Given this experience, I really want to know, am I foolish to want lightweight wheels on the road? My stock Austin wheels were fine from this, only the tire was a casualty. I would hate to get light weight wheels and have had to shell out for a tire AND a wheel.
Enkei and Konig claim their rotary forged or flow formed (all the same thing) wheels are stronger than purely cast wheels - but if they are lightweight, are they really stronger than cast wheel? Or simply stronger per pound, but still weaker in absolute terms?
Maybe it's on a per wheel basis? I've heard the ultra lites, like RPF1 and Hypergrams bend easily when encountering road obstacles.
You're over thinking this.
Virtually all major brand name wheel companies build wheels that are structurally durable, full cast or flow formed, because they know the wheels are going to see regular street duty. Many have lifetime structural warranties as well. Lightweight track wheels might not see the same types of stress as wheels that are only used on the street, but are still put to the test in corners where the wheels actually flex and fail if they aren't strong enough. I don't know that I'd extend all of these statements to some extremely cheap knock off or fly by night brands, but of all of the brands you're looking at, they are all well made wheels.
Flow Forming technology does just what is advertised. The face of the wheel is cast using normal gravity/low pressure casting methods, and then the rim of the wheel is pulled from that casting versus being cast as one completed wheel. When the rim is pulled back high pressure is applied and this has benefits in strength because of the forming (better metal structure) and reducing weight because the stronger rim can be thinner.
Here's a great short video from Konig about the process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WtM12r969I
Buy the wheels you like, be happy.
