Sometimes Factory policy works for the Owner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Meccles
Wow must be my lucky day! Just had LRA on the phone. Very polite and helpful. Also, it is LRA policy that their dealers are not supposed to fit aftermarket wheels, they are supposed to fit only genuine rims. They indicated that they will be contacting the dealer on this one.
This just might turn out OK for you.
I think wheels, (and other stuff), are such a grey area that no one really understands the details so LR, (the Factory), routinely insists the dealers only use their supplied and marked up products.
This dictate usually does not go over too well in the Used Car department as the Factory can't lose; this also tends to explain why used cars on the dealers lot generally cost more than on a sand lot. The current wheels will look good on a Toyota and your new Stormers will look just like the ones taken off except they will meet spec even according to an insurance company - that assumes Genuine Stormer are available in Oz.
In the case of a Land Rover, I think this rating stuff matters as often these vehicles are used in extreme service rather than just as grocery getters. It seems more often than not, Land Rovers are pictured balancing on two wheels and then dropping down on to one corner, and not always gently.
Sounds like wheel rating matters.
It sounds like LR believes wheel rating matters. It may of course be a cunning marketing move - spend a little to make even more, but in this case, I think not.
Whenever one alters a design, particularly for off road vehicles, the failure path changes. When it is the drive train, and I would regard tyres and wheels as part of the drive train, sometimes the results of a shifted weak spot can be more undesirable than perhaps otherwise would have been the case.
Everyone involved is to be complemented as to the outcome. In this case, all parties involved were winners; knowledge learned and acted upon with no prior unfortunate events.
