Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilT3
"Forged obviously has it's pros...". Please explain. If they're not lighter and not 'much stronger'... What ARE the pros?
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Forged is generally lighter and stronger. It just so happens in this case that the OEM forged M5 wheels are heavier than Vorsteiner's Flow Formed wheels. That will not always be the case. Design contributes to the weight of the wheel as well.
With forged wheels, you pay to have a marginally better product. To some people the slight increase in performance is worth the price of paying for forged wheels. It all depends on your needs. Forged wheels can take quite a beating, and are generally stronger than wheels made utilizing other construction methods. Does that mean these flow formed wheels will bend or crack easily? No, but to some, the slight advantage in weight and strength is worth the extra price. The method of flow forming allows wheel companies to make a product that is similar to the strength of a forged wheel without having the high costs associated with the forging process. In fact, many OEM manufacturers such as BMW, Ferrari and Porsche come equipped with wheels that are flow formed.
The main benefit of flow formed wheels over forged wheels is the cost. It makes sense for OEM manufacturers to use the flow forming process, especially when they are making a high volume product and need to keep costs down.
The costs of tooling and equipment needed to make a forged wheel are significantly higher than that of flow forming, which ultimately gets passed down to the consumer. It all depends on whether or not you are willing to pay the extra amount to have a marginally better product.
I have included some good reads below that contain some good information on the various different methods of wheel construction:
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/....jsp?techid=90
http://www.bbs-usa.com/bbs-technology-expertise.cfm