How big of a pothole to bend OEM 18" rims?

panzerfaust · 05-16-2011, 10:20 AM

I've read all over the forums on members getting bent rims from potholes and low-profile RFTs causing bent wheels, and also a few threads on how "strong" the OEM wheels are.

Fortunately, I have not had a bent wheel yet but I'm curious on how "big" of a pothole (and going at what speed) can cause a bent rim. I've had my fair share of pothole explosions, but fortunately that was with my stock 16s (I'm currently on 189s w/RFTs). Sometimes I feel for sure that the rim must be bent, but surely enough they are not after visual inspection. I've also had a few of these unsuspecting potholes going at highway speeds.

I'm thinking that bent OEM rims might just be an overblown topic on this forum, so I wanted to see what I should expect on "average."

I'm also trying to gauge whether it would be worth it to swap my RFTs for Contis DWS right away (for fear of 4 bent rims) or to wait until my RFTs wear out to change. Any opinions?

LeMans335xiE90 · 05-16-2011, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldasicex5

18 oems bend on a tiny pothole when you hit them doing 100.. its sad

fixed....

i have 18 oems and havent had any problems yet

Bobby_LeMans · 05-16-2011, 10:23 AM

i have OEM 18's...

2 crack rims and 8 tires changed...so yea...

LeMans335xiE90 · 05-16-2011, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldasicex5

you rarely drive your car

i drive my car daily... i just avoid pot holes...

DRIVE SLOW HOMIE! especially places you dont know well... my drive to work i can do with my eyes closed and avoid pot holes...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby_LeMans

i have OEM 18's...

2 crack rims and 8 tires changed...so yea...

MY suggestion... buy some forged wheels... gonna be $$$$ but worth it!

TiAg335i · 05-16-2011, 10:30 AM

i have the 18inch oem 189's...they are built very strong. i've hit a couple of big potholes in my car at speed that I thought would pop my tire or bend the wheel....and nothing. no cracks or bends.

TiAg335i · 05-16-2011, 10:31 AM

to be fair i only have 20,000 miles on my car, but it's still my daily driver and i have hit many potholes

onebadmofo · 05-16-2011, 10:31 AM

And get softer tires. RFT's are so damn hard they transfer all the force of the hit to the wheel instead of absorbing it.

panzerfaust · 05-16-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby_LeMans

i have OEM 18's...

2 crack rims and 8 tires changed...so yea...

! Sounds a bit ridiculous man, and I would have to visually check after each drive!

Bobby_LeMans · 05-16-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panzerfaust

! Sounds a bit ridiculous man, and I would have to visually check after each drive!

it does...but all truth...

i have the tire and wheel insurance...so yea..I can careless...

exclusivo · 05-16-2011, 11:09 AM

oem 18" 189s here, not a problem. but i am on bridgstones, not the rfts.

cracked a 19" BBS rep, and blew out a tire within a month of eachother last year fwiw

D335NUTZ · 05-16-2011, 11:36 AM

I have bends on my 17" OEM 188s...

madeinhongkong · 05-16-2011, 02:05 PM

just get em fixed and powdercoated at elite. no biggie, they do a great job! and cheap!

Knucle01 · 05-16-2011, 06:43 PM

already cracked one....thank god for e-bay!

kfrazie1 · 05-16-2011, 07:48 PM

i usually gauge by the sound. If it sounds like someone just pulled a .44 next to your ear, your rim is probably bent.

Kmor · 12-13-2011, 09:38 PM

cracked a 188 here.. sweet

Qmax03 · 12-14-2011, 08:17 AM

i cracked my 18" m-sports.. they suck. Hit a pothole @ 50mph, TPMS light went on... =/

nyalpine90 · 12-14-2011, 08:36 AM

just avoid the potholes

Cookiemonster · 12-14-2011, 12:14 PM

Bent two 188's. Sucks. I did some research an I think the 188's are prone to getting bent.

fdriller9 · 12-14-2011, 12:45 PM

You can't really gauge the size of pothole that will damage a wheel. It depends on alot of factors....speed, pothole depth, temperature, the angle of impact, etc

The RFTs sidewall is alot thicker than a regular tire. So a bit more energy is transferred to the actual wheel.

I have bends in my oem 159s with stock RFTs. Those are 17"s too.

themyst · 12-15-2011, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiAg335i

i have the 18inch oem 189's...they are built very strong. i've hit a couple of big potholes in my car at speed that I thought would pop my tire or bend the wheel....and nothing. no cracks or bends.

+1 189s are tough. I've hit plenty of potholes all 4 rims are perfectly straight.

05-16-2011, 10:20 AM	#1
panzerfaust Private First Class 23 Rep 133 Posts Drives: E90 328xi Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Queens, NYC iTrader: (2)	How big of a pothole to bend OEM 18" rims? I've read all over the forums on members getting bent rims from potholes and low-profile RFTs causing bent wheels, and also a few threads on how "strong" the OEM wheels are. Fortunately, I have not had a bent wheel yet but I'm curious on how "big" of a pothole (and going at what speed) can cause a bent rim. I've had my fair share of pothole explosions, but fortunately that was with my stock 16s (I'm currently on 189s w/RFTs). Sometimes I feel for sure that the rim must be bent, but surely enough they are not after visual inspection. I've also had a few of these unsuspecting potholes going at highway speeds. I'm thinking that bent OEM rims might just be an overblown topic on this forum, so I wanted to see what I should expect on "average." I'm also trying to gauge whether it would be worth it to swap my RFTs for Contis DWS right away (for fear of 4 bent rims) or to wait until my RFTs wear out to change. Any opinions? __________________ 2008 E90 328xi \| M-tech Front \| 189s \| LCI Halogens \| PE
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05-16-2011, 10:23 AM	#3
Bobby_LeMans Banned 155 Rep 11,639 Posts Drives: your mom wild! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: 5towns iTrader: (3)	i have OEM 18's... 2 crack rims and 8 tires changed...so yea...
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05-16-2011, 10:30 AM	#5
TiAg335i Trance Life 315 Rep 4,706 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (4)	i have the 18inch oem 189's...they are built very strong. i've hit a couple of big potholes in my car at speed that I thought would pop my tire or bend the wheel....and nothing. no cracks or bends. __________________ Vanguard V2 Exhaust//Vishnu DCI//ACM Angel Eyes
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05-16-2011, 10:31 AM	#6
TiAg335i Trance Life 315 Rep 4,706 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (4)	to be fair i only have 20,000 miles on my car, but it's still my daily driver and i have hit many potholes __________________ Vanguard V2 Exhaust//Vishnu DCI//ACM Angel Eyes
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05-16-2011, 10:31 AM	#7
onebadmofo Colonel 346 Rep 2,396 Posts Drives: 2008 E90 M3 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Central NJ iTrader: (14)	And get softer tires. RFT's are so damn hard they transfer all the force of the hit to the wheel instead of absorbing it.
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05-16-2011, 11:09 AM	#10
exclusivo Lieutenant Colonel 126 Rep 1,893 Posts Drives: race car Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: queens, ny iTrader: (11)	oem 18" 189s here, not a problem. but i am on bridgstones, not the rfts. cracked a 19" BBS rep, and blew out a tire within a month of eachother last year fwiw
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05-16-2011, 11:36 AM	#11
D335NUTZ The Blue Beast 142 Rep 5,665 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 335xi in Montego Blue Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Queens, New York iTrader: (8)	I have bends on my 17" OEM 188s... __________________ Cobb AP Stage 2+ \| BMS DCI \| UR Catless DP \| UR Chargepipe \| Tial BV 50mm \| BSH OCC \| ETS FMIC \| Eisenmann Race Exhaust \| KWv1 Coilovers \| Volk TE37 TC Kline Ed.
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05-16-2011, 02:05 PM	#12
madeinhongkong Brigadier General 301 Rep 4,126 Posts Drives: e90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NYC iTrader: (26)	just get em fixed and powdercoated at elite. no biggie, they do a great job! and cheap!
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05-16-2011, 06:43 PM	#13
Knucle01 Enlisted Member 1 Rep 36 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	already cracked one....thank god for e-bay!
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05-16-2011, 07:48 PM	#14
kfrazie1 Lieutenant 64 Rep 553 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NY iTrader: (4)	i usually gauge by the sound. If it sounds like someone just pulled a .44 next to your ear, your rim is probably bent. __________________ Montego Blue E90 335i 7" VRSF IC \| OFT Tune \| DCI \| RB PCV \| Secondary CAT Delete & CYBA 3.75" Tips \| M3 Front \| Mtech Rear \| CSL Trunk \| 219M \| KW V1 \| AA CP
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12-13-2011, 09:38 PM	#15
Kmor Private First Class 6 Rep 146 Posts Drives: e92 xi Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: LI/NY iTrader: (0)	cracked a 188 here.. sweet
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12-14-2011, 08:17 AM	#16
Qmax03 LINEITUP 58 Rep 725 Posts Drives: 2010 335i MT AW Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New York City iTrader: (2)	i cracked my 18" m-sports.. they suck. Hit a pothole @ 50mph, TPMS light went on... =/
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12-14-2011, 08:36 AM	#17
nyalpine90 Lieutenant General 7433 Rep 11,843 Posts Drives: MY24 G01 AW Msport Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: L.I. NY iTrader: (4) Garage List 2016 BMW X4 [9.33]	just avoid the potholes
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12-14-2011, 12:14 PM	#18
Cookiemonster Captain 16 Rep 791 Posts Drives: 2010 335XI e92 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jupiter iTrader: (2)	Bent two 188's. Sucks. I did some research an I think the 188's are prone to getting bent. __________________ 2007 335I sedan (retired) 2010 335xi coupe
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12-14-2011, 12:45 PM	#19
fdriller9 Banned 253 Rep 7,089 Posts Drives: '06 AW 330xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North Jersey/Philly/NYC iTrader: (4) Garage List 2006 330xi [6.44]	You can't really gauge the size of pothole that will damage a wheel. It depends on alot of factors....speed, pothole depth, temperature, the angle of impact, etc The RFTs sidewall is alot thicker than a regular tire. So a bit more energy is transferred to the actual wheel. I have bends in my oem 159s with stock RFTs. Those are 17"s too. Last edited by fdriller9; 12-14-2011 at 12:56 PM..
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