Forgestar: Delivery? Concerns?

[BK63amg]

I wanted to check in with the community and see if anyone could share some feedback on Forgestar with me. I read the threads about some of the issues they had a few years back (on mulitple forums) with delivery and quality but was under the impression that they'd gotten things fixed (based on recent customer testimonials and the many vendors that endorse and sell their product.) On Feb 16, I ordered a set of F14's (19" brushed charcoal) and was given a ship date of 4/6 from D2 Motorsports...was told delivery takes about 6 weeks. My last update on 4/3 was that the wheels had been sent out for finishing. D2 hadn't heard back from Forgestar as of 4/13. This week makes it a full 2 months since I placed my order. I'm just a little concerned at this point because I was told the wheels were sent for finished two weeks ago - is it normal for the finishing process to take this long? Having owned several sets of wheels on my other vehicles, my gut tells me no. I was really hoping to get these wheels in time for the Spring car show season but more importantly, I'm still riding on my winter tires and have been waiting to mount my summer rubber on my new Forgestars. Should I be concerned or expect further delay from Forgestar? D2 has told me they would contact me as soon as they received a call back from Forgestar but I am hoping my 6 weeks turnaround wont turn into a 12 or 16 week I've read from some past customers on the boards... In retrospect, I probably should have asked these questions before I placed my order, but any insight the community can share would be appreciated. Thanks!

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[callmiro]

Originally Posted by BK63amg

I wanted to check in with the community and see if anyone could share some feedback on Forgestar with me. I read the threads about some of the issues they had a few years back (on mulitple forums) with delivery and quality but was under the impression that they'd gotten things fixed (based on recent customer testimonials and the many vendors that endorse and sell their product.)

On Feb 16, I ordered a set of F14's (19" brushed charcoal) and was given a ship date of 4/6 from D2 Motorsports...was told delivery takes about 6 weeks. My last update on 4/3 was that the wheels had been sent out for finishing. D2 hadn't heard back from Forgestar as of 4/13. This week makes it a full 2 months since I placed my order. I'm just a little concerned at this point because I was told the wheels were sent for finished two weeks ago - is it normal for the finishing process to take this long? Having owned several sets of wheels on my other vehicles, my gut tells me no.

I was really hoping to get these wheels in time for the Spring car show season but more importantly, I'm still riding on my winter tires and have been waiting to mount my summer rubber on my new Forgestars.

Should I be concerned or expect further delay from Forgestar? D2 has told me they would contact me as soon as they received a call back from Forgestar but I am hoping my 6 weeks turnaround wont turn into a 12 or 16 week I've read from some past customers on the boards...

In retrospect, I probably should have asked these questions before I placed my order, but any insight the community can share would be appreciated.

Thanks!

It's spring...it happens every year.....everyone puts in their order in Jan/Feb and production slows down to try and cope with demand

[Tal@ACGAutomotive]

Being one of the larger Forgestar dealers in this community, i feel I can answer the question. The delivery dates are fine. The manufacturing period is set and promised at 6 weeks. Forgestar have been pretty good with hitting their production deadlines with missing the delivery by 1 week at most.

The delivery problems mostly arise from the vendors selling the wheels when the blanks are out of stock at Forgestar. That means that there is 1-3 month wait period on the blanks, 6 week wait on the production. This is where the customer will get rightfully mad at the dealer and consequently at Forgestar.

Keep in mind that right now a very busy time for the wheel manufacturers and the finishers. everybody wants their wheels done for the spring season and the manufacturing times can be affected.

[BK63amg]

Originally Posted by Peter@ACGSD

Being one of the larger Forgestar dealers in this community, i feel I can answer the question. The delivery dates are fine. The manufacturing period is set and promised at 6 weeks. Forgestar have been pretty good with hitting their production deadlines with missing the delivery by 1 week at most.

The delivery problems mostly arise from the vendors selling the wheels when the blanks are out of stock at Forgestar. That means that there is 1-3 month wait period on the blanks, 6 week wait on the production. This is where the customer will get rightfully mad at the dealer and consequently at Forgestar.

Keep in mind that right now a very busy time for the wheel manufacturers and the finishers. everybody wants their wheels done for the spring season and the manufacturing times can be affected.

Peter,
Thank you for chiming in - I appreciate your insight. Your explanation makes complete sense - I'm just operating under the assumption that my wheels were already made since I was told they were sent for finishing. I think it's important to manage your customers expecations upfront if there is, in fact, a shortage of blanks or a backlog of orders that will impact delivery.

If it's a matter of just high volume due to the Spring, then I can understand that, too. I'd just like a little more communication regarding the status of the wheels since my shipment date has already elapsed.

I'm really looking forward to throwing these bad boys on...I just hope I get an update this week

[db71]

Originally Posted by Peter@ACGSD

Being one of the larger Forgestar dealers in this community, i feel I can answer the question. The delivery dates are fine. The manufacturing period is set and promised at 6 weeks. Forgestar have been pretty good with hitting their production deadlines with missing the delivery by 1 week at most.

The delivery problems mostly arise from the vendors selling the wheels when the blanks are out of stock at Forgestar. That means that there is 1-3 month wait period on the blanks, 6 week wait on the production. This is where the customer will get rightfully mad at the dealer and consequently at Forgestar.

Keep in mind that right now a very busy time for the wheel manufacturers and the finishers. everybody wants their wheels done for the spring season and the manufacturing times can be affected.

So its the dealers fault that forgestar offers a wheel in a specific size and style but does not have the parts to make it. (not saying this is the case).

The fact that it is peek season should not make a bit of difference. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to go huh we have 400 forgings we can sell 100 sets +/- with waste. This stuff should not be tolerated but they know once they have your money there is not **** you can do.

If a company is ran properly 3-4 weeks should be about the proper amount of time it should take to get to your dealers door maybe faster. Thats figuring a week shipping. But as the saying goes you get what you pay for. I am sure HRE does not use the excuse we are out of forgings or any other bs put out there by some of these companies.

[CampioniShop]

See below.

Originally Posted by db71

So its the dealers fault that forgestar offers a wheel in a specific size and style but does not have the parts to make it. (not saying this is the case).

Forgestar provides us with accurate live inventory of their barrels as well as workflow tracking information. It is the dealer's responsibility to properly inform its potential customers about lead times.

Peter is right, most of the issues we have seen with Forgestar actually arise from the dealer. I am pretty sure Peter can attest to this; Forgestar wheels are amongst the most price shopped wheels on the market. Forgestar has made an amazing product, the best bang for your buck product on the market IMO.

Unfortunately, many customers do not see the value in great customer service on a custom set of wheels. Forgestar has put customization possibilities from $5,000 + wheels in a $1,000 range wheel program. Customer service and product knowledge is of the essence here.

The fact that it is peek season should not make a bit of difference. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to go huh we have 400 forgings we can sell 100 sets +/- with waste. This stuff should not be tolerated but they know once they have your money there is not **** you can do.

Forgestar has cast blanks - not forgings. It's a lot easier to keep in stock blank forgings and combinations of barrels than a variety of blanks in different styles, widths, diameters, etc. With forgings, you only have to keep a certain profile and your wheels are then CNC machined to specs. With cast blanks, they need to be cast first. It's a much more complicated business model.

If a company is ran properly 3-4 weeks should be about the proper amount of time it should take to get to your dealers door maybe faster. Thats figuring a week shipping. But as the saying goes you get what you pay for. I am sure HRE does not use the excuse we are out of forgings or any other bs put out there by some of these companies.

Our primary business with CampioniShop are custom wheels. I can tell you for a fact we have not seen 1 custom set of wheels go out the door in less than 4 weeks. The only company that we've seen has been BC Forged , but they have huge manufacturing facilities and are not yet slammed with high demand.

[Tal@ACGAutomotive]

Originally Posted by db71

So its the dealers fault that forgestar offers a wheel in a specific size and style but does not have the parts to make it. (not saying this is the case).

The fact that it is peek season should not make a bit of difference. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to go huh we have 400 forgings we can sell 100 sets +/- with waste. This stuff should not be tolerated but they know once they have your money there is not **** you can do.

If a company is ran properly 3-4 weeks should be about the proper amount of time it should take to get to your dealers door maybe faster. Thats figuring a week shipping. But as the saying goes you get what you pay for. I am sure HRE does not use the excuse we are out of forgings or any other bs put out there by some of these companies.

The dealer is able to see the inventory of parts that Forgestar has. There is a specific database for that. A dealer can always ask Forgestar when the parts are coming in but from my personal experience, those are not solid ETAs. Personally, I will not take a customer's order unless all the parts are in stock. You won't believe how many customer's I have to turn away on weekly basis. Its not worth for me to have a client disappointed ACG and Forgestar when he/she does not get their wheels on time.

Forgestar is an inexpensive wheel brand and it offers a lot more then other brands in a similar price range. The demand for their wheels is enormous. Choose to deal with some delays inherent with custom-made wheels or look elsewhere.

[BK63amg]

I really appreciate the vendors chiming in here and sharing their insight. I am just really excited and anxious to get my wheels but this perspective definitely helps manage my expectations.

Thank you!

[db71]

Originally Posted by Peter@ACGSD

The dealer is able to see the inventory of parts that Forgestar has. There is a specific database for that. A dealer can always ask Forgestar when the parts are coming in but from my personal experience, those are not solid ETAs. Personally, I will not take a customer's order unless all the parts are in stock. You won't believe how many customer's I have to turn away on weekly basis. Its not worth for me to have a client disappointed ACG and Forgestar when he/she does not get their wheels on time.

Forgestar is an inexpensive wheel brand and it offers a lot more then other brands in a similar price range. The demand for their wheels is enormous. Choose to deal with some delays inherent with custom-made wheels or look elsewhere.

Peter,

That is an excellent way to do business if every dealer and manufacturer did this there would be a lot less complaints. This is my complaint with companies is that they take orders then order the parts to make them. I had an experience like this that is why I commented.

As for forgestar I don't know much about their wheels I just assumed forged because of the name.

[sjhugh]

Originally Posted by CampioniShop

See below.

Forgestar has cast blanks - not forgings. It's a lot easier to keep in stock blank forgings and combinations of barrels than a variety of blanks in different styles, widths, diameters, etc. With forgings, you only have to keep a certain profile and your wheels are then CNC machined to specs. With cast blanks, they need to be cast first. It's a much more complicated business model.

Does that mean that Forgestar are not forged rims?


.

[CampioniShop]

They are not forged. Forgestar uses a manufacturing method called "rotary forging" which starts off as a low pressure cast face. That is why they are offered at such a low price. You cannot expect a forged wheel to be priced around 1,500 for a set of 19s.

There is also no such thing as a "flow-formed" wheel. A face/center cannot be flow formed. Flow-forming allows to thin out the barrel material to reduce weight by around 10 - 15% over a regular low pressure cast wheel, effectively making it lighter.

A forged wheel can have a flow formed barrel. Many current forged wheel manufacturer use this technology to make an even lighter wheel.

Forgestar uses the same technology as BBS, Enkei, OZ and other high end wheel manufacturers to produce a lightweight, strong and affordable wheel - something that was unheard of a few years ago.

This information is readily available on Forgestar and CampioniShop's website. Here's a more detailed explanation:

Flow-Forming

Forgestar's flowforming process is a unique solution to a common problem - how to make a wheel both light and strong.
This specialized process begins with a low pressure type of casting and uses a special machine that spins the initial casting, heats the outer portion of the casting and then uses steel rollers pressed against the rim area to pull the rim to its final width and shape. the combination of the heat, pressure and spinning create a rim area with the strength similar to a forged wheel. During flow forming, the pressure applied to the cast rim actually changes its mechanical properties, so its strength and impact values become similar to those of a forged rim. that translates to up to 15% less weight when compared to a standard cast wheel. The resulting grain structure within the alloy of the wheel is linear, flowing in a single direction.



This grain structure pattern, combined with the exceptional quality of casting required for the process, gives the rim area of the wheel huge mechanical strength, and elongation. as a result of these mechanical characteristics, forgestar is able to reduce the thickness of the rim area resulting in reduced weight, without compromising strength and resistance to impact.

[BK63amg]

Seeing as how I placed the order 8 weeks ago and have no idea when they are going to ship, it's going to be at least another 2 weeks until I get them (assuming they ship some time next week.)

So now I'm looking at a 10-12 week delivery time on a set of wheels I was told takes 6 weeks. something seems wrong about this, especially if the blanks are in stock. Volume can't be the sole reason for this delay, can it?

Do any of the vendors in this thread think this sounds unreasonable? What has been the average turnaround time on Forgestar orders you've fulfilled?

[Tal@ACGAutomotive]

6-8 weeks is the normal delivery time right now. You might want to ask your vendor to call Forgestar and have them track your wheel order and see exactly where it is at. If the wheels are already in finishing, it should not take more then 1-2 weeks. If the wheels has not physically gone to finishing it could be longer.

[BK63amg]

Got word that my wheels were finished and would be shipping either today or tomorrow! I can't wait until they get here...appreciate all the feedback and insight.

[Even Money]

Good luck...forgestar is notorious for delays...I ended up canceling my order a few years back after I was told it would take another couple of months on top of the several months I had already waited..

[BK63amg]

Originally Posted by Even Money

Good luck...forgestar is notorious for delays...I ended up canceling my order a few years back after I was told it would take another couple of months on top of the several months I had already waited..

I placed this order in good faith operating under the assumption they'd gotten their act together. If all goes as planned, I should have the wheels by next week which would put them at a 9 week delivery...still very long in my book, but better than many others, it seems.

I just hope the wheels prove worth the wait.

[CampioniShop]

Originally Posted by Even Money

Good luck...forgestar is notorious for delays...I ended up canceling my order a few years back after I was told it would take another couple of months on top of the several months I had already waited..

A few years back Forgestar blanks came already painted. It was a logistics nightmare. Now all Forgestar blanks come in in raw finish outside of black wheels and the finishes are now powdercoated instead of painted for a more consistent finish. Things have changed!

[JcbyFong]

i feel I can answer the question. The delivery dates are fine.

[JCH]

My order took about 2 1/2 mths which was about twice as long as I expected. Then they scratched one of the wheels and had to send it for powder coating again causing further delay. Rather frustrating, but they are good quality at a good price. Just try and forget about them until they come in.

[linjy2]

has anyone ordered CF10? I really want to see those on a C63 before ordering.

[Fung63]

Originally Posted by linjy2

has anyone ordered CF10? I really want to see those on a C63 before ordering.

same here. Deciding between the CF10 and the F14 atm

[CJM-C63]

I put my order in for the CF10's...I didn't see any pics of them on our cars but they are pretty close to what comes on the Black Series...I think they are going to look SICK! Can't wait to get them...6 weeks I was told by Matt at Campioni

[linjy2]

Originally Posted by CJM-C63

I put my order in for the CF10's...I didn't see any pics of them on our cars but they are pretty close to what comes on the Black Series...I think they are going to look SICK! Can't wait to get them...6 weeks I was told by Matt at Campioni

Please post pics when you get them!

[CampioniShop]

Originally Posted by linjy2

has anyone ordered CF10? I really want to see those on a C63 before ordering.

We got a few orders from board members here. Sets should start being delivered within 5 weeks.

[BK63amg]

After being told that my wheels were finished and being shipped last Thursday, I was just told that there was an imperfection in the finish that required repair. D2 Motorsports, the vendor I placed my order through, sent me a picture of the imperfection, which in my opinion, looks more like damage caused my mishandling (scrapes/gouges in clear coat on spokes.) I also suspect this to be the case because it wasn't until last night when D2 called Forgestar to ask why my wheels hadn't arrived that they said there was an imperfection that was going to delay shipment by another week.

If this was, in fact, an imperfection, it should have been caught during inspection and quality control before confirming the wheels were ready to ship. If it was caught after the fact, forgestar should have notified D2 immediately and my wheel should have already been refinished this week.

Needless to say, I am frustrated as this is now turning into a 12 week ordeal and I am starting to feel like Forgestar is jerking me around. Had I known this was going to be such a headache, I would have gone in another direction and had my wheels 8 weeks ago.

I guess I should have expected this might happen given the many complaints about Forgestar and delivery times and lack of communication. I won't be dealing with Forgestar again after this.