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Are OEM rims stronger than aftermarket?

I

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Looking for a winter set for my 135i... plenty of people selling OEM BMW rims for as cheap or cheaper than whats on tire rack (besides steelies).

I'm guessing anything OEM would be stronger than $125 aftermarket rims? I had Konig feather rims on my Mini and had 2 bends over a few years. Cheap aftermarket + super light must be the culprit for that?

Since its for Winter I really don't care about the weight, and kind of prefer the stock look of a BMW set anyway.
 
Depends on what aftermarket wheels you're talking about. They all need to meet minimum certifications. I'd certainly trust a better name like Enkei or something.
 
Typically yes, OEM rims are better quality. A some of them are forged which you don't tend to find in low end wheels. Probably especially so with BMW rims. I know my MB rims are forged for sure. The biggest issue with a lot of cheap rims is they try to replicate expensive forged tuner rims with casting. If you stick to cast appropriate designs you have much less to worry about.
 
Brand means a lot but it's mostly about costs. My Mini Enkei rims were around $125 they perform much better than stock but the stock seem to be more stout. The person that owned the car before me curbed all 4 of them and even bent one. The lighter rim is more flexable to bending but has its limits. 1 Mini rim is $425. For the price comparison I can replace the Enkei for much less if I bend, brake or curb one. The Enkei is probably 1/3 less the weight so that can really be felt when driving it. I like to replace with the same size so it feels the same or better when driving it and that was the case for me.
 
I look for takeoff OEM rims, usually come with all the sensors you need too if the rubber is still on
 
NutBucket said:
Depends on what aftermarket wheels you're talking about. They all need to meet minimum certifications. I'd certainly trust a better name like Enkei or something.
Click to expand...

My Ducati came with Enkei wheels, they are nothing special. Heavy cast alloy wheels, I replaced them with forged Marchesini wheels which are a full 5lbs lighter per set.
 
They're nothing special but they're a known quantity. For a lower priced wheel brand they're great. The RPF1 is great quality, lightweight wheel that isn't obscenely expensive.
 
Some car manufacturers contract out to have wheels made for them. BBS has been known to make several types of wheels for BMW. However that doesn't mean it's going to be a quality wheel. One type is well known to be very prone to cracking. I bought a used set of these wheels from a seller and it had a hairline crack in one. I was going to get it fixed and put them on but sold them instead.
 
It's winter rims, just run steelies. Or cheap set of oem rims, after markets are for looks more than anything else.
 
@ OP - OEM wheels are generally the most durable you can get. In your position I'd go for a used set of OEM wheels from BMW.

mdram said:
lighter usually means thinner material, or less material
this results in loss of strength
Click to expand...

This is wildly ignorant, a gross over-simplification of the situation. A low-pressure cast aluminum wheel that weighs 25lbs may very well be weaker than a forged or flow-formed aluminum wheel that weighs 18lbs. Alloy, grain structure, and heat treatment differences all matter, a lot, and can easily result in 2-3x changes in material strength.
 
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