YearOne vs OER Snowflake Wheels
 

I seem to be coming across two different manufacturers of reproduction 15x8 gold snowflake wheels: YearOne and OER. YearOne claims a backspacing of 4.5" (0 offset), while OER claims 4.25" (-6mm offset). It's really difficult to tell which ones some resellers carry. Ames doesn't mention brand, but they claim theirs have a 4.25" backspacing, so I assume they're OER. Summit clearly lists theirs as OER. Jegs clearly lists theirs as YearOne. Other sellers don't always list the specs or the manufacturer.

From what I can tell, the OERs cost like $100 less (on average) for a set of 4.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these reproductions? Is there a preference? I'm more inclined to trust Ames' judgment when it comes to part quality, so if they chose OER as their supplier, then that's likely what I'd buy. But I'd love to hear about other people's experiences.

I think they are ALL Year Ones china imports....and don't ever believe anything that you read...in an OER or Classic Industries catalog..

I don't like that many shops don't even list brands, or give their own number to make it look like they had some part in it. It makes it hard to compare prices or quality parts. I've cancelled more sales from not knowing than from trying to save a dollar and go elsewhere. The brands also seem to depend on what is in stock due to production runs and if 15 or 17 diameter, some sellers have have both brands as a result because it's all that is available in that diameter. Based on photos and no comparison of both, it appears the OER Gold is much more pale than the YO Gold. It would be good to see them both. YO also uses the tapered acorn lugnut, OER uses correct snowflake lugnut. Would like to hear if this has changed or not correct, only based on ad listings and stock photos. I don't think there is any question in where the rims are coming from. It would be interesting to see how much they actually differ though between the 2 brands. Often the main casting is onsold to different companies to put their own brand on, with minor or no changes. It could well mean the OER wheels with stock offset and lugnuts, are just 1st Production YO, or same as.

Thanks! That's helpful. I ordered a set of OERs from Summit, they had the best price by far. I also kinda like the fact that they have an extra 1/4" of poke. They supposedly won't ship until the end of the month. I have original 15x7 gold snowflakes that are in like-new condition, so it'll be interesting to compare them

all the 15x8 & 17" snowflake repros use the standard snowflake lug nuts, i wasnt aware any repro snowflakes ever used the acorn nut from the beginning of their availability, but i could be wrong. all pics & info on the YO & OER snowflakes ive seen show & state they use the standard snowflake nuts.

keep your fingers crossed on that ship date, i had a friend try & buy some of the 15x8s recently & they were back ordered everywhere he looked with a ship date that kept getting moved out, took almost a year to get them. with the current supply situations the ship date could get delayed a few times. however, jegs says the YO wheels would ship monday if purchased now so maybe hopefully supply on these isnt an issue.

That brings up a question, are there similar-appearing lug nuts in a M12-1.5 thread? I'm gonna need those for the front wheels.

As mentioned, first run of Year One 17" used standard lugnuts. After that, nooope.

Stock pic clearly shows tapered seat machined in.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/gearbox-yea.../sfw179blk.png

"Must be used with the following Lug nuts. MRG1440 for standard 7/16 -20 thread." -R17

https://www.yearone.com/Product/wheels/mrg1440

Whereas original type only for factory or 15" YO, so good to know their 15" is still the same, just the 17"s then.

https://www.yearone.com/Product/wheels/qj39s

"These lug nuts are only used with FACTORY 15" Wheels and YEARONE 15" Repro wheels."

sorry for any confusion, i was mistaken on the current 17" lug nuts, but the current ad at YO for the 17" do clearly show the standard lug opening in the pic but then note they use the acorn lug nuts...

https://www.yearone.com/Product/1967...2s#prettyPhoto

but being this thread is about the 15" wheels & your comment on lugnuts didnt differentiate between 17 or 15", it just said "YO uses acorn & OER uses standard snowflake lug", i just wanted to clarify that all 15" repros use the non acorn lug nut.

Gee and here I thought all GM stock wheels used acorn nutz. Even my '11 CTS.

Aah I see how it's my mistake suggesting they may not be all the same.

Are many variations just the wheels all have acorn (60 degree) seats. That is just the shape of the bottom of the lug nut. Are also some extended shaft acorn nuts for use with shims. Strictly speaking some GM wheels (mostly alloy) have bulge acorn seats. See here.

No, 77-81 snowflakes and the 79-81 turbo wheels were specific with their lugnuts. Some repros match this, some don't. Best to check first.

I have some of the 15x8 repops and pretty sure they match up offset to my factory ones I will check tomorrow when I go to the shop.

The first run of YO 17" have a similar offset but being wider more backspace. Also they have too big of a hub pilot which is an issue locating the wheel sine they use the factory .50 lugnut hole but the lug nuts are maybe .710. They flat part of the lug nut hole is a little tighter than factory but still not sure they are close enough to locate correctly. I had custom hubnetric rings made I think 2.870x 2.785. Factory pilot is 2.78 so I wonder if someone flipped the digits when they made them. The repop 15s are factory sized.

Yah, seems the 15x8 have been kept in factory specs all along, which is good but interesting. I was mainly referring to the 17's but thought I'd read that the 15's had changed the same, good to know. Both the OER and YO 17x9 have the changes. They also share some of the stock photos, although that could be the vendor as well, since half show a combination of lugnut machining seats in their pics, showing it's a 10yr-old pic, or not their item at all, depending on brand.

Did someone have one of each brand in gold to compare colours? I remember someone had a YO 15x8 but just picked up the OER 17x9, maybe another site.

As for Goremaker, you changed front brakes and ended up with the metric studs? I'm not aware of a lugnut that fits, haven't looked but many others have done your swap that could comment. It's a situation where you may have preferred the tapered seat. Or offered the 2 options when produced, along with factory bore.

KORE3 billet front hubs on large-bearing 12" rotor spindles. The only stud options KORE3 offers are 1/2-20 or M12-1.5, no 7/16" available

My 17" OERs have Year One cast on the back!

They have metric lugnuts for snowflakes. Probably just drilled and tapped them. I left the metrics in the front rotors of the 1LE I put on the 81 TA. -also had Dutchman drill the rear axles for 7/16 and metric in case having two different sizes bug me in the future!

Thanks for confirming they are the same casting as always thought. I bet they don't show that it the ads. Or they blur it out like they do on items that say another brand or Taiwan. It's false advertising for a start, worse when they purposely try to mislead.

Well mine apparently just shipped, so I should find out within a week!

Going to need pics regardless, it's the law.

Received them today!

They're very good quality wheels, the finish is beautiful and the casting and machining is top notch. No complaints there. These have OER cast into the back:

https://i.ibb.co/c678zjS/IMG-20211130-201645.jpg

As for being reproductions, they kinda fail there. The gold is MUCH too light compared to the originals.:

https://i.ibb.co/1TdRqRD/IMG-20211130-201407.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/wzg3sCQ/IMG-20211130-201541.jpg

The texture of the painted surface is much more coarse on the originals, and finer on the reproductions:

https://i.ibb.co/P99rg7V/IMG-20211130-201752.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/9ZTCjw6/IMG-20211130-201740.jpg

The spokes don't have nearly as much depth, either:

https://i.ibb.co/mqw92K8/IMG-20211130-201928.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/f9KZLMP/IMG-20211130-201918.jpg

At first I thought that might be a difference between 15x7 and 15x8 wheels, but photos of WS6 cars on the Internet seem to confirm that the spokes on these reproductions are a fair bit less deep. This means there's less gold-painted surface. It probably helps with weight a fair bit, and possibly with caliper fitment.

The 15x7 wheels seem to have a dish in the middle, whereas the 15x8 wheels don't, but I'm pretty sure that's true of the originals and not a quirk of these reproductions.

Considering what I paid for these ($695 shipped through Summit), I'm really happy. I wish the gold paint was a better match, but other than that they should look great on my car.