Hi,

Are replica alloy wheels any good? I'm tempted to get some, you get nice looking wheels for not a lot of money - but I have suspicions that quality might be sub-standard or that safety could be compromised? Any advice?

I particularly like the look of these RS4 replicas as discussed in another topic, in either 17" or 18" fitment:

http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/17_Inch_RS4_V2_Style_Alloy_Wheels__70

http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/18_Inch_RS4_V2_Style_Alloy_Wheels__69

The company selling them seem to recommend 205/40 on the 17s and 215/35 on the 18s - is that about right? What size tyres to Fabia vRS owners tend to run on 17 and 18 inch rims?

Thanks,

Andrew

personally id avoid them

replicas are really heavy and buckle easily

buy the real mccoys

Ah I thought they looked too good to be true!

Any idea about suppliers or is it just best to buy direct?

And what about tyre sizes for the vRS when going up to 17 & 18 inch wheels?

I have rs4 replicas originally bought from wheelbase I believe and have been on car for 3 years now and they have no bubbling whatsoever.

They have the same makers stamp on as what most standard wheels come with on cars !

Look into Octavia/Superb alloys?

ive got the audi a8 reps on mine from wheel base had them about a year and they have been fine if you pm me your email address i will send a few pic's of my car with the wheels on !!

And what about tyre sizes for the vRS when going up to 17 & 18 inch wheels?

Well, you'll want to keep the rolling radius of the new wheel and tyre similar to the standard car, or your speedo will be out. Speedos generally overestimate your speed anyway, so youo could in theory go for a slightly larger rolling radius, which would make the car slighlty longer legged, but reduce your acceleration. We're talking percentage points though, so not sure you'd notice.

Use an online calculator like this one: CLICKY. Put in your existing wheel and tyre sizes in, and it'll tell you the closest matches. The lower the difference the better really, and try to keep it under 3%.

For example, the standard tyres are 205/45R16. Based on that, you could go for:

Tyre code Diameter Circumference Difference

--------- --------- ------------- ----------

215/35 R17 582 mm 1828 mm -1.46 %

225/35 R17 589 mm 1850 mm -0.27 %

235/35 R17 596 mm 1872 mm 0.91 %

205/40 R17 596 mm 1872 mm 0.83 %

215/40 R17 604 mm 1898 mm 2.18 %

205/35 R18 601 mm 1888 mm 1.66 %

So, looking at the above, 205/40R17 would be good, as it keeps the same width of tyre, and the RR is only out by 0.83%. Doesn't look to be too many options at 18", but then I think 18" wheels on a Fabia look too big.

HTH

Planning on getting 17" rs4's from wheel base in a couple of weeks. They also do Finance Packages. Heard nothing but good things from these guys. Friend bought a set of mk5 GTI wheels for his mk4 golf last year, no buckles and no bubbling.

personally id avoid them

replicas are really heavy and buckle easily

buy the real mccoys

LOL, I recall endless discussions on various boards about the original RS4 alloys, say 5 years ago? Loads of people returned bent rims to Audi dealerships.

AIUI, Audi supplied "soft" rims rather than beef up the hub/suspension and got slightly bitten in the backside for it.

The Audi originals of these... http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/17_Inch_RS4_Style_Alloy_Wheels__48

I would say to the OP, buy wheels from a reputable company. Preferably one with some sporting afinity.

J.

LOL, I recall endless discussions on various boards about the original RS4 alloys, say 5 years ago? Loads of people returned bent rims to Audi dealerships.

AIUI, Audi supplied "soft" rims rather than beef up the hub/suspension and got slightly bitten in the backside for it.

The Audi originals of these... http://www.wheelbase...lloy_Wheels__48

I would say to the OP, buy wheels from a reputable company. Preferably one with some sporting afinity.

J.

Thanks but I was really after the OEM look, so want factory ones or replicas really...