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[npb]

how does EAS achieve the different colors on their wheels... powdercoating or what?

[nasdakboy]

Velocity makes the best looking CSL's! I really looked into them before deciding on the style 230's, but i've always preferred a nice looking 5 star. Just seems to make the wheels look alittle bigger than they really are. I'd love a set of DPE's, but the fiance's got me on a budget as we're planning on a wedding. Damn NY wedding's are such a ripoff. I'd rather pick up a F355 spyder. At least I can love and enjoy that thing for 10 years rather than having a 5 hour open bar!

[fanatic]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

This was a bit extreme as an example and shows that pure laziness and relying only wheel cleaners only will ruin the finish in an instant.

Weekly washes will keep your wheels looking like the day they were purchased. Here's an example of the Gunmetals on our e46 M3:

Wheels are only cleaned with soap/water weekly and look like they are still new.

Originally Posted by VMRWheels

Cleaners

As mentioned before, we recommend cleaning on a regular basis. If done on a regular basis, we see no reason to use anything but soap and water as this is the safest method to preserve the finish of the wheel. As all of you probably already know, the brake pads on BMWs create a lot of dust. If left on the wheels for too long the brake dust will begin adhering to the finish of the wheel because of the heat created from driving and braking. This is why we recommend regular cleaning.

We do not recommend any wheel cleaners because many wheel cleaners are acid based and very caustic. This is not to say wheel cleaners will not work, we just don’t know which ones will not damage the finish. Again we find water and soap works very well on our personal cars and is overall the safest method of cleaning the wheels.

No offense guys but not everyone lives in sunny So Cal. Weekly washing is not always possible and I know our roads conditions are very different than yours. You might as well say that the wheels should be cleaned every time you park the car to make sure they stay in good condition.

If these wheels need this much TLC it may be worth considering a slightly more expensive wheel. I've never heard of any other wheel manufacturer telling owners not to use wheel cleaner.

[steaman]

A lot of smoke from VMR! All these tire shops are ignorant, using faulty procedures and have never mounted and balanced alloys!
And in my case they worked for two hour trying to find the best combination between tyre and rim, but the center on weight compensation did not change because almost all balance weight was the result of rims with asymmetric weight distribution.

Maybe VMR should change their production procedure and introduce rim balancing as part of their quality control!

[Chowbow]

I'm glad to see VMRWheels and the vendors stepping up to address the issues. If anything, people who buy these wheels will have some peace of mind that they can be taken care of if something happens. I have had a pretty decent experience with EAS so far so I have no problem contacting them in the future about issues if they arise.

I will say that it seems to be a trend and we can't just assume that everybody who has posted here simply got a bad mounting job. I had the tire shop quickly spin the wheels themselves on the balancer and it was not balanced without the tire mounted. It's not like it was bent and wobbling, just not balanced (the rears more so than the fronts). Again, this is OK to me as I wasn't expecting perfection... But I do agree with steaman that there is trend with some of us requiring a lot of weights to get some of the wheels balanced and it's not just the lot of us going to bad tire shops.

I'm not bashing you guys, it's hard to get a 19" or larger wheel/rim combo balanced with few weights, but there is some concern about this and as part of the community I think it's OK to inform others. I'm not bashing VMR or anything, I'm actually very happy with my purchase and like the wheels I have.

[DrPowers]

I wish I had read this before I had purchased my 19" CSLs in hyperblack... its too late now for me so I'll have to wait and see how they turn out.

The finish does come with a 1 yr warranty and I never used anything other than the same soap water solution to clean my wheels. I chose hyperblack this time to hide most of the brake dust so I dont have to clean them as often as I did with the stock OEM wheels.


As for the balancing issue... I agree that if they take a lot of weight to balance them they are probably not high quality wheels. These wheels are also much cheaper than high quality wheels so what do you expect?? I just hope the weights are on the inside and cannot be seen from the outside.

[steaman]

The problem is the you cant hide any weights on these wheels. If it wasn't for the visibility I wouldn't care!
On the positive side, you get a unique set of wheels! The chips will give them a unique color pattern and all balance weights will give them a unique CSL-twist!

[DrPowers]

Originally Posted by steaman

The problem is the you cant hide any weights on these wheels. If it wasn't for the visibility I wouldn't care!
On the positive side, you get a unique set of wheels! The chips will give them a unique color pattern and all balance weights will give them a unique CSL-twist!

hah... I wonder why none of the pics I've seen on the site before had any weights added. This is the first i"ve heard of any problems with these wheels.

Of course... i see this days after I placed my order.

[AWD Addict]

Originally Posted by fanatic

No offense guys but not everyone lives in sunny So Cal. Weekly washing is not always possible and I know our roads conditions are very different than yours. You might as well say that the wheels should be cleaned every time you park the car to make sure they stay in good condition.

If these wheels need this much TLC it may be worth considering a slightly more expensive wheel. I've never heard of any other wheel manufacturer telling owners not to use wheel cleaner.

+1!! I take great care of my car, but weekly wheel detailing is totally impossible for me. I work 60+ hours per week, and my weekend are barely enough time to catch up on personal things like dry cleaning, laundry, cleaning house etc.

This whole "do not use wheel cleaner" business has me looking at other wheel options. Frankly, I need a wheel that doens't need to be parked in satin to stay nice.

The VMR post was helpful, but seemed to parlay most of the blame on everyone else but themselves. Poor installation, poor balancing, poor care, poor everything else but quality of finish... At least they're honoring the 12 mo warranty with people having problems. That's a great sign.

Can more people weigh in on this? After two weeks, if my wheels were pitted and chipped, I'd be sick!

[AWD Addict]

Originally Posted by DrPowers

I wish I had read this before I had purchased my 19" CSLs in hyperblack... its too late now for me so I'll have to wait and see how they turn out.

Please report back!

[FotiosF90M5]

to be honest my vmr csl's were nothing but a headache. If there is something wrong with the wheel they would take care of it but what about finding out which one is causing the shaking and then getting another wheel and going through the whole dismounting and mounting again, and again which was my case. I have exclusive alloy m3 reps on now and they balanced perfectly and the finish is really good.These replicas are only 1200 bucks and have no issues at all and the quality seems as good as oem.velocity csl's claim that but dont necessarily fit the bill. my .02.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by npb

how does EAS achieve the different colors on their wheels... powdercoating or what?

The Gunmetal and Matte Black colors are painted like the Silver and Hyperblack finishes, not re-powdercoated.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by fanatic

No offense guys but not everyone lives in sunny So Cal. Weekly washing is not always possible and I know our roads conditions are very different than yours. You might as well say that the wheels should be cleaned every time you park the car to make sure they stay in good condition.

If these wheels need this much TLC it may be worth considering a slightly more expensive wheel. I've never heard of any other wheel manufacturer telling owners not to use wheel cleaner.

How do more expensive wheels repel brake dust?

[Chowbow]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

How do more expensive wheels repel brake dust?

I'm assuming the poster meant that other wheels can be washed with some slightly abrasive wheel cleaners and that the paint finish is generally more durable. It's not that they don't get as dirty.

I haven't had any finish problems in the hugely long week that I've owned them so I can't comment.

[DrPowers]

Originally Posted by AWD Addict

Please report back!

Will do.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by AWD Addict

+1!! I take great care of my car, but weekly wheel detailing is totally impossible for me. I work 60+ hours per week, and my weekend are barely enough time to catch up on personal things like dry cleaning, laundry, cleaning house etc.

This whole "do not use wheel cleaner" business has me looking at other wheel options. Frankly, I need a wheel that doens't need to be parked in satin to stay nice.

The VMR post was helpful, but seemed to parlay most of the blame on everyone else but themselves. Poor installation, poor balancing, poor care, poor everything else but quality of finish... At least they're honoring the 12 mo warranty with people having problems. That's a great sign.

Can more people weigh in on this? After two weeks, if my wheels were pitted and chipped, I'd be sick!

I really think you need to read it again more carefully.

We do not recommend any wheel cleaners because many wheel cleaners are acid based and very caustic. This is not to say wheel cleaners will not work, we just don’t know which ones will not damage the finish. Again we find water and soap works very well on our personal cars and is overall the safest method of cleaning the wheels.

Bolded for emphasis.

It's not Velocity's responsibility to test wheel cleaners. Soap and water with a mitt, sponge, mf towel, etc. will work 99% of the time.

For reference, here is a list of Meguiar's wheel cleaners:
* Gold Class Instant Wheel Cleaner - Safe for factory clear coats and chrome
* Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner - Safe for all factory, clear-coated and painted wheels
* Gold Class All Wheel cleaner - All Wheels
* #36 Wheel Cleaner - All Wheels

[OC Guy]

For the record, I know several people who bought the Velocity CSL replicas and they are fine. Do you see reports of them on this board being bad? No. VMR's quick and honest responses on this forum are indicative of their Customer Service.

The vendors on this forum sell TONS of VMR wheels, if there was a quality control issue, you would see reports. If there is one bad wheel out of a thousand, then gauge how VMR or the vendor responds to the situation.

[AWD Addict]

Originally Posted by OC 335i

I really think you need to read it again more carefully.

ORLY?

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

The most important part would be to use no abrasive/acidic cleaners (this includes Simple Green) on the wheels when washing - plain soap & water will do. If you wouldn't use it on your BMW's paint - it shouldn't be on the wheels.

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

I don't recommend any cleaners other than plain soap/water.

Originally Posted by VMRWheels

Instead of reiterating what everyone has already said, another good rule of thumb would be: treat the finish on your wheels like you would the finish on the body of your car.

Originally Posted by Ron************

Remember to just use soap and water and stay away from the acid cleaners.

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

You should treat the finish as if it was your BMW's paint - wheel cleaners can be very acidic and damage a wheel instantly. And yes - Simple Green is included in this.

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Simply put - if you feel you need need wheel cleaners, you're not cleaning your wheels enough. Other than soap and water should be used,

I read it carefully. I'm reading loud and clear, that these resellers and manufacturers are covering their ass for a finish that appears to be shredding and chipping away, sometimes as early as 2 weeks.

Saying "don't use wheel cleaner" is obnoxious to anyone that doesn't run a tuning shop, or show their car. Normal people detail as much as they can, but they don't detail their wheels once a week.

It's not Velocity's responsibility to test wheel cleaners. Soap and water with a mitt, sponge, mf towel, etc. will work 99% of the time.

Soap and Water. Come on. No one said "wheel cleaners won't work" We're talking about them wrecking the finish on wheels. I agree they aren't wheel cleaner experts, but 99% of the world uses wheel cleaners on wheels with no issues, even replica wheels, so it certainly is their responsibility if their wheels can't hold up to conditions that 99% of the world subjects their tires to.

Do you see reports of them on this board being bad?

I really think you need to read this thread again more carefully.

[fanatic]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

How do more expensive wheels repel brake dust?

See next response.

Originally Posted by Chowbow

I'm assuming the poster meant that other wheels can be washed with some slightly abrasive wheel cleaners and that the paint finish is generally more durable. It's not that they don't get as dirty.

Thank you. This is exactly what I mean. I didn't think I had to spell things out in layman's terms but....

Maybe that's why this thread keeps going in circles.

Originally Posted by AWD Addict

Saying "don't use wheel cleaner" is obnoxious to anyone that doesn't run a tuning shop, or show their car. Normal people detail as much as they can, but they don't detail their wheels once a week.

+1. That's what I'm trying to say.

Let's get one thing straight here before too many people get their backs up. My posts are not a negative stance against the eas, VMR or any of the resellers. It's well documented that they are good companies with a good history of customer service.

What I am trying to say here is that telling the community that we don't wash our wheels correctly (and apparently not often enough) is looking at this situation with blinders on. The fact that they will not consider that their finish could be better is just arrogant. Blaming people for poor car care habits is just..... well you get the idea.

Are the wheels cheap becuase you cheap out on the finish or are the wheels cheap because they are a copy of the OEM and you didn't have to invest as much money in the R&D as the OEM?

Why not try and come up with a solution to the issues raised in this thread instead of just saying 'wash your wheels more often'. That is a solution , but I think we are looking for a different one.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by AWD Addict

Saying "don't use wheel cleaner" is obnoxious to anyone that doesn't run a tuning shop, or show their car. Normal people detail as much as they can, but they don't detail their wheels once a week.

I can go weeks without cleaning my BBS LMs and still not use a wheel cleaner. Will you use an acid based cleaner to wash your car? Of course not. Same theory applies to wheels. I don't understand why it's such a hard concept to grasp.

Soap and Water. Come on. No one said "wheel cleaners won't work" We're talking about them wrecking the finish on wheels. I agree they aren't wheel cleaner experts, but 99% of the world uses wheel cleaners on wheels with no issues, even replica wheels, so it certainly is their responsibility if their wheels can't hold up to conditions that 99% of the world subjects their tires to.

Little obtuse are we? Use the right wheel cleaner and you'll be fine. It's up to you to determine which one it is.

I really think you need to read this thread again more carefully.

No, you do. I was referring to VMR's post and not these resellers.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by steaman

A lot of smoke from VMR! All these tire shops are ignorant, using faulty procedures and have never mounted and balanced alloys!
And in my case they worked for two hour trying to find the best combination between tyre and rim, but the center on weight compensation did not change because almost all balance weight was the result of rims with asymmetric weight distribution.

Maybe VMR should change their production procedure and introduce rim balancing as part of their quality control!

+1

Coming from a wheel MFG. that is really funny or scary, or both. They know just as well as everybody else that 99.9% of the wheel/tire shops are not going to take care of your car like it is in a Ferrari in a specialty shop.

Also, wheels see A LOT more abuse from brake dust and so forth from the road than the paint on our cars.

If I were a wheel MFG. I would be embarrassed to even admit that my product couldn't hold up to your local auto part store's wheel cleaners.

I have used wheels cleaners from Kragens for over 15 years on almost as many cars and NEVER had an issue with them being to harsh to do exactly what they were designed to do.

Simple fact is that their MFG. process sucks for creating a balanced wheel, their coating/finish sucks and is way too thin to provide a durable finish to withstand your standand cleaning solutions, and their QC dept. sucks for letting them out the door (assuming they even have a proper QC dept.) and its not the same person who made the wheel doing the QCing.

I feel very ripped off and this is something I would expect from buying a wheel from a swapmeet.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

+1

Coming from a wheel MFG. that is really funny or scary, or both. They know just as well as everybody else that 99.9% of the wheel/tire shops are not going to take care of your car like it is in a Ferrari in a specialty shop.

Also, wheels see A LOT more abuse from brake dust and so forth from the road than the paint on our cars.

If I were a wheel MFG. I would be embarrassed to even admit that my product couldn't hold up to your local auto part store's wheel cleaners.

I have used wheels cleaners from Kragens for over 15 years on almost as many cars and NEVER had an issue with them being to harsh to do exactly what they were designed to do.

Simple fact is that their MFG. process sucks for creating a balanced wheel, their coating/finish sucks and is way too thin to provide a durable finish to withstand your standand cleaning solutions, and their QC dept. sucks for letting them out the door (assuming they even have a proper QC dept.) and its not the same person who made the wheel doing the QCing.

I feel very ripped off and this is something I would expect from buying a wheel from a swapmeet.

By this logic we should also use 87 octane, generic brand motor oil and armor all on the dash of our BMWs. If its sold on the shelves it must be safe, right?

Wheel cleaners are not recommended on the VMR wheels - period. There may be a few you can use, but its up to you to determine what you feel is safe. Most wheel cleaners are degreasers that will damage the clearcoat as evidenced in the photo that we posted. I'll be very blunt on this - most wheel cleaners are intended for people that are simply too lazy to clean their wheels on a regular basis. BMWs are notorious for excessive brake dust.

For the record, we have not seen any issues with P21S products.

Keep in mind we're the only sponsor providing input (other than the manufacturer) on this, VMR has a well-established reputation on the BMW forums, but we push a good amount of these wheels and know how to care for them. The VMR wheels are very good and paint finish is durable - but care is needed if you wish to keep the finish looking new from day one.

Most other wheel manufactures will state the same as there is no way to determine what brands are safe or unsafe for your wheels.

If you have questions on care or the quality of the wheels we'll be glad to help but let's keep the vent sessions to a minimum so the thread can stay on track.