REVscene Automotive Forum - Replica/fake wheels

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Replica/fake wheels

saw this on facebook... are you thinking about getting reps for winter?

Anyone know if those AMG wheels are forged or cast?

That's another big factor, people who buy a $100k+ car which came with some awesome strong forged wheels, and then they slap on a set of 1k cast wheels.

The worst is when people do this to a big heavy car like a S-class, or a truck/suv.

Most are cast wheels even on AMG models.

damn... that cla wagon looks pretty good

Generally speaking, wheels that copy the styling but keep their own branding are better than total copies with the bogus branding on them.

That said, simply showing a single impact looks great and all, but what I'd like to know is how much damage has been done to that wheel (ie how many more hits can it take in that spot before it fails) and how much force has been transferred to other components in the car? Personally I want the wheel to be the weakest link in an impact, I'd rather have my wheel break than the control arm or something.

However, in the case of most OE wheels, the cost of the wheel is more than the control arm....go figure :P

I love the fake v real debate. I don't even know the difference with what's fake and what's real any more.

^ true, I'm just thinking safety-wise. If I hit something hard enough to cause damage, I'd prefer a slightly broken wheel (from the vid it looks like the tire didn't even lose air) over bending/snapping something like the control arm. A chipped wheel you may not even notice, bending or snapping anything else is more likely to lead to an accident.

To me there's three levels of products, the "real" stuff, the copies, and the fakes.

Real: The original designer and manfuacturer, and labelled as such. High quality but usually overpriced because of the name. eg. a Volk wheel
Copy: Roughly the same design as the original, labelled with the name of the company that produced it. Generally pretty good quality and price. eg. a Motegi wheel
Fake: Also roughly the same design as the original, but is labelled with the original designers markings. Usually poor quality and cheap. eg. the "Mercedes" wheels in the video above.

Most of the time I buy the copies, simply because the pricing from the "original" designers is usually absurd and blatantly ripping people off on their name alone.

Real vs Fake isn't necessarily Forged vs Cast

There are lots of cast wheels offered by reputable companies that pass any and all safety requirements. However, I'm guessing this video is highlighting a wheel that has been manufactured to look like the real thing while using a less than ideal(cheap) manufacturing process.

I'm curious on the difference between that fake AMG wheel they are testing and a Rota/Varrstoen/XXR wheel. Technically those companies make "fake" wheels. Fake meaning that they took a design and copied it in cast.

I'm with BoostedBB6. I'm not sure what qualifies a wheel to be "fake".

This video is about genuine and COUNTERFEIT wheels...
Very different than the whole original/replica debate.

It's kinda like, is a Samsung TV worth the premium than, say, a Vizio TV? People will debate both sides.

Is the Samsung TV going to be better than the Sumsang TV you bought in a back alley at a fraction of the cost? Yes, probably lol

A fake wheel is exactly what you would think. If it has the badging and branding from someone, but was not made by that company, it is fake.

If it just looks like another wheel (XXR's for example have wheels that look like some works), but it doesn't have the counterfeit branding, then its just a copycat. It's not fake, it's just a ripoff.

I don't give a shit if you have ROTA's on your car, that's your preference, but don't try and pass them off as Meisters by slapping work decals on them.

The OP is very clear, whoever built that replica wheel even put the AMG branding on it, and since it ain't a mercedes wheel, then its a fake.

oh shit 95% of Volk TE37 in Canada are fake

It gets worse than fake Volks....apparently there are now even fake Rota's - a fake of a fake. I generally would tell people replicas are good enough for a street car, but a fake Rota has to be pretty bad

people also need to understand that wheels are essentially a wear and tear item

i know plenty of guys that runs rotas and volks on the track with no issues - but there are also guys who have had issues with both volks or rotas (whether it be cracked spokes or barrels)

I've seen cast wheels called rotary forged just because they machine the faces and barrels in a similar fashion near the end of production.

Owners then tell everyone they have forged wheels....

I actually stumbled upon a post today that related. I think it very clearly establishes what I was trying to get at earlier. Albeit in a much clearer and well written manner:

Quote:

The Great Debate: “Real” vs “Fake” Wheels
Ah so here we have a debate that has raged on between the aftermarket car culture for as long as I have been a member in the scene. A debate that stirs up the bubbling pot of opinionated modifiers who rise up from garages nation-wide, readily position themselves in front of social media outlets and let loose with teeth and claws exposed and anxious to battle to the death.

This is the battle between “Real” wheels and “Fake” wheels.

So first lets consider what makes a wheel “real” and another “fake.” And for God’s sake lets not be so condescending and start using the term “replica” from here on out. Would you rather me call your girlfriend skanky or scandalous? Exactly.

So we associate ourselves with many popular wheel manufacturing companies as we indulge into the culture of modifying our vehicles. You see them in video games on the ad banners along the walls of racetracks in popular titles of our early years. You see the names thrown around more often than Kreayshawn throws around Gucci Louis Fendi and Prada.

But I’m talking about BBS, Volk, Work, HRE, SSR, just to name a few. Please dont scorn me because I forgot your Gram Lights, VIP Modulars, Enkeis, CCWs, or whatever. They are all reputable name brands. And please don’t even use the V-word on me. *cough* Vossen *cough cough* because I will save the subject of Vossen for another day and another post. These are the wheels that we drool over, photoshop on our cars, inquire about, decide to buy, flake out on, and maybe even toggle between if you are a particular indecisive buyer (you guys know who you are). But these brands come with a hefty price tag compared to a vast majority of wheels available on the market.

So you have companies such as Rota, Varrstoen, and XXR, only to name a few, that are widely known as replica wheel manufacturers. Notable styles include Volk TE37 (Varrstoen ES2), Work Equips (XXR 968), and BBS LM (Many Replicas!) but the list is nearly endless. Now in no way shape or form am I knocking people who simply own the wheels. One side of me is quick to say “(Insert Rep Wheel Manufacturer) WHY WOULD YOU MAKE A WHEEL JUST TO KNOCK ON (Insert "Real” Wheel Manufacturer)?!“ The answer can be summed up in one word: Money. Replica wheel manufacturers are quite intelligent actually. Why? Lets take a look.

How old are you? Yeah you. Reading right now. Are you between the ages of 17-25? That covers a vast majority I’m sure. Now how many of you reading this have pockets deep enough to buy me a set of Weds Kranze LX-Z’s?! That’s what I thought. So my first point is that the Replica manufacturers are targeting the majority of the market:
-Those who are not wealthy enough to spend $3k-$5k on wheels.
-Those who want the most bang for their buck, and are so ambitious and want to do 6 other mods as soon as possible.
-Those who want wheels that look nice, comfortably priced, because they roll, and get them from point A to B but allow them to personalize their ride.

That being said, for those of you who hate Reps with a burning passion, don’t hate the company, maybe point the finger at the ones who bite the hook and buy them.

Or maybe you shouldn’t point the finger at all. Before you release the Kraken of "Rep-Wheel-Rage,” lets think about this too. First I will say, it is not your car. Some people don’t care about name brand. Some people just want a set of wheels that simply look good and appeals to them and their ride. Maybe someone is inspired by Work Meisters but decides to pick up the new Varrstoen Meister reps because they can’t afford Meisters. Maybe they have rent and a car payment and tuition and insurance to pay. Maybe, while still being involved in the scene, they don’t live it, breathe it, eat it, or are consumed by it. Maybe they have other aspirations in life besides cars. Think about that. Not everyone is made of money and not everyone cares about name brand. Simply put, if it looks good, it looks good. No denying that. And if someone would rather have a great looking car without a laundry-list of brand names on their mod list, so be it.

Now here are TWO things that bother me. They are self-explanatory. No need for elaboration. This is where I will criticize Replica owners and have no remorse.

1) Do NOT bitch and moan when you experience your Replica wheels breaking, cracking, shattering, or imploding. You get what you pay for and there is more strength and quality in the name brand wheels because of how they are made, whether specialized casting or forged processes.

2) DO NOT, EVER, put stickers or center caps on your replica wheels and pretend that they are the real thing. If you do, you my friend, care way to much about what others think of you, and you should have saved your pennies and purchased real wheels.

Embrace who you are, and why you make the decisions you make. If you can only afford cast wheels, whether replicas of others or not, don’t be ashamed that you don’t have real, baller wheels. Embrace that name brand isn’t your top priority, and that you simply like how those wheels look and that it fits your budget. Your car is an expression of you, but it isn’t something to lose any sleep over. Also, be humble, because some people do work very hard for their quality name-brand wheels. And to you, “real” wheel owners, stay humble as well. Some people don’t have the money, and some people just want to enjoy and modify their car, however it fits their budget. Don’t look down on those who have less…

Just look down on people that pretend and pose, like those who meet #1 or #2 above. That pisses me off too.

I’m just keepin’ it real, wheely real ;)

Tyler Laabs

Source: The Car Culture Chronicles ? The Great Debate: "Real" vs "Fake" Wheels