Don Z wrote:
"I found these by using "19.5" wheels" in a Google search...forged, several different styles of wheels in that size.
American Force wheels"
Using Google to look further into American Force...
Source for mstovall and mattyfz450 quotes...mstovall wrote:
"I do know that American Force does not manufacture their own wheels. I spoke with them and could not get an answer on where they are made. I called to order a set and was told that they were out until their supplier tooled up to make some more. I did not find out who the manufacturer is, but I was told that American Force was not in control of the schedule. They are supposed to be restocked sometime this month. Rickson told me that AF is made overseas. When I spoke with Southwest Wheel, Jeff and Mike (the owner) told me they would not carry a wheel that was not USA made (chinese wheels =bad hub ID spec's, out of round, lower load capacities and insurance problems-according to them). I decided to go the Alcoa/Accuride route; made in USA."
mattyfz450 wrote:
"The same thing happened to me... I called and talked to the guy for a while trying to find out if they were actually manufactured in the US and he kept avoiding the question and just kept saying that they are located in miami. So i proceeded to ask him a few more times and he got all pissy and said he just answered that question and said I was being annoying??? I was just like really?? complete ... told him Id get my wheels else where. I would stay far away!!!"
Source for OEM MFR quote below:OEM MFR wrote:
"We installed numerous sets of the 19.5" American Force direct bolt-on wheels a while back. They did fit well, and the aluminum wheels were good looking.
The problem is that the clearcoat peeled off of the wheels. When we called American Force to warranty the wheels for our customers, we were told that the wheels were out of stock, and that they would deal with the situation when they got them back in inventory. This was over a year ago.
In the meantime, on the advice of American Force, we replaced the wheels for the customers with the ones from American Eagle. Great people over there by the way.
Now that we have the American Force wheels back, they refuse to offer us any help on the cost of the warranty. I have called them numerous times with regard to the issue, and was initially promised $300 per set to offset the cost of repolishing the finish.
Now when I call Ray to check on the money, I am told that "we're done talking buddy. I'm not paying you anything. Sue me."
Note. I purchased and installed 8 sets of these things from the company. Quick math tells you that you still make money if you return these three sets. Quicker math tells you not to ever buy a product from a company who doesnt stand behind it"
Better Business Bureau record for American Force WheelsBBB® Non-Accredited
D- Rating
On a scale of A+ to F, American Force Wheels has a "D-" rating.
Reason for Rating: BBB Ratings System Overview
- 4 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years
- 3 complaints for Problems with Product / Service
- 2 complaints closed in last 12 months
Source for Jayhawk Trailer quote below:jayhawktrailers.com wrote:
"Just broke a second American Force wheel, this time steel and a bad weld. No reply from American Force, would say that basically they sell junk with no warranty."
Leaving Google search results aside for a moment, and turning to the American Force website:
There is a direct conflict between one line of American Force Wheel advertising that says "All American Force Wheels come with a lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defects", versus the actual Terms and Conditions that American Force unequivocally states shall supersede any and all other representations made by or on behalf of American Force and/or it's dealers.
American Force Wheel TERMS and CONDITIONS wrote:
Return Policy
Wheels from American Force are covered by a limited warranty.
The real warranty does not say "lifetime."
American Force Wheel TERMS and CONDITIONS continued wrote:
In case of problems or returns, please contact American Force directly and we will attempt to resolve the problem. In some cases, American Force will authorize a return merchandise authorization to the factory for inspection and in order to make a determination in the validity of the claim. A RMA is required before any returned merchandise will be accepted by American Force Wheels. Packages shipped to American Force Wheels without an RMA number will be returned to the shipper. A 20% restocking fee will be applied on our discretion.
The real warranty is only good "in some cases", to be "determined" by American Force, at their "discretion."
American Force Wheel TERMS and CONDITIONS continued wrote:
Important Note
All warranty returns that are reviewed by American Force Wheels warranty return department and found not to be subject to warranty coverage, will be returned to the sender, without repair or replacement, at the senders expense.
It can cost a several hundred dollars to round trip ship a set of large wheels. It doesn't mater how light aluminum wheels are, because shipping costs are also determined by package size. UPS, for example, has a minimum billing weight for any given cubic dimension of packaging that is calculated by multiplying L x W x H of a package in inches, and dividing the result by 166. I recently paid $69.00 to ship package that only weighed 14 lbs. via the slowest, cheapest ground method available. This 14 lb package was 24 x 16 x 19, and therefore the minimum
billable weight was 44 lbs, according to UPS's formula.
The smallest market obtainable shipping box that a 19.5" dually dished wheel that is 6.75" wide would require measures 24" x 24" x 12", which is 6,912 cubic inches. Divided by 166, this means that each minimum weight would be 42 lbs, which is not that far off from what the actual weight of the wheel with the box might be. To ground ship that one wheel, with the current fuel surcharge, would be about $66.00. Since a set of wheels cost $3,000, insurance would be prudent, raising the price to $75.00. Multiplied times four wheels, shipping a set one way for warranty inspection will cost $300.00. When that warranty is denied and the wheels are shipped back, there goes another $300.00. So there is an inherent risk of losing $600.00 anytime one even thinks of considering a warranty return.
But is a warranty, even a limited warranty, even available from American Force?
American Force Wheel TERMS and CONDITIONScontinued wrote:
This is a limited warranty. Therefore no warranties or representations, expressed or implied, are made.
Verbatim. It gets funnier:
American Force Wheel TERMS and CONDITIONS continued wrote:
Every American Force Wheel is custom manufactured to your own style and reference... NO RETURNS ON CUSTOM MADE ITEMS.
(
Bold emphasis added, but the ALL CAPS statement is verbatim from American Force, and they wrote it in all caps)
American Force Wheel TERMS and CONDITIONS continued wrote:
Please note that wheels that have been mounted with tires are no longer returnable.
Ha ha ha. So once you mount a tire, and then spin balance the tire, and find that it cannot be balanced because the wheel is out of round, then you are SOL, because a tire was mounted. Once you put that wheel on your truck, and after a few hundred miles down the road find that the wheel cracked at the bolt circles, you are SOL, because, guess what, you mounted a tire on the wheel in order to use it on the truck. Hmmmmm.
Back to google search:
Source for MD05 and 2Brak quotes below:MD05 wrote:
"Last try was American Force thru a company in Florida. They stated that the direct bolts are available purchase a set and was awaiting delivery..... oh wait American Force pull their 19.5 line due to bolt circle cracking. American Force used to make direct bolt for the 10 bolt 450 but had cracking issues at the lugs. (as posted circa 2011... availability status reportedly changed in 2013) These wheel came from China and there must have been some issue with the forging process. There have been several others that made direct bolt wheels again most of them were also built in China and drilled here. PS they are not DOT approved. For each whell sive and bolt pattern the DOT needs to test a bunch to make sure that they are safe. Look at a Big rig aluminum wheel you will see a DOT stamp on it."
2Brak wrote:
"American Force - Wheel blanks from China and although many here state they love them, I know they are no where near the quality as an Alcoa long term. I even doubt they are TRULY forged. I also have heard of the aluminum coating coming off and causing corrosion."
Cracking bolt circles and corrosion are typically not discovered until AFTER the tire is mounted on the wheel and the wheel is mounted on the truck... and either one of those activities renders the American Force wheel "non-returnable". Is mounting a tire on a wheel, or mounting a wheel to a truck, an unusual or unexpected use for a wheel?
American Force does not publish or provide pressure or strength ratings for their 19.5 wheels. Their "strength" appears to be limited to the coolness of their custom design. And since American Force states there is no returnable warranty on "custom" products, and all of American Force products are "custom", there is no loss of warranty from attempting to use these products as wheels. One cannot lose what they never had.
These wheels are sold to people who seek to customize (decorate) their trucks, and it appears that is what they are best suited for... decoration.
Wheels suited for transportation have a DOT stamp, a pressure rating, and a weight rating. The OEM Accuride wheels have all of this information engraved into the wheel at time of manufacture. If American Force is CNC milling their custom triangular hand hole designs into blank wheel discs, is American Force also obtaining DOT approval and testing for these wheels in their final cut form?
American Force is a two man operation in Miami Florida (Ray and Robert), and Rickson is a one man (Don) operation in Maryland. It is a fairly safe bet that neither one of these companies is an OEM supplier.
Therefore, as stated in an earlier post, direct mount aluminum dually wheels to utilize 265mm 19.5" tires that are:
- Forged aluminum
- 19.5"
- 10 bolt
- 225mm bolt circle diameter
- 170.1 mm hub pilot diameter
- 7.5" wide (Recommended by the Tire Industry Safety Council & the Rubber Manufacturer's Association)
... were never manufactured for a production vehicle by an OEM supplier.
