replica wheels. any problems? or go used?

[Eddy@ApexRaceParts]

hi, this is my first post. i have a 93 525i that i picked up about 3 months ago. its black on black and has the stock 15's on it right now, I'm looking into getting some new wheels for it. there are a few wheels that interest me but my finally choice will come down to what i get a hell of a deal on. one wheel im looking at and i have emailed a few people about is the E34 M5 wheels. two people had throwing star covers which i want while one person had the turbine covers which i would need to find some kind of replacement for. now this would be an orignal wheel and would have its benefits of being strong and light weight, but they will be guaranteed used and the tread left on the tires would be minimal in most cases.

the other wheel im looking at are the M parallel type 37 (you know the ones that are on a lot of 7 series bimmers) the used ones on ebay have all been off the 7 series so the offset is way to far out. but there are tons of replicas out there. im looking at getting 18x8 front and 18x9 rear. now my problem is ive seen the real wheel and i LOVE the brushed finish on it. i don't like crome wheels. there are a few cars they look great on but for me blahhh. now the ones on the net are taken with a flash or not on a car in the day or really low quality pics and there seem to be 3-4 different companies making them. im curious as to if anybody bought replica wheels particularly the parallel wheels and if they could tell me if the finish is much different then the real ones. also if there are any downsides about getting copies. like damage or paint or something.

im open to many wheels and i look at a lot of diffrent brands for something at a killer price. actually less then a week ago a set of 4 perfect condition 18" bbs RC wheels with tires that had like 3k miles on the tires sold for 810 + 80 bucks shipping i though it would die. it was for a nissan but i mean BBS come on people its worth more then 810 sheesh

thanks ahead for any input.

[bähnstormer]

i have a nice set of rondell r72's that look like the hamman wheels
i paid 1300 with tires, new shipped from aaa rims. they look
great, are tough, and cheap

the only bad thing, and depending how u drive your car it might or might not be,
is that they weigh a lot. how much u ask? well i didn't weigh the wheels themselves,
but 235 17" kumho 712's on the front on a 8 or 9 inch wide rim are 50lbs
and rear 255 17" kumho 712's on a 10 inch rim are 52lbs

[Mr Project]

Replicas, especially M-Parallel replicas, will usually bend more easily than the OEM wheels. Of course, the OEM M-Parallels can crack and bend as well, so it's not a guarantee either way. But as a general rule, OEM wheels are more durable than aftermarket. There are exceptions for very high-quality aftermarket wheels...which you will pay OEM-type prices for. :)

18" wheels on an E34 can be tricky. They look great, but be sure you know what you are getting yourself in for before taking the plunge. There's not much tire there to protect the rim or your ride quality. :)

[Gunslinger]

check tirerack.com

I ended up getting Borbet Type E's in a 17 for a pretty good price. Check Discount Tire as well.

As to the 18's, if you are lowering the car, they should look great, but the risk of damage is higher than a 17 unless you're going to shell out for a forged wheel.

FWIW, the M5 wheels you're describing are fairly rare and command a pretty good price if you can find them at all.

[Eddy@ApexRaceParts]

acutally im talking to 3 different people willing to sell their m5 rims with tires but some have basicly no tread left. and they range from 800 to 1100 bucks for the set. i like the wheel but i really like the look of an 18. its just the right amount of tire left on there to make me happy.

i too was looking at wheels made by AAA. but i was curious as to the accuracy of the finish. they really looked shinny. and just 5 minutes ago i walked past a 7 series with parallel wheels and they don't shine like crome. they shine more like a forged wheel. you know the look where you can tell its metal but its not polished a lot.

if anyone is looking into getting rid or some wheels that for sure fit on an E34 id be interested in hearing about it. or if there is some place other then ebay but has ebaylike prices id like to know too.

thanks

[stuntride]

i have a nice set of rondell r72's that look like the hamman wheels
i paid 1300 with tires, new shipped from aaa rims. they look
great, are tough, and cheap

the only bad thing, and depending how u drive your car it might or might not be,
is that they weigh a lot. how much u ask? well i didn't weigh the wheels themselves,
but 235 17" kumho 712's on the front on a 8 or 9 inch wide rim are 50lbs
and rear 255 17" kumho 712's on a 10 inch rim are 52lbs


i have the same rims and they are without a doubt awsum!!! i only paid 700 for the rims tho and got tires for free, buddy worked at discount tire and got awsum tires of an e46 m3.........bimmer pride