does cheap price necessarily mean cheap quality

Many months ago on this forum i saw a great deal on konig heliums. The price was like at $400 for the whole set. I asked a friend about them and the price, he told me cheap price equals cheap quality. I understand some rims go for like 200 and higher for each rim.

 

Buy from a reputable source and buy a reputable name. Example, Enkei builds most import OE wheels, but you can get aftermarket Enkeis for about $100 or so a wheel.

 

Above all, a +45 offset for 16" or 17" Rims!!! haha, sorry off-topic. Would reccomend to pick them up locally, in case you run into problems they can help you out. For me personally, I try to support our local tuner shops as much as possible. As far as brands go I think it is more of your own preference to style, I havn't heard too many horror stories about cheap rims other than they tend to be on the heavy side.

 

actually the konig heliums are very high quality rims. U will find them very cheap, but IMO konigs, rota's and enkei's all have great prices and the quality is supurb. I have owned each company of rim and u cannot beat their price.

 

hold off on brands... go after what kind of wheel you are actually buying.

cast wheels like rota or konig are fine, but they are weak wheels. one of the reason why they only cost 100 each.

forged wheels are better. the cost reflects, typical volks, bbs, hre, iforge, etc, cost usually 2-10 times more then the regular cast wheels.

just remember, you get what you paid for.

obviously if you are going for cast wheels, go after quality cheap brand like rota and not junk wheels like nippon, adr, etc. or forged wheels, go after quality brands like bbs or volk, dont overpay for hre or iforge.

 

Don't confuse quality of aluminum with process of build. You can have a good quality aluminum that is cast and be just as strong as a forged wheel. I've seen plenty of forged wheels bend/crack faster than good quality cast wheels.

 

it doesnt change the fact that top quality forged wheels is stronger then top quality cast wheels.

 

I was just talking about the fact that HRE and Iforged use cast lips with forged centers.....

 

First look at road conditions in your area before buying rims. If the roads in your area is bad, even expensive rims will get damaged. I believe the biggest purpose of the Fit is to maximize fuel as much as possible. So consider getting the lightest rims you can afford should be your priority in selecting which rim to get.

For 15" 11 or 12 lb rims is ideal.

 

Where do we find these 11-12 lb 15" rims? How much do the stock Fit Sport rims weigh?

 

You need to ask yourself some questions before you make any decisions:

How much would it bother you if your tires rubbed?
YES: Need +45 or greater offset to ensure no rubbing with little to no fender rolling.
NO: Sky is the limit haha.

Do you want new rims to increase fuel efficency?
YES: Lightweight, smaller diameter rims will be best. 15" rims would be ideal IMO. Lots of choices out there, just gotta do some research, 10-15lbs per wheel for a 15" wheel would be good.
NO: Everything is fair game, you can go as big as you want, with any style you want, since the weight won't matter.

How much do I have to spend?
X<$1000: Cheaper of the bunch, you'll probably be looking at Konig or Rota wheels here and can still afford decent tires.
$1000<X<$1500: The average amount you'll be spending. Can upgrade to larger diameter wheels, buy higher priced brands such as Enkei, possibly find a deal somewhere on more expensive companies such as Rays etc. on a used set. Tires will probably be a bit better, can go to a higher performance tire.
>$1500: Rays, Work, etc. with any tire you want.

 

My tips

1) Most important, do your homework. Research what other peoples' experiences are with wheel sizes and offsets, tires, issues with lowering, etc. You're already doing that, good.

2) As others have said, there are cheap wheels that are junk, there are good quality inexpensive cast wheels, there are expensive high quality wheels, and there are expensive wheels that may not be as good as their price suggests. If you're into bicycles you might know the name Keith Bontrager. His saying (re: bikes) applies here as well:

"Strong, Light, Cheap. Pick Two."

3) Usually the least and most expensive options aren't the best choices. The best balance is somewhere in the middle. Don't try to save a few bucks by buying random no-name rims or tires when a little more can get you something reputable that will last and perform well.

4) Good luck

 

"Weak" wheels still have to meet certain safety and strength standards set by the DOT, I think people get too hung up on theoritical maximums.