Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you refer to BRAID wheels as “Proper Wheels”?
• Proper wheels have steel lug seat inserts to prevent wear and ovalization.
• Proper wheels have adequate clearance for a standard lug bolt socket in the bolt holes. No searching for your tiny, funky shaped tool to match your odd-ball lug bolts.
• Proper wheels are hub-centric.
• Proper wheels are built to do a job, not to look pretty.
• Proper wheels, though not indestructible, will fail properly in a crash or incident. That is they will most likely bend on impact rather than shatter into a million pieces. This could be a life saver or just allow you to drive back to the pits or out of a stage.
• Proper wheels are designed for optimal stiffness/strength/weight balance. For example, many of our wheels have a “microwave profile”, developed by finite element analysis, on the inside of the inner rim flange to increase the stiffness and strength in this vulnerable area.
• Proper wheels have great brake clearance designed in.
• Proper wheels have enhanced tire retention features that lessen tire de-beads and slip on the wheel.
• Proper wheels are built to customer specs so you get the exact wheel you want not the wheel we need to get off our shelves.
• Proper wheels are replaceable down the road. They don’t go out of fashion after a couple of years and become NLA.
Do you have any wheels for my _____?
Yes. Well, almost always. Because we build most of our wheels just for you we can build a wheel to fit almost anything. The only things we don’t really have a wheel for are NASCARs and duellies.
Do your wheels come with center caps?
Yes and no. Because BRAID wheels are conceived for competition their default is “no center caps”. In fact, with a few exceptions, they were never designed to accept caps. However, they can be accommodated on most wheels if you order with your wheels here..
Where are BRAID wheels made?
They are made in a small town outside of Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, the most industrial and productive region in Spain. Catalonia is the home to the F1 track known as the Circuit De Catalunya, the Spanish round of the World Rally Championship and also SEAT Motors owned by VW. In fact, 1 out of every 4 vehicles manufactured in Spain is produced in Catalonia, making it Spain’s most significant automotive manufacturing center. With more than 10,600 automotive companies it’s practically the Motor City of Spain. If you drive from Barcelona to the BRAID factory you drive right by Seat Sport who work very closely with BRAID.
How do I know what to order?
Wheels are basically simple tire holders but they are also very complex, integrated components of any high performance automobile. If you are at all unsure about what fits you needs please feel free to contact us or one of our expert dealers who can assist you with the selection process and specifications.
How/where do I order them?
We have built a large network of dedicated and specialize dealers to facilitate the buying process.
Can I buy them direct?
If you prefer to or don’t find a dealer who can help you to your satisfaction, then yes.
How long do my wheels take to show up?
Some wheels can be built to your specs and delivered to your door in less than a week! We have even delivered wheels to race hotels so our customers wouldn’t have to miss an event. Some less common wheels may take up to 8 weeks to produce but the majority of our wheels will arrive around 3-5 weeks after placing your order. Anything from stock will be shipped out next day whenever possible.
How do you ship?
We use UPS almost exclusively. Wheels drop shipped from the factory go by UPS 3-day air but in many cases that only takes 2 days. We also bring in ocean freight stock orders about every quarter. If you have a large enough lead time for your order you can add it to one of these then pay US domestic ground rates for the final delivery. Wheels shipped from our US inventory ship UPS Ground unless required sooner or USPS if shipped to Canada as they often have better pricing. Of course, we will try to ship wheels any way you want, even by pack mule if necessary! If you are local you can pick up in stock wheels from our Michigan warehouse or we may be able to deliver to your home, place of business or event.
What about import duties?
No, not on US shipments. All import duties, taxes, brokerage fees and paperwork etc. are taken care of by us. All you see is a man or woman in brown shorts with some big boxes. Shipments delivered outside of the US are subject to any local taxes and/or brokerage fees for which the recipient is responsible.
Will you supply a lower value invoice for export orders?
Though we do understand why you would ask it is our company policy never to misrepresent commercial data or anything we do. We try to do everything by the book and to the letter of the law as our reputation is means everything to us. I'm sure you understand.
Do you have wheels in stock?
Some. We typically stock Subaru gravel rally wheels and certain sizes of Porsche classic wheels (BZ) as these are very popular and the specifications are somewhat standardized. We also have a small selection of returns or mis-ordered wheels in stock so it might be worth asking.
Do you ship overseas?
Yes. We ship worldwide. Typically international orders are drop shipped from Europe.
Can I return my product?
Of course. Provided it is in as new condition in it’s original packaging and not too “custom” or old.
What’s the warranty on BRAID wheels?
As these are competition wheels there is no warranty on them. We will, however, do everything in our power to keep our customers happy so if you have any issue with the wheels do let us know and we will do whatever we can to resolve it.
If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us.