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[tones]

I am looking to upgrade my wheels pretty soon here but I am torn between going with a set of used OEM's or a set of new replicas. My main concern is that the replicas will not be of the same quality as the OEM's.

I have purchased aftermarket wheels in the past (5Zigen, Konig) and have had some negative experiences, particularly with bending and cracking rims over time. Should I be expecting the same thing with Replica's? Or is there a good manufacturer out there who builds consistent quality (or better) than the OEM product.

I appreciate your thoughts/advice on this.

Thanks!

[fullrev]

dont hit potholes and you'll be fine

[Sniz]

if you want high quality you are going to pay for it. If you want to save your pennies then buy replicas.

By the way, when I say high quality I don't mean OEM....i'm referring to BBS etc

Originally Posted by tones

I am looking to upgrade my wheels pretty soon here but I am torn between going with a set of used OEM's or a set of new replicas. My main concern is that the replicas will not be of the same quality as the OEM's.

I have purchased aftermarket wheels in the past (5Zigen, Konig) and have had some negative experiences, particularly with bending and cracking rims over time. Should I be expecting the same thing with Replica's? Or is there a good manufacturer out there who builds consistent quality (or better) than the OEM product.

I appreciate your thoughts/advice on this.

Thanks!

[BMW F22]

Any wheel is subjected to bend and cracks if you hit potholes and such. I havent heard too much about replica wheels cracking or bending under normal driving conditions.

[tones]

Let me rephrase the question....

Have any of you had poor experiences with replica wheels? More specifically has anyone had damage caused to a replica wheel. My intention is not to aim for potholes, but unfortunately once in a while they are unavoidable, especially where I live. I am most concerned with the wheels bending or becooming mishaped as this would affect the steering/handling.

And to clarify, I am well aware that you what you pay for is what you get. If I wasn't I would be driving a Hyandai, not a BMW. I have no problem shelling out for quality product. My question is simply is there some repilca wheels which ARE quality product.

Thanks guys for your responses!

[DrGP]

Basically, a replica wheel will not bend any easier than an OEM ass long as the alloys and wheel constuction are the same. When you buy a replica wheel, you are in essence, buying a clone. Looks like the original but cost less due to differences in the manufacturing process or due to the profit structure of the replicator. If they are made of similar alloys, they will bend or break similarly. It is a matter oF pure physics. Now some replicas of 2 and 3 piece wheels will actually be a one piece wheel that looks like a 2 or 3 piece wheel. The Moven BSr wheel that I run is a replica of a 2 piece Breyton Spirit wheel. I hardly believe that the 2 wheels will have the same physical properties. But I don't care. The replicas are cheap enough that if I do bend one, it won't break the bank to replace it. The same cannot always be said for the non replicas. BTW some of the replicas ARE high quality.

[jhilsinho]

Many replicas are the same or better that brand names.

By the way, OEM, is only used to describe original equipment on a vehicle. Your description does not apply

[VMRWheels]

In wheel manufacturing, people have many choices as to how the wheel is put together. Theres numerous factors that you have when comparing between OEM and Non-OEM wheels. To name a few, you've got materials, manufacturing, QC, sales, and customer service. All of these cost money, and depending on how much cost cutting and profit-hungry people are, it may or may not have an affect on the overal quality of the wheels. Also keep this in mind - the same factory can have an OEM manufacturing contract, produce great quality, and at the same time, make non-OEM at horrible quality.

Also keep this in mind... Many aftermarket wheels have larger diameter than OEM, and larger diameter have higher chance of getting damaged over the SAME roads.

You can search the many forums to see if people have had problems, and how the problems were/if addressed. Bottom line, just make sure you trust the brand and the shop that is representing the brand.

[ehhhwik]

I am not sure if this helps to describe the quality of oem wheels, but my friend, who has a bmw 645i, and he drove over some really bad messed up roads in Vancouver during the wind/rain storm last yr, and bended all 4 of his OEM wheels...

[SV Concepts III]

You simply have to beware of the brand you are purchasing. There are certainly cheaper replicas out there that do not undergo the same production standards as say Velocity Motoring's CSLs which are all JWL and VIA certified and produced in ISO9001 facilities. Those are the standards by which most wheel companies adhere to ensure quality and strength.

You are very wise to be skeptical of what brand you purchase from because wheels are a safety critical component- a failure jeopardizes your life and those around you. In short, research the brand you are purchasing and try to get experiences from other buyers.

[RM-6302]

A few OEM wheels are manufactured by after-market wheel companies. For example BBS produces the Style 230 19" wheels for the e90/e92. Ronal, a fine German wheel manufacturer, produced the e36 17" "M" luxury wheel, the five spoke, I can't remember the style number. So OEM is in some cases after-market.

[tirana]

Yup, BBS also supply the 197 style wheels for BMW (and probably many others). Never had any problem with my Beyern M5 reps, 17" - use them for my winters).

[E90330iS]

What are some companies that have fine replica wheels?

[Pim]

From my point of view the replica's are not all bad. Those companies have customers too and if they do sell crappy wheels the won't last long. For all i know is that if you buy the originals you pay a lot more because of the badge, that's for sure !!

[Chowbow]

I was worried about the same thing honestly... Not so much about bending as it happens with any wheel really. I'm just worried about sudden failure that will be a serious safety hazard... Although a lot of the wheels being produced even by the replica companies pass the standards, which gives some comfort. And I really haven't seen any horror stories of replicas disintegrating or splitting in half or anything.

I would happily pay out for the price of an OEM wheel given correct fitment etc. But usually that just doesn't happen and I have to go to a replica wheel to get the fitment I want. I am most likely going with some gunmetal CSL reps and as they bend (and I'm pretty sure they will over time, just about every wheel does, especially w/ low profile tires), I'll just replace them since they're pretty cheap.

[cycler]

I put on Beyern mesh wheels on. So far Ive hit a few bumps and 2 potholes and they are holding up really nice.