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  #1  
Old 12-21-2009, 08:45 PM
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E70 wheels

I just wanted to know where is the best place would be to purchase the 20" wheels that come on the X5? They don't have to be OEM. Ebay?
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Old 12-21-2009, 10:29 PM
ard ard is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eurogreek1 View Post
I just wanted to know where is the best place would be to purchase the 20" wheels that come on the X5? They don't have to be OEM. Ebay?
OE is BMW.... It is the one definition that retains meaning.

OEM can mean anything: classically the "M" refers to the maker (ie Manufacturer)... in common use (your use) it can be used to signify the original equipment item... but it is also used to mean "identical item made by the same manufacturer that made the OE part, just private label"..

It has been corrupted to apply to "almost any part as long as the manufacturer once made a part for a OE business somewhere, maybe not your particular the car".

Sadly it has become a distinction without any meaning or value.

You can insist "I want OEM wheels" and you might find yourself with copies of a BMW wheel from a company in Pakistan that makes OE wheels for their local car company.

If you really don't care about the quality of the wheels, then ebay is a fine place to buy. Once you move from "a manufacturer with something to loose if they screw up a casting", to "a cheap 3rd world knock off with no capital and no traceable ownership" your risk rises.

IMHO

A
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Old 12-21-2009, 10:36 PM
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OE BMW X5 wheels are made by Ronal in Mexico.
My ebay replicas are made by Melber - Italy.
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  #4  
Old 12-22-2009, 01:17 AM
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Do you know who you used on E-bay? Also, do I need to replace the fenders if I upgrade to 20"?
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  #5  
Old 12-22-2009, 01:40 AM
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Originally Posted by eurogreek1 View Post
Do you know who you used on E-bay? Also, do I need to replace the fenders if I upgrade to 20"?
wheels and caps was the seller.

You dont need to replace the fenders but you should in order to complete the look.
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Old 12-22-2009, 02:29 AM
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I used wheels and caps also, with mixed results. Make sure your wheels balance ok - spinning each of them alone won't reveal flaws you may discover at 75mph with the X as sensitive as it is. They could be warped/out of round... even though they say once you mount them you can't return them, you should still let them know and work out something... they will still give you a percentage. I got screwed assuming / not knowing this.

Anyway, they originally sent me 4, 1 returned out of round immediately, got another back for it... but yet another was warped without me knowing (installer was also sketchy about it). I bought a replacement at full cost a year (and lots of headaches) later... that replacement came scratched so I had to RMA that one too for a new one. Just not as easy to deal with because of the sending back and forth. Heh - they had to send me 7 until I got a set of 4 that were fine. Anyway, if you decide to try your luck, make them get it right asap - don't let time pass.
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'08 X5 3.0si - Alpine White / Saddle Brown interior
Specs: Sport Pkg, Premium Pkg, Tech Pkg, Comfort Access, Aero Kit, Style 433 staggered 20s on Conti DWS
Mods: Carbon 35 tint, LED angel eyes, GP Thunder 7500k fogs, H&R 20mm/25mm spacers, clear reflectors, gunsmoke-tinted taillights
Coded: Digital speedo, windows/sunroof/tailgate close via keyfob

X5 pics at Flickr

Last edited by rh71; 12-22-2009 at 02:36 AM.
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Old 12-22-2009, 02:58 AM
ard ard is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rh71 View Post
I used wheels and caps also, with mixed results. Make sure your wheels balance ok - spinning each of them alone won't reveal flaws you may discover at 75mph with the X as sensitive as it is. They could be warped/out of round... even though they say once you mount them you can't return them, you should still let them know and work out something... they will still give you a percentage. I got screwed assuming / not knowing this.

Anyway, they originally sent me 4, 1 returned out of round immediately, got another back for it... but yet another was warped without me knowing (installer was also sketchy about it). I bought a replacement at full cost a year (and lots of headaches) later... that replacement came scratched so I had to RMA that one too for a new one. Just not as easy to deal with because of the sending back and forth. Heh - they had to send me 7 until I got a set of 4 that were fine. Anyway, if you decide to try your luck, make them get it right asap - don't let time pass.
Have your tire shop do a 'road force' balance- on a Hunter 9700- and ask them to check run out (axial and radial) before they mount a tire. You can determine if it is in spec before they even mount a tire.

And fund all your ebay purchases with a credit card, even if through paypal- if there is a problem, contest it with the card company and skip the paypal process: they often take too long, claim they don't get involved with "product quality" issues, and then it is too late to contest it with the card company...

A
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Old 12-22-2009, 08:00 AM
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I did use a GSP9700, twice. The rim was just really that bad... it was visibly wobbling when spun yet nobody told me about it, including that RF balance guy... I had to go back to him and ask to watch to have it balanced... they had somehow deemed it acceptable (or just wasn't paying visual attention). Problem is the RF balancer only spins it up to 25mph according to him, and while it zeros out at that speed, at 70mph+ where I could feel it, it was a different story.
__________________
'08 X5 3.0si - Alpine White / Saddle Brown interior
Specs: Sport Pkg, Premium Pkg, Tech Pkg, Comfort Access, Aero Kit, Style 433 staggered 20s on Conti DWS
Mods: Carbon 35 tint, LED angel eyes, GP Thunder 7500k fogs, H&R 20mm/25mm spacers, clear reflectors, gunsmoke-tinted taillights
Coded: Digital speedo, windows/sunroof/tailgate close via keyfob

X5 pics at Flickr
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  #9  
Old 12-22-2009, 06:54 PM
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What exactly do you mean by completing the look? What exactly do the new fender flares look like? Are they bigger?
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  #10  
Old 12-22-2009, 09:13 PM
ard ard is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rh71 View Post
I did use a GSP9700, twice. The rim was just really that bad... it was visibly wobbling when spun yet nobody told me about it, including that RF balance guy... I had to go back to him and ask to watch to have it balanced... they had somehow deemed it acceptable (or just wasn't paying visual attention). Problem is the RF balancer only spins it up to 25mph according to him, and while it zeros out at that speed, at 70mph+ where I could feel it, it was a different story.
The procedure for the RF is not to allow an out of spec wheel to be road-forced... so if it fails a dimensional run out, they cannot 'zero it out' using the force... Or should not.

I'm a good customer at the tire shop, they let me hang out in the back, so I can watch the balance- and help a bit. I just mounted a set of new PS2s on new HRE C20s, and the guy took almost two hours to get it perfect... the big tires were a bitch (315/30-18) one wheel took two 'remounts' to forcematch, the other three! Tipped him $20. When they do a great job, I'll do that- and I get the service I expect.

Like so many threads here, a bit of respect and interaction with the folks working on our cars can go a long way... and I'm not lecturing, just saying...

A
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