Got my 214 wheels and tires today - question: how do you carry/handle/store them?

[Zoich]

Ok. So the 4 wheels with tires were dropped off by UPS today. They are heavy as f@#$.!!! The UPS label said they were 82 lb a piece, not sure which one (front or back) was the one they weighed first.
I had the wheels and tires dropped off at work since I live in a condo. The seller did a good job packing them using glass-packing flat boxes to fold and cover the entire wheel & tire for each box. Here comes the hard part: I almost blew a testicle or a hemroid picking each of them up and put it behind my x5 to take them home! I felt the loading dock guys were laughing at me wearing suit pants and dress shirt while doing so.
Either I am getting old or getting weak. My wife weighs only 98 lbs, I remember carrying her across the threshold years ago without any problem but today I almost couldn't pick up the rear wheel/tire...
For those of you who own two sets of wheels, do you change them on and off yourself? they just seem soooooooo heavy! And how do you store them so they don't get scratched? I saw BMW sell this tote cover, also this felt cover for the wheels. are they convenient? I have to put them in my storage spot in the condo, can't just lay them around like when we owned a house with a garage before. The garage with the condo are just parking spots.

[y5choi]

yeah I am totally in the same shoes as well- 214s and winter sets on BMW rims. I get them to the dealer- they charge for storage so I just get them wrapped in plastic and keep them under my bed right now (fits only two of them), the other two I stack them in a inconspicuous corner of the room. They are 12+ inches wide, big, and heavy. But it is possible to store them in the house laying them on the side.

Also, when the dealer first swapped them, they put on secure locking wheel bolts
(here is the link)

McGard Ultra | Products | Auto Express

for free. I don't know how to get them off (beside not having a lift and a shop to swap my tires in) so I just go to the dealer and get em swapped. They wash the car for free too

[rh71]

y5: didn't you get a key with those locks (as pictured)? It came with my locks when I ordered from the dealer. I don't believe there's a standard key for all BMW locks (at least a few variations).

As for the 214s and swapping. This is exactly why I went with all-seasons, but I realize people have worse snow than NY. When I still had my 19" 212s on, the 214s from wheelsandcaps (reps usually heavier?) were about 50lbs each in 4 boxes. Somewhat heavy but manageable. They all fit in the trunk of the X with the rear seats folded, but it was a royal PITA. Now imagine there's rubber on each of them. After I got my install, he packed the 4 212s w/tires back into the rear and it barely fit [without boxes]. Getting them out by myself at home was a job and a half. That's a LOT of weight to grab from a height, not to mention the awkward angle. You can easily hurt yourself if not careful.

Anyway, I had no intentions of keeping them (sold them) but if I did I would've had to leave it out in the backyard (actually I did when prepping them for sale). They're way too bulky and much of an eyesore anywhere other than there or the garage. I thought I heard some shops who swap tires for you will store them for you, but there's gotta be a catch - I don't see much room at the shops I go to. If you can survive with them (and I have through a few snowstorms in 2 years), save yourself time, effort, and money - go with all-seasons and leave the 214s on year-round.

[y5choi]

I never ordered the locking lugs but they just put one on each wheel after my first swap. I just go to my local dealer here in Waterloo, Ontario. I was in residence for a while so I paid to have the dealer store my sets, but now I am living at a house so i just brought them home (yes, i;m a student)


Also, the 214s can make a stellar coffee table base with a glass top. They look awesome lol just a suggestion

[nynd]

Other option is don't pick them and just roll them around. I do this when changing them myself (summer vs winter). Its good because it gives you a chance to clean them up and save some tread while using another set for winter (also helps avoid the big potholes with the 214's).

[King]

I just picked up a set of 214's today from the dealer. Holy crap, they are heavy. Definately heavier than the 20" I had on my E53. What gives?? Is it the runflat tires that are heavier or what's the deal? I can't see BMW going to a heavier wheel than the previous 4.6 or 4.8??!

[y5choi]

the run flat rims are actually thicker and has an extra rim toward the outside I believe to reinforce the ROF tire sidewall