Replicas vs. OEM 20" 214's
 

A few questions for those kind enough to help:

1. Are replica's in this style as durable, high quality, as OEM's?
2. Do they weight about the same?
3. Will putting replica's on my '08 X5 vs. OEM's effect my warranty?
4. In switching out 18" 210's with 20" 214's, on my 3.0si, will I notice much of a decrease in acceleration assuming the 214's weigh more than the 210's?
5. Does anyone have good recommendations (links) on where to get 20" 214 replica's? I've seen one online dealer via Ebay.

Thank you!

1. Definitely not the same in quality !
2. No the weight much less than the oem !

I will buy the replica of the 21'' if I find it :p

You should check your info, replicas usually weigh MORE than OEM's afaik.

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x3/w...mw-wheels.html

No No !! I used to have one on my 645ci !! It was m6 riplicas !! one OEM weigh more than 2 replicas !

I have replicas on both my X5s. They definately weigh more. They aren't made with the same quality materials (hence the MUCH cheaper price). But remember how much less you're paying for them. If you find the right set you won't be able to tell the difference, and the weight effect is negligeble

As for the warranty part.. it shouldn't effect unless you bought a wheel and tire warranty.

I had replicas on my E53 4.4i and overall they seemed very good. I had a minor wobble in the steering wheel during certain turns and I never did manage to track down the cause of it...perhaps due to poorly balanced wheels.

I've had replica 214s on my E70 4.8i for about a week now, and no problems, except that the stock center caps didnt fit and now I'm going to have to try to track down some with BMW roundels that will fit.

My M6 replicas were very light !! the set cost me about $533.

one wheel of the replicas weight =12 KG about =26 lb.

I carelessly scratched my right rear replicas on a curb during a tight parking lot turn this weekend and it hurts... but not as much as if it were OEMs... at least they don't cost as much to replace 1.

Anyway, wheelsandcaps.com is the place to go (they're on ebay too).

ya i bought mine for the e70 from wheels and caps as well. they aren't too bad. the wheels i bought from AFS wheels for my e53 look alot better/seem better quality though. if only they made wheels for the e70s..

IMO, the replicas weight less for sure...gas milage should go up as well due to lighter wheel. I ordered the chrome 214 replicas and cant wait to scratch one and go buy another El Cheapo! I purchased mine from Blustarr (sp?). :stickpoke

100% agree

I didnt actually weigh them, but my replica style 214 20's felt lighter to me than the stock 19 inch wheels.

ok my front replica 214 is 40 lbs.!

How do I tell if my style 168's are replica or OEM? is there any stamp or part number on the wheel to ID an OEM? Thanks in advance!

same question but for 214s?

I think weight depends on whether the rims are cast or forged. Consider the cost of the stock rims, I would think they are forged. And, forged often means lighter. I am certain that the replicas are cast. You won't find forged rims for under $1k for a set of four.

I would be worried about safety if I found replicas that weighted less than the OE rims in the same style.

It is highly unlikely that the replica rims are cast or forged better than the OE rims, and also unlikely that their basic alloy is as strong or carefully cast as the OE. So if they weight less than OE, I would question their strength -- usually replicas weigh more to compensate for lower quality materials and/or processes and provide similar strength to OE wheels.

Replica rims aren't any where close to the density or integrity of the originals. They were made to offer the same style but at a more affordable price. They've got to cut corners some where and make money!

OEM 214's weigh 38 lbs. Stock 19's (3.0si sport) weigh 28 lbs. Excluding tires of course.

I've seen these wheels in person and I have the OEM one's and you can't tell the difference. They look great. If you're tight on cash, I would buy these in a heartbeat! :thumbup:

Here you go bud:

http://www.xoutpost.com/classifieds/...le-silver.html

I'm pretty sure this member still has them too, since he's one of my friends and lives the next town over from me. Shoot him a PM. :thumbup:

Yep, on the inside of the wheels, near the center. :thumbup:

I was told that OEM wheels are heavier and stronger to compensate for the stiff sidewalls of the RFT.

Except for Style 124's that come stock on the Pre-LCI 545/550 Sports and LCI 535 Sports. These wheels are notorious for being weak and bending/cracking constantly.

Took the words right out of my mouth. Generally replicas are inferior quality and weigh more than OEM. Not sure about X5 wheels but the OEM M3 wheels are made by BBS and are forged.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with replica rims that are cast. It just means that they are heavier and not as strong. Usually, forged rims are less prone to getting bent if you hit a big pothole. It still can happen (like with SSR rims which are expensive forged rims but were notorious for being "S"uper "S"oft "R"ims), but less likely.

The nice thing about forged rims is that they are often two or three piece rims. That means that if a part get damaged, you can often replace the damaged part without having to replace the entire wheel. On the flip side, cast rims are usually cheap. So, if it gets bent/damaged, you can often replace the entire wheel for a fraction of the cost.

my 0.02 cents

bmw rims i don't know why are the softest pieces of junk ever ! ive had 5+ new bmw's and have bent many a rim on simple everyday driving ! these bitches are expensive to replace
i'd much rather to replace a rep esp with the huge 20'-21'rims these days that retail for well over $800 per wheel !! you can almost buy a whole set of rep's for that !!

NEIL

I'm assuming you live in NYC or in the vicinity. And, I'm assuming that you have A LOT of potholes in your streets. With any rims, if you hit a pothole, there's the potential of bending the rim. It really doesn't matter whether it's the absolute best forged rims out there. If you hit a pothole hard enough, it's going to do some damage.

Can anyone tell me a online site to purchase 20" replica 214s.

www.wheelsandcaps.com

So the general consensus is that Reps are okay? Its hard not to think about that extra coin in the pocket. But a big part of me is asking whether this is something to get cheap with, I mean lives are potentially at stake.

Where? Are there any other ways to tell?

i'm with you on this bodaddy. that is my main concern as well.