According to the seller they are made in Taiwan and weigh approx 25 to 26 pounds each. Normally I'd opt for a higher quality wheel, but the stock style is really nice...just wish it was a bit larger.
A friend of mine bought replica wheels a while back for his E39 528i, he must have had the wheels balanced at least a half dozen times. He would always have a shake at his steering wheel at highway speeds. The mechanic finally told him that the wheels would not properly balance because they were poorly made replicas. I believe the term that was used was the wheels were "OUT OF ROUND"
Hope this info. helps
Had the same problem Beamer usa friend did, I bought a set of 18" reps for my E34 and was constantly getting them rebalanced... same thing... wheels were checked for roundness and they were more like eggs!
They went back and got a FULL refund... IMO avoid replicas
Last edited by baldy_bonce; 4th June 2005 at 21:13.
PS I'll expand- as you increase wheel size you decrease sidewall height, reducing the ability to tolerate bumps, potholes, small differences in pavement without bending, denting or breaking the rim. If you race on a track, these are not concerns. if you are a very, very careful driver you can usually avoid most.
Most wheels sold these day in rim shops and on ebay, name brand and off brands are made in Taiwan and China.
Many factories make brand name wheels for companies, (private labeling). Heck the new E60 and new E Classes are made in China.
Its just like buying a car. Some have bad experiences, some have great experiences. For the most part its good experiences. Sure there will be defects, but keep in mind most people in America with aftermarket rims on the road are rolling affordable cast wheels, and guess what they made in China. Usually a look alike style of something else, replica, rip off, whatevers its all the same.
If you want something high quality, multipiece, and the quality will set you apart from heavier cast wheels, get HRE, Kinesis, BBS (LM's are forged), DPE, IForged, Radenergie, and SSR.
AC Schnitzer, Hamann, Lowenharts and Mayas are nice but are not forged. However they are multipiece and pricey. IMO ridiculous money to be paid for heavy cast wheels.
BTW I have had authentic 19" Haman PG3s in the past, I repaired 3 out of 4 wheels on 2 seperate occassions due to them bending. Plus these wheels were stupid heavy. So does Hamann brand suck?, no i feel they do not, however would i recommend Hamann wheels due to my experience? I would say no, but there are countless Hamann buyers who will beg to differ. I probably just got a bad batch. So ill blame the Italians who made those Hamanns and send nasty letters to OZ Racing.
I was about to buy a set of 18" replicas (winter setup) from a popular ebay seller until I saw pics of the replicas side by side with the OEM's. The front lips were noticeably smaller, and the bigger spokes had an larger upturn where it meets the lip. The pics on your ebay link look exactly the same as the replicas I was about to buy. They look the fronts, and you might never notice the difference unless you see them side by side (or get them home and realize when it's possibly too late)
If the differences are not important to you, then go for it.
I had replica M3 wheels on my 330 Ci for three years without any issues at all. They are all forged in the same way with quality approved processes. Do you guys really think that BMW makes their own wheels? They buy them from different suppliers, and some of the wheels are made in Korea or China.
I had replica M3 wheels on my 330 Ci for three years without any issues at all. They are all forged in the same way with quality approved processes. Do you guys really think that BMW makes their own wheels? They buy them from different suppliers, and some of the wheels are made in Korea or China.
Of course the problem is how to know when you are getting a 'good batch' versus bad.
Lots of "OEM" wheels for sale- this usually means, in the venacular of ebay, a manufacturer who makes wheels that look like stock. If I can be assured that the OEM means same exact product (same manufacturer, same material, same QC, same process, same, same) as made for BMW, then I'd be very happy. You just can't know.
Opinion needed on 19" replica wheels
and weigh approx 25 to 26 pounds each. Normally I'd opt for a higher quality wheel, but the stock style is really nice...just wish it was a bit larger.
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