hockeyzbh

Hey guys so I currently have some 19 inch niche lucerne rims. They have been nothing but trouble since i bought them. I have already had to replace 1 of the rims and now another one of them is cracked. I am starting to think the quality of these rims are just ****. I am now in the market for new rims because i cannot deal with them anymore. Any suggestions on what brand is the best/strongest? Been looking at Rohanas and Vosson but would love some personal opinions/experiences with good quality aftermarket rims.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Depends on your budget, a forged wheel is lighter and stronger than your current cast wheels. Rohanna & Most Vossens are also cast wheels, Vossen has a more expensive line of wheels that are forged.

One of the best deals out there for a strong forged wheel would be some OEM 370z wheels or OEM wheels from a GT-R, these are made by Rays which also make the stellar Volk brand of wheels. These OEM GT-Rs can be found for $1500 or less and the 370Z wheels for $1k in some of the used market places.

For aftermarket wheels, true forged wheels are quite expensive, expect to pay at least $600 each for a true forged wheel. Here's an example between a Flow formed (which is form of casting that's stronger & lighter that regular cell cast) vs. a true forged wheel.
Click on the link, then check the price difference between the GTF01 (forged)vs. the GTV01(flowformed)
Evasive Motorsports | PH: 626.336.3400 Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm PST: SSR

Good brands for a mid-budget wheel that's still stronger & lighter than your current cast wheels are the flow formed Work Emotion line, Rays "Gramlite", Wedssport, Forgestar, SSR GTV line, and some Enkei wheels.
Clcik here for a good choice of quality brands
Evasive Motorsports | PH: 626.336.3400 Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm PST: Wheels

BTW, have you contacted Niche about the problems you've had?

hockeyzbh

yea i contacted them about it and they basically said **** you and laughed in my face. Worst customer service i have ever experienced. They said they would look at the rims structure but i have to pay to have it shipped to them and they can look at it but he said that its my fault they are messed up and that they most likely will look at it and say nothing is wrong then i have to pay to have it sent back. most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. My rims on their site claim to be 3 piece forged and 100% made in the USA but on the back they say made in china. Are Rohanas forged? Every rim company claims they have the best technology and that their rims are the lightest and strongest so i don't know who to choose

Ape Factory

iTrader: (3)

Cast wheels, if designed and manufactured correctly, can be quite strong. Don't write a wheel off just because it's cast. Most of the OEM wheels made today are cast.

Country of origin can be a somewhat good determination of the quality but the Chinese shops are getting far better and using stricter and higher grade aluminum.

I'd look for something that's JIL and TUV approved otherwise as blnewt said, go with forged from a major brand. And that might not be easy to determine as you've already discovered. So ask around and ask for photos and spec sheets if they say they're forged and made in the U.S.

hockeyzbh

What have you guys heard about Rohana rims? They look super sharp but idk the quality. Im looking at the rotary forged ones (rfx5 and others) and the RC10s.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

They have a few different names for flow forming, rotary forged is one of them. Rotary forged is an improved casting process that is stronger and lighter than regular cell casting. Also another advantage is the spokes and support for the wheel can be smaller so they tend to have better clearance for big brakes since they don't need that extra bulk.

Rohanna has been around a while, might contact Jason@GetYourWheels and ask his honest opinion and might ask for him to suggest other types in your price range. He's a really good guy to deal with and works with many wheel companies so he doesn't have an allegiance to just a few brands.

hockeyzbh

So are they more durable than regular forged wheels (3 piece)? Or is that just some mumbo jumbo the company says to make it seem like they are. Also an offset of 15mm would be negative and make the rim look concave correct?

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Flow formed (rotary forged) are an upgrade in strength and will be lighter weight than a regular cell cast wheel.
Tirerack explains the various methods in this link~scroll down to "One Piece Cast Wheels" and read from there~
Wheel Tech Information - Wheel Construction

Flow formed or Rotary Forged wheels are a good compromise in strength & weight vs. the expensive forged wheels. The companies I listed above all have good reputations w/ their flow-formed lineup. If Rohanna has flow formed wheels I have little doubt they would be a decent upgrade over your current Niche set.

BTW, what was the cause for all your problems w your current wheels, certain situations can harm any wheel, and huge potholes have become prevalent in most cities these days that if you hit one just right at higher speeds it can really jack up a wheel

hockeyzbh

I make it a point to avoid all potholes. yes i may hit some here and there but nothing big enough to crack 2 rims and bend all of my rims. The niche rims i have are terrible. Design wise they look sharp but structurally they are a joke. The most confusing thing is that niche advertises that their forged rims are "100% manufactured in the USA" yet on the back of the rim it says made in china. I emailed them to try and clear this up whether the shop screwed me or are their rims actually made in china and they are false advertising. I have yet to receive a response. I refuse to keep purchasing new rims because the structure of these are flawed beyond belief. I will never recommend these to anyone ever again

Surfnazi

Look at dpe

hockeyzbh

any specific model?

the93owner

Rohana is alright, lots of people have them. Most of their wheels are cast but they do have flow formed/rotary forged wheels as you already discovered. Flow formed wheels are stronger than a plain cast wheel but not as strong or lightweight as a true forged wheel.

And from the looks of it, the Niche Lucerne wheels you have are 1 piece cast, not 3 piece forged.

hockeyzbh

On Niches website it says they are forged. I think Niche is false advertising them cause they certainly do not seem forged. But Rohanas have two styles. The RF (Rotary forged) and RC. For the best durability would you recommend the rotary forged? I really do not know the difference but at this point I just want something that is reliable and a company that will stick by their product unlike niche. do you recommend any other specific brand then?

the93owner

http://www.nicheroadwheels.com/lucerne-m141-w-12112.htm

The Rohana RC wheels are traditional cast and groom RF wheels are rotary forged which is slightly stronger than cast. Try looking at the wheels blnewt mentioned in his post up there. They are all quality and affordable and are well-established companies in the aftermarket.

Edit: just saw what you were probably looking at. Niche has the same wheel in their forged line of wheels, which are indeed forged and made in USA. However you probably have the cast version not the forged version.

SlateBlue G

iTrader: (2)

changing your driving habit will fix most of your problems. Forged doesn't mean sh*t. I bent my volks which are forged. Although forged rims will hold up better they are not in any ways indestructible. OP you have to pay to play if you want higher quality wheels. Volks, Works, HRE hold up very well if you have a big budget.