Re: E36 wheel trouble

["Paul M. Moriarty" <pmm@xxxxxxxx>]

Knockoffs bend considerably more quickly than genuine BMW parts.  This topic
comes up on the list over and over again.  Sorry you found out the hard way.
:-(

- - Paul -

'94 540
'88 M5
'73 02

John Hart writes:
> 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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