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Forged versus cast wheels

thegrandbull

Ready to race!
Location
Warren, PA
Car(s)
2016 MK7 Golf R 6 mt
Okay guys, I am looking for a new set of wheels for my '16 golf R. If I understand correctly, the cadiz wheelsthat come on the R are 1-piece cast. I am looking at the Audi Rotor wheels, which I believe are also 1-piece cast. When I look online I see a lot of nice cast wheels for much cheaper, Rotifirm TMB for example and forged 2 and 3-piece sets for more. Are the prices on the OEM VW and OEM Audi wheels high just because they are"genuine" factory wheels with the name on them? Because they are all made out of the same 6061 T6 aluminum. I do a lot of hard driving and need something strong. have already bent one of my cadiz.

thanks
 

demi9od

Drag Race Newbie
Location
NC
OEM wheels are more expensive because they are OEM, yeah.

I'd size down to 18" flow formed wheels so you can get a tire with more sidewall.
 

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion

demi9od

Drag Race Newbie
Location
NC

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
Nice! So what are the OEM GTI and R wheels?

Cast and flow formed respectively (Pretoria. Cadiz & Englishtown are cast afaik)
 

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
OE are high pressure cast which is better than cheaper low pressure cast wheels. Both normally heavier.
Flow formed (called many things but basically a high pressure cast wheel which is then turned and pulled to the barrel is thinner and strong. These wheels are equal or better than high pressure and often lighter. Flow formed might not be equal to forged but they are close.

A good flow formed wheel is light, slight higher cost and still strong.
I have OZ Leggera's HLT. (High Light Turning). Similar to flow form just different name.
 

Jarbear

Ready to race!
Location
SF Bay Area
Just save some money and buy Rotas ;) I'm kidding



But yes you'll generally pay a "premium" for OEM stuff. And I'm sure you've heard the saying you get what you pay for. Forged are usually the strongest but cost a pretty penny. However Titan7 has forged wheels in Mk7 fitment for sub $2000 a set. HERE

The cool thing is that flow formed wheels don't usually cost too much (~300 per wheel), with a few exceptions.

Are you looking for a performance gain or solely a difference in looks? I only ask because afaik those Audi wheels you're looking at are a close to or a smudgen heavier than the Cadiz wheels you currently have, and will bend more or less identically.

Generally a bent wheel can be saved.
 
Last edited:

vw671

Autocross Newbie
Location
San Diego
Okay guys, I am looking for a new set of wheels for my '16 golf R. If I understand correctly, the cadiz wheelsthat come on the R are 1-piece cast. I am looking at the Audi Rotor wheels, which I believe are also 1-piece cast. When I look online I see a lot of nice cast wheels for much cheaper, Rotifirm TMB for example and forged 2 and 3-piece sets for more. Are the prices on the OEM VW and OEM Audi wheels high just because they are"genuine" factory wheels with the name on them? Because they are all made out of the same 6061 T6 aluminum. I do a lot of hard driving and need something strong. have already bent one of my cadiz.

thanks


Someone correct me if I'm wrong but cast wheels are not 6061-T6.
 

demi9od

Drag Race Newbie
Location
NC
But yes you'll generally pay a "premium" for OEM stuff. And I'm sure you've heard the saying you get what you pay for. Forged are usually the strongest but cost a pretty penny. However Titan7 has forged wheels in Mk7 fitment for sub $2000 a set. HERE

1850 for a set of wheels and no center caps, smh.
 

emanon

Ready to race!
Location
SoCal
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but cast wheels are not 6061-T6.
Correct, 6061 by name is a mill billet, extremely common in the forging process.. T6 is a heat treating hardness.

Cast aluminum is typically 356, and can be heat treated after casting.

OE cadt wheels typically arent light, but the engineering & testing they endure makes them immensely strong.

Not many aftermarket companies come close. BBS, HRE, and OZ being a few i would trust, regardless of the production process.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie
Location
SE MI
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport DSG
OEM wheels are more expensive because they are OEM, yeah.

I'd argue that in some cases, the quality of OEM wheels can be high enough to justify at least part of the added cost. Granted, this isn't always the case (the wheels on my old Sentra were the worst possible combination of expensive, heavy, and easily bent), but if you can find a good deal on a set of VW/Audi OEM wheels, you can't go wrong. The used 17" Avus wheels I bought for winter were factory wheels on a B5 S4 (making them anywhere from 16-21 years old!) and still in good shape. (Unless these wheels were later used on another vehicle, but I don't recall ever seeing them on other Audis.)
 
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