Formula racing alloy wheels?

Zenster · 5th July 2009, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by funda2max

That's bad. I will hunt for either Lenso or HR brands. Budget is not a problem when it comes to safety. I drive a lot in highways and it requires better wheels and rims. Thanks buddy for cautioning me.

Yups thats bad..bcos the range for 114 PCD is limited, I almost bought these for their design and price. But then the shop owners comment and common sense said that having a known brand in one of the most important part of your beloved ride is the only way to go.. And as always, alot of info is available right here for places you can trust in bangalore..All the Best in hunting for the wheels!!

cooldude1988765 · 5th July 2009, 13:36

We need to have a thread on which alloy brands are safe (good quality) and which ones to stay away from. Perhaps nikhil and iraghava can help us out.

tsk13 · 5th July 2009, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooldude1988765

We need to have a thread on which alloy brands are safe (good quality) and which ones to stay away from. Perhaps nikhil and iraghava can help us out.

Valid suggestion buddy, but I believe the same has been discussed in Alloy Wheel brands in India thread.

Nikhilb2008 · 5th July 2009, 15:30

The problem is most people would have alloy wheels from those companies. No offence, but most of these Taiwanese brands are nowhere close to aura/Lenso when it comes to quality of paint finish, strength, durability, etc...

Plati/League/HR has got a wide following because it's really cheap compared to the rest (like Lenso, aura). But quality is not great. Plati is the softest. Most alloy wheels which are bent belong to this. HR is the best among this trio, but that also is no match for Aura.

All this is ok if the owner knows what he is getting into. If you are aware that Plati is really cheap but you need to be a bit careful with it, it's totally fine. You know that you are compromising on one thing.

At least with Plati, etc... I dont think there is any major safety concern. Also, there are so many fakes in the market, it is difficult to see what is original and what is fake. So many Lenso wheels are fakes! They just have a Lenso cap and the value goes up tremendously. Same goes for OZ/Konig/BBS. Most people dont know what to look for in an alloy wheel.

I'll try to explain here.

On the inside of the alloy wheel, there should be some ambossed text. It usually says stuff like "15x6j or 7j"" . something like that. It should also say who the manufacturer is. If it's aura, it says "HIL" which stands for Hindalco India Limited. For Lenso, it should say something like "Lenso...something or the other" .

Most Chinese alloys dont have this embossing. They just have a wierd collection of triangles and squares!!

I'm not talking abt Plati, etc since those are anyway mostly China/Taiwan made. I'm referring to Lenso which is one of the most common targets for producing fakes.

I've seen one case in which a person came with "Lenso" alloy wheels to be fitted to his car. He had brought them from outside. there were 3 caps of some other brand and one cap which said Lenso. When we pointed this out to him, he called up the dealer who came running and exchanged those three caps for Lenso caps. We also checked on the inside of the alloy wheel and there was no proof it was from Lenso.

We werent the sellers and it was clear that the owner had already purchased the alloy wheels, so we didnt show it to him. But he actually thought that the 3 caps being there were a mistake and he had original Lenso. It's quite sad to see how so many innocent people get fooled.

They are taken in by the price.

HR seems to be decent. I havent heard too many complaints about that. There is also a new brand called SSW wheels. Stamford Sports wheels. Made in Thailand stuff. Still relatively new, but no complaints about it. However, I found this while searching on google..... http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/259077-post21.html

Stamford Sport Wheels

Plati for example, doesnt seem to have a proper website, no information about it's certification, etc... Do a google search for plati alloy wheels, TUV certification. Even HR alloy wheels dont have TUV certification.

The thing is, this HR alloy wheels is different from the H&R brand of europe which makes suspension parts, alloy wheel spacers, etc....

League at least has a proper website and a few certifications... No TUV certification though.

LEAGUE Alloy Co., Ltd

It's all about compromise. Very rarely will you find what you want in your budget! If you have a small budget, be prepared to take good care of your wheels if you are buying Plati or something. If you have a larger budget, I suggest going in for Lenso, SSW, Konig, OZ, etc. Definitely worth the extra money.

Sometimes even if you are ready to spend the extra money, you may not find the design you are looking for! That is why, compromise!

PS: This is just my opinion. there will be lots of conflicting opinion on this. If I'm wrong on any point, I would like some expert to correct me!

. I'm human too.

mustang89 · 5th July 2009, 17:22

very well said nikhil..
i considered lenso,konig and HR for my rims..
for me lenso and konig still didnt have the designs i was specifically looking for plus their sales setup is not that good compared to the HR people who are really helpful,so i had to compromise with HR, though i know they dont stand anywhere in terms of quality to konig..

tsk13 · 5th July 2009, 20:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

This is just my opinion.

Buddy, great information. My HRS' are running completely fine and I'm satisfied with Sai Mag guys. They were really helpful and I was impressed comparing my experience with another importer.

Moreover, Plati is supplied by the same guy who imports League : Auto Dynamic, Ludhiana Auto Dynamic . League is now seen less in Delhi, seems Auto Dynamic is pressing Plati more. Moreover, Plati is Chinese as per my discussions with many tyre and alloy guys.

I find League and HRS to be the only genuine Taiwanese alloys. They have separate company and Indian importer websites. Prestige and Plati, which are termed as Taiwanese only have Indian importers website, not their manufacturers.

Another interesting thing, League was previously imported by Sai Mag Wheels, the present importers for HRS.

crazydiablo · 5th July 2009, 21:52

Good post there Nikhil.

funda2max · 5th July 2009, 23:14

Great points Nikhil! Really helpful information for people like me who doesn't have much knowledge about alloy wheels.

ankit_chd · 6th July 2009, 00:27

Well Formula 1 alloys are very common here in Chandigarh , 90% 17inches alloys sold are from this company . Well even i have same company stuff . I got them 1.5 years back . Mine were 17 inches . As far as quality goes , i think they are pretty ok but they are on soft sides ..... if u want i can post pics of my car

funda2max · 6th July 2009, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankit_chd

if u want i can post pics of my car

That would be great. Please post the pictures.

ankit_chd · 6th July 2009, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by funda2max

That would be great. Please post the pictures.

right now i have dis , if u want a close up den i will post that too

Note From Mod: Please take time to post in complete words and refrain from using SMS Lingo.

itwasntme · 6th July 2009, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

There is also a new brand called SSW wheels. Stamford Sports wheels. Made in Thailand stuff. Still relatively new, but no complaints about it. However, I found this while searching on google..... http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/259077-post21.html

Stamford Sport Wheels

Nikhil,

Who sells these SSWs here in BLR and what are the approximate rates for 14 inchers?

funda2max · 6th July 2009, 14:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Nikhil,

Who sells these SSWs here in BLR and what are the approximate rates for 14 inchers?

Nikhil himself the dealer for SSW. I am going today to his shop to check out. Meanwhile, you can look at some good designs here : Stamford Sport Wheels

Nikhilb2008 · 6th July 2009, 14:55

Approximate rate is 20k-21k for a set of 5 depending on if it's a model with a red lip or without a red lip.

cooldude1988765 · 6th July 2009, 15:36

nikhil how good are stallion wheels ?

5th July 2009, 13:36	#17
cooldude1988765 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,055 Thanked: 222 Times	We need to have a thread on which alloy brands are safe (good quality) and which ones to stay away from. Perhaps nikhil and iraghava can help us out.
	() Thanks

5th July 2009, 15:30	#19
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,195 Thanked: 10,177 Times	The problem is most people would have alloy wheels from those companies. No offence, but most of these Taiwanese brands are nowhere close to aura/Lenso when it comes to quality of paint finish, strength, durability, etc... Plati/League/HR has got a wide following because it's really cheap compared to the rest (like Lenso, aura). But quality is not great. Plati is the softest. Most alloy wheels which are bent belong to this. HR is the best among this trio, but that also is no match for Aura. All this is ok if the owner knows what he is getting into. If you are aware that Plati is really cheap but you need to be a bit careful with it, it's totally fine. You know that you are compromising on one thing. At least with Plati, etc... I dont think there is any major safety concern. Also, there are so many fakes in the market, it is difficult to see what is original and what is fake. So many Lenso wheels are fakes! They just have a Lenso cap and the value goes up tremendously. Same goes for OZ/Konig/BBS. Most people dont know what to look for in an alloy wheel. I'll try to explain here. On the inside of the alloy wheel, there should be some ambossed text. It usually says stuff like "15x6j or 7j"" . something like that. It should also say who the manufacturer is. If it's aura, it says "HIL" which stands for Hindalco India Limited. For Lenso, it should say something like "Lenso...something or the other" . Most Chinese alloys dont have this embossing. They just have a wierd collection of triangles and squares!! I'm not talking abt Plati, etc since those are anyway mostly China/Taiwan made. I'm referring to Lenso which is one of the most common targets for producing fakes. I've seen one case in which a person came with "Lenso" alloy wheels to be fitted to his car. He had brought them from outside. there were 3 caps of some other brand and one cap which said Lenso. When we pointed this out to him, he called up the dealer who came running and exchanged those three caps for Lenso caps. We also checked on the inside of the alloy wheel and there was no proof it was from Lenso. We werent the sellers and it was clear that the owner had already purchased the alloy wheels, so we didnt show it to him. But he actually thought that the 3 caps being there were a mistake and he had original Lenso. It's quite sad to see how so many innocent people get fooled. They are taken in by the price. HR seems to be decent. I havent heard too many complaints about that. There is also a new brand called SSW wheels. Stamford Sports wheels. Made in Thailand stuff. Still relatively new, but no complaints about it. However, I found this while searching on google..... http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/259077-post21.html Stamford Sport Wheels Plati for example, doesnt seem to have a proper website, no information about it's certification, etc... Do a google search for plati alloy wheels, TUV certification. Even HR alloy wheels dont have TUV certification. The thing is, this HR alloy wheels is different from the H&R brand of europe which makes suspension parts, alloy wheel spacers, etc.... League at least has a proper website and a few certifications... No TUV certification though. LEAGUE Alloy Co., Ltd It's all about compromise. Very rarely will you find what you want in your budget! If you have a small budget, be prepared to take good care of your wheels if you are buying Plati or something. If you have a larger budget, I suggest going in for Lenso, SSW, Konig, OZ, etc. Definitely worth the extra money. Sometimes even if you are ready to spend the extra money, you may not find the design you are looking for! That is why, compromise! PS: This is just my opinion. there will be lots of conflicting opinion on this. If I'm wrong on any point, I would like some expert to correct me! . I'm human too. Last edited by Nikhilb2008 : 5th July 2009 at 15:42.
	() Thanks

5th July 2009, 17:22	#20
mustang89 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: new delhi Posts: 348 Thanked: 0 Times	very well said nikhil.. i considered lenso,konig and HR for my rims.. for me lenso and konig still didnt have the designs i was specifically looking for plus their sales setup is not that good compared to the HR people who are really helpful,so i had to compromise with HR, though i know they dont stand anywhere in terms of quality to konig..
	() Thanks

5th July 2009, 21:52	#22
crazydiablo BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore/San Francisco Posts: 854 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	Good post there Nikhil.
	() Thanks

5th July 2009, 23:14	#23
funda2max BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 377 Thanked: 26 Times	Great points Nikhil! Really helpful information for people like me who doesn't have much knowledge about alloy wheels.
	() Thanks

6th July 2009, 00:27	#24
ankit_chd BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 262 Thanked: 29 Times	Well Formula 1 alloys are very common here in Chandigarh , 90% 17inches alloys sold are from this company . Well even i have same company stuff . I got them 1.5 years back . Mine were 17 inches . As far as quality goes , i think they are pretty ok but they are on soft sides ..... if u want i can post pics of my car
	() Thanks

6th July 2009, 14:55	#29
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,195 Thanked: 10,177 Times	Approximate rate is 20k-21k for a set of 5 depending on if it's a model with a red lip or without a red lip.
	() Thanks

6th July 2009, 15:36	#30
cooldude1988765 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,055 Thanked: 222 Times	nikhil how good are stallion wheels ?
	() Thanks