New Wheels
07-30-2013, 01:40 PM
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: PA
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New Wheels
Had my new Avant Garde 19" wheels installed a week or two ago but finally had a chance to take some pics today.
Looks awesome. Much more aggressive. I found the OEM 19" wheels too "grandpa" like. Nothing wrong with the OEM wheels - just too refined and not sporty enough for my tastes. If the OEM wheel came in a graphite shade it would actually look better IMO.
I think the A6 looks much better with a more aggressive sporty wheel than the refined one it came with. Personal preference of course.
I like the 20" OEM wheels but given the crappy roads in my area, stuck with the 19".
Anyway, really happy with this upgrade. Bought them from Howey Industries online who were great to deal with compared to some of the other online dealers I contacted. And I picked up some Audi center caps ebay. I am sure they are knockoffs or fell off the back of the truck from the factory since they came from Hong Kong and were quite cheap but they look great and seem very good quality. Here are some pics:
Looks awesome. Much more aggressive. I found the OEM 19" wheels too "grandpa" like. Nothing wrong with the OEM wheels - just too refined and not sporty enough for my tastes. If the OEM wheel came in a graphite shade it would actually look better IMO.
I think the A6 looks much better with a more aggressive sporty wheel than the refined one it came with. Personal preference of course.
I like the 20" OEM wheels but given the crappy roads in my area, stuck with the 19".
Anyway, really happy with this upgrade. Bought them from Howey Industries online who were great to deal with compared to some of the other online dealers I contacted. And I picked up some Audi center caps ebay. I am sure they are knockoffs or fell off the back of the truck from the factory since they came from Hong Kong and were quite cheap but they look great and seem very good quality. Here are some pics:
07-31-2013, 07:14 PM
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: PA
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks !!!
Very nice and thanks !!! I would have loved to get 20's but just can't do it with the roads in my area. I will look forward to your pics
I have always loved red cars and this one is no exception. My last two cars were not red (after starting out with 4 red ones in a row) so i was really happy to go back to red
I have always loved red cars and this one is no exception. My last two cars were not red (after starting out with 4 red ones in a row) so i was really happy to go back to red
08-05-2013, 01:03 AM
#7
Audiworld Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm tempted to change my 'turbine' wheel too. But not so sure about the quality of after market wheels. Original wheels or big name wheels like BBS, Caretec are too expensive to me.
Trending Topics
08-05-2013, 07:55 AM
#8
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: PA
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Avant Garde wheels I purchased are low pressure cast and excellent quality. The guys at the custom car shop where I had them installed even commented on the quality when they were balancing them with very minimal weight needed and consistency between wheels.
Here is a bit of a primer from TireRack on wheel construction.
One-Piece Cast Wheels
This is the most common type of aluminum wheel. The casting of wheels is the process of getting molten aluminum inside a mold to form a wheel. There are different ways this can be accomplished and although it sounds simple, this is truly an art when done properly.
GRAVITY CASTING
Gravity casting is the most basic process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold utilizing the earth's gravity to fill the mold. Gravity casting offers a very reasonable production cost and is a good method for casting designs that are more visually oriented or when reducing weight is not a primary concern. Since the process relies on gravity to fill the mold, the aluminum is not as densely packed in the mold as some other casting processes. Often gravity cast wheels will have a higher weight to achieve the required strength.
LOW PRESSURE CASTING
Low pressure casting uses positive pressure to move the molten aluminum into the mold quicker and achieve a finished product that has improved mechanical properties (more dense) over a gravity cast wheel. Low-pressure casting has a slightly higher production cost over gravity casting. Low pressure is the most common process approved for aluminum wheels sold to the O.E.M. market. Low-pressure cast wheels offer a good value for the aftermarket as well. Some companies offer wheels that are produced under a higher pressure in special casting equipment to create a wheel that is lighter and stronger than a wheel produced in low pressure. Once again in the quest for lighter weight, there is a higher cost associated with the process.
Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming or Rim Rolling Technology
This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel without the high cost of the forging. Some of the special wheels produced for the O.E.M. high performance or limited production vehicles utilize this type of technology resulting in a light and strong wheel at a reasonable cost. O.Z. has used this technology for several years in their production of racing wheels for Formula One and Indy cars. O.Z.'s Formula HLT wheel for the aftermarket is an example of a wheel produced using spun rim technology.
Forged
The ultimate in one-piece wheels. Forging is the process of forcing a solid billet of aluminum between the forging dies under an extreme amount of pressure. This creates a finished product that is very dense, very strong and therefore can be very light. The costs of tooling, development, equipment, etc., make this type of wheel very exclusive and usually demand a high price in the aftermarket.
08-05-2013, 08:55 AM
#9
As long as you go with properly sized decent brands, where the wheels meet certain quality standards such as ISO9001, QS9000, TUV of Germany or VIA of Japan, you are fine. I would stay away from gravity casting which are the cheapest.
The Avant Garde wheels I purchased are low pressure cast and excellent quality. The guys at the custom car shop where I had them installed even commented on the quality when they were balancing them with very minimal weight needed and consistency between wheels.
Here is a bit of a primer from TireRack on wheel construction.
One-Piece Cast Wheels
This is the most common type of aluminum wheel. The casting of wheels is the process of getting molten aluminum inside a mold to form a wheel. There are different ways this can be accomplished and although it sounds simple, this is truly an art when done properly.
GRAVITY CASTING
Gravity casting is the most basic process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold utilizing the earth's gravity to fill the mold. Gravity casting offers a very reasonable production cost and is a good method for casting designs that are more visually oriented or when reducing weight is not a primary concern. Since the process relies on gravity to fill the mold, the aluminum is not as densely packed in the mold as some other casting processes. Often gravity cast wheels will have a higher weight to achieve the required strength.
LOW PRESSURE CASTING
Low pressure casting uses positive pressure to move the molten aluminum into the mold quicker and achieve a finished product that has improved mechanical properties (more dense) over a gravity cast wheel. Low-pressure casting has a slightly higher production cost over gravity casting. Low pressure is the most common process approved for aluminum wheels sold to the O.E.M. market. Low-pressure cast wheels offer a good value for the aftermarket as well. Some companies offer wheels that are produced under a higher pressure in special casting equipment to create a wheel that is lighter and stronger than a wheel produced in low pressure. Once again in the quest for lighter weight, there is a higher cost associated with the process.
Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming or Rim Rolling Technology
This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel without the high cost of the forging. Some of the special wheels produced for the O.E.M. high performance or limited production vehicles utilize this type of technology resulting in a light and strong wheel at a reasonable cost. O.Z. has used this technology for several years in their production of racing wheels for Formula One and Indy cars. O.Z.'s Formula HLT wheel for the aftermarket is an example of a wheel produced using spun rim technology.
Forged
The ultimate in one-piece wheels. Forging is the process of forcing a solid billet of aluminum between the forging dies under an extreme amount of pressure. This creates a finished product that is very dense, very strong and therefore can be very light. The costs of tooling, development, equipment, etc., make this type of wheel very exclusive and usually demand a high price in the aftermarket.
The Avant Garde wheels I purchased are low pressure cast and excellent quality. The guys at the custom car shop where I had them installed even commented on the quality when they were balancing them with very minimal weight needed and consistency between wheels.
Here is a bit of a primer from TireRack on wheel construction.
One-Piece Cast Wheels
This is the most common type of aluminum wheel. The casting of wheels is the process of getting molten aluminum inside a mold to form a wheel. There are different ways this can be accomplished and although it sounds simple, this is truly an art when done properly.
GRAVITY CASTING
Gravity casting is the most basic process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold utilizing the earth's gravity to fill the mold. Gravity casting offers a very reasonable production cost and is a good method for casting designs that are more visually oriented or when reducing weight is not a primary concern. Since the process relies on gravity to fill the mold, the aluminum is not as densely packed in the mold as some other casting processes. Often gravity cast wheels will have a higher weight to achieve the required strength.
LOW PRESSURE CASTING
Low pressure casting uses positive pressure to move the molten aluminum into the mold quicker and achieve a finished product that has improved mechanical properties (more dense) over a gravity cast wheel. Low-pressure casting has a slightly higher production cost over gravity casting. Low pressure is the most common process approved for aluminum wheels sold to the O.E.M. market. Low-pressure cast wheels offer a good value for the aftermarket as well. Some companies offer wheels that are produced under a higher pressure in special casting equipment to create a wheel that is lighter and stronger than a wheel produced in low pressure. Once again in the quest for lighter weight, there is a higher cost associated with the process.
Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming or Rim Rolling Technology
This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. The combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel without the high cost of the forging. Some of the special wheels produced for the O.E.M. high performance or limited production vehicles utilize this type of technology resulting in a light and strong wheel at a reasonable cost. O.Z. has used this technology for several years in their production of racing wheels for Formula One and Indy cars. O.Z.'s Formula HLT wheel for the aftermarket is an example of a wheel produced using spun rim technology.
Forged
The ultimate in one-piece wheels. Forging is the process of forcing a solid billet of aluminum between the forging dies under an extreme amount of pressure. This creates a finished product that is very dense, very strong and therefore can be very light. The costs of tooling, development, equipment, etc., make this type of wheel very exclusive and usually demand a high price in the aftermarket.
http://www.hrewheels.com/wheels/hre-...rm/ff01-silver
It seems you did your homework, my guess is all OEM wheels are cast (maybe some exceptions in R8 or S8 or models like that) but our A6/A7 are cast or not?
update: I called HRE, the face of the wheel is made with low pressure cast, and the body of the wheel with flow forming (kind of clay spinning)they are like a hybrid.
Last edited by feralc; 08-05-2013 at 10:49 AM.