[moldcad]

OK guys - so it just also happened to me, and a big way, too: On a road under restoration everything was fine (all the warnings etc), but - after the "construction site" ended and there was no more working people and/or machinery, and the warnings ended as well - I accelerated with confidence when suddenly a "forgotten" stretch of removed tarmac ending with a high and sharp step-up appeared. With no chance to avoid, I rolled over the step-up at some 60 mph The shock and noise I can still feel and hear... Result: both left 18" OEM wheels bent, and a large bulge on the left front tire.

I did some calculations and concluded repairing the wheels and buying 2 tires as a minimum (unfortunately, my Dunlop WinterSport 4Ds have been out of production for 3 years) would be more expensive than buying a complete set of aftermarket wheels and winter tires. So I purchased a "Made in Germany" (actually manufactured here in Poland) ATS wheels (8Jx18 ET43 for some $500 total), plus a set of Nokian winter tires - and here is what it looks now (I'll never understand why the OEM 18" have this silly 58mm ET at the rear); what do you think it look like?

Piotr

[overcoil]

Stepped lip looks good. (stepped versus reverse lip)

I'd like to see a close up pic of the spoke rim junction. you should wax the tight spots at that junction to make the wheels easy to clean.

[aerodavew]

If you have any time at all when seeing something you are about to hit, slam on the brakes and just before hitting it, let off the brakes , which will unweight the front end as much as it is possible to do.

[moldcad]

That's exactly what I have been doing in situations like this for the 47 years behind the wheel.... This time though, it didn't help much.

I was double unlucky, too - the "step-up" wasn't high enough to damage my right wheels (even the front one), but very high where my left wheels where rolling: not did only I ruin the left front tire (which took the first hit), but bent *both* left wheels (yes, even the left rear one - even though the rear tire didn't suffer visibly).

My BMW service - thinking they'd be paid out of my insurance - obviously wanted to make some money on spare parts, as in the first list of parts to be replaced they put all 4 wheels and tires, but also all the tire pressure sensors and even the...steering gear!

Piotr

[Shovelman]

If two of your wheels survived you can still use them, just put them on the same side as nobody will be able to see the mismatch. Trust me, your girlfriend will not notice.

[Sypher]

If the hit was hard enough to damage 2 rims, I'd suggest to also take the car into an alignment shop to make sure nothing else was bent.

[moldcad]

Sure it has been done, right after fitting the new wheels & tires. Nothing has changed in the geometry, luckily enough

Piotr

[happyjack]

your set up looks great! i'm actually looking a these wheels as well, but thinking of going with 17" and a fatter sidewall to help me deal with the abysmal road conditions in / around washington, DC.

i've owned my 228i x-drive for 15 months, and have replaced six (SIX!!!) tires due to potholes.

i'm looking at the ALUTEC drive 17x7.5 paired up with pirelli winter sottozero 3.

any further feedback on your wheels?