TheLex

offset is 35mm<ul><li><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=43957&amp;item =2459429206">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=43957&amp;item =2459429206</a</li></ul>

StumpJumper

aside from caps no idea, except that we know who Achtuning is...

Hartmann/Achtuning

<center><img src="http://hartmannwheels.com/site/products/wheels/audi/Hartmann_500x500_Audi_RS6_172_19_Angle.jpg"></center><p>
The problem with what you see on Ebay is you don't always get what you think you are getting. The Italian companies are getting there rears kicked on a global market by cheaper wheels coming from China, Turkey,ect.Are we comparing apples to apples, not even close but to the uniformed consumer they look the same. So what have some of the companies done, lets cast our wheels in one of these third world places and as long as they are final assembled in Italy ( a box ) they can legally say made in Italy. Which the fall of the dollar in value this problem will only get worse.

rr_allroad

Before anything you really need to read feedback on a seller to get a sense of who you are dealing with. Ebay can be a good place to buy but you gotta read all the fine print. And shipping could be a big difference.

TheLex

Now, I don't know if wheels cast in China are any worse than wheels cast in Italy (although the impression is that they are not quite as good), but I am a little leery of dealing with an unknown on ebay vs a forum supporter here with a track record.

InternetBrands

Funniest part is they responded to all the feedback with the same phrase, even the negative ones. I'd skip it.

ShowMeData

I believe that you can get just as good a product out of China, Maylaysia, Thailand, etc., as you can from the US or Western Europe, but you have to invest significantly in manufacturing engineering support and quality control measures. Large comapnies that do their mfg in Asia do this themselves and reap the benefits of lower mfg costs (due to cheaper labor, lower enviro and safety overhead), but Joe's Garage Operation outsourcing to an Asian casting house is not likely to hold as consistent quality. Not that he couldn't, but I just think his chances for success (at getting the quality we want) aren't high enough.

I don't know what kind of safety factors are designed into cast alloy wheels, so structural weakness due to casting porosity may or may not be an issue. The most likely quality problem would be surface finish and porosity which would degrade the visible surfaces and paint (blemishes, pinholes, etc.).

I used to engineer cast&amp;machined aluminum parts that got manufactured in Asia in very high volumes, and visited the suppliers personally.

paulroad

Visits and an on site QC Rep..

Hartmann/Achtuning

Very fair statement.

Here was my experience last week on Ebay.
A friend of mine asked me for a wheel for his BMW that we just didn't have access to. So trying to help him out I called a competitor,a well known company that states there wheels are made in Germany. I got the wheels in and they looked not bad until I turned the wheel over and looked at the back pad. Holy crap I had never seen such a rough casting out of the mold and the epoxy paint cover filling the pits was thick. This was no German quality craftsmanship, this said Asia or ?all over it. The manufacture brand was a German Company but the only indication or markings from this company was the tape used to close the box, which indecently was tape over the original clear tape used to close the box. I did a little further looking, the box manufactures stamp was on the box ( Tire Kutsan ) a Turkish Company. Am I to believe that a German company is by there boxes in Turkey and shipping them all the way to Germany or do I put two and two together with the crappie casting?

There is product out there for every situation and need, just know what you purchasing before doing it.

Bill
Hartmann Wheels

Troy H

$175 shipping on 4 wheels is outrageous too.