E36 wheel trouble

[JJINHART@xxxxxxxxx (John Hart)]

Hi
   after buying 235 40 17 tires (as specified for sport package
compatiblity on door jamb sticker) in place of the stock 16's for my E36
328ic, I have found that the imitation "Motorsport Type 2 or
"lightweight" alloys wheels sold by Discount Tire and others suck.
    I bought four, and they bent over minor road crests and small
potholes at 34-36psi.  I contacted the seller, and they offered (and I
accepted=fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice. shame on me!) to
sell me 3 more at list=$127 vs. $650.  I got one bent on a highway
expansion joint with a VERY small crack, say 3 inches diameter est., and
this all at 37.5psi, what the seller said to run (yeah right, "as high
as possible"=make your BMW a truck in New England!).
     I am convinced that, according to capitalism, I got what I paid
for..cheap knock off's that bend at the slightest impact..indeed,
DIscount Tire sells them with 225 45's as a "package"...so what?  I'm
asking for help, here near Boston, the land of crater potholes.
    Am I nuts to want to keep the 235 40 17's? They ran, when the wheels
were true, as close to an M3 as I could possibly get, with my 328.  On
the other hand, I am definitely going to be stupid to spend 1,000
dollars+ and buy "forged alloy" (the OEM type 24 BMW wheels are listed
at $665 each!), or Borbet, or BBS or Fikse, or  god knows what, if one
simple pothole blows them away.
    SO,,,does anyone in a densely potholated region have an opinon as to
whether I should drop the 235 40 17 configuration recommended by BMW
(maybe they meant FLA,CA and AZ use only, but didn't put that on the
door sticker!).   Do I have a better chance with so called 3 piece, or
cast alloy...I have had so many varying opinions I'm EXHAUST-ed...i.e
there seems to be no useful consensus on the fact that all lightweight,
low profile wheels WILL bend, but which first?!  Can you imagine a road
test where they'd go out and bash sets of $500 a piece avg. aftermarket
wheels to prove/disprove such mundane stuff?  Fact is, I'm going to get
rid of the car if I have to go back to 16's, since it has a 3.23/LSD
which absolutely squeals and loses traction FAST from the rears.
    Major help needed (ok, so not all of it from this list, but can
anyone help with the logic of:
1. spend hundreds to sell the car
2. spend thousands to get stronger 17 wheels
3. spend 10's of thousands to sellbuy a new car?
Thanks
John

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