Unbranded alloy wheels can be very risky: Toyota Fortuner’s rollover crash shows why [Video]

A sparkling car and shiny alloys are all you need to turn heads on the roads. But good-looking alloy wheels can be expensive and out of the budget of many aspirational car enthusiasts. That’s why they turn to cheap, unbranded alloy wheels that only look shiny and have no strength. While many “car enthusiasts” show off the unbranded alloy wheels, installing them on any car can be dangerous. This accident with the fake alloy wheels on Toyota Fortuner verifies our claims.

This Toyota Fortuner rolled over 6 times. The reason for multiple rollovers is a broken alloy wheel that you can spot lying on the side of the vehicle. While the video does not mention if the vehicle was going through some stress like high-speed turns while the alloy wheel broke, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Also, the Fortuner might have hit a pothole causing the damage to the alloy wheels.

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The alloy wheel’s hub is missing. There is no dent of the alloy wheel though. It seems like the wheel was made up of cheap metal, which is very brittle in quality and could not hold up the stress. Good quality alloy wheels can bend up, ensuring that such incidents do not happen.

What can go wrong with tyre upsizing?

While it is legal to change the stock tyre size of a vehicle by a couple of inches, be aware that the manufacturer may void the warranty of the suspension. Upsizing the tyres do make the vehicle look sportier and also add a great stance to the vehicle. However, bigger tyres have a negative effect on the suspension system.

Due to the larger size of the tyres, the suspension is much more loaded and can create problems in the longer run. Since manufacturers tune the suspension according to the size of the tyres, it is always recommended to remain within the limits of upsizing.

Another bad effect that the upsized tyres can create is proving wrong readings on the instrument cluster. Since the circumference of the new upsized wheel and tyre is different from the stock version, the car takes wrong readings for speed and distance travelled. The error remains small but it is more than the vehicles with stock tyre size. Interestingly, upsizing also brings down the handling abilities and fuel efficiency of the car.

Upsized aftermarket alloy wheels also negatively effect the suspension of the car. That’s why many manufacturers do not entertain warranty claims. Even getting insurance is a problem as the insurance company insures a vehicle in its stock condition. With aftermarket alloyw wheels becoming a cause of accidents, be assured that the insurance will not give any claim amount.

A while back, Kerala Police started issuing challan worth Rs 5,000 to cars with aftermarket alloy wheels. The police of other states also issue challans depending on the size of the alloys.

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