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[e93_cris]

Hey Guys,

As you guys may know.. the style 230 wheels from BMW are prone to cracking. im not too sure why but my 2 rears have cracked 255/30/19 is my tire size. Is it worth getting it fixed/welded again? What are your thoughts?

[Stage5Lurker]

i was in a minor accident where my front left wheel was grazed and the wheel was bent. I hadnt heard of them cracking? Instead of buying a new wheel I might just go with something else entirely.

[maddmatth]

They can be repaired. If they are nice wheels, look for wheel repair places in your area and get quotes. It's not very expensive if it's just one crack.

[Bluewater328iT]

It's a heavy wheel and the tire profile is so low that minor blows are likely to be absorbed by the wheel. I am not a fan of 19" wheels at all.

[Digitalize]

Cheap shit metal means they crack easy, rather than bend. It's not a problem with a low profile tyre or runflat as such, just BMW wheels are low quality.

If the wheels are fine other than that get them welded.

[inspired626]

I'd be looking for a different set of wheels, especially if the rear wheels, where the car is putting the power to the ground, are the issue.

Originally Posted by Digitalize

Cheap shit metal means they crack easy, rather than bend.

Not so sure "cheap shit metal" will always crack before bending. I'd imagine it really depends on who/how/what created the wheel in the first place:

The difference between forged and cast is that forged wheels are lighter because you can use less metal to construct the wheel because the forging, which is in essence a method of pounding the particles together to make a tighter structure, is stronger. The cast is molten metal poured into a form which cools naturally, therefore the metal is not as dense. The drawback of forging is that with enough force it will crack because of the rigidity of the metal. However, even though cast wheels might be heavier, castings do have a little give. They can actually bend a little before breaking and sometimes can be straightened.

Originally Posted by Digitalize

It's not a problem with a low profile tyre or runflat as such, just BMW wheels are low quality.

Low profile/runflat tires absolutely contribute to the problem. I'm sure that bends on 3-series equipped with 19s and "low-pros" are much more prevalent compared to the same car on 19s with taller/softer tires; it's just common sense at that point.

Originally Posted by inspired626

I'd be looking for a different set of wheels, especially if the rear wheels, where the car is putting the power to the ground, are the issue.

lol As opposed to the front wheels, where a failure could easily steer you into a ditch?

[Digitalize]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Not so sure "cheap shit metal" will always crack before bending. I'd imagine it really depends on who/how/what created the wheel in the first place

Low profile/runflat tires absolutely contribute to the problem. I'm sure that bends on 3-series equipped with 19s and "low-pros" are much more prevalent compared to the same car on 19s with taller/softer tires; it's just common sense at that point.

My BMW wheels cracked, aftermarkets have not. BMW wheels are very brittle due to poor metal used in their construction, a decent cast wheel will bend before cracking most of the time.

Of course the less sidewall a tyre has the more likely the wheel is to be damaged, my point was that it's not a problem with that, it's the wheel itself. I've never seen more cracked wheels than this generation of BMWs. And people switch to aftermarket wheels and don't have an issue.

Also welded cracked wheels are fine, they might balance slightly differently but thats why a wheel is balanced. The weld done correctly will be stronger than the uncracked metal around it.

[BrandJas18]

I just had a Style225 repaired locally for $125. They welded two hairline cracks and straightened the wheel. So far so good. The shop said they weld a TON of BMW wheels.