Expertise

BBS is synonymous with high-quality wheels. But what makes BBS the best is not just what you see on the surface, it's what you don't see that makes our wheels the most sought-after and respected in the world. Building wheels that are lighter and stronger requires a higher level of engineering, better manufacturing technologies, and a well-trained production staff.

Here are some of the technologies from BBS...

BBS Forged Wheels

In the past several years, the word "forged" has become quite a popular in the aftermarket wheel industry, however not all forged wheels are created equally, just as not all cast wheels are the same.

When the goal is ultimate performance, a forged wheel from BBS is the answer...

BBS has been offering forged aluminum wheels in the aftermarket since 1983. Our special multi-stage Die-Forging process can require up to 18 million pounds of pressure. Starting from a billet of 6,000 Series Aluminum, or a special Magnesium alloy, every stage of production is optimized to help create the best forged wheel in the industry.

BBS forged wheels have style and substance.

Light weight wheels deliver better performance, but lighter wheels - without compromised reliability - are not as easily achieved as many companies would have you believe. The aftermarket wheel industry has been flooded with products promising light weightâ€”however they are not always strong enough to survive in the real world. BBS forged wheels are not only light, they've been designed to optimize the stiffness to weight ratio while providing the safety and long term durability you expect from BBS.

BBS Flow-Forming Process

Every technology has a limit. Cast aluminum wheels were a big improvement over the steel wheels, however when it comes to performance, there are other technologies like flow-forming or forging that surpass a standard cast wheel. These higher level technologies will allow a reduction in weight (while maintaining the stiffness and durability) that will improve vehicle performance.

Current BBS aftermarket designs that benefit from the "Flow Forming" process are CH, CH-R, CX-R and SV. BBS supplies cast flow-formed wheels for many high performance OEM manufacturers including: BMW, Audi, Ferrari and Porsche. Also, some factory racing programs from BMW, Ferrari and Ford have selected a BBS cast flow-formed product specifically for track use.

Explanation

"Flow Forming" is a procedure that uses 3 hydraulic rollers and tremendous pressure to "Form" the inner rim area. Through this process, 3 hydraulic rollers force the cast material to conform to the profile of the massive steel tooling. During the process, the full width of the rim is created.

BBS Flow-Forming Stages

Benefit

The pressure used in this process actually changes the mechanical properties of the cast rim area to have strength, stiffness and impact values closer to that of a forged rim. "Flow Forming" also helps reduce the weight up to 15% when compared to a standard cast wheel. The overall "Stiffness to Weight Ratio" is very good and can deliver a very high level of performance at a cost that is much lower than a forged wheel.

Stainless Steel Rim Protector

With our patented rim protector made of polished stainless steel, you can permanently safeguard the high-quality look of your wheels. Should damage occur, the rim protector is available as a replaceable spare part and can be exchanged quickly and easily without having to replace the entire rim or remove the tire.

Back-Milled Spokes

Milling the spokes allows BBS to hit just the right balance between wheel weight and stability. Using a special multi-axis CNC milling process, the area of the spokes that do not contribute to its stability can be removed. Before destructive testing is done in our test facility, a computer simulation of the wheel type is subjected to several test cycles using different spoke configurations to already ensure the correct balance is achieved during the construction phase. This technology was first used on our Formula 1 wheels and now we use this special machining operation to improve the performance of many road wheels like the LM-R, CH-R, CX-R and the ultra-exclusive forged aluminum "FI" wheels.