Components / Wheel Lips & Barrels
Wheel Lips and Barrels: Custom & Replacement Rim Halves
Wheel lips and barrels are the outer and inner halves of a multi-piece rim — and because a 3-piece wheel is bolted, not welded, they are replacement parts, not reasons to write off a wheel. We make them to your measurements, for our wheels and for multi-piece wheels from BBS, Work, OZ and most other makers. You send five numbers; we send back a drawing; nothing is made until you approve it.
- Designed & inspected in-house
- 60+ CNC at our group's plant
- ISO & IATF 16949 certified plant
- MOQ from 4 pcs
- Worldwide export
What are wheel lips and barrels?
On a multi-piece wheel, the lip is the outer half of the rim — the part you see, the part that sets the visual depth — and the barrel is the inner half, which sets the total width and lives closest to the suspension. On a 3-piece wheel, lip, centre and barrel are three separate parts clamped by a ring of assembly bolts. On a 2-piece wheel, the centre mounts into a one-piece rim section.
That bolted construction is the entire economic argument for this page: the most expensive part of a 3-piece wheel is the forged centre, and it is usually the part that survives. Kerb a lip, bend a barrel on a pothole — the centre stays straight. Replace the damaged half, re-seal, re-assemble, and the wheel is back.
Wheel lips: the outer half
The lip is what people mean when they talk about a "deep dish": the distance from the outer flange to the centre mounting face. Ordering a new lip is how you change a wheel's look without changing the wheel — a deeper lip for stance, a shallower one after a wider-arch build changes the maths, or simply a straight one to replace a kerbed original.
Replacement
Same depth, same bolt pattern as the damaged part. Send the measurements off the old lip and photos of both flange faces.
Restyle
Different depth on the same wheel. Remember total width and offset both move when lip depth changes — say what the car runs and we check it on the drawing.
Finish
Polished is the classic — and ships bare, no clear coat, so it needs sealing and care. Powder coat, brushed, PVD chrome and a carbon fibre overlay are the alternatives — see finishes.
Wheel barrels: the inner half
The barrel does the quiet work: it sets the total width, carries the tyre's inner bead, and takes the pothole hits the lip gets blamed for. Barrels are replaced for the same three reasons lips are — damage, a width change, or a rebuild — plus one of their own: converting a wheel's width for a new car while keeping the centres you paid for.
A barrel order needs one extra number beyond the lip spec: the barrel width itself, measured flange to mounting face. If you are changing width rather than replacing like-for-like, tell us the tyre you plan to run and the car it goes under — inner clearance is decided by the barrel, and we would rather check it on the drawing than hear about it from your fitter.
Which brands can you get lips and barrels for?
These are the multi-piece wheel families we regularly supply for. The honest mechanics of it: compatibility is confirmed from your measurements, not from a brand catalog. Bolt-hole counts and circle diameters vary within a brand's own range and across production years — so every order is checked against your numbers on a drawing before anything is made. If your wheel is a bolted multi-piece design from any maker, including one not listed, send the measurements.
| Wheel family | Lips | Barrels | How compatibility is confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBS (multi-piece) | ✓ | ✓ | Your five measurements → our drawing → your approval → production. Nothing is made from a brand name alone; everything is made from your numbers. |
| Blitz | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CCW | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Nismo | ✓ | ✓ | |
| OZ (multi-piece) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Panasport | ✓ | ✓ | |
| SSR | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Trafficstar | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Weds | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Work | ✓ | ✓ | |
| US-standard bolt patterns | ✓ | ✓ |
BBS, Blitz, CCW, Nismo, OZ, Panasport, SSR, Trafficstar, Weds and Work are trademarks of their respective owners. FLEXIFORGED is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any of these companies; names are used solely to indicate the wheels our components are compatible with.
What measurements do you need?
Five things. All of them come off the wheel you already have, with a tape measure, a caliper and a phone camera.
| # | Measurement | How to take it | Example format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheel diameter | From the wheel's stamping, or measure the bead seat | 18" |
| 2 | Assembly bolt hole count | Count the bolts around the rim | e.g. 32 holes |
| 3 | Bolt circle diameter (BCD) | Centre-to-centre across two directly opposite holes | in mm, to one decimal |
| 4 | Lip depth / barrel width | Flange edge to the mounting face, along the wheel's axis | e.g. 3" lip · 6.5" barrel |
| 5 | Flange photos | Both faces of the mounting flange, straight-on, with a ruler in frame | 2–4 photos |
The same rule as everything we build: your measurements go onto a drawing, and nothing is made until you approve it. A mis-measured BCD caught on paper costs an email — caught at assembly, it costs the part and a month. Unsure how to measure? The fitment guide covers the same centre-to-centre technique for hubs; it works identically on assembly holes.
Where do your lips and barrels actually come from?
From specialist plants — and we say that openly, because it is how this entire industry works. Spinning and rolling a barrel is a different business, with different machines, from machining a forged centre. Our part of the job is the part that decides whether yours fits:
We specify
6061-T6 aluminium, your dimensions, your bolt pattern — fixed on the drawing you approve before anything is made.
We inspect twice
Once by the plant that formed it, once by us before it ships or goes into an assembly. Buying parts in only works if you assume the supplier is wrong until proven otherwise.
We answer for it
One name on the invoice. If a part is wrong, you talk to us — not to a plant you have never heard of.
The full supply-chain map — what we make, what we buy, and why no wheel company does all of it under one roof — is on the About page.
MOQ, lead time and ordering
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| MOQ | Wheels: from 4 pcs — one set. Lips & barrels: single-piece replacement orders accepted — a one-lip repair after one kerb is a real order here. Mixed sizes in one order accepted. Overseas buyer? Read the freight note below first. |
| Material | 6061-T6 aluminium |
| Lead time | Samples 10–15 working days · production 20–30 working days · polished / brushed / two-tone +5 · PVD chrome +15 |
| Finishes | Polished (ships bare — no clear coat) · powder coat · brushed · PVD chrome · carbon fibre lip overlay (decorative) |
| Process | Measurements in → drawing out → your approval → production → inspected twice → shipped |
| Trade terms | EXW / FOB / CIF · HS code 8708.70 · commercial invoice + packing list · worldwide |
Do not ship your damaged part to China. We make replacement parts new, from your measurements — the old lip never needs to travel. A cross-border round trip with freight, customs clearance and duties in both directions costs more than the part itself, which is why our process is measurements in, new part out, one-way. Measure it, photograph it, keep it as the reference until the new one arrives.
The honest economics of a one-piece order: we will make you a single lip. But international freight, customs clearance and duties are charged on the shipment, not on the part — and on one lip they routinely cost more than the lip itself. The same maths is why we cannot usefully take your damaged wheel into China and send it back. So for a one-corner repair, the order that actually works is usually one of these: add the part to another order already heading your way, order through a dealer who consolidates shipments from us, or — if the wheel is a discontinued set — order the pair and keep a spare. We would rather tell you this before you see the freight bill than after.
For wheel builders and shops: if you assemble or rebuild multi-piece wheels commercially, lips and barrels to your recurring specs are exactly the kind of order our quote form segments for — pick "Tuning shop / dealer" and tell us your usual sizes.
Wheel lips & barrels FAQ
What are wheel lips and barrels?
On a multi-piece wheel, the lip is the outer half of the rim and the barrel is the inner half. On a 3-piece wheel, lip, centre and barrel are three separate parts bolted together; on a 2-piece wheel the centre mounts into a one-piece rim section. Because a 3-piece wheel is a bolted assembly, a damaged lip or barrel can be replaced individually instead of writing off the whole wheel.
Can I replace just the lip on a damaged 3-piece wheel?
Yes — that is the point of 3-piece construction, and single-piece orders are accepted: one lip is a real order. If the centre is straight and the assembly holes are undamaged, a kerbed lip is a replacement part. We make it new from your measurements — do not ship the damaged part to China; a cross-border round trip with customs and duties costs more than the part. One honest caveat for overseas buyers: international freight, customs and duties on a single part routinely cost more than the part, so a one-piece order usually makes sense combined with another shipment or placed through a consolidating dealer.
Which wheel brands can you supply lips and barrels for?
We regularly supply for multi-piece wheels from BBS, Blitz, CCW, Nismo, OZ, Panasport, SSR, Trafficstar, Weds and Work, plus US-standard bolt patterns. Compatibility is confirmed from your measurements, not from a brand catalog — if your wheel is a bolted multi-piece design from any maker, send the measurements and we confirm on a drawing first. We are not affiliated with these brands; names indicate compatibility only.
What measurements do you need?
Five things: wheel diameter, assembly bolt hole count, bolt circle diameter measured centre-to-centre across opposite holes, the lip depth or barrel width you want, and clear photos of the mounting flange from both sides. You get a drawing back, and nothing is made until you approve it.
Do you make the lips and barrels yourselves?
No — and we say so openly. Lips and barrels are spun and formed at specialist plants, because rolling a barrel is a different business from machining a forged centre. We write the specification, buy from plants we work with continuously, and inspect every part twice: once by the plant that made it, once by us. Accountability stays with FLEXIFORGED throughout.
What finishes are available?
Polished is the classic lip finish — and ships bare, with no clear coat, so it needs sealing and regular care. Powder coat runs at standard lead time, brushed and polished add about 5 working days, PVD chrome adds about 15, and a carbon fibre lip overlay is available as a decorative option. Details on the finishes page.
How long does an order take?
Samples 10–15 working days; production 20–30 working days; +5 for polished, brushed or two-tone; +15 for PVD chrome. Worldwide shipping on EXW, FOB or CIF under HS code 8708.70 with commercial invoice and packing list.
Five measurements. One drawing. The wheel lives on.
Send diameter, bolt count, BCD, depth and flange photos — for our wheels or anyone else's multi-piece. You approve the drawing before anything is made, every part is inspected twice, and there is one name on the invoice. Full sets or a single replacement lip, worldwide.
FLEXIFORGED — Shapingba District, Chongqing, China · Founded 2017 · jackie.wei@flexiforged.com · +86 178 3048 5180