If you are shopping for aftermarket wheels we are sure you have seen different types of construction options such a forged wheels or flow formed wheels. What’s the difference? and what is the right option for you? Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about forged vs. flow formed wheels.
Wheels can be made in many different processes. Flow forming and forging are two different processes to make aluminum wheels. Flow forming technology takes an already casted wheel at a narrower width than the intended final product and is heated up and spun where rollers then apply pressure to barrel of the wheel stretching the aluminum and compressing the molecular structure creating a final product that is lighter weight and has greater tensile strength than a traditional cast wheel.
There are different processes of the forging process, mold forging and CNC forging. Mold forging is taking a piece of aluminum and repetitively pressing it with extreme heat and pressure until it takes the form of a wheel. CNC forging is starting off with an already forged block of aluminum and then CNC machines cut and extract metal to create the shape of the wheel. Both are efficient ways of making forged wheels.
What’s right for you? If you are trying to make the decision of what product is right for you here are a few things you should consider when shopping for wheels.
1. Use case. Enthusiasts cover a wide of necessities. If you are shopping for wheels it is important to understand what you will be using them primarily for. If you are going to be using them mainly for street use, you are probably going to want to go with something that fits properly and ultimately something you like ie. design and finish. If you are going to be using your vehicle for track use, both options are track ready options but forged wheels will have weight savings and longevity benefits over flow formed wheels.
2. Budget. On paper forged wheels are the superior option but the main con to forged wheels are a higher price tag. Although forged wheels typically use less material than flow formed wheels, the cost of the product comes from the manufacturing process rather than the amount of material used. Flow formed wheels will certainly give you the best bang for your buck.
It is important to know that regardless of the construction type, wheels are still a wear item and can suffer damage whether they are forged or flow formed. Flow formed wheels will be able to take repetitive flex over time before reaching a fatiguing point over a cast wheel because of the flow formed barrel. A full forged wheel will be able to take even more stress over time before reaching a fatiguing point over a flow formed wheel.
