You’ve probably heard the saying “buy cheap, buy twice.” As tempting as it may be to save a few
pounds by buying fake alloys, this saying will come back to bite you.
About Replica Wheels
Replica (fake) wheels are produced in bulk, often under questionable manufacturing conditions,
skipping procedures that genuine manufacturers implement, ensuring durability, performance and
most importantly, safety at all times.
Replica wheels often use the gravity casting method – pouring molten metal into a ready-made cast,
leaving it to set as it cools with the wheel being ‘popped out’ and tidied up for sale. Gravity casting
leaves irregular areas of density, making the wheel weaker and lacking tensile, torsional, or
compressive strength to stay within the safety guidelines of the OEM equivalents.
What’s the difference with genuine OEM wheels?
With genuine OEM wheels, air pressure is applied as it enters the casting which compresses the
metal, forcing the overall density of the wheel to increase. The result? Improved strength and
durability.
1. Dynamic fatigue testing, which simulates normal road driving
2. Cornering testing, where the wheel is spun horizontally
3. Impact testing, where a sudden load is applied to the rim of the wheel to simulate potholes
or kerb impacts
Professional manufacturers will reject any wheels that don’t meet the stringent guidelines. This is
not the case with fake wheels.
Safety must be a priority at all times, which is why we only have genuine OEM alloy wheels for sale.
Fake wheels have been known to shatter under hard braking when cornering or running at
motorway speeds. Is it worth taking the risk of a potentially fatal RTA for the sake of saving money?
You should also declare to your insurance company if your vehicle is fitted with non-standard alloys.
This may also mean an increase to the cost of your fully comprehensive motor insurance.
We can only recommend that you pay for quality. If you’d like to talk about genuine OEM alloy
wheels for your car, we’d love to help you. If you want to learn more, watch our video to hear from Alloy Hub’s founder, Joe Stonier about the importance of purchasing genuine alloy wheels instead of replica alloy wheels.
If ever you’re tempted to purchase replica alloy wheels, you can refer to our pro’s and con’s table that will remind you about the importance of buying genuine alloy wheels.
Get in touch.
