[kokoli84]

Hi guys,

I'm new to wheel shopping and I'm looking to get a set of winter wheel for my 440i xDrive. I'm on a set of summer tire with 19" 704M. I've done my research on wheel construction from tirerack.com, but I'm still uncertain on what I should get. I'm planning to downsize to 18" with higher profile tire

1. What type of construction is our OEM wheel, Is it forged?
2. What grade is considered to be safe for daily winter drive, including driving through random potholes?
3. Is there a way to tell the wheel construction just by inspecting the wheel instead of taking the word from the seller?
4. Is there a list that shows all the trusted brands out there so at least I know where I should start looking?
5. One of the local shop is able to get wheels from rimalloycanada.com. How do I tell their quality is good.
6. Is DOT approved recommended or necessary?
7. Hows the quality of those wheels from Costco or 1010tires?

Sorry for the long list of questions, I've already asked everyone around me and everyone has a different point of view. Some say it doesn't really matter, the others say I need to get forged wheel. Hopefully, some of you guys can give me better insight.

Thank you in advance!

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Hi guys,

I'm new to wheel shopping and I'm looking to get a set of winter wheel for my 440i xDrive. I'm on a set of summer tire with 19" 704M. I've done my research on wheel construction from tirerack.com, but I'm still uncertain on what I should get. I'm planning to downsize to 18" with higher profile tire

1. What type of construction is our OEM wheel, Is it forged?
2. What grade is considered to be safe for daily winter drive, including driving through random potholes?
3. Is there a way to tell the wheel construction just by inspecting the wheel instead of taking the word from the seller?
4. Is there a list that shows all the trusted brands out there so at least I know where I should start looking?
5. One of the local shop is able to get wheels from rimalloycanada.com. How do I tell their quality is good.
6. Is DOT approved recommended or necessary?
7. Hows the quality of those wheels from Costco or 1010tires?

Sorry for the long list of questions, I've already asked everyone around me and everyone has a different point of view. Some say it doesn't really matter, the others say I need to get forged wheel. Hopefully, some of you guys can give me better insight.

Thank you in advance!

1. the 704M is a cast wheel, NOT forged. bmw does offer some forged 20" wheels that fit F3_ or 19" and 18" wheels in offsets for M-cars.

2. cast wheels are fine however they are usually heavy. molten alloy poured into a mold. more material = stronger/heavier. rotary forged have cast spokes with rotary forged/flow formed/spun formed barrels. they are typically lighter and at least as strong as a cast wheel. forged are the strongest lightest and most expensive. usually cut out of forged billet or stamped into its general shape and then cut.

3. it is difficult to visually tell how a wheel is constructed. if two wheels are identical but one is forged you will be able to tell by its weight and usually cost.

4. i don't know of a trusted brand list however if you tell me your price range and what style, number and type of spokes, face design, concavity,lip or not, etc. you desire i can point you in the right direction.

5. have not heard of rimalloycanada. checked out the site. not much info

6. there's a bunch of standards such as TUV-europe, JWL-japan, etc. most of the known manufacturers meet these requirements. of course like anything else some are better than others and you get what you pay for.

7.1010 has ok stuff, however 18" VMR may not fit if you have M-sport brakes or larger.

i recommend, at minimum, a flow formed wheel. 18's have a somewhat limited selection but i apex, vorsteiner, tsw, avant garde, forgestar, enkei, oz, i'll edit if i think of more, are good.

since you're xdrive a square set up such as 18x8.5 ET35 with 255/40 all around or a staggered set up with 18x8.5 ET35, 18x9.5 ET40 with 225/45,255/40 or 235/45,265/40

[YR430D]

I would buy a quality wheel either forged or cast. However there are so many cheap wheels on eBay and scary how many cars are running them. I wouldn’t do it personally.

[alohasurftoad]

i just noticed that you're looking for a winter setup. my aftermarket suggestions are for an 18" wheel that would better(especially in weight) your 704M which is not what i think you have in mind.

for your winter setup i recommend a nice used set of bmw oem wheels that are commonly found in the classifieds below. a square set of 397, 400M, 441M, 398 in 18x8 with 225 or 235/45/18 snows.

if you couldn't find any and needed to go aftermarket the konig oversteer is a nice cheap light cast aftermarket wheel from 1010.

http://www.1010tires.com/Wheels/Koni...bboremax=72.56

[kokoli84]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

1. the 704M is a cast wheel, NOT forged. bmw does offer some forged 20" wheels that fit F3_ or 19" and 18" wheels in offsets for M-cars.

2. cast wheels are fine however they are usually heavy. molten alloy poured into a mold. more material = stronger/heavier. rotary forged have cast spokes with rotary forged/flow formed/spun formed barrels. they are typically lighter and at least as strong as a cast wheel. forged are the strongest lightest and most expensive. usually cut out of forged billet or stamped into its general shape and then cut.

3. it is difficult to visually tell how a wheel is constructed. if two wheels are identical but one is forged you will be able to tell by its weight and usually cost.

4. i don't know of a trusted brand list however if you tell me your price range and what style, number and type of spokes, face design, concavity,lip or not, etc. you desire i can point you in the right direction.

5. have not heard of rimalloycanada. checked out the site. not much info

6. there's a bunch of standards such as TUV-europe, JWL-japan, etc. most of the known manufacturers meet these requirements. of course like anything else some are better than others and you get what you pay for.

7.1010 has ok stuff, however 18" VMR may not fit if you have M-sport brakes or larger.

i recommend, at minimum, a flow formed wheel. 18's have a somewhat limited selection but i apex, vorsteiner, tsw, avant garde, forgestar, enkei, oz, i'll edit if i think of more, are good.

since you're xdrive a square set up such as 18x8.5 ET35 with 255/40 all around or a staggered set up with 18x8.5 ET35, 18x9.5 ET40 with 225/45,255/40 or 235/45,265/40

Wow, thank you so much for your detail respond. Now I got most of the part figured out. Yes, I'm just looking for a set of 18" square for winter only. I'll be getting a set of forge after the winter for daily drive. Which also leads me to some follow up questions. What's our OEM Wheels grade, is it Low Pressure or Spun?

I'm basically debating in between 2 options I have on hand.

1. A friend offered me a set of 18" OEM 400M in silver color on a set of winter tire used for 1 winter season. He can't remember the tire spec and it's been sitting in the storage for 3 years, which I'm not sure if that'd affect the quality of the tire. The whole set for $2500 CAD
2. Get a set of 18" aftermarket from rimalloycanada (see picture below) with brand new winter tire of my choice for around $2000 CAD

[kokoli84]

Originally Posted by YR430D

I would buy a quality wheel either forged or cast. However there are so many cheap wheels on eBay and scary how many cars are running them. I wouldn’t do it personally.

Ya and that's why I'm worried that I'm paying overpriced garbage. I also don't want to pay too much for the chance to curb the wheel or running through potholes in the winter.

[kokoli84]

Originally Posted by Lobb

As has been mentioned, many of the aftermarket wheels are for a superior quality than BMWs wheels. Brands such as OZ or BBS will do you proud

I'll probably look into those for my summer daily.

[YR430D]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Ya and that's why I'm worried that I'm paying overpriced garbage. I also don't want to pay too much for the chance to curb the wheel or running through potholes in the winter.

Oem BMW wheels would be fine over a Chinese made wheel.

[kokoli84]

Originally Posted by YR430D

Oem BMW wheels would be fine over a Chinese made wheel.

This is the crazy part, they all look similar or even identical but there are millions of different brand out there, and no way to tell just by inspecting the wheel.

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Wow, thank you so much for your detail respond. Now I got most of the part figured out. Yes, I'm just looking for a set of 18" square for winter only. I'll be getting a set of forge after the winter for daily drive. Which also leads me to some follow up questions. What's our OEM Wheels grade, is it Low Pressure or Spun?

I'm basically debating in between 2 options I have on hand.

1. A friend offered me a set of 18" OEM 400M in silver color on a set of winter tire used for 1 winter season. He can't remember the tire spec and it's been sitting in the storage for 3 years, which I'm not sure if that'd affect the quality of the tire. The whole set for $2500 CAD
2. Get a set of 18" aftermarket from rimalloycanada (see picture below) with brand new winter tire of my choice for around $2000 CAD

some of the bmw oem cast wheels are made by Ronal. my 441M's are and i believe the 400M's are as well. i am not sure the process but i believe it is low-pressure cast(better density) which is lighter than gravity(poured in mold). none are spun(rotary)forged.

personally, i'd get the 400M over the rimalloycanada but it's only because i have not heard of them and they do not have much information. if i had to guess, i think the rimalloycanada is manufactured in china which is not necessarily bad but i prefer to have it manufactured anywhere else. USA, EUR, JP, Taiwan(which is not china)

[F30JetsFan]

I'd suggest going with Rotary forged wheels. They are light, strong and relatively affordable.

[F30JetsFan]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Ya and that's why I'm worried that I'm paying overpriced garbage. I also don't want to pay too much for the chance to curb the wheel or running through potholes in the winter.

There are many fine vendors that sell wheels, parts and everything under the sun who sponsor this forum. Check the classifieds!! I've never bought wheels or anything for my vehicles through a Canadian vendor. It will always be cheaper and faster going through the US. I get all my stuff sent to a parcel/shipping company just across the border in North Dakota. The 60 mile drive has saved me $1000's over the years. My M Performance brakes alone were over $2000 cheaper than at my local dealer.

[YR430D]

Originally Posted by Lobb

I'm not sure if you guys have the same issues with BMW alloy wheels, that we have here in the UK. Rusting, peeling lacquer, white worm, buckling..........

That is because of the salts used on our roads in the winter

[kokoli84]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm trying to summarize what I've learned so far. Here is a list of wheel construction base on tirerack website, quality order from low to high.
1. Gravity casting
2. Low pressure casting
3. Spun-rim, flow-forming, or rim-rolling
4. HLT casting
5. Forge
6. Multi piece

Our OEM wheel are rated at 2. Low pressure casting, does that mean as long as I get anything higher than that then I'm already exceeded the OEM recommendation? Of course, it is always better to have to best (Forge wheel). Question is, is it nessarary to spend a fortune through mud and snow? I'd rather cheap out a little on winter to spend more on a 20" for the upcoming summer.

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm trying to summarize what I've learned so far. Here is a list of wheel construction base on tirerack website, quality order from low to high.
1. Gravity casting
2. Low pressure casting
3. Spun-rim, flow-forming, or rim-rolling
4. HLT casting
5. Forge
6. Multi piece

Our OEM wheel are rated at 2. Low pressure casting, does that mean as long as I get anything higher than that then I'm already exceeded the OEM recommendation? Of course, it is always better to have to best (Forge wheel). Question is, is it nessarary to spend a fortune through mud and snow? I'd rather cheap out a little on winter to spend more on a 20" for the upcoming summer.

3&4 are basically the same. there are numerous other names rotary forged.
i don't care for multipiece as it often has rivets/screws. monoblock forged is the best.

don't spend a lot for winter as salt and stuff will wreck the finish. if you can find cheap used oem 18" or cheap decent quality aftermarket 18", it should be fine

[kokoli84]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

3&4 are basically the same. there are numerous other names rotary forged.

Are those considered as High pressure casting?

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Are those considered as High pressure casting?

i don't think rotary forged = high pressure casting

once again rotary forged, flow formed, spun forged, MAT, HLT are all basically the same process. although each manufacturer may have unique special processes it is basically cast face and a rotary forged barrel.

please go on youtube, there are numerous videos for all types of wheel manufacturing. here is an example of TSW rotary forging and rays forged and flow formed (2nd half)

[kokoli84]

Awesome! So judging by the process method. Enkei with flow forming should have better quality comparing to OEM with low pressure casting?

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by kokoli84

Awesome! So judging by the process method. Enkei with flow forming should have better quality comparing to OEM with low pressure casting?

http://www.ronal-wheels.com/en-int/home.html
http://enkei.com/

both companies make aftermarket and oem wheels. ronal some bmw and more, enkei on many japanese cars and more. so, both oem quality...

generally a flow formed wheel will be lighter while maintaining the stiffness and strength equal to or greater than that of a heavier cast wheel.

tires are the most important in a winter setup, so a good quality cast wheel would be fine. there is nothing wrong with spending more for a flow formed wheel for winter but i don't see a reason to unless you plan on winter performance driving and cost is not a factor.

[kokoli84]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

http://www.ronal-wheels.com/en-int/home.html
http://enkei.com/

tires are the most important in a winter setup, so a good quality cast wheel would be fine. there is nothing wrong with spending more for a flow formed wheel for winter but i don't see a reason to unless you plan on winter performance driving and cost is not a factor.

Safety is more of my concern since there are million different brands out there and I only heard of less than 5. After watching those clips you showed me and doing more research. Base on the availability at 1010tires which fits my car and my taste. I basically narrowed down to with Replica or Enkei. However, there's not a lot of information that I can find for Replica, and 1010 told me they could only assume that Replica uses Gravity Casting for their wheels (They're not sure), while Enkei seems to be a more popular brand. I saw a clip of a guy complaining about a cracked TSW wheel but TSW customer service pretty much just ignore him.

In terms of tires, I'm also debating on between Pirelli Sottozero 3 225/45/18 (narrower) or Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 235/45/18 (better review). Since I'm downsizing from 225/40/19, that should give a bit more cushion for the wheels.

[alohasurftoad]

that enkei draco WILL work. fyi the draco is from the performance line and is a cast only (not MAT) wheel.

imo, the 1010 fitment guide specific to your car is not accurate.

to me the konig oversteer is nicer, lighter, cheaper and looks better than the draco. 18x8, +35, 72.56CB. these do not show up on the fitment guide for some reason but it should...

http://www.1010tires.com/Wheels/Koni...bboremax=72.60

i don't know anything about DAI or Replika so i personally wouldn't bother with them...

stick with enkei, beyern, konig, niche, touren, tsw, vmr

[kokoli84]

Ya, at this point I think anything that's not gravity cast should do the job since the OEM wheels are not much better. I like the Oversteer better than the Draco as well, but they don't seem to have hub bore size equal or larger than 72.6, and I believe mine is 72.6. That'ats probably why it's not listed searching by my vehicle.

I actually went to the local 1010 shop yesterday about the get the Drago, but when I see it in person I think it's glossier than I was expecting. I was hoping to get something matt or satin in a darker color. The sale guy was trying to downsell me to Replika, made in Canada. Now I just need to check out those brands that you suggested to see if there's anything that I like.