Aftermarket Chinese wheels

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Sep 30, 2020
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Canada, eh?
I'm considering a set of aftermarket wheels for my daily driver.
The set I'm considering fits perfectly and needs no centering rings.

The downside is that they are more than likely gravity cast wheels.
I know there are downsides with these wheels in low profile settings where the wheel can crack or have pieces break off if they encounter a curb.

My question is, since I'm looking at a set that are only 15's, and I'll be running a set of 60 or 65 sidewall profile tires (great protection for the wheels).
Should I be concerned with the wheels from a structural integrity perspective?

Alternatively I'd rather go with a set of high performance OZ wheels, but most have been sold out since mid 2020 (thanks Covid!)
 
With that much sidewall I’d say you will be fine. I’ve used this time of wheel for winter sets in much lower profile without any issues for years on my Japanese makes.
 
I bought a set of cheap alloy winter wheels to go with new winter tires. By the time the tires needed replacement so did the wheels. The paint had fallen off in patches and they were becoming corroded. They also wouldn't hold air - had to have a tire taken off every once in a while to clean and lube the mating surface. And it would have cost more to bead blast them and powder coat them than they cost in the first place. So I recycled them.

They were a total waste of money in my opinion.

Better to go with good aftermarket or OEM, even if used.
 
What type of car?

I ran into the same Chinese gravity cast wheel thing when when I was looking for rims for my 2006 mustang back in 2008. I ended up finding a set of take off GT500 rims and tires locally. Watch for take off OEM rims. Even if they aren't 15"......
 
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There is a reason why only TUV approved wheels are street legal here in Germany. And you could ask yourself a question: If the Aftermarket wheels are so High-qualitiy as advertised, why the companys just dont let them test by TUV Germany. ;)

The counter argument would be:

No 1 TUV requirements are excessive for US roads.
No 2 Affordability because public transportation isn't an alternative.
 
Yes, you are right, but i think it would be a good advertising point worldwide: "TUV approved- really save!" (?)
The extra cost for the TUV certifiaction are small for a big company that manufatures hundreds of thousands of wheels every year.

To my surprise, many years ago i saw advertising for brake pads in american motorcycle magazines that stressed in big letters that theses brake pads where tested and approved by TUV Germany.

But yes, maybe i am wrong...
 
The counter argument would be:

No 1 TUV requirements are excessive for US roads.
No 2 Affordability because public transportation isn't an alternative.
Huh?

US roads are very poorly kept in many areas.
Public transit is an irrelevant matter in the case where someone owns a vehicle with functional wheels, and wants to make a change for vanity’s sake.
 
A dealer here is offering oem take off’s for only 100/wheel or 4/375. Hard to beat that deal.
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TUV approval is great, and I would only use TUV approved wheels on my Mercedes.

But, the cost of owning a car in Germany is far higher than it is in the US. Licensing is more strict. Car ownership in Germany is for the middle and upper class, while here it is more affordable and more required across all economic strata.

More stringent regulation, which increases the cost of car ownership, is opposed here by those who advocate for working class people. Gas tax increases, for example, are disproportionately borne by the working class, and are opposed as a result. So it is with safety regulation.

Further, there are both federal and state safety standards and requirements. Inspections for motor vehicle safety falls to the states that license those vehicles. Personally, I think state safety inspections are a good thing, for all users of the public roads, but they’re opposed in many states as being unfair to the working class.

The confusion of a privilege (driving on public roads) with a right. You won’t see stringent TUV like approval requirements in the US as a result of that confusion, the patchwork of regulations and inspections, and the political factors opposing it.
 
Huh?

US roads are very poorly kept in many areas.
Public transit is an irrelevant matter in the case where someone owns a vehicle with functional wheels, and wants to make a change for vanity’s sake.
Poor roads are one thing. Poor roads combined with high speeds are another.
As for public transit comment. My point is that there are people who when they damage a rim or rims are unable to afford the factory replacements so they go with the cheapest rim which will fit. These individuals would be better served using public transportation but there's no coverage.

Owning and driving a car in Germany is expensive. As I've said in the past, my WAG is that a good chunk vehicles on the road today in the US would fail TUV inspection. I bet half the beaters people own on this forum would fail a TUV.
 
I would start with: "how many would be able to get driver's license in Europe?", forget about owning a car.

But US is designed around affordable personal transportation.

Some parts of Europe are served poorly by public transportation (less affluent more likely) and US model would serve them better but taxes are loved by the ones imposing them.

Krzyś
 
Poor roads are one thing. Poor roads combined with high speeds are another.
As for public transit comment. My point is that there are people who when they damage a rim or rims are unable to afford the factory replacements so they go with the cheapest rim which will fit. These individuals would be better served using public transportation but there's no coverage.

Owning and driving a car in Germany is expensive. As I've said in the past, my WAG is that a good chunk vehicles on the road today in the US would fail TUV inspection. I bet half the beaters people own on this forum would fail a TUV.
They would fail inspection in any European country, let alone TUV.
One example: they measure moisture in brake fluid. Go to brake forum and half of posters are proud to run brake fluid for 15 years.
 
Check out the Radius brand from Tire Rack. They are made by Fondmetal in Italy :)

However, you never told us what kind of car they're going on :p :unsure:
 
I'm considering a set of aftermarket wheels for my daily driver.
The set I'm considering fits perfectly and needs no centering rings.

The downside is that they are more than likely gravity cast wheels.
I know there are downsides with these wheels in low profile settings where the wheel can crack or have pieces break off if they encounter a curb.

My question is, since I'm looking at a set that are only 15's, and I'll be running a set of 60 or 65 sidewall profile tires (great protection for the wheels).
Should I be concerned with the wheels from a structural integrity perspective?

Alternatively I'd rather go with a set of high performance OZ wheels, but most have been sold out since mid 2020 (thanks Covid!)

The big majority of aftermarket wheels are gravity cast. It's not an issue if it's done properly
 
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