you wouldnt be refering to WTW corp would you. haha

 

okay I ask again mconcept please provide test results I take their silence as they have non!!!game over I think is the expression

 

Hello to all. My name is Alain Bandomo and I am the owner of Modular Concept. I have read with interest and amusement at some of the discussions that have been taking place regarding aftermarket wheels, and specifically forged modular wheels. I think that openness and honesty are important which is why I started this posting with my name and I feel that any industry members should also be willing to do the same. Before I start on a very long winded explanation, that results in numerous replies and postings, please do not be offended if I cannot answer each and every commentary that this post may generate. I will ask that one of our employees monitor the thread for the next few days, but again, please excuse if we are unable to make regular postings. Additionally, I would also like to point out that I have been part of the aftermarket wheel industry since 1999 and through the years have worked and represented both European, American and Asian produced products. My work experience has allowed me to work directly with producers of entry level, mid-level, high-end and racing (Think Indy and F-1, not weekend autocross) products. Suffice it to say I am speaking from a relatively informed position on these matters.

With regards to the many wheel brands that are available, I think that no area in the WORLD produces more than Southern California, South Florida has a long way to go. Please keep in mind, some brands have more than 1 outside supplier for their wheels. Outsourcing is not a bad word. It was stated in an earlier post that HRE (a highly regarded quality product which I admire), controls all their manufacturing in-house. Clearly, that is a loose definition of manufacturing as they admittedly purchase components from third-party vendors as we do. In any event, if a higher level of in-house “vertical integration” in fact works well for them, it does not mean that other methods of monitored outsourcing do not result in equal or possibly superior quality and variety of choice. Outsourcing leads to specialization, and specialization translates to a higher-quality finished product, at a more competitive price. For example, Toyota assembles cars, but they do not manufacture wheels. They found a higher level of quality and price that specialized wheel manufactures offer them. By the same token, we do not chrome plate our own components, the cost and complexity of chroming a wheel make it economically, and environmentally unappealing for us to do so. Our specialty is technical fitment research, logistics, machining, finishing and final assembly. We do not forge aluminum, or manufacture rim components. Most modular wheel companies in existence do not. Even highly regarded brands such as BBS produce their forged modular wheels in a separate continent by a third party. What we do demand is that all of our suppliers as well as our finished goods undergo testing and quality control verification. As an example, our wheels are all tested by an independent lab. Our standard finishes (Chrome and paint) are Salt Spray tested to ensure durability, and our final builds are verified by a QC person for proper build torque, etc. Finally, our company is insured and stands behind its products with a lifetime warranty against structural failure. The debate as to whether or not wheel companies should publish the test results is a bit more complicated than some of the postings will have you believe, given that the United States has no meaningful “standard” for aftermarket automotive wheels. The 2 most common testing standards for US produced wheels are SFI and SAE. Both standards will prescribe the test load and number of cycles that the wheel must endure to pass or fail the test. This test load is calculated by taking into consideration the desired load capacity, offset of the wheel, and overall diameter of tire that will be installed. This last one is a very important concept, the load rating of a wheel is affected by the size of the tire mounted. So it really is of limited value if any to tell you that XYZ wheel is load rated for 1,500 lbs if you do not know what the tire OD was used in calculating this load.* Additionally, we manufacture wheels for a variety of clients with different intended applications and goals. We can make a wheel bulletproof for a Hummer, or light as a feather for a lotus Elise. What is important is that the wheel for Elise not be used on a Hummer!! As an aside, I read questions about speed ratings for wheels? I have never heard of such a thing, if someone can enlighten me I would welcome more information on the subject. Since we are on the subject of testing and more testing, I have no personal knowledge of any failure in any of our wheels. We should also be very careful to not pass judgment on any brand because of a single failure you hear or read about. I have seen countless wheels, especially modular, that are disassembled and reassembled using old worn fasteners by unqualified personnel who rely on their “calibrated elbow” to torque wheels together. Not to mention countless, spacers, redrilled wheels, repaired (welded) wheels, etc that have no resemblance to the original product that was made by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, when something goes wrong a manufacturer gets blamed for something over which they had absolutely no control over. Finally, take a reputable company such as HRE which has been producing wheels for close to 30 years, or even original equipment wheels such as Porsche or BMW that are sold in huge quantities, is it so hard to believe that someone somewhere would not have an issue?* Of course not!* The power of the internet to publicize an isolated incident and damage the reputation of a manufacturer is one that needs to be tempered. So remember, take into consideration the circumstances before spreading malicious attacks.

Whether for performance, necessity, personalization, or just plain vanity, each individual has different motives for purchasing aftermarket wheels. That said, by virtue of spending your free time even reading about this subject, you are likely an enthusiast. Moreover, given the nature of this website, you are very likely a fortunate owner of a very high performance machine. Unlike mass produced cast aluminum monobloc wheels, a forged modular wheel is a highly specialized, individually crafted and hand assembled product. The fact of the matter is that regardless of which brand you select, you are choosing from a very unique and premium segment of the wheel market and as in all industries we have our bad apples, but generally speaking there are a lot of hard working entrepreneurs working tirelessly to come up with safe innovative designs and finishes that personalize and in many cases improve the performance of some very fine machines. So what can you expect from a $1,000+ wheel? First of all, a quality buying and installation experience. Second, a proper fitment on your vehicle that will not detract from the driving experience. Third, a round, hubcentric wheel that will run smooth and true, fourth, the ability to customize the individually crafted product to your personal taste, and finally a safe and well engineered product that will last the service life of the car.

Hopefully through the use of this wonderful medium I have been able to enlighten some of the members. I would like to thank 6 speed online for allowing us this venue to discuss these matters which we all deem important. As I said earlier, I will do my best to have either myself or one of our employees respond to any questions you may have. But as we have stated before, our wheel testing will remain proprietary information which will be release on request to customers only. To my knowledge, i don't believe any of our competitors manufacturing 3-piece wheels publicly release this information either. As for anyone interested in our product, unsure of making on investment in a wheel you believe to be untested, please provide a contact phone number and i will set up a conference call with Standard Test Laboratories and authorize them to disclose information on any concerns you may have. Now get out there and enjoy the open road!

 

No offense on this subject towards you or any other company was ever intended. Because of the plethora of wheel manufacturers currently in the market, many with unknown qualifications, members have asked repeatedly if there are any third-party test standards available to verify manufacturers claims of strength, reliability and safety. As you have pointed out, there are.
It is each company's decision whether to perform these tests and whether or not to release the resulting data.
However, I dispute some company's claims that these tests contain proprietary data or trade secrets. These are pass/fail tests based upon a standard and a specific load. And you are correct, tire size has a significant effect on the load. However, this "tire leverage" factor is often expressed by the test lab in the form of "applied load". And I assume you were speaking in jest when you suggested that Lotus and Hummer wheels are interchangeable.
I am an advocate for transparency in this matter, purely for safety reasons. Many of our members drive very expensive cars at very high speeds. They have the right to know if they are safe.
Just as they have the right to draw their own conclusions about transparency, or lack thereof.
For the record, I think your wheels are among the most beautiful on the market.

 

No offense taken. I didn't intend to accuse you of personally attacking our company. Thanks for the compliment. Alain

 

what a sick car!!!

 

Nice...

 

So M Concept, Do You manufacture you centers in House or do you Just assemble wheels with components from elsewhere?

 

Alain, you're quite the author
Thanks for the write up, some excellent points.

 

We have our forgings done in Cali, everything else is done in house including our Carbon Concept's.... Tnkx 360