Hey Guys, looking to put some aftermarket wheels on my 8, and have been researching different ones and had a question. The ones I'm looking at vary anywhere from $500 up to 1K on beyond. I couldnt believe that some of the sets were that cheap, and I liked the look, but dont wanna buy a set that I would have to replace a year from now. Whats the big difference between say a set for 500, or for 1K, and whats the best move?

 

I have a set of Enkei PKR's that I bought at Discount Tire for a little over $500 and I haven't had a problem with them at all. I can't imagine that you would run into too much trouble if you went with a cheap wheel as long as its name brand.

 

Find the lightest good looking wheel in your price range and roll with it. If its all for looks anyway only a handfull of people will look at your car and and say "WOW those volks are awsome" Most people see aftermarket rims and just say "WOW" I got 19" Konig NEXT from Kauffman Tire for 530 shipped. thats an insane price for a set of lightwieght 19" wheels.

 

expensive rims like volk, racinghart and hre usually have better build quality and are typically lighter as well as stronger. but then again, you get what you paid for.

 

I really like those rims, I think that they are the best looking rims for the price. Do you know how much they weigh by any chance. Also, did you get the 18x8.5 on all corners?

 

they probably weigh 150lbs per rim without tire.

 

the stock rims are fairly lightweight and look better than most aftermarkets out there. the money would be better spent elsewhere, such as better tires or suspension

 

if you are in it for looks and personal taste then don't worry about weight and buy what you feel looks good. plus just keep the old rims and tires just incase.

 

Ha, Ha.

They arent that heavy!

I got the same size all the way around

 

you might be right, but i still think the rims are nice for around town and you can use the OE rims for the aggressive driving

 

Not many people like the PKR's around here. I wonder if Discount Tire will let me bring a scale down there to weigh one without a tire.

 

^^ well rims are always going to be subjective unless you are looking for light weight. As for the weight I am sure that just an email to discout tire is sufficient, I just thought that you might have known since you bought them.

Do you have any pics of them on your car?

 

Core is right, you do get what you pay for. But its a little hard for me to justify spending 2000 on rims w/0 tires. Then again if money wasnt a problem, who cares.

 

I can take some pics of them over the weekend and send them to you. I'll PM you when I have the pics. I have a Brillant Black 8, the wheels look pretty good on it.

I called Discount this morning and according to the person I spoke with they weight 25lbs.

 

I think it matters, a cheaper rim is usually heavy, doesn't have a coating to protect from the elements, etc. Most cheaper rims aren't hub centric although hub centric rings will take care of that. Most don't come with a warranty , etc.

With a expensive rim, most of the time, the rims are made out of a light alloy, has protection from the elements ,has some type of warranty, etc.

In the end, its your RX-8 , so you can put on what you want.

 

I'll have to agree, even though I have a set of Volks. The stock wheels are good looking especially compared to what some people put on their 8s nowadays. It's subjective, I know, but I shake my head sometimes.