Replica Fuchs- What are your thoughts?

[hoosierdaddy]

I don't mean to start a war here but I recently bought a pair of 16x8's replica Fuchs and after reading some post I'm not sure wether to use them . The car is only used for weekend and occasional driving for my wife and I . I really have no plans for DE's or track time at this point . I'm presently having the car painted , new interior and all that goes with this process , plus I need to lower the car yet . So the reason for going with replica's at this point is" budget " . Thoughts please .
Jim

[Lukesportsman]

The real question is what condition and who the manufactor was. We can argue all day the merits of forged vs. billet vs. low pressure vs. vacuum cast vs. etc. The simply fact is that most cars on the road today are running around on simple cast or vacuum cast Al rims from the factory. If your confident in the brand and condition of the rims, there is nothing so "bad" about cast rims. All casting have the inherent problem of the "unknown". This unknown is that there is stress risers and air voids in the alloy. This will result in less suface polish but more importantly stress risers that may fracture.

So for a lightweight car in street use, I see NO reason to not run what you bought. Lets face the fact that many of us tow our forged rimmed light weight race cars with heavy stressed tow rigs with cheap cast aluminum rims, possibly on trailers with like cast aluminum rims.

Don't spec Miata's run on cast rims?

[Bob's Flat-Six]

I don't have any first hand experience with after market Fuchs, but if their in good shape they should be fine for the driving you discribed.
Who makes them ?

[andrew15]

While yes, most modern aluminum wheels are cast, they are also DESIGNED to be a cast wheel and are generally thicker in cross section / heavier.

In my mind, the issue at hand is that some Fuch replicas are cast using a mold from an original. In this case the various thicknesses of both the orginal and replica are the same, but the strength of the cast aluminum is not the same as the orginal forged wheel - hence you see some replica wheels not up to the task of DE / autocross.

Regards,
Andrew M

Edit for crappy spelling / clarity

[hoosierdaddy]

I haven't been able to identify the manufacturer and the wheel conditions are very good .
Jim

[palle7688]

I would never drive replicas again. Like said above they are made in same dimensions as the forged, thats why they break. I had nice looking replica 7-8*16 fuchs on my car when i bought it (I didn't know better at the time) I had a near death experience when one replica fuchs broke when i was on the highway doing about 100 mph. Thank god i was in a solid build p-car, but it was not pretty after that encounter with crash barrier with both front and rear end. You really don't see the cracks before it's too late. See Bruce Anderson's performance handbook it's known to happen. Use only replica fuchs for your gardenhose.
Heres a pic of mine after.......... note: some of the black center (star) was still attached to hub and there was still some airpressure left in wheel.

[Randy Webb]

Real Fuchs are not the spendy -- hospital time (re palle's post) is.

Also, aren't the newer castings done by a different method - pressure cast, not just a bunch of molten metal poured into a sandbox?

I would get rid of the replicas and I'd look at palle's pic every time I thought otherwsie.

[hoosierdaddy]

That picture is a frightening thought but what I can't understand is how a manufacturer can produce something of that quality . I did find the following on my wheels AEWC - 1580 lbs max load - DOT -T so if anyone has any info on these please let me know . Looks like I'm gonna be buying spacers. Thanks
Jim

[dvkk]

Those wheels were made by American Eagle Wheel Corp. (AEWC)

Palle, did that wheel break as a result of hitting the crash barriers after you lost control of the car, or do you think the wheel just "let go" causing the crash?

[Bob's Flat-Six]

After seeing Palle's wheel I retract my former statement.

You would be better off running a set of skinny Fuchs that are fairly cheap to buy than to go to a wider replica.

I did read Bruce Andersons opinion on this subject which repeats what Palle said about the cast fuchs not being strong enough as a copy of a real Fuchs. The German made wheel has very high goverment standards ( TUV ) Unlike our DOT which doesn't even require any mandatory testing.
He also shows a picture of a fake Fuchs that failed were the spokes meet the rim.

Buy some real Fuchs and sleep sound

[Oldporsche]

Since you already have them. Go ahead and have the body work done. They are safe enough for that. When you get a chance, cruse the internet and this site, make someone an offer. I see them for sale now and then.

David Duffield

[Az911]

You are getting new everything for your 911 why start getting cheap now? I would get a set of real fuchs or save till you get get some

[hoosierdaddy]

I have a set of 16x6&7 full polish on the car right now so its not like I'm suffering but the eights are tugging at my heart . I could buy eights now but with the rest of my project and my daughter starting college in Aug . I have to tell myself watch the budget .
Jim

[JMar]

As someone said before it has alot to do with who makes the wheels. Those in that photo are of very poor quality. You should try to identify who made them and to what standard.

BTW, even factory wheels (including fuchs) have been known to have failures.

[Par911]

Get the real deal, original Fuchs are worth the extra money!

[makaio]

A very reputable wheel refinisher told me the American Racing replica Fuhs are junk.

[dvkk]

Originally posted by makaio
A very reputable wheel refinisher told me the American Racing replica Fuhs are junk.

American Racing never made a Fuchs copy. Perhaps you mean American Eagle?

[GB83SC]

Buy the real deal. Spend the money and enjoy the safety and the investment. Sell them a few years from now and recover your investment and make extra cash in the process.

There is no price for safety.

[aigel]

I agree, buy the real deal. However, I doubt that the fakes come apart from driving, especially at regular hwy. speed. No doubt, if you go off the road or hit something, the fakes will snap, the real deal will bend. If nothing else, that may be something that can really help on a daily driver.

George

[CarreraS2]

It makes sense to me that wheel that is designed to be forged may not be suitable to being cast.

Anyways, I'd never buy replica fuchs. For safety reasons, but also for the same reasons I'd never buy a "replica" Rolex or a 308 bodied Fiero. Just not the way I do things.