Chinese replica alloys - are they all rubbish?
Discussion
Defcon5 said:
The warranty isnt much good if they fall to pieces at 100 leptons down the m-way
I think that's highly unlikely 
The concern with cheaper wheels is that they can deform (bend) on our pot hole covered roads.
The ones I'm looking at are not spindly thin spoked wheels though so should be reasonably solid.
Oh and one should not be doing 100 on any of our roads
Edited by Kentish on Friday 5th February 09:23
Dave^ said:
But if the rims themselves are soft (I'm not being pimp, I mean the bit that goes round the spokes) you risk bending the backs of the wheels which aren't supported by spokes...
I was thinking about this yesterday.So I guess a moderately thick multi spoke wheel is stronger.
I'm considering whether to get my OEM wheels repainted and shod with decent tyres but I'll have to put the car off the road for about a week to do that.
I know this is a bit O/T, but i'm sick to death of buying Chinese crap. Whenever I get something and it's rubbish, falls apart or fails to work properly, turn it over, look at the label and surprise surprise, made in f
king China.
When you look closely at anything made from metal that's Chinese, it's always the cheapest die cast rubbish full of air holes that breaks when it's breathed on. I would not in a million years trust Chinese made wheels on my car!
It's annoyed me so much having a house full of broken tat that I am mindfully boycotting Chinese goods now. I ask where eveything is made or look at labels now before every purchase.
It seems that with a lot of goods now we don't even have the option of paying top money for quality items whcih last - seems so many manufacturers have gone bust becasue of cheap imports it's actually had a detrimental effect on consumers and reduced our choice.
I'm not a greenie, but it annoys me that in order to drag their economy up to a developed level, they're producing tonnes and tonnes of goods which are only one small step above trash, from thousands of polluting factories, which get bought in their thousands, don't work or break shortly after purchase and end up in landfill within weeks of purchase.
It does pain me a bit.
king China.When you look closely at anything made from metal that's Chinese, it's always the cheapest die cast rubbish full of air holes that breaks when it's breathed on. I would not in a million years trust Chinese made wheels on my car!
It's annoyed me so much having a house full of broken tat that I am mindfully boycotting Chinese goods now. I ask where eveything is made or look at labels now before every purchase.
It seems that with a lot of goods now we don't even have the option of paying top money for quality items whcih last - seems so many manufacturers have gone bust becasue of cheap imports it's actually had a detrimental effect on consumers and reduced our choice.
I'm not a greenie, but it annoys me that in order to drag their economy up to a developed level, they're producing tonnes and tonnes of goods which are only one small step above trash, from thousands of polluting factories, which get bought in their thousands, don't work or break shortly after purchase and end up in landfill within weeks of purchase.
It does pain me a bit.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
All Chinese stuff I buy seems to be crap
The problem is with the buyers. The Factory/Other person in china will offer 3 or so visually identical products. Each with a different price. Say 10p, 50p and £1. Which one do you think the UK Buyer will pick.We go over saying "Cheap cheap cheap" so that's what they make, and what we have the option of buying.
Munter said:
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
All Chinese stuff I buy seems to be crap
The problem is with the buyers. The Factory/Other person in china will offer 3 or so visually identical products. Each with a different price. Say 10p, 50p and £1. Which one do you think the UK Buyer will pick.We go over saying "Cheap cheap cheap" so that's what they make, and what we have the option of buying.
kambites said:
Munter said:
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
All Chinese stuff I buy seems to be crap
The problem is with the buyers. The Factory/Other person in china will offer 3 or so visually identical products. Each with a different price. Say 10p, 50p and £1. Which one do you think the UK Buyer will pick.We go over saying "Cheap cheap cheap" so that's what they make, and what we have the option of buying.
Munter said:
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
All Chinese stuff I buy seems to be crap
The problem is with the buyers. The Factory/Other person in china will offer 3 or so visually identical products. Each with a different price. Say 10p, 50p and £1. Which one do you think the UK Buyer will pick.We go over saying "Cheap cheap cheap" so that's what they make, and what we have the option of buying.
And I think it's a bit unfair to dismiss ALL Chinese manufactured products as "crap".
Many big brand names manufacture their products in China now.
I have just bought a Sony video and audio system (blueray and surround cinema system), cost £700. The quality is superb, both physically (finish and functionality) and the sound (I'm a bit of an audio-phile).
Guess where it's made?
jbi said:
as i've found it doesn't matter how good your alloy is...
that damned pothole is stronger
That's very true that damned pothole is stronger
I have had a cheap set of RS4 reps on a VW in the past.
They were fine until I hit a huge submerged pot hole and 2 were bent.
I've never had any issues with aftermarket branded alloys such as Wolfrace, TSW or Borbet.
Kentish said:
Munter said:
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
All Chinese stuff I buy seems to be crap
The problem is with the buyers. The Factory/Other person in china will offer 3 or so visually identical products. Each with a different price. Say 10p, 50p and £1. Which one do you think the UK Buyer will pick.We go over saying "Cheap cheap cheap" so that's what they make, and what we have the option of buying.
And I think it's a bit unfair to dismiss ALL Chinese manufactured products as "crap".
Many big brand names manufacture their products in China now.
I have just bought a Sony video and audio system (blueray and surround cinema system), cost £700. The quality is superb, both physically (finish and functionality) and the sound (I'm a bit of an audio-phile).
Guess where it's made?
The rest are crap.
Well, my OEM 18" RS4's were all refurbed and are still in great condition so I have placed my order earlier for a full set of ZE912's
They are better than the FK452 they are replacing in that they are more of an all season tyre, quieter and give a better ride, apparently.
My local fitting place have quoted me £87.95 each plus VAT for the same tyres
I said "I can get them for £60.49 each (retail)" and they said "yes but that will not include fitting"; I said "that's true but fitting would not be £27 +VAT per tyre though would it"
"errr no it wouldn't" he said
Price for fitting is £15 each including valve, balance & disposal of old tyres - happy days!
They are better than the FK452 they are replacing in that they are more of an all season tyre, quieter and give a better ride, apparently.
My local fitting place have quoted me £87.95 each plus VAT for the same tyres
I said "I can get them for £60.49 each (retail)" and they said "yes but that will not include fitting"; I said "that's true but fitting would not be £27 +VAT per tyre though would it"
"errr no it wouldn't" he said
Price for fitting is £15 each including valve, balance & disposal of old tyres - happy days!
You'll find a lot of wheel manufacturing is outsourced to China.
I was looking at getting a load of batches made up myself. Bottom line is that I couldn't be arsed to do it for the amount of units I'd shift a week. You really do need to get chatting with various wheel importers and see which manufacturers are doing which wheels.
I suspect a lot of aftermarket "new" classic mini wheels (up to about £170 a wheel) are Chinese jobs.
They aren't in the UK industial revolution over there. They do have the latest technology
I was looking at getting a load of batches made up myself. Bottom line is that I couldn't be arsed to do it for the amount of units I'd shift a week. You really do need to get chatting with various wheel importers and see which manufacturers are doing which wheels.
I suspect a lot of aftermarket "new" classic mini wheels (up to about £170 a wheel) are Chinese jobs.
They aren't in the UK industial revolution over there. They do have the latest technology
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