TSW Wheels Review: Are They Good or Are They Reps?
As far as wheels go, there’s no way that anyone who has spent any time in the car world hasn’t heard of TSW.
They have been around forever, and you are likely to see their wheels at any car event you attend, even to this day. In fact, even my first set of wheels were TSW Rocket 4s, about 15 years ago.
However, who exactly are TSW and just how good are their wheels?
In this post, I will give you everything you need to know.
A Bit Of History On TSW
Who Founded TSW Wheels?
TSW was founded in the 1960s by Eddie Keizan, a Formula One racing driver from South Africa.
What Does TSW Stand For?
TSW stands for Tiger Sport Wheels, the original name that TSW operated under.
About the Company
TSW was originally based in South Africa and had a small manufacturing facility and retail stores. In the 1980s, they went public which allowed them to begin rapid expansion.
They began supplying almost every major car manufacturer with wheels, and they bought ATS Wheels in Germany which allowed them to establish manufacturing in Germany, Poland and America.
In 2001 they split the OEM manufacturing and aftermarket wheel brands and sold the American aftermarket operations to former business partner Terence Scheckter, and the European aftermarket was sold to Yokohama Tire of South Africa. The OEM production continued under the Tiger Wheel and ATS Brands, while the aftermarket brands went with TSW.
Over the next 10 years TSW launched a ton of wheel brands under its umbrella including Beyern BMW Wheels, Black Rhino, Genius Smart Car Wheels, Cray Corvette Wheels, Coventry Jaguar Wheels, Petrol Wheels and more.
In 2011, TSW America bought the European aftermarket business as well as the Asian brand back off Yokohama Tire.
In 2017, TSW bought Good Roads, a custom wheel and tire manufacturer and distributor based in Florida, and in the process acquired a number of other wheel brands including Ruff Wheels, Status Alloys and XO Luxury.
Since 2016, TSW has also expanded from one distribution center in California to 8 centers across the country, allowing them to ship wheels within 1-2 days to almost all parts of America.
In 2020, TSW introduced a new wheel brand for Teslas and electric cars called Ohm Wheels.
Needless to day, TSW are one of the major players when it comes to OEM and aftermarket wheels, owning a large chunk of the wheel brands out there.
TSW have also been active in motorsport since the beginning, sponsoring a wide range of teams as well as supplying wheels, including to DTM under the ATS brand and even having their own ATS Formula One team for a period in the 70s.
Now let’s a take a look into their wheels.
About TSW Wheels
TSW make an absolutely enormous range of wheels, and not only that, but each wheel comes in up to 83 different size and configuration options, making them suitable for an incredibly wide range of cars.
TSW have made literally thousands of wheel designs over the years, many of which have since been discontinued, but they still offer a huge range and are always releasing new designs.
They specialise in making monoblock (one-piece) wheels, and don’t offer any multi-piece designs, even though some of their designs are made to look like multi-piece wheels with fake bolts.
This is because TSW make their wheels for the wider market and cater to the low to mid budget segment, which means their wheels are affordable but not customizable or the highest performance. You won’t find any custom made forged options here.
How Are TSW Wheels Made?
All TSW wheels are either cast or flow formed wheels, which they call “rotary forged”.
TSW Cast Wheels
The majority of TSW wheels are made using casting, which is a process where molten alloy is poured into a mold in the shape of the wheel to make it.
Cast wheels are the easiest and cheapest to make but they are also the lowest quality. When it comes to TSW cast wheels, they are decent for street use, and many people use them with no problems. However, I probably wouldn’t trust the cast wheels for regular use on the track.
TSW Rotary Forged Wheels
Since 2011, TSW has started making some of their wheels using flow forming, or as they call it “rotary forging”.
The process involves the face of the wheel being cast, with excess material on the back side to form the barrel.
The wheel is then put in a machine and spun at high speeds, while heat is applied to the outside. Rollers apply pressure to the excess material on the back and form it into the barrel.
This process results in a much stronger structure of the metal, which makes for significantly stronger and lighter wheels when compared to regular casting.
TSW flow formed, or “rotary forged” wheels are known to be good quality and are sufficient for track use.
Do TSW Make Forged Wheels?
TSW does not make any forged wheels under the TSW brand name, but they do make some forged models under some of their other brands such as Cray Corvette Wheels and Black Rhino.
Where Are TSW Wheels Manufactured?
TSW wheels are manufactured in China, but they are made to the strict quality control standards of TSW.
Do TSW Make Replica Wheels?
TSW don’t make rep wheels and I wouldn’t consider them a rep or “fake” wheel brand. While some of their designs will be similar to other wheel brand designs, and they do have some “fake splits”, TSW have been around a long time and make hundreds of unique wheel designs.
Popular TSW Wheel Models
Here are some of the most popular TSW wheel models:
Bathurst
Chicane
Donington
Max
Mechanica
Nurburgring
Sebring
Snetterton
Sochi (Discontinued)
Sprint
Valencia
Vale
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Conclusion – Are TSW Wheels Good?
TSW is a reputable wheel brand who have been around decades and have made thousands of wheels designs used by people all over the world.
While I wouldn’t say that they make the absolute best wheels on the market in terms of performance or durability, their wheels are good quality and on par with other mid-level wheels, with their flow form wheels being similar to brands such as Enkei or Konig.
As far as their cast wheels go they are a decent choice for street use, but if you are planning to do regular track driving I would recommend going with one of their flow formed, or “rotary forged” models.
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FAQ About TSW Wheels
Are TSW Wheels Good?
Yes, TSW a good wheels. TSW make wheels for many OEM car manufacturers as well as a wide range of aftermarket wheels that have proven to be decent quality.
Are TSW Wheels Reps?
No, TSW wheels are not reps. TSW make unique wheel designs for all their wheels.
Is TSW a Good Wheel Brand?
Yes, TSW is a good wheel brand. TSW have been around for about 60 years and produce some very popular and good quality wheels including many OEM wheels.
Are TSW Real Wheels?
Yes, TSW wheels are “real” wheels, in the sense that TSW only make their own wheel designs and do not directly copy other brand’s wheels.
Are TSW Valencia Wheels All Forged?
No, none of TSW’s wheels are forged, and the TSW Valencia wheels are made using regular casting.
Are TSW Wheels Cast or Forged?
TSW does not make any forged wheels under the TSW brand. All TSW wheels are either cast or flow formed (what they call “rotary forged”), which is where the wheel face is cast and then the barrel is made by rollers which apply pressure to the wheel to form the barrel while it is spun at high speed and heat is applied. However, this is not the same as true forging.
Are TSW Wheels Hub Centric?
Yes, TSW wheels are hub centric and are made for each specific vehicle to fit the right hub size.
Are TSW Wheels Knock Offs?
No, none of TSW’s wheels are knock offs. TSW only make unique and original wheel designs.
Are TSW Wheels Made in China?
Yes, TSW wheels are made in China, but they are made to high quality control standards.
How Much Do TSW Wheels Weigh?
The weight of TSW wheels will vary greatly between models and if the wheel is cast or flow formed, but some of the lightest flow formed TSW wheels weigh as low as 17 lb (7.7 kg).
How Much Do TSW Sochi Wheels Weigh?
The weight of the wheels will depend a lot on the size, however TSW Sochi wheels weigh around 29 lb (13 kg).
What Wheel Spacers Work With TSW Wheels?
Any wheel spacers should work fine with TSW wheels. Just make sure to get the correct centerbore and PCD for your car and wheels and you should be good to go.
Who Makes TSW Wheels?
TSW make all of their own wheels.
Who Owns TSW Wheels?
Currently Wheel Pros, LLC owns TSW Wheels.
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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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