[ResIpsaLoquitur]

A mini review of the priciest (and perhaps best quality? more on that below) solution to floating heritage center caps.

Yesterday, I received my floating heritage center caps that IND-Distribution has customized for its customers. They use OE floating center cap cores from the version with standard BMW roundel. Then it looks like they remove the standard roundel from the mechanics and adhere OE heritage roundels in their place with some type of epoxy (more on that below, too).

Nice sturdy and typical IND shipping carton with their signature brown paper shipping tape with the IND logo. Opened the shipping carton to find the box extremely well packed inside with about ten passes around the box with bubble wrap. High quality IND decal inside the box.

Packaging — The floating heritage center caps are in the same pizza box style packaging that OE BMW ones come with in a 2 x 2 layout. The top right has a hole punched through so you can see (and touch) one of them. Based on the P/N on the box, I think this is the OE packaging for the OE “cores.” Definitely shipped well between that sturdy box and IND’s great protective packaging.

Floating Center Caps — Overall, pretty good quality. Generally, there is dried epoxy run from adhering the heritage roundels to the mechanics on two of them. It does look a little sloppy for something at this price, but you can’t see it at all once they’re installed. Fit and finish overall once installed is pretty good.

Also another slight gripe. The product description mentions “a notch” as a result of the production process. To me, that implies one notch. In fact, there are four notches on each one — N, S, E, and W. You can’t really see them when installed unless you’re really close up. If this is what’s required by the manufacturing process, that’s totally understandable; but it should be noted correctly on the website.

Install — They’re center caps. Not rocket science, but you do have to make sure you line them up exactly perfectly before pressing them in if you want the roundel perfectly upright and level. Big thanks to windtendo who suggested this locking suction cup with handle to pull out the existing fixed ones. Much better than my previous method — a thin flat head screwdriver with masking tape — and makes for a quick swap.

Bulge — the OE standard roundel floating caps generally have 1 or 2 mm bulge over the position of the fixed ones for obvious reasons. I would say these are about 1 or 2 mm even further out than those. I think it’s because the heritage roundels used were not made for this purpose — they’re likely reworked fixed heritage center caps. The OE standard roundel floating ones are definitely manufactured for this purpose and are thinner, so there is less bulge.

Everything above notwithstanding, these are much better quality than Bimmer.Plug or any Etsy or eBay versions that all miss the mark in one way or another. They are probably the best and highest quality solution currently available.

I’ll take a moment to highlight this — the package was in possession of the post office 59 minutes after I had completed my order. They shipped out on the Friday before 4th of July and received by me on the following Monday with USPS Priority Mail for a negligible shipping cost.

I used IND’s forum promo code “USA23” which got me 10% off of the $565 retail price. I paid $521 out the door with shipping.

I felt comfortable purchasing these from IND because I knew they would take them back no questions asked if I wasn’t satisfied and they weren’t installed. Again, while the quality is probably the best amongst other solutions, it’s not perfect. Nonetheless, I have decided to keep them and am overall happy with them.

If you have heritage roundels, and you really wanted floating center caps but didn’t get them because your OCD wouldn’t let you have mismatched roundels (with the standard BMW roundel on your wheels), these are for you even thought they’re not cheap, especially considering I got my previous set of standard roundel OE floating center caps for my pre-LCI on Amazon for $77 delivered to my door in about 24 hours. Also worth noting here even though I mentioned it earlier in the other thread; if you lose one, you’ll have to purchase another entire set of four, just like with standard roundel caps (per Ryan).

For the detail freaks, sorry the wheels are dirty! We’ve had some crappy weather for days. Car will be detailed on Wednesday. I couldn’t wait to install these, so I just thoroughly cleaned out the areas inside the wheel after removing the fixed caps.

Will update the thread with some better photos after the car gets a wash.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

(Holding this post for better photos after a car wash).

EDIT — Post wash photos showing installation added as promised. Clean(ish) wheels — if you don’t zoom in too far.

[NoMods]

i am more shocked by the dirty wheels, j/k looks good -glad IND kept it in the OEM packaging instead of wrapping it up in restroom paper towels to save money on shipping

ETA: you're missing a valve cap on your stem

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by armoredsaint

i am more shocked by the dirty wheels, j/k looks good -glad IND kept it in the OEM packaging instead of wrapping it up in restroom paper towels to save money on shipping

ETA: you're missing a valve cap on your stem

I know they’re filthy! It’s rained every day since my detail last week, plus no CCBs, so my 706Ms like to go from gloss black to BMW Indiviudal Almandine Brown lol.

I took this opportunity to fit a brand new full set of four of the same OE black M valve stem caps!

I was also pleased with the pizza box. Definitely made it feel more OEM even though I know it’s not! The packaging and shipping were top notch on these.

[windtendo]

Looking good! Write up was very informative which will certainly help out those going down this path with the center caps. It's pretty incredible how quick IND can usually get their stuff out. Glad that tool helped out too!

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by windtendo

Looking good! Write up was very informative which will certainly help out those going down this path with the center caps. It's pretty incredible how quick IND can usually get their stuff out. Glad that tool helped out too!

Thank you so much! I am hoping this will help someone who is in the same position as me.

I was absolutely amazed that it took less than an hour to ship out. Faster than Amazon even!

Much appreciated for the tool — I’m sure I’ll find other uses for them, too!

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Photos of completed install on the car after a wash posted above!

[Maverik259]

I must say they are growing on me. Dark cars only though. They still look too busy for the lighter colored greys, whites, etc.

I recently found out my rear driver side floating cap from ind has gone missing. Sad face. Looks like I’ll be pillaging one from my wife’s X5 and just put the standard ones back on her.

Not really sure what happened. Guess it just popped out one day. I’d like to imagine it came flying off like a hub cap in some cop chase movie from the 80s! Haha

Ever the less they look great. Not sure if they’re worth the price tag but that’s what you get when you’re the best show in the business.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

I must say they are growing on me. Dark cars only though. They still look too busy for the lighter colored greys, whites, etc.

I recently found out my rear driver side floating cap from ind has gone missing. Sad face. Looks like I’ll be pillaging one from my wife’s X5 and just put the standard ones back on her.

Not really sure what happened. Guess it just popped out one day. I’d like to imagine it came flying off like a hub cap in some cop chase movie from the 80s! Haha

Ever the less they look great. Not sure if they’re worth the price tag but that’s what you get when you’re the best show in the business.

I agree with you about looking best against dark cars, but the forum has shown me that there are definitely some lighter colors that they look great with as well. For a fully blacked out car like mine, it’s a nice pop of color, and the white and M stripe colors are the exact four colors of my license plate. It’s really cohesive looking for me. I should point out that when I spec-ed my ordered car (that I backed out of because of months of delays), I initially went with heritage, then switched back to standard. I’m glad my car came with the heritage in the end. It feels a little more special to me.

If you’ve lost the standard floating center cap, the set of four OE is cheapest on Amazon and is sold by a BMW dealer, but fulfilled by Amazon with free shipping for Prime members at $94. Looks like they’ve gone up a bit.

They will pop out if you hit a significant pot hole — that’s how I lost one of mine.

Thanks for the kind words!

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Hey Maverik259, just thought of this. Somewhere in storage, I am pretty sure I have three standard roundel floating ones from my pre-LCI because I had to buy a set of four when I lost one, and I replaced all four corners with the new set. I don’t think I threw them out even though I was going to. They are in great shape.

Let me make sure I can find them next time I am there. If I can find them, and if you send me a shipping label, I would be more than happy to give you one.

Your wife gets to keep hers, and you can complete your set again. I’d love for a fellow enthusiast and forum member to get some use out of them!

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by ResIpsaLoquitur

Hey Maverik259, just thought of this. Somewhere in storage, I am pretty sure I have three standard roundel floating ones from my pre-LCI because I had to buy a set of four when I lost one, and I replaced all four corners with the new set. I don’t think I threw them out even though I was going to. They are in great shape.

Let me make sure I can find them next time I am there. If I can find them, and if you send me a shipping label, I would be more than happy to give you one.

Your wife gets to keep hers, and you can complete your set again. I’d love for a fellow enthusiast and forum member to get some use out of them!

Haha that’s great man thanks. Let me know what you find when you can. Much appreciated.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Haha that’s great man thanks. Let me know what you find when you can. Much appreciated.

You’re very welcome! Give me a few days, please.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Haha that’s great man thanks. Let me know what you find when you can. Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by ResIpsaLoquitur

You’re very welcome! Give me a few days, please.

PM’ed.

[crypto]

For the record — I did a bake off a while ago and duct tape is the most effective, quickest, and easy way to get the center caps out by far. It’s prob the cheapest too — especially if you already have a roll. 😂

[MichaelNRW]

About the notch.
It´s on the top where it´s always visible?
I wonder why @IND-Distribution didn´t put the notch bottom.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by MichaelNRW

About the notch.
It´s on the top where it´s always visible?
I wonder why @IND-Distribution didn´t put the notch bottom.

There are in fact four notches. North, South, East, and West when the roundel is upright. They are all visible close up, but I’d say that somebody who isn’t paying attention wouldn’t notice. Of course though, I don’t care if other people do or don’t notice — I don’t want to notice.

The notches are more prominent than my photo conveys, since that shot has epoxy over run inside the notch.

[IND-Distribution]

The notch is from BMW as can be seen from the 50th center caps.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by IND-Distribution

The notch is from BMW as can be seen from the 50th center caps.

Thank for clarifying. I made my statement based on this verbatim quote (below) from IND’s website:

“NOTE: Center caps will include a notch on the edge from the assembly process.”

I used the word manufacturing as opposed to assembly. The quote as written (to me) means that there was no preexisting notch(es) on the center caps, and it is/they are the product of assembling the floating center caps, especially since there is disassembly of the OE center caps before IND converts them into heritage.

I suppose you could have meant the notch is from BMW’s assembly process, if that was in fact the case. However, I don’t see similar verbiage on the product page of the fixed OE BMW fixed center caps on IND’s website.

Also, as I stated earlier, there are in fact four notches and not one.

I am not ragging on you guys about any of this. Tone is hard to convey on the internet. I am a many time repeat customer and mention IND-Distribution whenever there is any discussion about extremely reputable forum vendors with excellent customer service that other companies in this space could learn from. I was merely providing an objective (and satisfied!) review.