Alloy Wheels (JDM vs. Other After Market Brands)

[amsandun]

Hi Everyone,

So I am on the hunt for a nice set of alloys for my ride. There are plenty of designs and brands of alloy wheels in the market. And then I hear the term "JDM Alloy Wheels".

What actually is JDM Alloys? Are they what comes factory fitted to most cars like Premio etc. and classic looking?

I would like to know if there's any difference in terms of strength, weight, durability among JDM sets and other brands. I am not looking for a very fancy looking one nor for branded ones like Enkei, BBS etc.

A decent looking, affordable set would do for me very well.

Any suggestions and your experience would be great. Also do you guys know any trusted places to look in?

TIA.

Edited August 27, 2019 by amsandun

[tiv]

JDM meaning japan domestic market, but that's not the case for alloys 

Other than the oem wheels that came with cars, the aftermarket scene in japan is so dense there are various marques of alloy wheels that were used and then removed, this bought cheap and imported in huge bulk to sl forms the japan wheel market here 

Either way they are of different quality but most certainly of better quality than chinese wheels sold here also so called replicas of famous styles, so go for a Japan set, 

Try to find an oem set with a brand behind, example enkei bbs works oz etc, not the fancy popular models, but the above companies make average wheels and brand them behind for various models of cars of japanese manufacturers. They ll be cheap as well but it will be hard to find a mint set, likely scuffed and all, so expect a paint job. 

Try to find a set that came with tyres, thereby the wheels will be less bruised, but make sure to remove the tyres and examine all over,

Edited August 27, 2019 by tiv

[Devinda_Z]

A lot of used parts dealers carry alloys

Try Taiyo in Mount Lavinia or the vast number of places in Delkanda (Ichiro, Mirai etc)

The easiest might be to check a specialist vendor like JJ also in Mount Lavinia or the tire shops on Malay Street, Colombo 02 like U&H and Amila.

Ask specifically for Japanese made rims and most places will try to push Chinese made brand new units or reconditioned Chinese rims (supposedly imported from Japan)

[Devinda_Z]

44 minutes ago, amsandun said:

Hi Everyone,

So I am on the hunt for a nice set of alloys for my ride. There are plenty of designs and brands of alloy wheels in the market. And then I hear the term "JDM Alloy Wheels".

What actually is JDM Alloys? Are they what comes factory fitted to most cars like Premio etc. and classic looking?

I would like to know if there's any difference in terms of strength, weight, durability among JDM sets and other brands. I am not looking for a very fancy looking one nor for branded ones like Enkei, BBS etc.

A decent looking, affordable set would do for me very well.

Any suggestions and your experience would be great. Also do you guys know any trusted places to look in?

TIA.

There are also some vendors in Negombo and Kurunegala who import rims in bulk - check Ikm@n as well

[amsandun]

thanks @tiv and @Devinda_Z for your input.

4 hours ago, tiv said:

but the above companies make average wheels

Can you please clarify the quoted text? Average wheels in the sense not too fancy? Though you say they can be cheap, I guess not cheap in quality wise. I will have a look in the places you have mentioned and will update here.

[tiv]

11 hours ago, amsandun said:

thanks @tiv and @Devinda_Z for your input.

Can you please clarify the quoted text? Average wheels in the sense not too fancy? Though you say they can be cheap, I guess not cheap in quality wise. I will have a look in the places you have mentioned and will update here.

Quality is in par with oem manufacturer regulations, average in style or design, 

These are the best to go for, as they would be the real brand, anything sold here as brand new with a famous name is most likely a replica

or if 100% authentic with a famous style brand new, expect a price above 80k starting brand new for 14" and above 

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by tiv

[amsandun]

Thank you for the info @tiv, any general idea about price ranges for used good condition JDM set? Better to have an idea before visiting.

If they have any branded (Enkei, OZ etc.) wheels made for OEM regulations, how do I recognize them? Do they still have their logo in center cap or only the Vehicle Emblem? 

Sorry for the endless questions, I think I'd better go and see some first. ?

[tiv]

35 minutes ago, amsandun said:

Thank you for the info @tiv, any general idea about price ranges for used good condition JDM set? Better to have an idea before visiting.

If they have any branded (Enkei, OZ etc.) wheels made for OEM regulations, how do I recognize them? Do they still have their logo in center cap or only the Vehicle Emblem? 

Sorry for the endless questions, I think I'd better go and see some first. ?

Don’t go by the centre cap, they can be changed, go by the emblem on the rear,

Usually it’s written in the non logo font or sometimes the logo, assume Honda 

u ll see the emblem casted in, for Suzuki it’s just the letters in a normal font casted in, 

oz has their name all over casted In, enkei has there logo with or without letters, BBS just the logo, so on, 

Mitsubishi wheels are mostly by enkei so u ll see their logo as well. 

There are other good brands that are non famous as well, so if you see something take pics

once you find a set, try to do an internet search, you ll see the wheel mostly on sites like yahoo japan or crooober, and can get more info on it, the seller here will have no clue mostly, 

14 and 15 start at like 15000 LKR for 4.5 to 5.5jj and can go to like 40000 for nice sets, 

[amsandun]

1 hour ago, tiv said:

Don’t go by the centre cap, they can be changed, go by the emblem on the rear,

Usually it’s written in the non logo font or sometimes the logo, assume Honda 

u ll see the emblem casted in, for Suzuki it’s just the letters in a normal font casted in, 

oz has their name all over casted In, enkei has there logo with or without letters, BBS just the logo, so on, 

Mitsubishi wheels are mostly by enkei so u ll see their logo as well. 

There are other good brands that are non famous as well, so if you see something take pics

once you find a set, try to do an internet search, you ll see the wheel mostly on sites like yahoo japan or crooober, and can get more info on it, the seller here will have no clue mostly, 

14 and 15 start at like 15000 LKR for 4.5 to 5.5jj and can go to like 40000 for nice sets, 

thanks for the great info tiv. Now I have a good idea what to expect and look for. I will go see some wheels and update here what I find.

[iRage]

21 hours ago, tiv said:

Try to find an oem set with a brand behind, example enkei bbs works oz etc, not the fancy popular models, but the above companies make average wheels

Absolutely NOT !!!! 

Companies like Enkei, Works are fancy names like Watanabe, etc...they are in the same league. They do not make average wheels they make really really good wheels. Even when the manufacturers use these brands it is used as an upgrade to the standard alloys. These companies make a wide range of wheels for different markets at different price points.

Now about Chinese wheels being marketed as Japanese wheels...well..there is a bit of a confusion there. Whilst the big name brands and a few smaller brands manufacture wheels in Japan...there are a lot of wheels that are manufactured in China, Taiwan and even Korea for the Japanese market. These wheels are cheaper and better than the Chinese wheels that come to Sri Lanka directly because Japan has very strict regulations on parts, etc...So they are obviously of higher quality.

[tiv]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

Absolutely NOT !!!! 

Companies like Enkei, Works are fancy names like Watanabe, etc...they are in the same league. They do not make average wheels they make really really good wheels. Even when the manufacturers use these brands it is used as an upgrade to the standard alloys. These companies make a wide range of wheels for different markets at different price points.

Now about Chinese wheels being marketed as Japanese wheels...well..there is a bit of a confusion there. Whilst the big name brands and a few smaller brands manufacture wheels in Japan...there are a lot of wheels that are manufactured in China, Taiwan and even Korea for the Japanese market. These wheels are cheaper and better than the Chinese wheels that come to Sri Lanka directly because Japan has very strict regulations on parts, etc...So they are obviously of higher quality.

What I meant by average wheels was the design / style which not the quality 

Thus I have clarified in the below comment to OP

7 hours ago, tiv said:

Quality is in par with oem manufacturer regulations, average in style or design, 

These are the best to go for, as they would be the real brand, anything sold here as brand new with a famous name is most likely a replica

or if 100% authentic with a famous style brand new, expect a price above 80k starting brand new for 14" and above 

 

 

[Devinda_Z]

On 8/28/2019 at 12:13 PM, amsandun said:

Thank you for the info @tiv, any general idea about price ranges for used good condition JDM set? Better to have an idea before visiting.

If they have any branded (Enkei, OZ etc.) wheels made for OEM regulations, how do I recognize them? Do they still have their logo in center cap or only the Vehicle Emblem? 

Sorry for the endless questions, I think I'd better go and see some first. ?

Also keep an eye out for wheels made by other car manufacturers which may have a size & bolt pattern that will fit your car.

 

Most passenger cars will have common combinations

4 Stud 100 PCD - most commonly 14", 15", 16" - Ex: Toyota Vios, Vitz, Yaris, Honda, Mazda 323, Nissan

5 Stud 100 PCD - Subaru's, Toyota Prius etc.

114.3 PCD

So a genuine good quality Nissan made rim (usually the casting as @tiv mentioned is on the inside of the rim so i won't be visible externally in most cases) may very well fit a Honda - all you need to do is swap out the center cap. Even those can be bought online off eBay or AliExpress and delivered home without any fuss so it's a simple solution.

You should also be mindful of the offset but assuming your car isn't something with a big brake kit or something performance oriented most normal rims/alloys should clear the brake calipers. 

 

Also don't forget to check the width of the rim (5, 5.5, 6, 6.5jj etc) - make sure you get the right width to fit the tire (there is a permissible range)   

In terms of pricing most 14", 15'" & 16" used Japanese rims will be priced between 25,000 - 35,000 (sometimes the sellers won't have a clue about what brand it is and just have it price marked as a used reconditioned alloy wheel)

Some European brands are also available locally (Ronal, Borbet, Speedline etc) but will carry premiums (came across a Borbet last month in Delkanda - asking 55k for a 15" set)

Some places will trade in your existing alloys - so you an work out a discount of about 5-8k

[amsandun]

4 hours ago, Devinda_Z said:

Also keep an eye out for wheels made by other car manufacturers which may have a size & bolt pattern that will fit your car.

 

Most passenger cars will have common combinations

4 Stud 100 PCD - most commonly 14", 15", 16" - Ex: Toyota Vios, Vitz, Yaris, Honda, Mazda 323, Nissan

5 Stud 100 PCD - Subaru's, Toyota Prius etc.

114.3 PCD

So a genuine good quality Nissan made rim (usually the casting as @tiv mentioned is on the inside of the rim so i won't be visible externally in most cases) may very well fit a Honda - all you need to do is swap out the center cap. Even those can be bought online off eBay or AliExpress and delivered home without any fuss so it's a simple solution.

You should also be mindful of the offset but assuming your car isn't something with a big brake kit or something performance oriented most normal rims/alloys should clear the brake calipers. 

 

Also don't forget to check the width of the rim (5, 5.5, 6, 6.5jj etc) - make sure you get the right width to fit the tire (there is a permissible range)   

In terms of pricing most 14", 15'" & 16" used Japanese rims will be priced between 25,000 - 35,000 (sometimes the sellers won't have a clue about what brand it is and just have it price marked as a used reconditioned alloy wheel)

Some European brands are also available locally (Ronal, Borbet, Speedline etc) but will carry premiums (came across a Borbet last month in Delkanda - asking 55k for a 15" set)

Some places will trade in your existing alloys - so you an work out a discount of about 5-8k

Yeah mine is a Vitz, 4 stud 100 PCD, 165 70R 14 stock tires and 5x14 steel wheels with 39mm offset. As you said I will keep an eye for other makes as well. Lucky if I come across a good brand in good condition. 

I hope to put wider tires (probably 185mm max) once current tires wears out. As I found online, to best fit the 185, I may need to have 5.5x14 wheels. I hope there's no harm in selecting a 5.5 wheel now and use my current tires.

Also change of offset in 1 or 2mm isn't something to be fussed about right?

I must get in to the streets soon to find out what's out there. 

Thanks for the useful information brother. "Borbet, Speedline" only heard of them today

 

 

[amsandun]

@tiv @Devinda_Z @iRage I need something to get clarified. Is there a connection between wheel diameter (14", 15", etc...) and ride comfort? Or does it depends on the profile of the tire? (as I know low profile tires are not as good as higher profile tires in absorbing shock etc)

Because one of my friends said this. Since my wheels are 14 and if I put 15 inch and matching tyres to that wheel, there would be an  overall comfort of driving. I am mainly aimed on putting 14 alloys rather than putting 15 inch wheels + new tires considering the cost . Also my current tires are in good condition.

thanks.

[JayZ]

One of our old  Shift (jeep model), the previous owner has changed the original tire size of 14 to 15 inch. 

Felt a noticeable different when test driving that car compared to standard one.  Ground clearance was slightly increased and more forgiving on rough roads. 

But if you already have good tires, and want to go for 15's. try and see if you could do a trade inn for the 14 set with a 15 set with tires.  Else, i dont think its a much useful investment. 

[JayZ]

Also on increasing the tire width, i recently changed my suv tires and instead original 235 width i opt for 255. 

There is a noticeable stable feeling when driving with new wider tires. and feels like grip has increased and vehicle is more planted to road specially driving in highways. 

The original rim didn't had any issue accommodating the extra width. 

[iRage]

3 hours ago, amsandun said:

@tiv @Devinda_Z @iRage I need something to get clarified. Is there a connection between wheel diameter (14", 15", etc...) and ride comfort? Or does it depends on the profile of the tire? (as I know low profile tires are not as good as higher profile tires in absorbing shock etc)

Because one of my friends said this. Since my wheels are 14 and if I put 15 inch and matching tyres to that wheel, there would be an  overall comfort of driving. I am mainly aimed on putting 14 alloys rather than putting 15 inch wheels + new tires considering the cost . Also my current tires are in good condition.

thanks.

Well...if you put a larger wheel..the tire will have a lower profile (in order to keep the rolling size of the entire tire/wheel combo the same). So in some ways the profile of the tire is connected to the size of he wheel if you want to keep the same rolling size. 

With a lower profile tire there is less roll on the sides/walls of the tire than a tire with a higher profile. So with a larger wheel size and lower profile of the tire; there is a bit of a less sway that is put on the car/suspension at cornering, etc...so handling wise you will feel a difference. How big a difference depends on how large of a wheel size you are moving on to...from 14 to 16 (or 17) you will feel a considerable difference but then moving from 14 to 15 will be less of a difference. 

Yes you are right about the absorption...if the walls of the tire are small there is less of absorption from the tire. Some say low profile tires are noisy..but personally I find that partly to be a myth...there are really good low profile tires that are quiet....

For rainy and snowy times..I do prefer higher profile tires..the higher wall sizes make it easier to cut through the snow....the low profile tires sometimes makes the water and snow flow through the rim making it difficult to move and making steering a bit unpredictable

[amsandun]

Thanks @JayZ and @iRage for your inputs. I didn't have any interest in going for 15 wheels. Just bcz I heard the differences I wanted to ask from you guys. I think it's better to stick to 14 inch wheels and later on when the time comes, go for wider tires (185 I hope).

Just  one more thing. As I found in the internet, stock size of 2016 Vitz wheels are 5x14 with Positive offset 39mm (I am not thoroughly educated in auto technical terms, so, about Offset/Backspace I have very very little idea). For that size, maximum width acceptable is 185mm. For 5.5 inch wheel, 185 is an ideal fit. Now, should I go for 5.5x14 or 5x14 be just enough? What about Offset? Do I have to worry about them much?

 

[Devinda_Z]

Make sure you stick to the same rolling radius @amsandun else even your odometer reading and speedo will be off 

 

The compound and quality of the tire as well as the tread pattern itself will have an impact on the comfort levels as well as the road noise. 

Wider tiers will increase your contact patch so there may be a marginal adverse impact on your fuel economy as well if that is a concern.

Based on what you say I reckon sticking to your existing stock size ought to be the most straightforward plan - pay the premium for good quality tires instead of the larger diameter rims

[amsandun]

8 hours ago, Devinda_Z said:

sticking to your existing stock size ought to be the most straightforward plan - pay the premium for good quality tires instead of the larger diameter rims

Yes it was my thought too @Devinda_Z. Thank u for the information too. I checked at Malay Street places (U&H, Amila) and they said they don't have Japanese wheels. Maybe they don't do Japanese anymore. "ජපන් ඒවා දෙන්න අමාරුයි" they said. They only had Chinese and Thailand made rims and asked me to check in Delkanda. I called JJ at Mt. Lavinia and they said they have Japanese rims so I am to pay a visit soon. 

Let's hope they got genuine ones or I will have to visit Delkanda.

[iRage]

Tell you what...get on the Toyota website...see what the tire size is for the GR Sport, GR Sport GR and GRMN....they are 15 (and 16) inch wheels that fit the stock clearances of the Vitz. Eazy Peezy...

[Devinda_Z]

11 hours ago, amsandun said:

Yes it was my thought too @Devinda_Z. Thank u for the information too. I checked at Malay Street places (U&H, Amila) and they said they don't have Japanese wheels. Maybe they don't do Japanese anymore. "ජපන් ඒවා දෙන්න අමාරුයි" they said. They only had Chinese and Thailand made rims and asked me to check in Delkanda. I called JJ at Mt. Lavinia and they said they have Japanese rims so I am to pay a visit soon. 

Let's hope they got genuine ones or I will have to visit Delkanda.

They do - it'll be the rack on the left as you enter the building at the back

 

Plenty of options in Delkanda too - check ###### as well or else a road trip to Kurunegala ?

[amsandun]

[UPDATE] I bought a set of Alloys guys...?

So I visited JJ in Mount this evening. There were many designs and brands to choose from. Most of them were Chinese made but used in Japan. Looked genuine, classy but not too fancy and all had JWL certified mark. Then I saw this one with Honda logo in the center and had a closer look. Just like @tiv and @Devinda_Z mentioned above, "Enkei" was engraved in the back and also "Honda Motor". Shop guy said it was from a Civic and an Original wheel. I dry tested the look and took my decision. All 4 wheels were in good condition, no scratches, cracks. I will upload photos.

Only thing is this is 5.5JJ and 45mm offset whereas my originals were 5J 39mm. Actually all wheels were 45mm in offset. I didn't see anything lower. (of course I didn't check each one, only what caught my eye) But shop staff person said for my model 35-45mm is fine and there won't be any issues. I also checked after fitting. Wheels does not touch suspension, fenders or brake calipers, all clear even when fully turned left and right. Hope it won't be a problem in the future too.

There you go! They also had Toyota center caps.

@iRage@tiv@Devinda_Z@JayZ

Thanks to all of you guys, I knew what to look for and how to look for specific details. Thank you guys. ?

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by amsandun

[Hyaenidae]

Ah, congratulations on your new fat fives!!!

[amsandun]

15 hours ago, Hyaenidae said:

Ah, congratulations on your new fat fives!!!

so that's what it is called eh,,thanks bro.