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► Official APEX VW SM-10 Flow Formed Wheel Thread

virpacalis

Go Kart Newbie
Location
near Philly
Car(s)
'17 R DSG
Your plans, products, and communications are encouraging. Thanks!
 

tarheelbob

Ready to race!
Location
Asheville, NC
Car(s)
2021 VW GTI S
Back into GTI's after many years away. Just found this thread and am enjoying all the information and open communication. Good job, APEX. This is the way to build a business and create loyalty. Subscribed.

- Bob
 

geokilla

Go Kart Champion
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI DSG
How will Canadians be able to buy? Or should I pick it up in USA? I can probably ask someone essential to bring it over.
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
How will Canadians be able to buy? Or should I pick it up in USA? I can probably ask someone essential to bring it over.

Our initial launch Group Buy will also be open to Canadian customers if they would like to participate. However, we also work with JRP in Canada, which is our largest dealer in that region. While the Group Buy will be your best option to get a set of wheels ASAP, JRP would be a great alternative to help alleviate some of the shipping costs and customs fees associated with ordering through us directly. You can check out their website and reach out to them to express interest in our new VW wheels via the following link: https://www.jrponline.com/

-Geirsen
 

mopar22

Autocross Newbie
Location
Michigan
Car(s)
16 GTI
Customs delays? Where are you guys having these built?
Quick google search says china.
"
They are manufactured in China. We label that on the box and it's stamped on the backside of the wheel.

The key to successful production in China is doing your own engineering, QC and independent validation of testing. Although factories in China claim to have various certificates and conduct in-house testing, there is nothing formal keeping them honest. Unfortunately, the USA doesn't require any specific test be conducted to ensure the quality of a wheel.

For that reason we get our wheels certified/registered with the VIA in Japan where they have stricter regulations. All wheels sold in Japan need to be registered with the VIA to be road legal. To be registered with the VIA all wheels must pass the 3 types of destructive tests following JWL standards. The VIA conducts real-world destructive testing to confirm wheels really passed the test, unlike an unofficial in-house test that could be manipulated.

It's expensive to do, even though we have no major dealer in Japan, but it gives us a 3rd party organization to keep the hundreds of in-house tests we've performed in check, and that's crucial to avoid problems.

Done right you can produce a quality product overseas, just like our phones and other respected electronics."
 

jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
Quick google search says china.
"
They are manufactured in China. We label that on the box and it's stamped on the backside of the wheel.

The key to successful production in China is doing your own engineering, QC and independent validation of testing. Although factories in China claim to have various certificates and conduct in-house testing, there is nothing formal keeping them honest. Unfortunately, the USA doesn't require any specific test be conducted to ensure the quality of a wheel.

I have a lot of experience manufacturing in China (including several months over my career of on the ground work), and I agree with the above. You can get beautiful parts and crap out of the same factory all depending on how you manage quality control and production monitoring.

Made in the USA also isn't what it used to be... I've gotten a LOT of crap parts and production issues from US companies too.

For a new company Made in China is definitely concerning, because I don't trust any new company to have rigorous controls in place, but Apex has been at this a long time with a good reputation.

Only thing I'd like to see over VIA would be TUV certification, as if it's anything like their electronics/industrial certification, this also includes unannounced drop-in factory monitoring by a third party. To be fair, it's also prohibitively expensive if you don't plan on selling in Germany.
 

tarheelbob

Ready to race!
Location
Asheville, NC
Car(s)
2021 VW GTI S
...The key to successful production in China is doing your own engineering, QC and independent validation of testing. Although factories in China claim to have various certificates and conduct in-house testing, there is nothing formal keeping them honest. Unfortunately, the USA doesn't require any specific test be conducted to ensure the quality of a wheel....

As jmblur said, this has been exactly my experience. If your design, process, work instructions, and quality control standards are clear and tightly defined, most China factories will manufacture it that way, the right way, every time. The quality you get out is exactly equal to the preparation you put in upfront. Get lazy, cut corners, and squeeze every penny, you'll get the exact opposite.

Sounds like Apex has done their homework.

- Bob
 

bentin

Autocross Champion
Location
Austin, TX
Car(s)
23 Golf R - 3 Pedals
:oops::rolleyes:
well, that's unfortunate.
Is it? I mean, if there were domestically produced, they'd be $600/wheel for a flow formed wheel (that's a guess, I actually can't think of a US made FF wheel, pretty sure the HRE FF are also MiC, they just have the HRE markup.) Would you still be interested?

I buy as much MiUSA stuff as possible, but wheels aren't something I expect to be made here.
 
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