[mgarvey]

Does anyone have any pictures of plain steel winter wheels on an F30?

I'm really keen on getting winter wheels this year. Whilst snow isn't a major problem in the south where I live I've still been caught out a few times and really dislike the hairy moments you get in a RWD car in cold and wet conditions.

However, I'm not made of money and I'm having a hard time convincing the wife that they are worth it. I've tried all the arguments around reselling them later, savings from summer tyres lasting longer and so on, but in her eyes I would be basically spending the MacBook Pro that she wants (don't blame her really).

So, if I can get winter wheels at all I really need to look at steel ones or take a chance with cheap 3rd party alloys, and find some sort of tyre hotel to store them (as the wife doesn't want them stored in the shed either).

I've looked at the BMW configurator and the plastic wheel trims with the steel wheels look particularly naff. In fact, I can't help thinking that the bare steel rims might look better, particularly if I can get them in black, on my AW car.

The way I see it, those 'in the know' will realise I have winter wheels on, and most other people will probably think I'm in a CID police car!

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by mgarvey

....So, if I can get winter wheels at all I really need to look at steel ones or take a chance with cheap 3rd party alloys, and find some sort of tyre hotel to store them (as the wife doesn't want them stored in the shed either).

I've looked at the BMW configurator and the plastic wheel trims with the steel wheels look particularly naff. In fact, I can't help thinking that the bare steel rims might look better, particularly if I can get them in black, on my AW car.

The way I see it, those 'in the know' will realise I have winter wheels on, and most other people will probably think I'm in a CID police car!

Not seen any steels on the F3* models yet, but many folks use steels and plastic trims up here, for their winter wheel sets. Hardly notice they are plastic trims on E9* models, as the trim looks like one of the alloy styles.

Not sure about the black steels, as when I see them up here on other cars, they look as if the trims have fallen off.

HighlandPete

[oop north]

http://babybmw.net/viewforum.php?f=74 - BMW M135i forum has some pics of one of them on winter steels. Might be worth a root there?

[Nick the Greek]

However, I'm not made of money and I'm having a hard time convincing the wife that they are worth it.

She's right. They're not.

[schrickm5]

They steel's weigh in alot more also, probably affects fuel consumption....and are butt ugly.

If you live in the South, I dont know if I would bother with Winter tires, perhaps get some all season's next time you change rubber.

Get your wife that MacBook instead......

[PrinceBarin]

I had winters last year for the first time and I won't go back. And whilst they are great in the snow, it's their all-round cold weather performance through the winter that makes the difference to me. Should you ever need to stop or swerve in cold or sub-zero conditions, the winters could save your car and maybe even your life.

And you are right about saving wear on your summers so the cost should broadly even out over the life of the tyres (albeit winters are more expensive). In fairness to your wife though, it's a chunky cash outlay up-front.

I'm assuming you're not up for swapping tyres on the same rims?

[PrinceBarin]

Oh, and get an iMac - it's cheaper and better than a MacBook Pro.

Flame suit on

[ben_e71]

you know the real problem with all this winter tyre stuff is that in on any 'normal' car it wouldn't be an issue so much as you would just be swapping tyres on rims. This is what my friends with Golfs and Minis do with theirs. The issue comes that most (if not all) of the F30 (or all BMWs even) and derivatives use run-flats so we end up having to have a second set of wheels as well - because everyone tells scare stories of people not getting run flats swapped on existing rims.

So think about it firstly we are just waking up to the fact of the use of having a second set of £800 tyres and yes can see wear on them is wear that doesn't happen on the summer tyres. But to splash out £800 to £1200 on rims as well starts to get steep.

[kitster]

Originally Posted by PrinceBarin

Oh, and get an iMac - it's cheaper and better than a MacBook Pro.

Flame suit on

When was the last time you took your iMac out of the house

[mgarvey]

Originally Posted by PrinceBarin

I'm assuming you're not up for swapping tyres on the same rims?

I would be up for that, but hear horror stories of removing/replacing runflats, and getting 18" winters for my 397 wheels is probably almost as much as a new set of 16" wheels.

[mgarvey]

Originally Posted by oop north

http://babybmw.net/viewforum.php?f=74 - BMW M135i forum has some pics of one of them on winter steels. Might be worth a root there?

Some good stuff on there, thanks!

[M40WST]

Look on this thread, the 3rd picture of mine shows the steel wheels on an AW F30

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showth...4#post13149994