NEO GEO

Ok i don't know if this ever came up here in the forum and i didn't really do a search to find out but i came across something today at the toyota dealer. while i was at the dealer to make a appointment my camry's timing belt service the manager and i started talking about wheels and i told him about ones i'm going to get from Japan for my Lexus. he then told me to be very careful on what i purchase cause they should be DOT approved. I asked him why and he told me that he had a customer come in with his 3 piece wheels bent from hitting potholes and wanted him to get factory ones for the car. he then told me that he recieved a memmo from toyota that people are having problems with non-approved (DOT) after market wheels from Japan and are having these problems of them bending. he also said that over in japan the roads are not like ours and they don't have to worry as much as we do here in the US. that is why they could be thinner. but our DOT approved here in the US has to be a lot thicker. this makes alot of sence and from a few people i talked to also told me that they had the same problem of them bending. I'm just wandering if all the 3 piece wheels, 2 piece wheels from japan are lighter in gauge! this has me a little worried now that i heard this and hope someone here would know something on this matter since i want to buy a set of these wheels from Japan. NEOGEO

One HoT

iTrader: (5)

JDM 3 or 2 piece wheels are the most reputable and the strongest wheels on the market! Personally, I have never heard of someone bending their JDM wheels, nor have I heard of aftermarket wheels being DOT approved.

NEO GEO

well does anyone know for sure if after market rims are not DOT approved? and i really didn't mention any particular wheel (just some are thinner). JDM is only one of many that are made in japan. all i'm saying is what i was told and to be careful. and this does not come to my surprise since i did mention a few people i know and talked to bent their rims, not all but a few. Japan or US it doesn't matter but if i'm going to spend thousnads on wheels you can bet that i want to make sure i don't end up with a problem after the purchase. it would be nice to see a roundup on info if it warrants this problem and have it posted here in the forum. that to me is an asset to the Lexus community. oh and i take it that what this manager said, the factory alloys are DOT approved. NEO GEO

Brandon@TR

There is no such thing as DOT approval for wheels in the USA. Germany has TUV and Japan has JWI but we have nothing here. It is important to buy well made wheels from a reputable vendor. Tires do carry DOT approval in the USA.