Beware of Replica / "OEM Style" Wheels

[MattBianco]

Many, not all, cannot take the impact of potholes.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...a-wheels-video

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[Alan l.]

I was just about to post this same video too.

Not all replicas are made the same but unfortunately there is NO WAY to tell what you are getting with them. I had a set of 18" M5 replicas on my 2000 E46 that were tanks and took a beating without any issues except for crappy paint finish while I've also had wheels that bend if you looked at them funny. Now with a much heavier car like the X5 and a family riding inside it I don't take anymore chances with wheels which is why I went with my BBS SV rated at 925 and 995KG front/rear. The only wheel that is rated higher from BBS is the RD-T which is a wheel meant for heavy duty/offroading pick up trucks

Alan

[rexus300]

I am glad the OP posted this! I have repeatedly told many people and friends to stop buying cheap like OEM wheels. They don't pass the rigorous testing as OEM wheels and are not made out of strong composite material and not made with strong pressure casting to make them strong to withstand potholes. They also don't have the trueness tolerance of the OEM and can have runout causing vibration no matter how well they balance out with the tire.

[stewy604]

Good post OP. Although much like Alan mentioned above, I too have had good experiences with replica wheels. I'm currently running a set of Hartmann RS4 reps on my A4. Had them on the car since 2007, no issues with them at all. I've had them re-finished once due to a tire shop scratching each wheel while mounting new tires. At the end of the day, there's a few factors at play here...road condition, the manufacturer themselves and materials used, driving style, vehicle type, tire choice, etc...

[MattBianco]

I think the key takeaway is to stick with originals and reputable brands. And, avoid wheels that imitate or outright copy the look of originals.

[Doanster]

No disagreement with any of the statements/responses, however, the risk of bends and cracks increases as the profile of the tire goes down IMO.
On my C300, I'm running 235/35/19s, i.e. rubber bands, and finally bent the OZs to the point of no return (lateral bend) after hitting a crater. I spend most of my time looking for potholes to avoid vs actually driving.
On our F15s, there's a ton of sidewall on 19" and 20" setups to absorb much of the shock, so I wouldn't be as concerned about bends/cracks with reps (again, assuming a reputable manufacturer). 21" and 22" setups a little more concern, but with the widths being 275, 315, etc. they certainly aren't as thin as my 235/35s.
Granted, we didn't live through snowmageddon out here so the potholes probably aren't as numerous or cavernous comparatively...

[turboawd]

bmw wheels have been known to crack.
with my old e60 m5 wheels, i had multiple cracks occur on the inner lips, all 4 rims. and i never hit anywhere near as hard as shown in the video. tried welding them, but would crack again. went with aftermarket miro wheels, and no more cracks ever.

[r33_RGSport]

Alan statement is correct. Not all fake or replica wheels created equal.
Also, one variable is not known is the tire pressure. Assuming tire pressure is the same, I wouldn't drive 50kmh against that type of pothole. Even with OE or high quality wheels with that low profile of tires.

[twelve535i]

Not all replicas are the same. Avante garde and Hartmann make good quality replicas, but most are low quality and probably go through very little testing, if any.
I wouldn't risk it on such a heavy Car like the X5 especially if you live in an area with terrible roads.
There's a picture floating around somewhere in an old thread showing all the spokes cracked off a replica Rim....

More reputable companies like Avante garde would keep making replicas if BMW wouldn't sue them.

[Alan l.]

Some "BB5" LM's


I had a set of these on my 335 for short period of time. Bent them like stop signs. Actually bent one the first weekend with them on a medium size pothole.

[onfireX5]

Mercy

[ronaldochen]

Thanks OP, Learned a lot from your posts.

[rexus300]

Originally Posted by twelve535i

Not all replicas are the same. Avante garde and Hartmann make good quality replicas, but most are low quality and probably go through very little testing, if any.
I wouldn't risk it on such a heavy Car like the X5 especially if you live in an area with terrible roads.
There's a picture floating around somewhere in an old thread showing all the spokes cracked off a replica Rim....

More reputable companies like Avante garde would keep making replicas if BMW wouldn't sue them.

I forgot to mention that I have hartmann winter wheel sets for my A7 and A6 sedans and they are solid rims! No bends or cracks. Runs smooth and no quality issues with them.

[Alan l.]

From what I was told years ago from someone in the business there really isn't that many factories around the world that makes wheels so chances are even though there are hundreds of wheel brands out on the market they are mostly made by the same handful of wheel factories around the world. China, Taiwan, Italy, Thailand are all the major players for cheap/replica wheel manufacturing. From my own experience wheels made in china are the worst while ones made in Italy or Taiwan are usually better. Some of BMW's OEM wheels are made in Taiwan or Italy. BBS, Ronal etc.. also makes a lot of their oem wheels.

Alan