APEX Flow Formed Wheels Overview

If you have a sports car, and are looking for the best fitment, best value wheel….then APEX Wheels are your choice.  Started in 2009, APEX entered the market with a bang, bringing all the right pieces together to meet the needs of both the ENTHUSIAST customer as well as the TRACK customer.  They produced a light weight flow formed wheel (offering close to the benefits of a forged wheel – light weight and strength), and yet, at a great value / price.  They also spent a lot of time in the design and fitment process, to produce a set of wheels that optimizes the stock fender well spacing to allow you to stuff the biggest, widest wheel / tire combination possible, with great looks.

The APEX “flow formed” wheel line is produced using the Flow-Forming manufacturing process. Flow-Forming, which has also been called “Roll Forging” or “Spin Forging”, produces a barrel with similar strength to that of a fully forged wheel. This significantly reduces weight in the most significant part of the wheel, as it has the greatest impact on rotational mass. Even with key strength improvements that add weight in select areas, static weights are reduced by 20% on average versus cast alternatives.

Flow Form Features:

  • Designed as a direct fitment for Audi, BMW, Porsche, Corvette, VW and many other applications
  • Factory fitment
  • TPMS sensors compatible
  • Works with factory lug bolts or stud conversion kits
  • Accepts OEM roundel center caps
  • Wheels are JWL and VIA certified
  • Maximum wheel/tire width with model specific fitments

APEX FLOW FORM WHEEL LINE: (ARC-8, EC-7, VS-5, SM-10, FL-5)

APEX ARC-8 FLOW FORM WHEELS

The ARC-8 design was first released in 2009, and originally only available in 17” and 18” diameters. Now, APEX has expanded the product line, and has made available 19” sizes. The straight spoke mesh design allowed for a strong and light-weight wheel that quickly became popular among racers and street enthusiasts alike for its deep spoke concavity.

Specific Features for the ARC-8

  • 17” wheels have clearance for up to 355mm BBKs in many applications
  • 18” wheels have clearance for up to 380mm BBKs in many applications
  • Designed for spacers fitment for most applications
  • Maximum wheel/tire width with model specific fitments
  • 17” reduces the investment for track wheels and tires
  • Load is more evenly distributed to reduce stress and enhance durability

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ARC-8 WHEEL:

  • Diameter: 17”, 18” & 19″
  • Width: 8” – 10.5″
  • Weight: 17 – 23lbs

Available in 3 Finishes:

  • Race Silver
  • Anthracite
  • Motorsport Gold
  • Satin Black
  • Satin Bronze

 

APEX EC-7 FLOW FORM WHEELS

Originally designed as an endurance type race wheel, the EC-7 styling has become extremely popular in performance street applications on all BMW models. Wide widths and specialized offsets make sure these wheels are still a big step up in tire width and performance, and not just an aesthetic upgrade. The sizes have been tweaked to further enhance functionality and appearance over their race oriented counterparts. The center pad depth has been increased on all sizes to further accentuate spoke concavity.  Inner lips were thickened to increase strength and better handle the abuse from low profile and stretched tire applications. These wheels include a newly designed black center cap made from a more heat-resitant material for increased durability in track environment.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE EC-7 WHEEL

  • Diameter: 18” & 19″
  • Width: 8.5” – 11″
  • Offset: varies
  • Weight: 20 – 24lbs

Available in 3 Finishes:

  • Hyper Silver
  • Anthracite
  • Satin Black
  • Satin Bronze

APEX VS-5 FLOW FORM WHEELS

The VS-5 brings the aggressive look of our iconic forged VS-5RS to a flow-formed wheel. At a fraction of the price of its forged sibling, VS-5 punches well above its weight and maximizes the performance potential of a flow-formed wheel. With nearly two decades of experience perfecting track-ready flow-formed wheels, we engineered the VS-5 to deliver Real Performance at an unbeatable value.

With a strength-to-weight ratio and features typically reserved for forged wheels, the VS-5 pushes the boundaries of flow-formed manufacturing to the max. Weighing only ~2-2.5 lbs more than its forged sibling, the VS-5 isn’t just a top tier option in the flow-formed space, it’s a wheel we consider the last step in performance before leveling up to a forged design.

A critical part of VS-5’s remarkable weight-savings, side-milled spokes also help with its stunning looks. The VS-5 features advanced side-milled spokes that have any excess material that doesn’t add strength removed from the sides of the spokes via precision CNC ball cutter. This process is often deemed cost-prohibitive by others, but for performance without compromise, we believe it’s essential.

The inner lip is the most vulnerable part of a wheel because it has no spokes for support. Our flow-formed Evolution Line adds more material to this vulnerable area as an added layer of protection against impact from  track berms, potholes, and whatever else the road may throw at you.

We use the deepest concave face profiles we can for every application. The VS-5 utilizes 3 unique profiles to deliver the deepest concave face possible, helping to reduce weight and provide a stunningly aggressive appearance, while factoring in critical clearances like brake calipers.

Big brakes often require bigger, heavier, more expensive wheels, which aren’t ideal for performance. Leveraging our expansive library of 3D brake scans, VS-5’s spoke profiles are specifically designed around critical OE and aftermarket brake calipers. Additionally, Apex flow-formed wheels are designed with a unique 0-degree draft barrel for maximum caliper barrel clearance.

Track wheels require track tools. Don’t settle for wheels that require undersized tuner lugs or thin walled sockets. All Apex wheels accommodate over-sized race lugs and impact sockets to make swapping wheels lightning fast. (32mm socket clearance)

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE VS-5 WHEEL:

  • Diameter: 17”, 18” & 19″
  • Width: 8” – 10.5″
  • Weight: 17 – 23lbs

Available in 4 Finishes:

  • Race Silver
  • Anthracite
  • Hyper Black
  • Satin Black

 

APEX SM-10 Flow Form Wheels

The APEX SM-10 was designed was based on customer feedback for lighter, stronger, and optimized fitment to allow for the largest tires possible for all cars.

I-BEAM SPOKES

This is the most significant new feature they’ve added. Weight is reduced by CNC machining material out from the sides of each spoke. It’s expensive and avoided by almost every manufacturer, but they’ve made it affordable through volume production.

LARGER WHEEL LIPS

By saving weight elsewhere, they’ve added extra material where it counts. They beefed up the barrel’s inner lip to better handle the abuse from the street and track.

OEM WHEEL INTEGRATION

Like all their APEX wheels, The SM-10 supports all OEM hardware like OEM Roundel center caps, wheel lugs, valve stems, and TPMS sensors. No centering rings are needed either.

CONCAVITY

Multiple face profiles are utilized to maximize spoke concavity and reduce weight on the SM-10 design. To maintain their great brake clearance, the profiles and spoke curvature of this wheel is just like their EC-7 design.

FEA OPTIMIZATION

They took more time than ever before on this step, revising and iterating their design to reduce weight as much as possible. After countless iterations they removed material from the sides of the spokes in a way that allowed them to increase strength over their previous designs.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SM-10 WHEEL

  • Diameter: 17″, 18″, 19″
  • Width: 8.5″ – 11″
  • Offset: varies
  • Weight: 18lbs

Available in 3 Finishes;

  • Race Silver
  • Anthracite
  • Satin Black

 

APEX FL-5 FLOW FORM WHEELS

The APEX FL-5 was designed was based on customer feedback for lighter, stronger, and optimized fitment to allow for the largest tires possible for all cars, and to have an exterior outer lip.

I-BEAM SPOKES

This is the most significant new feature they’ve added. Weight is reduced by CNC machining material out from the sides of each spoke. It’s expensive and avoided by almost every manufacturer, but they’ve made it affordable through volume production.

LARGER WHEEL LIPS

By saving weight elsewhere, they’ve added extra material where it counts. They beefed up the barrel’s inner lip to better handle the abuse from the street and track.

DUAL FLOW-FORMED

The FL-5 is their only design with a front lip, and it’s also their only wheel that features the use of rotary forging for both the front and rear barrels. They did this because we needed to produce the strongest front lip possible, and they can optimize the depth of the front lip for every unique width and offset when they use this more advanced production method.

FACTORY SUPPORT

Like all their APEX wheels, The FL-5 supports all OEM hardware like OEM Roundel center caps, wheel lugs, valve stems, and TPMS sensors. No centering rings are needed either.

CONCAVITY

Multiple face profiles are utilized to maximize spoke concavity and reduce weight on the FL-5 design. To maintain their great brake clearance the profiles and spoke curvature of this wheel is just like our EC-7 design.

FEA OPTIMIZATION

They took more time than ever before on this step, revising and iterating their design to reduce weight as much as possible. After countless iterations they removed material from the sides of the spokes in a way that allowed them to increase strength over our previous designs.

ALWAYS FLOW FORMED

All APEX wheels feature Flow-Formed construction that utilizes rotary forging to produce a strong and lightweight barrel. The FL-5 is no exception.

TRUE JIA & JWL CERTIFICATION

You won’t find tricky terminology to cover up a lack of testing here. We always do real world crush testing and get real certificates from the Japanese Government again to prove it, just like They’ve always done.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE FL-5 WHEEL

  • Diameter: 18″
  • Width: 8.5″ – 10.5″
  • Offset: varies
  • Weight: 18lbs

Available in 3 Finishes;

  • Hyper Silver
  • Anthracite
  • Satin Black

BRracing – when you’re looking for the BEST.