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BMW 5-Series Tires and Wheels

132 messages,  Last post on Dec 12, 2012 at 4:44 PM

You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Car Safety, Tires, Wheels, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 9 of 14

#80 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [shipo] by busiris

Sep 05, 2011 (7:44 am)

Replying to: shipo (Sep 05, 2011 6:54 am)
Yes, I also noted he didn't mention wheel/tire size on his new Audi.
 
Let's face it... For some, it will always be the manufacturer's fault. And, to an extent, I can accept that reasoning. Even if I find a disclaimer that "legally" exonerates the carmaker (as BMW includes in it's manual), does that really go far enough in informing the potential buyer about probable damage to oversize wheels?
 
Still, in the end, no one is forcing the buyer to take the vehicle... So it's up to the buyer to understand what he is purchasing. Couple that with the fact that only a small percentage of owners ever actually read the owner's manual ( most can be read "on-line" before the purchase has been made) and you get an overall "uninformed" car owner. In fact, most car buyers probably spend more time researching the purchase of a $800 wide-screen TV than the car they buy...
 
If I had to guess, I would bet the implications of larger wheels/smaller tire sidewalls NEVER crossed his mind. He probably just liked the way the vehicle looked.

#81 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [busiris] by shipo

Sep 05, 2011 (8:43 am)

Replying to: busiris (Sep 05, 2011 7:44 am)
Yeah, probably infected by the "Bling-Virus" where everything bigger is automatically better.

#82 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [busiris] by jarchdeacon

Sep 06, 2011 (12:20 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Sep 05, 2011 7:44 am)
I think some are possibly missing the point here and suggesting the problem must definitely be with the driver(s) and not with the mfr wheels themselves. In some cases it may be the driver hitting a huge hole or major obstacle in the road that would put it outside of the design specs for absorbing the impact. But in others (most?), it sounds like there ARE problems with certain mfr alloy wheels 18" and wider even under normal road conditions (minor potholes, ...). I only came to this thread because two of my rims on my 530i developed issues (one cracked, the other bent) and I was curious if this was common or not to my vehicle. I have never hit anything that would have suggested my wheels would crack or bend in my 530i. In fact, I have never had a failed wheel before in 30+ years of driving including two previous BMWs, Acura, Cadillac, ..., so it did seem at least to me to be a legitimate gripe after reading about others having similar problems. I have to admit, I will definitely be wary of replacing my 530i with another BMW (or from any other mfr) that seems to have a higher than normal degree of wheel failure. It is an expensive fix obviously!

#83 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [jarchdeacon] by james27

Sep 06, 2011 (2:13 pm)

Replying to: jarchdeacon (Sep 06, 2011 12:20 pm)
I haven't looked at where the wheels BMW uses are made, but that may be an issue as more and more manufacturing moves to the far east. There's only so much you can do in quality control, it takes a conscientious management of each supplier to keep it high. I do know if you look on the aftermarket choices, most are made there. But, as manufacturers move to make lower profile monster tires available based on demand, the people that buy them must take responsibility for the fact that they have nowhere near the same safety margin when hitting anything other than a smooth road before they can be damaged.

#84 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [jarchdeacon] by shipo

Sep 06, 2011 (2:31 pm)

Replying to: jarchdeacon (Sep 06, 2011 12:20 pm)
Wider wheels and tires are not the issue as "wider" doesn't necessarily translate to short sidewalls. That said, regardless of how wide the tire is, as the sidewall height decreases to a point less than about 4.25", the tire and wheel will become increasingly prone to damage with relatively minor provocation; it matters not the maker of the width or maker of the tire, the maker of the wheel, or the maker of the car.
 
Case in point, the 18" wheels which come standard on the previously discussed 550i GT are wrapped with tires endowed with over 4.8" of sidewall height; enough "give" so that one could drive those tires through some of the worst Manhattan has to offer and still not incur any damage.
 
The next step up is the 550i Sport Package which comes with 19" wheels and tires with a minimal (but still ample) 4.3" of sidewall height. While this setup will be somewhat more susceptible to damage compared to the 18" setup, they'll still survive most of what the big bad world of roads out there can throw at you.
 
In the Sublime to the Ridiculous department, those whom opt for the 20" Max-Bling setup which sports tires with a paltry 3.8" of sidewall height, had better be sure that the roads they drive on were just black-topped yesterday, because if the roads aren’t nearly glass smooth, they're going to be finding themselves buying new wheels and tires to replace the ones which were damaged when they ran over something as minor as a tar-strip.

#85 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [shipo] by laurasdada

Sep 06, 2011 (8:09 pm)

Replying to: shipo (Sep 06, 2011 2:31 pm)
Hello, Dale and All: Don't know if you'll remember me from the Luxury Lounge and other forums, but a quick question. Not having yet read through this forum, but we just bought a new '11 535xi, with the Radial Spoke (Style 237) 18 x 8.0 light alloy wheels, 245/45 run-flat1 all-season tires (base setup). Thinks I got a decent deal...
 
Everyone: Offered the 5 year BMW Tire Protection package for $1267, my initial reaction is thanks, but no (self insure). Your thoughts? Have a couple of days to think about it, new to run flats and have read here and there that the wheels seem to be (relatively) easily damaged. I'm a bit less worried about the tires as the wheels.
 
Any and all input appreciated!
 
Regards,
 
Laurasdada

#86 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [laurasdada] by shipo

Sep 07, 2011 (1:38 am)

Replying to: laurasdada (Sep 06, 2011 8:09 pm)
Long time no hear from.
 
The 245/45 R18s offer roughly 4.34" of sidewall height which should be more than enough to deal with all but the nastiest of road obstructions. Personally I'd pass on the Protection Package.

#87 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [shipo] by laurasdada

Sep 07, 2011 (8:31 am)

Replying to: shipo (Sep 07, 2011 1:38 am)
Thanks for the thoughts. Yeah, I've been more of a lurker than a poster the last couple of years, life kinda got in the way...
 
Spoke to my local shop, they suggested the warranty as they claim to see a lot of BMW, Audi and Saab wheel issues. I've never bought any kind of extended warranty, always self-insured, but this is a bit of a new ball game, shop said price sounded good for five years. We'll see, I think the lovely wife would feel warmer and fuzzier with the warranty.
 
Hey, we continue to support the economy, two new cars in three months! What have I done???

#88 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [laurasdada] by james27

Sep 07, 2011 (12:28 pm)

Replying to: laurasdada (Sep 07, 2011 8:31 am)
I've never been really impressed with Goodyear tires, but that being said, there are a lot of people on the forums that complain about sidewall bubbles (supposedly from doing things like hitting curbs, etc.) with the stock tires. The nature of a run-flat is that it tends to protect the rim of the wheel better than 'normal' tires, since it must prevent the tire from peeling off the rim when it loses pressure. While it somewhat depends on your deductable, a broken rim normally is covered by your existing collision insurance, and that may cover a bit of the cost of any eventual replacment. Then, the wear rating on the tires isn't all that great, so they'll need to be replaced regularly anyway. This is more because BMW specs a higher performance tire than the fact they are run-flats. For equivalent sizes, it seems that a runflat tire costs in the order of $100 more than the conventional counterpart. The price you pay for not lugging a spare around and the safety of choosing where you stop if you do get a flat.

#89 of 132 Re: BMW tires and wheels [laurasdada] by busiris

Sep 08, 2011 (9:00 am)

Replying to: laurasdada (Sep 07, 2011 8:31 am)
So much depends on the road conditions where you drive. I have the insurance on my 2010 328i and just used it to replace the left front tire due to a screw puncture wound.
 
The price of the tire alone was $310.00 on Tirerack.com. I got the insurance discounted to about $1000.00 when I bought the car. I would have broken even if the wheel had also been damaged.
 
I guess I would ask..."do you feel lucky?"

Messages Page 9 of 14

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