Say No to Fake Wheels...It Could Save Your Life

[370Ztune]

Hey guys, Weds just posted up this video that demonstrates yet another reason to say "no" to knock-off wheels.




As you can see, the real Weds wheel stood up to the stress test without major damage, while the fake was obliterated. Of course, some might consider the test to be a bit exaggerated as far as what kind of impact the wheel might see, but it does show the difference in quality and durability between the real and the fake.

As always, support innovation and quality by buying real products! It may even save you butt!!

-Kris

[Waiz]

Wow!

Good find, Volk and BBS should do same.

[kenchan]

yep, cheezo's like XXR's literally shatter vs bending upon impact from big enough pot holes. it's almost like they're made out of glass.

[saber]

What you get with some name brands is a very rigorous quality control. Forging or casting, buying wheels from Volk, Weds, etc. will ensure that the process has been inspected, is controllable, and is relatively defect free. The issue about "fake" wheels is that the quality control process present in the name brands sometimes isn't there. The wheels shatter because the casting process itself can lead to very weak wheels if done improperly. The material properties bear that out.

That, and stealing the IP of another company is just....ugh.

With that said, I'm just curious what 370ztune defines as 'Real Wheels'. I assume this is just a point against Varrstoen, Rota, and other knock-offs?

[cheshirecat]

You takes a risk.

[TypeOne]

Spreading around the web like wild fire... I've seen this video a few times already today.

[370Ztune]

Originally Posted by saber

What you get with some name brands is a very rigorous quality control. Forging or casting, buying wheels from Volk, Weds, etc. will ensure that the process has been inspected, is controllable, and is relatively defect free. The issue about "fake" wheels is that the quality control process present in the name brands sometimes isn't there. The wheels shatter because the casting process itself can lead to very weak wheels if done improperly. The material properties bear that out.

That, and stealing the IP of another company is just....ugh.

With that said, I'm just curious what 370ztune defines as 'Real Wheels'. I assume this is just a point against Varrstoen, Rota, and other knock-offs?

Haha, you could say that. Yes, we do define "knock-offs" as any design that's copied from another manufacturer, and strongly discourage the purchase of these products.

[Jordo!]

What's next, a documentary on how Slick 50 protects pistons, demonstrated by placing them next to a belt sander?

[SoCal 370Z]

I don't understand why Phelan was given the voiceover for this video?

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by SoCal 370Z

I don't understand why Phelan was given the voiceover for this video?

because he's a fake japanese?

[SoCal 370Z]

Originally Posted by kenchan

because he's a fake japanese?

Dammit...I knew it!!!

[kenchan]

btw, if you guys are looking to buy wheels made in japan, buy them very soon.... i have a feeling after most companies sell off their stock from FY2010, prices will jump up significantly. most japanese companies end their fiscal year in march, starts fresh 4/1.

ive already seen several musical instruments this month just pop up in price overnight by as much as 12-15%. hahaha. i laugh because i knew this was coming and already bought my wheels for this year.

[Jordo!]

1. Claiming that buying a certain manufacturer's wheels could "save your life" is insulting -- it's a scare tactic.

Show me any evidence of a correlation between any particular brand of wheel and accidents or death.


2. "Knock off" is misleading. There are about half a dozen identical or nearly identical "mesh" wheels floating around by different sponsors on here, and they all appear to be of similar quality (e.g., similar weight, development methods, forged), though they are sold under different names. Who's copying whom?


3. The irony is, there are really only about a dozen or so different wheel styles anyway. They're wheels -- not rare pieces of art.


Sorry, but this kind of advertising turns me away as a consumer.

What I care about: how is it manufactured, what will it cost relative to similar other wheels (see point #3) and what do they weigh?

As to quality control, show me evidence of that. Show me the company policy of how many wheels get pulled off the assembly line at random and tested before the whole batch gets boxed up and sent off? No one here has that info, and if they do, by all means, show me that not this "save your life" video.

Is it the same for Volk and SSR? What about Weds? How much does it matter? What's the industry standard? Is there one?

As to the maufacturing process, the major advantage of forging is that -- in theory -- you can make an equally strong wheel at a lower weight than a similarly desgined cast wheel.

If weight is irrelevant, and it's all about bling, then just buy what you want/can afford. The odds of the wheel simply failing in normal or even track driving is incredilby unlikely.

Likewise, smash a curb hard enough -- you'll damage a forged wheel too, "real" or "fake".

Guess that's why many racing teams and autoxers like Rotas -- another "knock off" wheel company. They can get what they want at a competitive price.

That I can respond to -- not scare tactics.

[shadoquad]

I'm kind of split on this myself. While I agree that original rims are better built in general than most of the copycats, I also don't feel that the video really backed up its claim that a well-constructed wheel will be a life saver, rather than a resilient product.

[Jordo!]

Originally Posted by shadoquad

I'm kind of split on this myself. While I agree that original rims are better built in general than most of the copycats, I also don't feel that the video really backed up its claim that a well-constructed wheel will be a life saver, rather than a resilient product.

Exactly.

They rattled off some sort of standard that identifies the testing procedure, but I really have no idea what the Weds failure rate is by comparison (I doubt it's 0%) or know whether it even really matters.

Basically, they showed one of their wheels surviving this test (which may or may not matter) and one competitor's wheel failing (which may or may not matter). That's marketing, not science.

I think its awesome that Weds wheels may be a little stronger -- does that justify the cost difference or give them the ability to claim it will "save my life"? Beats me.

But the fact they presented it as a life saving issue is really, really, insulting.