you’re more into the rally/offroad/overlanding stuff find a well-regarded wheel that’s known to be strong. Or just grab steelies.

I’ve bought wheels from lesser known brands that were the same weight, width and almost the same offset as Rpf1's for half the price. Had no issues, but obviously your mileage may vary. That said even the nicest forged wheels will break under rough conditions, it’s very unlikely you’ll buy a cheaper wheel and find yourself in a situation where it breaks, that wouldn't have also broken the super high-end wheel. 

(I’m half asleep, I feel like this I’m rambling, sorry!)

DutchieDC2R > PyramidHat 06/22/2018 at 03:58

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I think it all depends on your usage. When I had my Miata, I had a set of Rota’s, specifically used them for track duties as they were a lot lighter than stock wheels. Everyone and their mother pisses on them, but Ive never had a bent/broken/damaged wheel after 1.5 years of hard track use.

With the Integra, Im dead set on getting a proper brand, like Enkei/Mugen....mostly because the Integra is a different kind of beast on track and I have a feeling itd bring down the value if I put some Rota’s on it. 

Milky > PyramidHat 06/22/2018 at 09:21

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Well I wouldn’t recommend HotWheels brand.