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      09-26-2012, 01:00 PM   #1
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Replica wheels for winter, why not?

I need winter wheels/tires and want to get 18s so I've been looking for 219s locally but they're just not available right now. Back up plan is a set of reps but after speaking with a vendor and reading some threads, it sounds like replica wheels on the M3 are not recommended even for winter.

Why? I don't care if it's a $70k+ car, I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on winter wheels and tires. What's the difference between the common replica wheels and VMR or any other cast wheel? It's not like they would be driven at the track or anything. Am I missing something or do vendors just want to sell the expensive stuff because I bought an expensive car? Why would all these BMW performance vendors sell the BMW replica wheels in M3 fitments if they're no good?
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      09-26-2012, 02:16 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Transfer View Post
I need winter wheels/tires and want to get 18s so I've been looking for 219s locally but they're just not available right now. Back up plan is a set of reps but after speaking with a vendor and reading some threads, it sounds like replica wheels on the M3 are not recommended even for winter.

Why? I don't care if it's a $70k+ car, I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on winter wheels and tires. What's the difference between the common replica wheels and VMR or any other cast wheel? It's not like they would be driven at the track or anything. Am I missing something or do vendors just want to sell the expensive stuff because I bought an expensive car? Why would all these BMW performance vendors sell the BMW replica wheels in M3 fitments if they're no good?
the two vendors i went to had no problem recommending me the replicas... so i ordered them... i cant see it being any worse than the tirerack sport edition rims, and i used them in my previous car without any issues..

and i also dont agree with the common statement "that its a 70k+ car and we should not be cheaping out on rims" money saved is money saved, i dont see a point in spending 3-4k on OEMs for a winter set ... we are not tracking these cars in the snow
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Last edited by boi222; 09-26-2012 at 09:09 PM..
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      09-26-2012, 03:22 PM   #3
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I don't have a problem with reps for winter use.
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      09-26-2012, 03:51 PM   #4
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I would not have any problem with replicas for winter use. As long as the quality is reasonable there's nothing wrong with using a more humble wheel for winter. I'm a wheel snob myself, but I've run sport editions for snow wheels and they've worked perfectly.

Some people object to replicas in general I think. Because it looks like something it's not (the original wheel). So maybe that is where some of the sentiment against it comes from.
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      09-26-2012, 04:04 PM   #5
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I was going to run replicas for the winter, but then I got a bangin deal on sport editions in black on ebay !
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      09-27-2012, 10:09 AM   #6
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I think it depends on which replica. Not all are created equally. I would stick with brands that have a good reputation such as VMR, APEX, and ?? I'm definitely a wheel snob but it is partially driven by past experience with cheap wheels. When I started getting into cars I bought cheap reps because I didn't know any better. I learned my lesson after dealing with bending wheels, having them fixed, bending them again, etc. There is nothing more frustrating than a wheel vibration on your $70k M3. Some say with cheap wheels they can just buy a new one when bent but that logic is flawed IMO. I just don't want to spend my time messing with bent wheels. I have had a much better experience running quality, strong wheels. If you are looking for better value, buy a quality wheel used on this forum...
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      09-27-2012, 12:46 PM   #7
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      09-27-2012, 01:00 PM   #8
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Quality out of the box does concern me and I don't want to have to deal with unbalanceable wheels. I guess I'm sort of leaning towards VMRs now which is middle of the road. I just don't love their styles. It's difficult to find proper offsets for the M3 in 18s that aren't 10 feet wide.
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      09-27-2012, 01:47 PM   #9
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are avante garde rims considered quality replicas?
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      09-27-2012, 02:28 PM   #10
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Apparently yes, but they're limited in sizes and offsets.
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      09-27-2012, 02:54 PM   #11
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Check out the Alufelgen's as well. They are in stock.
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      09-27-2012, 03:04 PM   #12
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One thing to keep in mind is that winter wheels will likely see much worse road surface conditions than your regular summer set. I'm not sure about Seattle, but here in the NYC suburbs the roads are absolutely pathetic, especially in the winter. Light snow and slush tend to hide big potholes, some of which can eat lesser-quality cast alloy wheels. That might be why for the longest time ugly, black STEEL wheels were recommended for winter duty. They're strong and heavy, so they help dig down to the pavement and they resist most damage.

You're clearly not going to put steel winter wheels on your M3, so maybe consider the strategy that I've used for my car--use your OEM wheels as your winters (there are plenty of 19" winter tire options), and then treat yourself to that sweet set of aftermarket summer wheels that you've always wanted. That way your car looks good regardless of the season, and you have a strong, high-quality wheel on the car at all times.
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      09-27-2012, 06:58 PM   #13
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I feel like our cars encounter the worst road surfaces and potholes during the winter and in order to feel safe and have a set of wheels that last multiple seasons while still looking good, I opted for quality wheels. In fact I may be a minority, but I have Volk TE37sl's for the winter
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      09-27-2012, 09:11 PM   #14
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I am considering replica's for winter use. The top two candidates for me are:
  • VMR 710s from EAS [18x8.5 20et 245/40/18 : 18x9.5 22et 275/35/18] with Dunlop Winter Sport 3D

Last time I had a winter set up for my ///M3 was an E46 with the VB3s.

Does anyone have any strong opinions one way or the other with resect to both the wheels? Can anyone recommend a better wheel for the price?

Also, does anyone have anything good/bad to say about either of these two sellers?

Feedback greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
-Steve
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      09-27-2012, 10:05 PM   #15
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Well unfortunately I've learned that VMR essentially stopped production on all 18x8.5 et20 wheels so cross those off your list. I'm starting to lean towards Forgestars but they're about $500 more than VMRs. I guess long lasting and piece of mind could be worth $500.
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      09-28-2012, 10:30 AM   #16
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That explains why I haven't been able to find the et 20 wheels. I am calling around right now to see if anyone has a pair left. Will post an update if I locate a seller.
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