What do people do as insurance against breaking an aftermarket wheel? Let's say you have the Acme $$$$ super forged wheels and you hit a pothole and one breaks. You call the company and they say it will be 6 weeks to get one or "we no longer have that model". How do you keep going? Lets assume that you have sold your OEM originals.
Just like to get some insight.
Thanks

 

If you don't have another car, I would keep your OEM wheels.

 

I do have another car, but what if the model is discontinued? Do you just throw away the other three (or sell 3...) and start over? What is the usual manufacturing duration of the wheels?
The reason I ask is that when I bought my TT it had 20" Avus wheels which were showing some use. They are not made anymore. So given the state of the roads here in Quebec, I asked myself what if one is damaged? Then I have to buy a whole new set of wheels. But if I had OEM's I could just buy one and be done.
Do people buy spares? How long does a typical company keep making the same wheels?

 

If you go with a smaller vendor, yeah, I can see how you'd be concerned. With the bigger vendors, it's not really much of a concern as they can always pull a design off their computers and re-cut it if you need one. But interesting questions. I have never really been concerned as the companies charging high $$$ should be around for a long time and for the rest, I would be willing to gamble having to buy a new set in the off chance that one is totally lost and is no longer made.

 

I can't say for other companies, but any of our wheel designs from past or present can be machined to your exact specifications once you need them. For example, we just had a customer who ordered the same design he already owns, but in smaller size for his drag setup. That being said, feel free to send a PM for any wheel needs

 

I've considered this as well. I've looked at OZ wheels that were discontinued - there are a fair number of them. The Mito modular comes to mind. As I recall, if you bend one, you have it repaired. If it is beyond repair, you are SOL. Convinced myself I'm only looking for wheels early in the life cycle. If you want to have someone build you a wheel for $1500 to support a set that is now worth $2000 or less, you always have that alternative...

 

The other option is to look at a 3-piece wheel (like D2) where the barrels are easy to replace. That way if/when you curb a rim or crack the barrel you can just have new barrel halves made (most manufacturers will also be able to build barrels for a different wheel as long as you know the diameter and bolt quantity/size).
Add in the fact that, as D2 pointed out, most 3-piece manufacturers keep all their designs on file and can re-cut an older model.
This basically prevents any issues of an older wheel being impossible to replace.

If you are in the market for 3-piece wheels - we work with HRE, Forgeline, Jongbloed, ADV.1, and can usually find you a source for other brands as well.
Just something to think about.

 

Ha. This happened to me this past summer. The car sat in the shop for a month while we waited for HRE to custom make me 2 new replacement wheels for $3500!

 

PACE,
Your situation sounds unusual. We have had replacements on the car in less than 2 weeks. Also, HRE (like a lot of the companies) usually stands behind their wheels - were they being replaced because of damaged barrels or broken centers?

 

The OP said his wheels are Avus. I believe Avus no longer sells wheels. Avus was around several years and made a few very attractive designs.
The good part is Avus were 3 piece wheels. It's no problem to replace the lips and barrels. The center would be a problem but rarely does the center need to be replaced.

My wheels are made by MC3 Wheels. They are now merged with a well known company and those designs are no longer being made.
One of my lips is showing signs of corrosion. I went to my local wheel dealer and they said they can replace the lip for $350. The lips and barrels are pretty much universal. It's the center that couldn't be replaced...but they can be refurbished if not seriously damaged.

Just in case, I keep my oems' around.

 

yes, my wheels are avus. The lips are chrome, and there are a few spots where the chrome is peeling off. There are also a few areas where there is road rash as well. The centers are fine. I would need to change the outer lips. I've seen a couple of places where it seems they could provide me with outer lips provided I give them the exact dimensions, bolt configuration etc. But whats the guarantee that it will be right? Also, whats the guarantee that I can even find a socket that will fit the bolts?
For this reason I'm turned off of aftermarket wheels. What we need is manufacturers to look at there best sellers and then say we guarantee that this model will be around for x number of years. then you make your choice.
Without this, its gambling at best. I don't like the idea of laying out 6-8K to find out three years down the road, that oops, we don't make that one any more.
It's for this reason i bought OEM.

 

TOMB18,
As a dealer for many wheel companies, bigger companies do generally keep the best sellers around for a long time. Smaller companies don't necessarily have the resources to do this though. Also, as time goes by, new designs come out and older models just aren't as appealing and get phased out. At a certain point you may just need to replace an older wheel.
Think of it like cars themselves - a lot of people really want an original 911 RS, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for Porsche to make more even though there is demand. They offer their new version 991 and hope people like the new design.
You just choose a wheel you like and run it as long as you can, enjoying it while it lasts. At least with the 3-piece design you could replace the barrel to get a little more use out of it.
As to your worry about the look of the new barrels and the hardware to install everything - you might just need to replace all 4 barrels if the manufacturer can't perfectly match the originals. This is probably more expensive, but does reset the life-span on the barrels too (giving you more time before another one breaks). Anyone who is building barrels should have the tools to put a wheel together for you too. This may involve new hardware and definitely requires a new layer of sealant to make sure the wheels hold up and hold air.