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Ditched the boat anchors
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03-04-2014, 11:13 AM | #1 |
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Ditched the boat anchors
After cracking my second type 195 stock wheel, I decided it was time to pick up some wheels I could trust, and maybe save some weight while I was at it. I drive a lot of miles, sometimes several hundred a day, so having wheels that might crack at some point in the middle of my drive and leave me stranded was unacceptable. I settled on Apex EC-7 since they have good reviews for being strong, tough, and light as well as coming in the right offsets for my car. Also settled on continental DW over the PSS due to price and a couple pounds saved per tire in the sizes I used. Now lets get to the good stuff. Stock front tires are fairly deep still, probably 80% tread or more. Rears were more like 10-15% remaining. I calc'd the weight of rubber difference between a stock rear tire and the tread depth remaining out to 5.2 lbs, which makes the weight difference make sense. Roughly 11-12 lbs less per corner is what I was expecting so this is pretty much spot on Its been raining pretty good here so I havent taken any pictures, but the point of the wheel choice was to look basically stock and they do that well.
Stock front wheel (225/40 R18) 18"x8" New front wheel (235/40 R18) 18"x8.5" et35 Stock rear wheel (255/35 R18) 18"x8.5" if you add 5.2lbs here for a new tire you get 56.4 lbs, on paper the weight should be about 56.5lbs so thats pretty close. New rear wheel (265/35 R18) 18"x9.5" et43 I maybe could have got away with the et35 on this wheel, but even the et43 on a 9.5" wide wheel puts the wheel edge 7mm further out and I have 0 interest in rubbing. If for whatever reason I feel like I need to get it further out there I can use a 5mm spacer I guess. Last edited by Hoooper; 03-04-2014 at 11:19 AM.. |
03-04-2014, 02:07 PM | #2 |
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I heard from someone (who I believe worked or had worked at a BMW dealership) that the 195s are especially used for our cars because it has to be strong (for the torque and additional weight maybe). I havent cracked one yet, and I love the look of the wheels. But yes, they are damn expensive. I do drive paranoid. I had a passenger criticize my driving once as dangerous for bicyclists. But I wouldnt swerve around a pothole if there was a bicyclist next to me.
Nevertheless, I thought the 195s were especially chosen for their strength. I am dubious that you can get a stronger wheel if it is lighter. I dont go to the UK forums much, but I recall seeing a huge discussion about a class action suit against BMW for cracking wheels. I dont know if the 195s are offered in the UK, but you might ask there if they have seen problems with these wheels.
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03-04-2014, 02:45 PM | #3 | ||
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BMW of late has apparently used some crap manufacturing on their wheels, made worse by the wider use of run-flats. IMO there is no excuse for cracking wheels, especially if youre using wheels that come in at nearly 30 lbs, on a vehicle that runs over $50k MSRP. I have a family friend that has cracked 5 wheels on an X5. An X5! How are they so weak that they crack on an SUV with "big" sidewalls? I know this guy isnt just running over curbs all the time... Also, the conti DW's are not run-flats AND have a bigger sidewall, that will help prevent wheel damage. I have heard that also, but finding info on 195 wheels is not easy, I think most people arent referring to them by their number Last edited by Hoooper; 03-04-2014 at 02:50 PM.. |
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03-04-2014, 04:54 PM | #4 |
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I also went with different wheels a couple years ago. Significant weight savings to be had. Hope these work well for you.
I'd like to encourage you to value human life above your wheels. The life and liberty of a law abiding US citizen has value that supersedes your wheels. |
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03-04-2014, 05:53 PM | #5 | |
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Anyway, I wasnt aware BMW wheels were qualitatively inferior to aftermarket rims. That may be. I certainly did notice that UK eruption of complaints, but I sort of assumed that might be related only certain models. Personally, if I were to get a second set of rims or replace my 195s, I would go aftermarket because BMW wheels are overpriced. I dont think that 18" rims are good regardless of who makes them, I really wanted the Sports seats when I got the Sports Package with my car. That being said, I think the rims are gorgeous from an aesthetic perspective, so for that, but 18" rims just dont leave enough room for rubber (and RFTs exacerbate that) from a practical perspective. Dont get me wrong, I hope your aftermarket rims work great, but cracking is a risk that is heightened with wider rims and thinner tires. If you retain 18" rims thinking that the manufacturing process of a certain aftermarket rim maker is going to eliminate any possibility of cracking, I think you will be disappointed. Retaining 18" rims shows that you think appearance and performance is more important than the danger of cracking. If you dont agree, answer these (admittedly rhetorical) questions regarding your new rim: Is your new rim also made in 17" that would fit your 335d? Or couldnt you find a similar rim in 17" that fits the 335d? Wouldnt this 17" rim be less likely to crack because it would have a thicker shock absorbing tire around it? Why didnt you get this 17" rim? Why did you opt for the 18" rim when a 17" rim which is less likely to crack was available?
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03-04-2014, 08:57 PM | #6 |
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Obviously a resistance to cracking wasn't the only part of the formula or I would have downgraded my brakes and gone for 15s. That said, I've been running fairly cheap 18" wheels with the same size tires in a pretty stiff sidewall in another car for over 80k miles on the same roads and haven't had any issues with those. I don't think "eliminate" the possibility of cracking is accurate, I still have the possibility of cracking the wheels on my jeep with 9" of sidewall top and bottom. I also have no doubt that upgrading to quality wheels with a solid build and manufacturing process will significantly lessen my chances of cracking a wheel. I would be pretty surprised if these higher quality stronger wheels with a slightly taller and softer sidewall end up cracking.
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03-05-2014, 04:16 PM | #7 |
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Hooper: For the OEM weights, were those with runflats? I'm trying to assertain if the ~11 lb decrease was wheel only or wheel + going to a "go flat" tire.
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03-05-2014, 05:40 PM | #8 | |
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Our cars are a bit heavier that other 3 series (not sure about the M3 though), and we have more torque in the back, so if anybody is going to stress our rims, it will be us. This is the first I have heard about 195s cracking, but I dont hang out in the wheels and tires forum much. Did you hit obstacles or potholes and notice the result shortly thereafter? Or did you just notice a loss of air pressure and found out it was a cracked rim?
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03-05-2014, 09:50 PM | #9 | |||
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Last edited by Hoooper; 03-05-2014 at 09:57 PM.. |
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03-05-2014, 10:51 PM | #10 | |
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If you didnt have tire bubbles in the same location as the rim crack it sounds like defective rims. IMHO it is common to get tire bubbles from obstacles or potholes, but uncommon to get rim cracks. So it is safe to assume that to hit something significant enough to crack a rim it would also -- 1. leave a tire bubble, and 2. be an impact that would get your attention (if you were the driver) and cause you to inspect the wheel (obviously the crack would probably not be visible) and remember the incident.
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Speakers: CDT Audio HD-42 comps--front doors (RAAMmat deadened), CDT ES-06 6.5" woofers--kickpanl Pods, Hertz EBX202R dual 8" ported trunk sub. Amps: Phoenix Gold RSd 500.4 (comps & pods). PG RSd 600.1 (sub). Power & Ground: 4AWG Streetwires w/RockFosgt RFDB1 distro blocks. Input: HU lineout--Kicker KISL RCA adapters--RockFosgt RFIT-6 cables--Audiocontrol Matrix--Monster cables--RSd 500.4--lineout Monstr Cabl to RSd 600.1.
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