Quality of Replica Wheels

[at1183]

Just a quick question;

what is the quality of replica wheels? I am waiting for my C7 to come in, and really want to get a larger OEM style wheel (20" Peelers, or 20" S5 Wheels).... I see the Hartmanns are like 2x the price of most replicas.... are they great quality? Is it that big of a difference than cheapy $900 reps?

The cheap ones I like are all low gravity cast, but some of the 19s boast "24lbs" (i call BS)

Not a huge fan of cheap, poorly made, heavy wheels.... but some of the OEM Audi wheels are more than Works or Volks ($800+ a wheel!!!)

[Kevin1]

I have 4 seasons on my Hartmann replicas and had had no problems. They have held up well to NYC potholes.

[Bdubs]

My take is it depends on the wheel manufacturer, the size of the wheel and the quality of rubber you put on them. I've had 19" knock-off wheels on a 2007 Volvo V70R with off brand performance tires (this setup came with the car when I bought it) and I had issues with them. Within a few weeks of having the car, I hit a larger than normal expansion joint between the road and a bridge (couldn't miss it as it was the entire lane, it was dark and I was doing 65mph+ on the interstate). The V70Rs aren't known for being light or having all that good/responsive of a suspension, but I ended up bending 3 wheels, one badly enough that it had to be repaired while the others were balanced out with wheel weights. I think part of my issue was the wheels were a bit soft, the other was the tires were a bit cheap/didn't provide good protection on impact.

On my 2007 S6, I'm running 18" knock-off R8 wheels for my winter setup with Blizzaks on them. The S6 isn't a light car either, but I've had no issues with the wheels and I've been running them all winter, but there is a lot more tire between these knock-offs and the 19's I ran on the V70R.

If it were me, and I was going 19" and above, I'd probably go knock-off to save the cash and make sure to get good quality tires with good sidewall support. If you bend a wheel, it's going to cost you at least $100 to repair, and depending on the bend, the repair may damage the wheel surface and then you are having to refinish, which adds more cost. If you're running 18's or smaller, I think you have less to worry about as there is a lot more tire to deflect a bad impact.

At least that's my $.02...

[OmaHahn]

OK, so I feel hesitant for some reason to post this as there is some very die-hard Hartmann, VMR, OEM people on here! But, I just bought a set of 18" S5 wheels from OEM Wheels+ (oemwheelsplus.com). I just received them and they're sitting in my basement next to a new set of General GMax 245/40/18 tires - these are bad ass, very cool tread pattern! FedEx had each box weighed at 26+ pounds (this includes the box and packaging) so it's not a heavy wheel. They have a beautiful silver metallic look (I guess this is the Hyper Silver color). They even provided me with each wheel's "run out," numbers from testing.

I went with an 18" wheel on a 245/40 tire because they are almost the exact same height (overall diameter) as a 19" with 245/35 tire! I figure I live where there's some pot-holes so I need the extra rubber for protection (where have I heard that before?!)

The main reason I went the "cheap route," is my car just hit 30,000 miles and needs new tires - what better time to upgrade my very ugly 17-inch, 10-spoke wheels. I love my car, but it's not my top choice. I want an C6, C7, or S4/B8 but that won't happen for another year or so. I'll post pics once I get them on.

[at1183]

thanks for the feedback guys

Bdubs & OmaHan... did you get Hartmann reps or a no-name brand?

I'm happy that the new C7 doesnt need TPMS adapters, but i guess it kind of sucks that you can see your actual Tire pressure... i always felt confident knowing I could look at each tire on my Acura and see the pressure... after i hit a pothole, I would always keep my eye on the dash

on the Audis, TPMS is really based off ABS sensors, correct? so it will warn you if you are low... but doesnt tell you the actual PSI?

[Bdubs]

I'm actually not sure where my wheels came from as they came with the car when I bought it from an enthusiast up in Michigan. I did some searching and came up with this site (http://www.oewheelsllc.com/Wheels_3/...or-Audi_3/R8_6), but not sure if that is where he bought them. I did have to buy centering rings as the wheel wasn't perfectly matched to the hub on my car, but that was an easy fix.

[OmaHahn]

No, I believe OEMwheels+ makes the wheels themselves and sells Online but they also have a store in LA, California. All I know is they were a great price, they warranty them, this guy named Ryan returned all my calls immediately and replied to all my emails immediately. I'm very confident in this company. I bought my tires from TireRack.

TPMS on my 2009 model year has actual sensors connected to the valve stem - at least mine do. And the bad thing is they don't tell you which tire is low, I just get a warning on the dash and then have to manually check each tire. I think there was a change on how/where these sensors work starting with 2010.

[02TurboA4]

OK, so I feel hesitant for some reason to post this as there is some very die-hard Hartmann, VMR, OEM people on here! But, I just bought a set of 18" S5 wheels from OEM Wheels+ (oemwheelsplus.com). I just received them and they're sitting in my basement next to a new set of General GMax 245/40/18 tires - these are bad ass, very cool tread pattern! FedEx had each box weighed at 26+ pounds (this includes the box and packaging) so it's not a heavy wheel. They have a beautiful silver metallic look (I guess this is the Hyper Silver color). They even provided me with each wheel's "run out," numbers from testing.

I went with an 18" wheel on a 245/40 tire because they are almost the exact same height (overall diameter) as a 19" with 245/35 tire! I figure I live where there's some pot-holes so I need the extra rubber for protection (where have I heard that before?!)

The main reason I went the "cheap route," is my car just hit 30,000 miles and needs new tires - what better time to upgrade my very ugly 17-inch, 10-spoke wheels. I love my car, but it's not my top choice. I want an C6, C7, or S4/B8 but that won't happen for another year or so. I'll post pics once I get them on.

OmaHahn, I have a set of General GMax tires on my stock 18" wheels. They were put on by the dealer I purchased the car from in December. I now have 5,000 miles on them since December. Just a heads up they are the loudest set of tires I've every owned, a lot of road noise. Luckily I'll be replacing the wheels and tires this year.

[OmaHahn]

OmaHahn, I have a set of General GMax tires on my stock 18" wheels. They were put on by the dealer I purchased the car from in December. I now have 5,000 miles on them since December. Just a heads up they are the loudest set of tires I've every owned, a lot of road noise. Luckily I'll be replacing the wheels and tires this year.

Thanks for your heads-up, but I've been driving for over a week on my 18" Generals and love them. No noise at all actually. I'm constantly checking though and see what happens...