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[panzer948]

What do you guys think of these BMW (Style 179) wheels.

click here

There very expensive! Does anyone make a replica that looks similar? Want to replace my 18" Style 189 with 19"

[panzer948]

Bump. Was hoping someone new some info on these wheels.

[1WickedE90]

Wheels look good, you can get them cheaper at Tischer BMW http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

[Viral]

I have them and they're awesome!

[Kev]

Originally Posted by 1WickedE90

Wheels look good, you can get them cheaper at Tischer BMW http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

+1 for ordering from Tischer

Get the wheels only and mount your favorite non-RFTs on them!

I absolutely love my new ZCP/CSL combo with the Michelin PS2 non-RFTs

[madisonsfinest]

you can get reps for a lot cheaper....type the model in online and they will show you some options. They don't look exactly the same but pretty much the same

[BMW MotorSport]

yeah there are some similar looking wheels. i wouldn't own OEM BMW wheels ever unless they came with my car and my car was the M model.

[Kev]

Originally Posted by BMW MotorSport

yeah there are some similar looking wheels. i wouldn't own OEM BMW wheels ever unless they came with my car and my car was the M model.

I just find this statement very interesting...... So, that means you would rather have a set of replica rims instead of the OE rims? I don't quite follow your logic.

Go get a CSL rear rim (Style 163) from OEM BMW made by BBS Germany and compare it to a CSL replica rear rim made in Taiwan. You might not be able to tell the difference on the outside, but once you put it on the balancing machine, you'd know the difference. I've seen both of them on a Road Force balancer and the results were so blatantly obvious.

[1WickedE90]

Originally Posted by Kev

I just find this statement very interesting...... So, that means you would rather have a set of replica rims instead of the OE rims? I don't quite follow your logic.

Go get a CSL rear rim (Style 163) from OEM BMW made by BBS Germany and compare it to a CSL replica rear rim made in Taiwan. You might not be able to tell the difference on the outside, but once you put it on the balancing machine, you'd know the difference. I've seen both of them on a Road Force balancer and the results were so blatantly obvious.

Kev, do tell about OEM & replica CSL wheels on the GSP9700 machine. What happened?

[Kev]

Just the amount of weights you need to put on the replica rim to balance it out is pretty crazy. The OEM rim required ZERO weights to balance it out w/o TPM; with TPM, only 60g of weights are required 180 degrees apart from the TPM. It was that perfect.

[VMRWheels]

Making generalizations of the quality of non-oem "replica" wheels like that is borderline ignorant. In the aftermarket, manufacturers have the option of choosing how they want a wheel to be made. This includes the type of aluminum they use, how much aluminum, machinery, and quality of paint. Even quality control standard can be controlled. Minute changes can mean tens of thousands a month in overhead.

Surprisingly, a factory that makes "OEM" wheels can also make "cheap replicas." Reason being, the client (BMW, aftermarket brand, otherwise) have their own specifications of everything, from the type of material to use to how to do QC.

Finally, regarding balancing of wheel & tire, most of the time the weights required are due to tire imbalances. It is much harder to make a balanced tire than a balanced wheel. If a wheel and tire require one ounce each, a pure stroke of luck can cause the wheel and tire imbalance to cancel each other out, requiring 0 ounces of weight. Or, it can mean 2 ounces of counterweight if the imbalances are put together.

There are also secrets to making a wheel "perfectly balanced." For one, you can machine off small sections of aluminum within the barrel to balance out any minor imbalances. Or, if a certain wheel is designed to get TPMS, this extra step can be incorporated into the manufacturing process.


At the end of the day, it just depends on how much effort a consumer makes to qualify their supplier, or perhaps, how much quality a vendor wants to cater. Sometimes its a matter of choice and availability. Or perhaps, its price point. But one thing is for sure, good/bad experiences especially in a forums environment makes its way to other perspective customers much faster than in other markets.