Quote:
Originally Posted by dwx
Rota wheels are sold in Japan, and they all have JWL/VIA markings. They started off manufacturing OEM wheels in Japan and still do. They are based in the Philippines, who do you think their major market was going to be?? JWL is a requirement of the Japanese government and has nothing to do with retailers.
However, JWL certification is carried about the manufacturers themselves so take it with a grain of salt, but if wheels being sold are found not to be compliant the manufacturers can be fined.
Of course Volk uses a different process, but they are in a tiny minority of wheel manufacturers in the world producing wheels that way.
I encourage you to do your own research...
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I understand what you are saying, and i am aware that Rota does manufacture wheels for Japanese automobile manufacturers, if you are planning on using an OEM wheel manufactured by Rota on your car then the strength concerns likely do not apply as the wheel was designed from the beginning of development to be made with a specific aluminum alloy by a specific manufacturing process, however if Nissan switched the production of Nismo LMGT4s from Rays to Rota without changing the design of the wheel at all - at that point strength would be a concern, which is the case with their replicas of forged aftermarket wheels. And this does apply mainly to the replicas of forged wheels, the Work Emotion CR Kai replica for example - i would be far less concerned about.
Rota wheels as applicable to the performance automotive enthusiast (read: not OEM wheels) are not sold in Japan in any significant quantity, this i will stand by. There is a difference between stamping a wheel with VIA and JWL and actually passing the JWL test by the manufacturer or being independently tested by VIA. As these markings mean nothing legally outside of Japan, Rota is able to leave these markings on the wheels. Wheels that are not JWL or VIA tested
can be sold in Japan, however the large retailers will not carry them, which for a wheel manufacturer is a large percentage of total sales.