Guess Its Time For New Wheels

[SJ_GTI]

So I hit a pothole and afterwards my front end felt a little weird. Got home and found this:



Its not horrible (ie: the tire didn't blow out), but not drivable IMHO.

I have been pretty happy with these replicas wheels so my first instinct was to buy a single replacement wheel. Unfortunately scanning through the website where I bought this wheel (http://hartmannwheels.com/audi-wheels) it doesn't look like my exact wheel style is offerred any more. They have similar style (glass anthracite and gloss silver), but mine were machines silver (HR8-MS instead of the HR8-GA or HR8-GS styles). Apart from that, even in the similar styles they don't have the same size (19x8.5 ET38). Stock size is actually 19x8.5 ET43, FWIW.

So all that being said I guess I will be buying a new set of wheels. I still have the OEM wheels, but I use those for my winter tires. From checking my tires I think there is still plenty of rubber left so I am not going to replace those yet.

Using the samewebsite above, the only style I find interesting are these:



Cost is $290 each (plus shipping, I assume), which isn't bad.

I have been poking around tirerack but honestly I don't know much about different wheel manufacturers. Only one I have really heard of is BBS, and their wheels seem to mostly be in the $500-600 (each) range. I think I'd like to stick with silver (or grey). Generally speaking I prefered the machined aluminum look over the painted silver look. Have to say though scrolling through the wheels I didn't see anything that really struck my fancy.

These look nice, but are a 19x8.5 ET35 and are roughly $500 each (before shipping):



Little worried they might not fit. My current wheels are already pushed out versus OEM, so not sure if going out a bit further will be fine or not.

These are decent looking and are exactly the same size as my current wheels (19x8.5 ET38), roughly $450 each (before shipping):



What do you guys think?

[CALL_911]

If you can swing it, I'd go for the BBS. Those look awesome (IMO better than your R8 replicas)

[mzziaz]

New car?

[SJ_GTI]

New car?

I actually thought about this after I posted. Instead of spending another 2k on wheels I could just go back to my OEM wheels and start looking at new cars. Its essentially a "discount" of 2k versus buying the new wheels, driving the car for another year or two, and then trading it in.

TBH though I am not sure there are any new cars out that I like better than my car. It seems like most of the choices would be a compromise in some way: Less poer, fewer doors, fewer driven wheels, or something. That being said there are a lot of nice cars I admire, like the 2-series, the Chevy Camaro, the Golf R, etc...(can't see myself getting a new A4 since it got even bigger and the current S4 on sale is essentially the same as my car).

[SJ_GTI]

If you can swing it, I'd go for the BBS. Those look awesome (IMO better than your R8 replicas)

I don't mean to humblebrag but its not the ability to afford it, just a matter of whether I want to or not. I am fairly conservative with my money so I don't have any unusual debt (just the house because I just bought it ~7 months ago) and I keep a pretty nice cushion of cash.

[12,000 RPM]

Any reason to go car shopping is a good one. Plus it's better to buy when you want to rather than when you have to. I think you would really like a 6MT Golf R.

Tire Rack had good brands though. Off the top of my head,  Enkei, Oz Rally, Kosei and some other brands make great stuff.

[68_427]

I'd go OEM style.  IMO aftermarket wheels look kinda goofy at stock ride height.

[CALL_911]

Eh idk about new car shopping, I feel like anything he'd consider with AWD at this point would be a downgrade from his S4. Since $ ain't an issue I vote BBS

[SJ_GTI]

FWIW, was talking to my dad (works in a mechanics shop) and he says they work with another company in town that can repair wheels. I am skeptical you can fix something like this, but I am gonna wait and see I think. No reason to throw money down the drain if I don't have to.

[MX793]

It may be repairable.  I'd check the tire over for signs of broken belts.  A hit sharp enough to bend rim will often break belts.

[MexicoCityM3]

That is repairable. I've had similar damage fixed.

[SJ_GTI]

It may be repairable.  I'd check the tire over for signs of broken belts.  A hit sharp enough to bend rim will often break belts.

There was nothing visible. If the wheel is repairable it'll get checked while the wheel is out for repair.

[Char]

New car?

This. Somethin not a VW.

Also, it can be fixed.

[SJ_GTI]

Small update, the repair shop says they can indeed fix it, will cost about $150.

[Raza]

Nice.

[MexicoCityM3]

Small update, the repair shop says they can indeed fix it, will cost about $150.

Told ya.

You missed the Thanks Obama meme when you got them bent though.

[Char]

Small update, the repair shop says they can indeed fix it, will cost about $150.

We have mobile wheel repair out where I'm at. They come to you and do it on the spot...anything like that there?

[Xer0]

I'm happy for you, but the new car idea was very inspired and I had already made a top 5 list for ya!

When are you going to get repaired?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SJ_GTI]

I'm happy for you, but the new car idea was very inspired and I had already made a top 5 list for ya!

When are you going to get repaired?

Probably next week? I am going to drop the wheel and money to my dad and he is going to have them pick it up at the shop where he works.

[giant_mtb]

I wonder how they fix it.  Some sort of truing machine? 

[MX793]

I wonder how they fix it.  Some sort of truing machine? 

Port-a-power, a torch, and a ball-peen hammer.

[Cookie Monster]

I wonder how they fix it.  Some sort of truing machine? 

Dent the other three wheels so they all feel the same.

[CaminoRacer]

Dent the other three wheels so they all feel the same.

[AutobahnSHO]

Dent the other three wheels so they all feel the same.

You guyz are the best

[Raza]

Dent the other three wheels so they all feel the same.

[SJ_GTI]

Semi-related...

So my "check engine" light has lit up a couple times. Every time it was from an evap code. Now here in NJ this is not particularly uncommon since we rely on Neanderthals to fill up our gas tanks and hopefully put the fuel cap back on correctly...and that last part has like a 50% success rate.

Anyway it kept happening so I replaced the gas cap. In checking it the seal was worn and cracked in a few places, so I was thinking that might have been causing it.

But it has now happened two more times since then, so I am pretty sure something is not right. Since I am getting a wheel fixed anyway I am planning to drop my car off at the shop (where my dad works) and they are going to try and figure out what is going on. I have to be honest though I have never heard of this type of issue before (and then it not be the result of a simple gas cap).

[AutobahnSHO]

Any chance the fuel filler tube (and the vent tube that goes with it whatever that is called) could have been damaged?? Leaking fuel line somewhere?

[SJ_GTI]

Any chance the fuel filler tube (and the vent tube that goes with it whatever that is called) could have been damaged?? Leaking fuel line somewhere?

All possibilities I guess.

Its has been an intermittent issue so I doubt it is something like a leaking fuel line, but you never know.

[CaminoRacer]

Semi-related...

So my "check engine" light has lit up a couple times. Every time it was from an evap code. Now here in NJ this is not particularly uncommon since we rely on Neanderthals to fill up our gas tanks and hopefully put the fuel cap back on correctly...and that last part has like a 50% success rate.

Anyway it kept happening so I replaced the gas cap. In checking it the seal was worn and cracked in a few places, so I was thinking that might have been causing it.

But it has now happened two more times since then, so I am pretty sure something is not right. Since I am getting a wheel fixed anyway I am planning to drop my car off at the shop (where my dad works) and they are going to try and figure out what is going on. I have to be honest though I have never heard of this type of issue before (and then it not be the result of a simple gas cap).

Oh goodness. I haven't really thought about the gas pump laws before. I've had someone fill up my tank before, but it's always been a rental car. I wouldn't be able to get gas in NJ or Oregon in my El Camino. They'd be almost guaranteed to screw something up 95% of the time. What a nightmare.

[68_427]

I have to be honest though I have never heard of this type of issue before (and then it not be the result of a simple gas cap).

Damn literally every car I've ever owned that was OBDII has thrown EVAP codes and had actual problems unrelated to the gas cap.