Fuchs Reproduction Vs. Original wheels

[Harvey Weidman]

Has anyone been able to compare the original Fuchs wheels to the reproduction wheels currently being offered?
It would be nice to see them side by side. Also what is the quality of the reproduction wheels?

I have seen most if not all of the replicas. I would not group Zuffenhaus with the replicas because they are 17s and not trying to be copies..
Braid has a cast center welded to a rolled outer- not very convincing...
The China wheels are not too nice up close but way better than the copies from the past.
The Enkie ? wheels are very close in shape but I have only seen 5.5X15s.
The Group 4 wheels are the closest in shape but difficult to make look like a Forged wheel.
and they come in early 6&7Rs......
I have not seen a Maxilite but it also looks to be cast..not forged.
BTW, Fuchs never stopped making wheels. Some of the sizes aren't available...
The current large Fuchs aren't forged but machined from a forged block.
(there is much discussing in the crankshaft field about the difference)
None of them will anodize like the original Fuchs but if you want polished wheels then Group 4 is the closest and then the non China Asian ones are next.
I'll look for some more photos.
H

[jpbadonk]

Here is a pic of a few factory fuchs along side a Braid 16x9. The most notable difference is the outer rim profile. Also in the pic is a 16x9 (white), 15x8, and 15x6 (deep w/o hearts).

Braid says their rims are 'semi-forged' but I haven't seen anyone come forward explaining exactly what that is. I do know that the barrel is welded to the center. But they are light (as light as factory if not lighter), TUV tested/approved, and from a company with a reputation for strong wheels.

[Harvey Weidman]

Semi forged is another way of saying pressure cast.
I'm not commenting about strength, I am commenting about appearance VS real Fuchs.....
Everyone has their stories about wheel failures. They should all be taken with a grain of salt....
Street wheels TUV approved or not usually outlast the car that they are put on.
Racing put multiple times the stress on wheels and they fail sooner than street use.
Keep in mind race engine are measured in HOURS so the failure of wheels in a race situation doesn't sound too bad after all.
I had the chance to refinish some Braid wheels when I happened to be restoring some Fuchs...wet paint.
H

[merbesfield]

Semi forged is another way of saying pressure cast.
I'm not commenting about strength, I am commenting about appearance VS real Fuchs.....
Everyone has their stories about wheel failures. They should all be taken with a grain of salt....
Street wheels TUV approved or not usually outlast the car that they are put on.
Racing put multiple times the stress on wheels and they fail sooner than street use.
Keep in mind race engine are measured in HOURS so the failure of wheels in a race situation doesn't sound too bad after all.
I had the chance to refinish some Braid wheels when I happened to be restoring some Fuchs...wet paint.
H

Those refinished Braid wheels look really nice, except for that lip. But how much do they cost by the time you buy the wheel and then send it to Harvey and have him refinish to perfection? Is there a reason they have to have that lip? Seems like they would have made it look like the original if they could have. Odd?

[Harvey Weidman]

As with many wheel manufacturers, they just don't get it. By the time I cut the lip off and put on a Fuchs lip, the cost is too close to banding a real Fuchs.
When the Zuffenhaus wheels were being originally discussed I commented that a return lip wasn't going to fly and they said it was already in the works to rework the lip return...
They knew how important cosmetics are to the Porsche world.
H

[jpbadonk]

As with many wheel manufacturers, they just don't get it. By the time I cut the lip off and put on a Fuchs lip, the cost is too close to banding a real Fuchs.
When the Zuffenhaus wheels were being originally discussed I commented that a return lip wasn't going to fly and they said it was already in the works to rework the lip return...
They knew how important cosmetics are to the Porsche world.
H

Agree with Harvey here that a simple change on the production side could result in them being much closer to nailing it cosmetically. The explanation I heard was that the rim profile is preferred by rally racers because it provides the ability to use clip-on weights vs the stick-on weights that real fuchs require.

[Unobtanium-inc]

I always think of this picture when I think of fake FUCHS, don't know who made this fake, but I've never seen a real FUCH do that, and I've seen some really bashed up FUCHS.


---Adam

[Cal]

I

I run a set of 6x15 Maxilite wheels since early last year. They are machined from aluminum and come with a TÜV certificate. Actually, they are lighter than my original deep 6 Fuchs wheels and come with hump, so no need for tubes. And I would not bet on superior stability of 47 year old Fuchs wheels.

Now for the curious part: the Maxilites come polished and unpainted but Fuchs themselves were ready to refinish them to a factory look!

Attachment 323426

Attachment 323427

Is anyone familiar with and/or use these Maxilite wheels? They look very good and seem reasonably priced. I'd love to find a set of real deep 6's but the costs are crazy.....

[Nevada51]

I'm running Maxilites. Here's some pics on the car.





No complaints from me, I've had Flat 4 Fuchs, and looked at many other repro's, all of which have their shortcomings. It's very difficult to tell the Maxilites apart from the real deal (albeit they are polished vs anodised). I got them from greggearhead here on this forum - thanks Greg!

Cam

[Yellow491]

Having seen a few cracked or worse wheels in my time raceing and hillclimbing etc,construction is more important than looks if you intend to use the car as intended,if its just a weekend cruiser then most wheels will do as long as they look right.
eb motorsport sell some great fuchs looking wheels,but all cnc machined from a forged billet etc,use to race and rally and hold up very well,expensive and look great.The new fuchs are ok for sure and a reasonable price ready finished,compared to old fuchs that can crack if you use in a sporting way.