18x9" ET30 Polished APEX ARC-8R Forged BMW Wheel

APEX forging process explained

TO DIE FOR
The designs and sizes offered by many companies are constrained by the blanks they can source from suppliers. What we found didn’t meet all our needs so we also designed and developed our own dies to stamp blanks that meet our exact specifications. The result? Our wheels can be made in the key sizes needed for racing.

MORE STRENGTH
“Forged” doesn’t mean strong. Many forged wheels focus on weight reduction so much that they end up with the same load rating as cast wheels. Think all forged wheels are stronger than cast or flow formed? Think again! We added up to 1,000 pounds of extra load capacity per vehicle compared to our flow formed line.

PREMIUM FINISHES
Our forged wheel line enabled us to release the finishes we’ve always hoped for. Fully polished aluminum, hand brushed with tinted clear, and a much wider range of painted finishes. Our forged wheels not only deliver performance, but also distinctive new styles as well.

IMPROVED BRAKE CLEARANCE
The flow formed ARC-8 was our first design so it features our older barrel profile with compromised clearance. Typical blank forgings can have even worse clearance than our original wheel. By developing our own new profiles and new dies, they can clear Brembo 380mm kits behind our 18” wheels and 400mm carbon ceramics behind our 19’s.

WEIGHT OPTIMIZED
We conducted extensive Finite Element Analysis to reinforce high stress areas and to remove material where it didn’t improve strength. The end result is a fully forged wheel with an ideal balance of strength and weight.

PAINTLESS KNURLED BEADS
Not all knurling is created equal. To reduce unwanted tire spin as much as we could, we protected our knurling from paint to keep them sharp. We didn’t take the cheaper shortcut of painting over the bead area, which makes the knurling smoother and rounder. See and feel the difference.

TAILORED FIT, OFF-THE-SHELF
APEX is known for stocking many niche and spacer free fitments tailored specifically to a chassis. We’re releasing those same fitments… and more in our new forged line. Much lower production requirements will allow us to release a wider range of fitments that were previously off limits.

TRUE VIA
Many companies promote their wheels as being certified by the VIA when they actually aren’t. That’s like using the USDA logo on food without permission. APEX wheels get officially tested and registered by the VIA in Japan, and we have the proof to back it up.

JWL AND BEYOND
Japan’s JWL is a standard for wheel load ratings. Our new forged wheels exceed those ratings by almost 20%. Most manufacturers only meet the minimum, while some even fall below—yet they still claim to be JWL. Always verify load ratings before you buy.

LIFETIME WARRANTY
All our forged wheels come with a lifetime structural warranty and 1 year finish warranty, so you can be confident in your purchase. See here for full terms and conditions.