cast is fine. save yourself some money.

Hawaii has some bad roads all over the island; potholes, construction, steel plates on the road.

as long as youre aware and try to avoid running right into a pothole, you should be fine. drive slower on bumpier roads or you could take alternate routes.

 

Agreed, in Manila we have largely the same conditions.

The only time one of my cast wheels got bent, a few days after Christmas 2008, was not due to any mere pothole. A big truck on the opposite direction of the highway apparently had one of its wheel chocks fall off its bed and snaked its way through my lane...nigh impossible to avoid at 80 km/h/50 mph.

 

heres some very nice forged wheels for only $1200.
SSR Type F Black Painted

and 16's for $1000
SSR Competition Anthracite w/Mach Lip

or you can pick up a set of cast wheels for $500.

 

If the stock wheels are cast and no one seems to worry about their durability. Why would forged wheels be at all necessary? I do have to admit that I really like the look of some of the Volks but the cost is definifitly prohibitive for me. Please correct me if I am wrong on the stock wheels be cast.

 

The forging process allows manufacturers to make lighter wheels that are as strong as a heavier cast one . . . so it's for performance purposes. Assuming a forged wheel is stronger than a cast one is a fallacy . . . less material is used which generally makes the wheel weaker, but the forging makes up for the lack of strength.

Let's not forget, forged vs. cast is only one variable in how strong or light a wheel is. Spoke design and quality control are just as important. It's very possible to have a cast wheel that's as strong and light (or lighter) than a forged one, it's all in how well (or poorly) they've been designed.

 

Or less, I just picked up a set of 15" C10 Rota's for 470$ USD... even including a set of lugs!

I think there is some merit to this; I have seen a few pictures of sliptreams that have been broken now... seems to be the wider blades/spokes of that wheel combined with how light they are even for a cast would contribute to them being prone be break easier under extreme conditions.

I think as long as you pick a cast wheel with more rounded spokes it would provide better strength.

 

Forged wheels are stronger but break rather than bend like cast wheels.Bent can be repaired; broke not.

 

Interesting note there.

So, bar all design and quality control differences, can we assume that there are forged wheels which are not actually "stronger" than cast wheels, but are rather "just as strong but with less weight"?

 

True.
You can always design a cast wheel with better web design or thicker spokes, center, and rim that will outperform a forged wheel with less webs, center, and rim. However, for the same weight and design forged wheels are much stronger than cast. Cast wheels can be repaired much easier than forged wheels (which usually cannot).
One way to compare is to check for the German 'TUV' stamp or the "TMC' stamp on wheels indicating they have passed a rigorous testing standard.
You can pick the lightest wheel for your size vehicle that meets standards. Or lesser cost.
Porosity is a more common problem with cast wheels but defects are virtually eliminated by weighing deviations, niot only entire weight, but section variations, longitudinal and axial.

 

If you buy rota, you might as well buy a extra 1 or 2 wheels cause they will crack or bend or break with time, they are horrible made and I wouldnt want them for free

Seen far too many horror stores with these in my local area :S

Cast or forged, dont matter as long as you buy a quality wheel, Mine are forged on all my cars but Im a baller and like to spend money