Is it really worth it to buy 2k+ Rims? Honestly?

[I Vtec, do you?]

I was just reading through Ill FG2's sale thread for his $2200 set of rims.. and I have to wonder after reading some of the comments in that thread, why is it worth it?

Some of the things said in there..

Originally Posted by ILL FG2

Lets keep the bickering out of this thread... If you don't understand the point of buying a quality set of wheels, then don't waste your time and my time by posting.

Originally Posted by blue rocket

^ welcome to every for sale thread regarding non-junk wheels. It annoys the hell out of me..

Originally Posted by berlinas2k2

PWND> You get what you pay for...These bad boys are light, strong and FORGED, plus, add some nice JDM piece to your ride that very few people have. I can vouch for that one. ON WITH THE SALE ILL!!!

I have to wonder though.. what's the point in spending a 1/10th of the entire car's worth on a set of wheels. Yes, I understand they're a few lbs lighter. Other than that, who cares?

My two points -

1) A guy posted up his civic rolling on TA Rota Grids and said they were volks. People were skeptical since it didn't have the stickers on it.. but NO ONE in the thread could prove or disprove they were volks until he was caught admitting they were rotas in another thread. So, aesthetics aside..

2) Forged durability. Does anyone remember the post of the guy smoking a curb and his TE37's litereally cracking? Even a $600+ Volk rim will be destroyed if you hit a curb, or even a bad pothole badly enough. The only advantages I'm seeing of spending $2500 vs. $550 or so for replicas of the same wheel would be 1) name 2) lighter weight.

I'm just kind of confused on why you would spend an extra 2+ grand laying around on something as minor as wheels. If you want to put something into your car for that much, why not make it something significant?

I'm genuinely curious here as to why everyone thinks it's so worth it. Right now, I'm really liking those Volk cloned Konigs in TA for $550 shipped.

[1chin3s3_b0i]

if you have the money to spend..then spend it..i have budget so i manage to get what i can only get

[I Vtec, do you?]

Originally Posted by 1chin3s3_b0i

if you have the money to spend..then spend it..i have budget so i manage to get what i can only get

I'm just wondering "why 2k+ rims". I'm not sure if I'm missing something, or is it only for the name/slightly lighter weight/slightly stronger.

[8thGen-06-Black-Si]

I was thinking the same things. Just don't see a reason to spend $2000-$3000 on a set of rims unless you plan to use them for some type of competive racing or your entering car shows.

[Izzy]

A forged monoblock will always be stronger than a cast wheel. That cracked TE37 incident would probably have shattered another wheel. There's also the difference in build quality -- and I mean how weight is distrubuted. Sometimes you see a massload of weights on the wheel to balance it -- so what's the point of trying to save weight?

Spending 2k on wheels is like spending just a bit more money to get the BFG card over the XFX. You do it because you can, mostly. Wheels aren't minor, they're the stuff that's keeping your car running without ruining your brakes, suspension, engine block, arms, etc. It's peace of mind. A strong wheel berefts more confidence, I'd hate to think to try and drive with my eyes glued to the tarmac to scope out every pothole.........

I'd rather spend money on wheels than on some other cosmetic doodad. I don't have my dream wheels *yet*, but my own Ray's wheels are going to be coming in the future....

[sgtpruitt]

The rims are 800-900 but volk and mugen emblems and engravings are about 1500. Why is that so hard to understand? Think you can just have some stickers made. Yeah right. The m in mugen alone is $500.

[NitrousG35]

I think people buy wheels for two reasons: the bling factor and reduction in unsprung weight. Sometimes you get both in the same wheel. I would like to improve the looks of my Si while personalizing it. I also find it great when you can reduce the unsprung weight on each wheel.

I am a cyclist too. One of the first things people do to upgrade their bikes is to go with lighter wheels. Ask anyone in the know and they will tell you it is better to reduce the weight of your wheels than to reduce the frame weight. It is has to do with the inertia of the wheels and tires. Likewise, cars benefit from a weight reduction.

Volks are expensive because they are a super quality wheel. I also have a G35 and belong to a G35 forum. Many of the guys have Volks simply because they are good looking and have the lightness and durability needed for aggressive driving.

Bottom line is to go with what you like and what you can afford. If you have the green stuff, I go for the best. Just my $.02 worth.

[Izzy]

Ahh, Nitrous hit something too. Shaving off weight on the only area that's constantly putting pressure on the ground is a GOOD thing -- which is why lightweight is good. I think the only other area where weight reduction would benefit the most is the roof, since it's at the peak of the axis when weight shifts in a corner. However, lightweight can also equal really brittle construction, unless they're expensively made. So, forged rims get more expensive because they're light, strong, and I guess there's a degree of personalization in it.

[civsnake]

I don't have any problem with buying inexpensive wheels, but copies are lame. You know they're lame. Admit they're lame. Copies are lame. Sure, other people may not be able to tell the difference, but you'll know that they're fake. And lame. Because copies are lame. Buying a fake Rolex makes you lame. Wearing fake designer sunglasses makes you lame. Changing your MR-S to look like a Porsche Carrera GT makes you lame. Buying Rotas or Konigs that look like TE37s, Time Attack paint job and all, is kinda lame. When you try to pass them off as the real deal, it's inexcusable.

[eugenekim.net]

depending on the application it is worth it. i track my car so i need a quality lightweight wheel that will hold up to the track beatings. the quality, looks, and resale value are all legit and uncomparable.

[e60.deluxe]

Originally Posted by Izzy

Spending 2k on wheels is like spending just a bit more money to get the BFG card over the XFX.

i hope not, because there isnt really a difference between BFG and XFX. despite what people think, most of the different video card are made by 1 or 2 manufactures. furthermore, video cards dont break unless you break them. they just dont. thats why so many companies are able to offer lifetime warranty.

you know 3DFuzion? the cheapo cards? they ARE BFG, they just dont budle much goodies and dont offer lifetime warranty.

now if you said Asus, that might be something..because they actually use higher quality coolers and memory often. but they are often way more expensive and you could have just bought one car up.

but this all besides the point..

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

i hope not, because there isnt really a difference between BFG and XFX. despite what people think, most of the different video card are made by 1 or 2 manufactures. furthermore, video cards dont break unless you break them. they just dont. thats why so many companies are able to offer lifetime warranty.

now if you said Asus, that might be something..because they actually use higher quality coolers and memory often. but they are often way more expensive and you could have just bought one car up.

but this all besides the point..

I think you get what I'm saying though.

[cdh]

I think quality is usually important. However I bought a cheap set of rims (pressure cast) I have hit potholes so bad I thought the car was going to disappear in, including lots of Texas gates and never had a problem. I love them and maybe 1/200+ people might realize that they are a cheap rim (fake or other)which doesn't bother me I'm a lot happier with the extra money I saved. Ask your self this next time you park and accidentally rub the curb. It will happen Would you rather have $2000+ rims or $500 dollar rims. To top it off I get complements all the time. ultimately the decision is up to you and is based on your priorities. Good luck with your decision.

[I Vtec, do you?]

I understand all about unsprung weight and the benefits of weight reduction there. However.. does two grand really justify shaving off maybe 12 lbs? I just wonder because a lot of the guys here I'm sure don't enter any competitive auto-x'ing or anything, so why?

As for durability, that one TE-37 cracked. Even if that would of shatter a rota, that's irrelevant. A break is a break, neither of them would be fixed.

I guess what I'm saying is if I spent $2500 on a rim.. I'd want them to weigh like 6 lbs and be near unbreakable.. and look sexy as hell.

Which leads me into thinking about how incredibly ugly some of the expensive wheels are.. not TE-37s, those are <3.. but other ones. But that would be a whole different, just as pointless thread.

[simply si]

it's all a matter of taste and opinion.

[Rolow]

Originally Posted by civsnake

I don't have any problem with buying inexpensive wheels, but copies are lame. You know they're lame. Admit they're lame. Copies are lame. Sure, other people may not be able to tell the difference, but you'll know that they're fake. And lame. Because copies are lame. Buying a fake Rolex makes you lame. Wearing fake designer sunglasses makes you lame. Changing your MR-S to look like a Porsche Carrera GT makes you lame. Buying Rotas or Konigs that look like TE37s, Time Attack paint job and all, is kinda lame. When you try to pass them off as the real deal, it's inexcusable.

I don't think copy's are lame I think people who try to pass them off as real are lame.

If you cant afford or just don't want to spend money on over priced wheels then don't but please stand up and defend your decision when some one trys to talk shit . Don't try to lie about them being the real deal.

Besides who is dummer the guy who over spends on wheels or the one who doesn't? No mater how much we talk about it its something we have to ask ourselves when where buying wheels.

[Skylinegtr06]

Hey Man not everyone can afford it its ok, however its like asking why someone would buy a Mercedes even if its reliability is bad

[buurrnn]

Originally Posted by I Vtec, do you?

I understand all about unsprung weight and the benefits of weight reduction there. However.. does two grand really justify shaving off maybe 12 lbs? I just wonder because a lot of the guys here I'm sure don't enter any competitive auto-x'ing or anything, so why?

As for durability, that one TE-37 cracked. Even if that would of shatter a rota, that's irrelevant. A break is a break, neither of them would be fixed.

I guess what I'm saying is if I spent $2500 on a rim.. I'd want them to weigh like 6 lbs and be near unbreakable.. and look sexy as hell.

Which leads me into thinking about how incredibly ugly some of the expensive wheels are.. not TE-37s, those are <3.. but other ones. But that would be a whole different, just as pointless thread.

I think I could survive when a wheel cracks.. but when a wheel shatters?! sounds a bit scary for me.

[RiceBowL54]

If I had lots of money, I would want to buy crazy ass expensive rims for no real reason... just to show off.

[Fully Flared]

People that genuinely want to save weight should not spend 2k on 18" rims... they would spend 1.5k on 16" rims. That added 2" makes a big difference, a 16lb 16" rim is better for performance than a 16lb 18", easy as that.

So to really answer your question, I'm going to go ahead and say for looks and status.

Weight savings don't hurt either though!