subject: What Corvette Wheels are Best? Forged Wheels or Cast Wheels? [print this page] What Corvette Wheels are Best? Forged Wheels or Cast Wheels?
Oftentimes the best modification for a car is the wheels, and the Corvette is no different. There are two different Corvette wheels that are used the most on the American sportscar: forged wheels and cast wheels. Each type offers unique cost, weight, and strength benefits due to the way they are made.
Forged wheels are made by a process that compresses metal to create a strong, dense wheel. This type of Corvette wheel begins as pieces of aerospace quality T6-6061 aluminum alloy blocks. The blocks are put into a forging machine where they are compacted under incredible amounts of pressure to form the shape of a wheel. By compressing the metal, tiny cracks, bubbles, and imperfections are removed, giving the forging a strong, dense grain structure. The forging is then taken to a CNC milling machine where the design of the wheel is cut out and excess metal is removed. Because of the dense makeup of forged wheels, less metal is required to achieve a given strength, resulting in a lighter overall weight.
Cast rims are some of the most common Corvette wheels. Often, they are also the least expensive due to their manufacturing process that allows for quick and easy wheel production. There are two ways of manufacturing this type of Corvette wheel: gravity casting and negative pressure (low pressure) casting. With gravity casting, molten aluminum is poured into a mold that is shaped like the desired wheel and allowed to cool. In negative pressure casting (low pressure casting), molten aluminum is sucked into a mold through a vacuum. This helps to reduce the number of bubbles that can form inside of the wheel and cause durability issues. After the wheels are cooled, they are taken to a CNC milling machine where the design is milled out and the wheel is finished.
Both kinds of Corvette wheels have unique benefits resulting from their manufacturing process. Forged wheels are more expensive due to the way they are made. However, forged wheels are the strongest of the two wheel types because of their dense grain structure and also are lighter than cast wheels. The lower weight contributes to improved vehicle performance. Although cast wheels are not as strong and light as forged wheels, they are the most inexpensive kind of Corvette wheel.
The Corvette is a sportscar that demands performance, which is why forged wheels are often the choice rim type purchased by owners. The weight, strength, and reliability of this type of wheel make it the best overall option for Corvette wheels.
