2024 Apex Wheels Review: Are They Good Or Are They Reps?
If you’ve been looking into performance wheels, you’ve probably come across the name Apex.
Apex wheels have been growing more and more popular of the last few years, expanding their wheel range and making wheels for an increasing number of cars. They are especially popular among people who like to go to the track and prioritize performance.
But just how good are their wheels?
In this post I’m going to cover Apex in detail and go over all aspects of their wheels so you can decide for yourself.
The History Of Apex Wheels
Apex was founded in 2007 by Eddie Pintasci, with the goal of providing affordable lightweight wheels to motorsport enthusiasts.
The reason Eddie started Apex wheels was because he could not find wheels that matched what he was looking for, for his own BMW E30 M3. He needed a lightweight wheel that would clear the big brake kit, but the designs of wheels made for E30s typically had concave faces with deep lips, which did not allow space for the bigger brakes.
This led him to design the ARC-8, Apex’s first wheel, as an affordable lightweight wheel which would allow clearance for the brakes and was perfect for track use.
From here they expanded their wheel line up to fit other BMW models, and in recent years have also been making wheels for a variety of other cars including Mustangs, Corvettes, Supras and Porsches.
Apex’s focus is on quality and performance, and they go out of their way to ensure that their wheels are of the highest standard and pass industry safety standards as well as testing well beyond what those require. I will go into this in more detail in a little bit.
Apex have an extensive blog where they talk about how they design and make their wheels and why they do what they do. It’s very impressive and shows how much they know and how much effort they put into making the best wheel possible. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to know more: https://www.apexraceparts.com/blog
How Apex Rims Are Made
Apex spend a great deal of time designing and engineering their wheels to ensure they are as light and as strong as possible, along with the way they make their wheels.
Apex wheels are made using 6061 T6 aluminium, which is a very common choice for wheels due to its lightweight and strength properties.
Design & Engineering
Unlike many companies who just pump out wheel designs that look cool, Apex put great priority on designing wheels that are functional and lightweight while maintaining maximum strength.
They have come up with a few unique design features that allow them to shave weight or increase strength in various parts of the wheel.
One example of this is their I Beam spokes, which features thinner but deeper spokes with grooves cut out of the sides, resulting in significant weight saving which ensuring the spokes are just as strong if not stronger.
They also have a special barrel rim design on their Sprint series wheels called “Sprint Spec” that features a channel and extra material to significantly increase the strength of the barrel, the part of the wheel that is most susceptible to bending.
The beads of the wheel also feature a knurling which Apex deliberately leave unpainted, ensuring that the tyres grip to the wheel as much as possible and prevent the tyres from slipping on the bead under extreme conditions.
Apex also use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to design wheels that are as light as possible while maintaining maximum strength. This is the same process that many of the top wheel brands use to design wheels including BBS Wheels and Volk Racing.
These kinds of features are what makes Apex one of the best wheel brands, showing just how detailed they are with their wheels and setting them apart from your average wheel company.
But wait. There’s more.
Manufacturing
Apex use two manufacturing methods to make their wheels – flow forming and forging.
Flow Forming
The first Apex wheels were all made using flow forming.
Flow forming is a method of manufacturing wheels that involves casting a wheel center, and then forming the barrel by putting the wheel center of a rotating machine, spinning it at high speed while heat is applied, and applying pressure with rollers to form the barrel shape.
This method allows you to make wheels at low cost that significantly lighter than normal cast wheels with the same or more strength.
Forging
In the last few years Apex has begun making forged wheels which has allowed them to make even lighter wheels than ever.
However, they don’t do forging like most wheel companies.
Most wheel companies use off-the-shelf forging blanks which are significantly cheaper but limit what they can produce in terms of design.
Apex has spent considerable amount of time and money investing in their own forging blanks which have more material and allow them to produce designs, including the special Sprint Spec barrel rim and deeper concave faces, which would not be possible with off the shelf blanks.
They then use a 10,000 ton forging press to forge the wheel blanks into the desired wheel design.
The end result is a wheel that features customized sizes and spoke designs that is incredibly strong and lightweight, and that few other wheels can compete against.
This also allows them to make a special barrel shape for their wheels, which allows for significantly more brake clearance than wheels that use off-the-shelf forging blanks:
Safety Standards
Apex is based in America, and in America there are no wheel standards that have to be passed in order to sell wheels.
This means that a lot of wheel companies don’t bother to get any safety certifications and just sell their wheels.
Not Apex.
Apex have gone through the trouble of getting their wheels JWL and VIA certified, which meant considerable investment to send their wheels over to Japan in order to allow them to be tested.
However, they also go a step further.
Apex say that the JWL and VIA tests were not stringent enough for them to truly show off how strong their wheels are, so they have subjected their forged wheels to tougher tests conducted by Standards Testing Labs (STL) in USA, with some tests up to 300% more than the VIA requirement, to prove that their wheels are significantly stronger than even VIA requires.
All this shows that Apex takes their job seriously and are not just out here to sell wheels, but actually want to produce a top quality product.
But we are not done yet.
Warranty and 50% Off Damaged Wheel Replacement
Apex offer a lifetime manufacturing warranty on all their wheels as well as a 1 year finish warranty.
But they also offer something else almost no other wheel company does.
They have a 50% off replacement program where if your wheel gets damaged, no matter whether its curb rash or from an accident at the track, they will give you 50% off replacement wheels.
If that doesn’t show how much they want to support the car community, I don’t know what does.
Where Are Apex Wheels Made?
Apex wheels are made in China, as stated by Apex themselves.
However, as I previously covered, Apex do all of their own design & engineering, quality control and safety testing to ensure they meet Apex’s high standards.
Like with anything, if done right, you can get quality products that are made in China, and I see no reason in this case why that would be an issue.
How Good Are Apex Wheels?
If Apex’s customer service, attention to detail and safety testing are not enough to assure you of their quality, their excellent reputation among car enthusiasts is sure to solidify just how good they are as a company as well as the quality of their wheels.
Go to practically any car forum and you will find countless posts praising both Apex’s wheels and their excellent customer service.
Not only do they have a reputation of being extremely helpful and easy to deal with, but they also take time to go on forums and address and questions and concerns about their wheels.
Almost every thread I found that was talking about Apex wheels, there was someone from Apex there to answer questions.
I tried to find reports of any issues with their wheels, and while I found some minor things that were resolved, anything that seemed like a serious problem was addressed by Apex directly.
Overall, from everything I have seen, I think Apex are doing a fantastic job in all areas from the wheel production to the customer service.
Apex Wheel Lines
Currently, Apex offer a couple of wheel lines that are either flow formed or forged wheels.
Forged Sprint Line
These are the lightest wheels Apex make and feature the special Sprint Spec barrel rim among other features.
Wheels in this line include:
VS-5RS
EC-7RS
Forged Classic Line
The Forged Classic line feature wheel designs from the original Apex line-up, but in forged construction. These wheels are heavier than the Sprint Line but are stronger, and they are still lighter than the Flow Formed wheels. Perfect for drivers seeking a balance between performance and durability.
Wheels in this line:
EC-7R
ARC-8R
Flow Formed Classic Line
These are the original wheel designs offered by Apex in the original Flow Formed construction. Durable, affordable and lightweight, these wheels are excellent value for money and perfect for track enthusiasts on a tighter budget.
Wheels include:
EC-7
ARC-8
Flow Formed Evolution Line
Designed to be the strongest versions of their classic designs, these wheels offer extremely good durability at an affordable price, all while giving you timeless designs.
Wheels include:
SM-10
FL-5
BMW Apex Wheels
While not strictly a line offered by Apex, I thought it was fair to mention the wheels Apex make for BMW due to their extreme popularity.
Apex make wheels for practically all BMW models from older E30 and E28s all the way up to the newest G series models.
There is a very detailed fitment guide on their website which covers which wheel sizes you need for various BMW models. I would highly recommend checking it out here: https://support.apexraceparts.com/hc/en-us/sections/360000316793-BMW
Conclusion – Should You Buy Apex Wheels?
Yes!
I have been very impressed with everything that I have seen from Apex wheels.
To the attention to detail they put into the design and manufacturing of their wheels, to their aftersales customer support, the 50% off replacement wheel program, and the very detailed information on their website, Apex is a company that truly cares about the customer and the quality of the products they produce.
As a result, they have an excellent reputation, especially among BMW owners, and this is now spreading to other communities as well that they are making wheels for.
As far as practical, performance based wheels that are affordable go, Apex are one of the best, and I would not have a problem running Apex wheels on my car, both on and off the track.
FAQ About Apex Wheels
Is Apex a good wheel brand?
Yes, Apex is a very good wheel brand. They produce affordable flow formed and forged wheels which are both durable and lightweight, and are some of the best wheels on the market.
Are Apex Wheels Made in China?
Yes, Apex wheels are made in China. However, Apex have very strict quality control and safety testing standards that they put all their wheels through to ensure they are of the highest quality. They also do all the engineering and design themselves.
Are Apex Wheels Rotary Forged?
Yes, Apex have several wheels that are “rotary forged”, which is just another way of saying flow formed. They also have forged wheel options.
Are Apex Wheels Flow Formed?
Yes, Apex have a line of flow formed wheels. They also have a line of forged wheels.
Are Apex Wheels Forged?
Yes, Apex’s Forged and Sprint wheel lines are forged wheels.
How Can I Tell If My Apex Wheels Are Real?
One of the easiest ways to tell if Apex wheels are real is by the weight. Apex wheels are very lightweight due to being flow formed or forged, whereas most fake wheels are cast and will be heavy.
Also, real Apex wheels will have their logo and wheel specs etched on the barrel, and will have JWL and VIA stampings. Most fake wheels won’t have these.
Who Owns Apex Wheels?
Apex Wheels is owned by Eddy Pintacsi, the original founder of Apex.
Are Apex Wheels Replicas?
No, Apex wheels are not replicas. Apex wheels have been making original, quality wheels since 2007.
Where Is Apex Wheels Located?
Apex wheels are located in California, with their warehouse in Sacramento, CA and their office in Pleasanton, CA.
Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF
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