Wheel strength question
 

Sadly we have all heard of horror stories of wheels and tires blowing out, and understanding that 30 or 40 series tires are prone to such reactions, we have little choice but to avoid potholes at all costs. That said, are aftermarket wheels, particularly forged, or 3 piece wheels, stronger than stock wheels, and might they fare better during a blowout?

As well, if my stock S wheels (which I particularly love by the way) are more prone to bend, as I see they are welded together , might it be more prudent to add aftermarket?

Lastly has anyone had experience with Champion Motorsports RG 5's as features on the inside cover of Octobers Excellence Magazine, they seem to be very well made as do some HRE's BBS's and and Gemballa's any oppinions?

I was going to get HREs, but I heard some horror stories about durability of the finish and bending. When I talked to a couple people "in the know", they all said BBS has the best quality wheels available. They make the Porsche OE wheels, so that says something.

I ended up getting BBS RS-GTs...

Here's a few issues concerning wheels that play a factor in their strength.

Forged wheels are the strongest,--the single piece ones. You rarely find a forged rim available today.

The vast majority of rims that are now OEM are made via the pressure cast method, and are produced by BBS and STTI, among others.

Forged rims will bend before they will break. Cast rims break. Many aftermarket manufacturers will attempt to copy a factory rim (e.g., the vast numbers of Fuchs forged rim copies) but use the cheaper, inferior cast method to produce them. If they don't beef up certain areas of the wheel they will fail in those areas,--without a doubt. The forging process, where a solid piece of an aluminum alloy is manipulated under extreme force into the shape needed followed by some amount of machining, will also be lighter and stronger,--it is at the molecular level with the crystaline structure of such a solid that performs better than something that was cast from molten aluminum alloys.

Porsche goes through a rigorous process of selecting their wheel suppliers. Check the marks on the rear of your wheels to find out for sure who made them. And also look for the Porsche parts logo to ensure that the wheel is a Porsche OEM.

Assembled wheels (3 part wheels) will always be heavier because they have steel or other metal fasteners that hold them together. Many have forged parts in them and then they are bolted together. Check the weight,--they can be rather heavy.

BBS RSGT, for example, are forged, light and give the option of replacing the rims (they bolt to centers) if you manage to bend them. Any wheel can be bent/broken under the right conditions. Forged are lighter and stronger.

The RS-GTs are very strong (forged) and use titanium fasteners to save weight. My 19x11 rears felt featherlight... I didn't weigh them, but I would guess 19-20lbs per wheel.

How would you rate the current S wheels for strength
 

I assume that the Lobster claws are not forged.

I wouldn't rate the lobster S wheels very highly for strength. When I had a new set of tires installed at 1300 miles, the tech told me that my driver front wheel was slightly bent, but that he was able to balance it out. I haven't felt any vibrations, but the fact that a wheel is bent after so few miles does concern me.

Everything I've read around points toward Champion wheels being the strongest and lightest for most applications. I fundamentally disagree with 19" wheels (too little sidewall) for the track, but on the street, I'm sure a Champion 19" would be more than up to the rigors of everyday driving.

Everything for the Carrera is pressure cast today. The only offering for these cars that is still forged is the latest that comes on the 997TT.

Had these on my M3, saved 4-5 lbs/wheel. Beautiful but pita to clean. Significant performance upgrade.

Champion Motorsports makes a line of 1-piece forged wheels designed for Porsche. Kinesis 110s are also a good choice.

Edgy01 has a great summary. Here are my RG5s. They are 1-piece forged and very light. I have been very happy with them except when it comes time to clean them. I avoid potholes like the plague, but my suspension is also pretty darn stiff (R-compounds also). No problems yet. Of course, my wife hasn't driven it since I got the RG5s.

The only Porsche OEM wheel that I've seen that is forged is the one on the new 997TT - all the other Porsche OEM 997 wheels are cast.

I see Dan answered before I read all the messages - he's right too!!

I have Champion RG5's too, and so far I am extremely happy with them. One of my lobster claws was slightly bent on a pothole; fortunately, I have not had occasion to test the Champions yet.

RG5's are light - in the 19", about 19.5 lbs. front and 20.5 lbs rear. This compares to about 27-28 lbs for the lobsters.

With PCCB, wheel cleaning is pretty much a thing of the past.

I agree with this and will add one more point. Most of the rims on todays 3-piece wheels are made by the same company. The rim is what bends, not the hub or "spider" in all but the most extreme cases. I read recently that Fikse took rim (or "hoop") production in house but I haven't confirmed. Kinesis, HRE, Fikse, and others all buy their hoops from an outside supplier.

3-piece wheels are only attractive if you plan to change offsets for differing track conditions or like the fact you can rebuild them after damage.

MC