For those who haven't seen it, this was posted on a few autox BBS's

Date: Sat, 04 Jan 2003 23:06:12 -0600
From: James Rogerson <jrogerson@houston.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Rota Attack Wheels

After going to their site to make sure of the model, I saw where they
advertise themselves as the low cost alternative to high end light
wheels. I don't have any other experience with their products and don't
want anyone to think that I've formed a totally negative opinion about
their products. However the wheels I checked today (all Attack) showed
signs of cracking. I was told that the car that had the wheel break has
only been autocrossed. We were holding our 2002 regional championship
today and had a professional photographer on hand. He took pictures of the
wheel, hub and the break lines. When (and if) he sends them to me I'll
upload them. The owner will get a copy, he plans to file for replacement
with the manufacturer. We are running a normal regional event tomorrow and
should have some 20 Subaru entries. I plan to check them for Rota wheels
and imperfections. I'll post the findings.

>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "James Rogerson" <jrogerson@houston.rr.com>
>To: <evolution-discussions@yahoogroups.com>
>Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2003 9:43 PM
>Subject: [evolution-disc.] Rota Attack Wheels
>
>
> > Today we had a Subaru with Rota (brand) Attack (model) wheels shear the
>rim
> > away from the hub. All five spokes showed oxidation at least 1/2 to 2/3
>of
> > the way through from the inside. I checked the other wheels and found a
> > fine crack on the inside of two spokes on one other wheel with my
> > thumbnail. There is ALMOST NO VISIBLE crack. The crack is masked by the
> > powder coating. One other Rota wheel has a raised line on the rear of the
> > spoke that is discernable by thumbnail only. I'd advise anyone using
>these
> > wheels to check them for cracks on the inside of the spoke about 1.5 to 2
> > inches out from the hub.
> >
> > The wheel went off course over 100 feet, hit a curb and ended up over 10
> > feet off the ground in a tree. Wheel sheared in a 180 deg sweeper,
>typical
> > Roger Johnson Nationals course.
> >
> > James Rogerson
> > [FP #125] - Tekless Racing
> > jrogerson@houston.rr.com


Just something to think about when buying autox/track wheels. I've always questioned the durability of the Rota for motorsports, but that's just me. Lightweight and cast is a scarry combination IMO.

 

Yup, wheels are a wear item and should be checked and replaced regularly.

There is a reason goiod racing wheels are expensive and generally not the lightest thing available (Panasports or BBS for example).

 

i think everyone knows im not a Rota lover, but before anyone jumps on this post on either side, please take the emails in context. this is not the first time any wheel has ever failed, but Rota owners should go ahead and check their own wheels to verify the condition of their own set for safety.

*edit*
heck, check ANY wheel!


[Modified by Tyson, 4:28 PM 1/5/2003]

 

Thanks for posting the write up from Houston's safety stuard James Rogerson. I was there that day when this happened, just this weekend on Saturday. I did not get to see it happen, but we all heard about it. I was going to post something similar but your post is very good. Thanks.

 

I've heard of other rota wheels failing during autox (the subzero lookalikes). So, setting aside personal feelings on how they look, I do think folks should consider the durability (and safety) when looking for a cheap race wheel.

This is why I always recommend the Kosei K1 or something similar if people want a little more inexpensive of a wheel for racing purposes. A little heavier and it has proved very durable.

 

Thanks for the heads up. What are some other common wheels that are in this catagory, K1's?

 

I thought the main reason the Kosei K1 where a bit heavier is because they are 15X7", as opposed to the Rota 15X6.5". But as I look for replacement wheels in the future I'll probably go for Kosei instead of Rota. The Team Dynamics "Pro Race 1" is also sold as a racing wheel, but don't seem as popular as the Kosei.

 

Personally, I have had great luck with my Rota C8's. As as stated above, wheels used for motorsports are a wear item. Didn't somebody on here have some S** brand wheels fail?

 

All of the ultra-light wheels fail with some regularity. Even the fancy Volks(?) that RealTime uses in the Speed Touring series. They go through MANY sets a year. The weight savings and cost are justifiable to them.

IMO, stick with OEM wheels if you are just having fun. They are the most durable wheels available. If you must have a wider/bigger wheel, do your research. The vast majority of SRX-7 drivers in the region use Panasports and Diamonds - both have proven durable. There are lighter wheels available, but very few people take the risk.

 

I was there Saturday at Gulf Greyhound Park when this happened. I'm new to SOLO II & try to absorb as much info as I can, I even considered getting a set of ROTA slipstreams for auto cross until now. Cost is a factor with anything, you pay for what get. A lightweight, casted rim that's clone knock off of a popular manufactures brand is asking for trouble. ROTA is for North America is based in So. California which is a Direct rep of a Philippines manufacture. Can anyone here name any product that worth a **** from the Philippines? If anyone here has asked them questions about the products, you'll be deferred to the website or just be given a price with shipping. Thanks KIM BONG. High quality is not an issue, its how many can be made for a very low cost to sell to the masses, the kids I see buying them are more of a "BLING BLING, looky what I bought crowd, SPOON KNOCK OFFS!!!" Excuse me if I have offended anyone here on ROTA's, but to me a poorly manufactured rim is not worth the dire consequences..

 

Before casting stones, may I suggest that more research might be in order. There are more wheel companies out there than there are actual wheel mfg. Philippine Aluminum Wheels, Inc., the parent company of Rota has ISO 9001 & QS 9000 ratings. It is a cast wheel. It won't be as strong as a well made forged wheel. This past season, a well know car prep shop stop using some brand * race wheels. They were found to be failing. This brand had a good rep.

BTW, I don't understand why just because something comes from Japan it is automatically better.

 

I'm not about to get into a pissing match due to the fact that I'm new to AUTO CROSSING, From what I understand, the rims were only 2 weeks old before they failed. Any rim can fail, regardless on where it was made, but how it made is more important to me.


[Modified by TEXASLS95, 5:27 AM 2/12/2003]

 

I ran a set of Rota's on the street. They were fine, although did feel kind of cheap. Just mounting the tires to them felt bad. I think it was more of my spirit that was crushed because i never got the ADVANS that i had saved up for.

I dont know, the feeling of something that is a copy of a lengendary JDM racing wheel just doesn't sit right with me.

Call me old fashion, and jealous but its how I feel.

Cal - Who has never had a set of forged lightweight wheels, and is deciding between a custom cage and Si Wheels/Azenis or a set of Regamasters/RA1's

 

Yes, forged wheels fail as well. Realtime for instance uses 17" SSR's with rubberband tires on them. They also run over birms and get punted going 100mph+. This will cause any wheel to fail.

However, rotas failing because of autox 'abuse' is kind of bad IMO. I've heard of a set of Millenia rims cracking and various rotas during autox events, but never anything else.

 

Not doubting you or what I percieve as the reason for the post. Yes, this is a good heads up for everyone. You must check your wheels no matter what brand or construction tech. is used.

There seems to be some conflicting info. The info states that there is oxidation in the crack(s) yet the wheels are only two weeks old. If they were only two weeks old, there wouldn't have been oxidation. Paddock rumors? Anyway, this is the first set of Rota's that I have heard of failing. My main sponsor sells quite a few of them & we haven't heard of any failures. Of course, we are out in Ca. not there.

Here is the experience that I have had with Rota wheels. I have had a set of 15" C8's for over two years. The first year they ran 10+ HPDE weekends. This year they ran 46 actual race hours (enduros) plus practice & qualifying. They also ran the odd test day & a couple of HPDE events. This has all been on RA-1 tires. I have hit berms & been off roading. I have had no issues with them. Before that, I ran a set of 16"s on the street for a year before building up the car into a dedicated race car. While it is true that I am getting sponsored by them, (& I really do appreciate it) I wouldn't be using them if I thought they were unsafe or would fail. Trust me, the amount I have gotten isn't worth my safety. In case you don't know, I have been known to go overboard on safety.

 

i have myself bent 2 of the rota slipstreams.....and i really don't know where i bent them....

 

No problems with any of our C8's. Mine or friends'. Keep things in perspective, just because a few wheels busted, it doesn't mean everything will. Lots of things on your car can fail.
$.02

 

I think the Koseis are well known due to Tirerack, as much as anything else. A lot of Spec Miata folks run the Pro Race 1s. I ran a set on my Civic all year for HPDE and auto-x, and a good washing and inspection showed no cracks, bends, etc.

It's probably a good idea for anyone who uses their car agressively to check out their wheels on a regular basis. Give them a good wash and then look for cracks. You might also do as mentioned above and feel for cracks or imperfections with your fingernails. Just make sure you're in private when you stroke your spokes.

 

Unless they were flawed from the factory or damaged during shipping.

 

True. That kind of damage during shipping would/should have resulted in paint/finish damage. From the factory during mfg. process, I find hard to believe but I guess anything is possible.

 

I'm not quite sure why this is... but WRXs seem to eat Rotas for breakfast. At least, I can think of one WRX that had a Subzero shear off under braking at Sebring, one WRX that developed big cracks in Subzeros at Summit Point, and a wagon that cracked at least one Subzero autocrossing... It probably does not help anything that the car weighs as much as it does, and has a quirky hub layout. My opinion is that casting a wheel that was designed to be forged isn't the best idea. On the other hand Gary Sheehan runs Subzeros on his USTCC WRX, and he hasn't had a problem with them... at least, if he has, it hasn't made them switch wheel brands.

 

when the wheels are free......

 

Sounds like most of the problems occur with Subzeros. Should I be worried with Slipstreams if I do them a few times a year?

 

I see all of these posts and laugh. The wheel that broke off was a Rota Attack, not Subzeros. The wheels in question had been used for over a full season with Kumho V700's on them. As far as quality control, there might be a problem with the Attack casting, and this could bring this to light. If you run Subzeros or Slipstream on something light, like a '00 Celica (under 2400 lbs), you'll more than likely have no problems. As far as saying anything from the Philippines is crap is ridiculous. Just like the USA, Japan, or China, there is bad manufacturing everywhere. - AB


[Modified by B1mmer, 2:07 PM 1/6/2003]

 

Subzeros have been known to break as well, hence is why I brought them up.

I don't have any detailed information on the other rota castings.