what's the deal with m5 rims

[BllnLkeRayFelton]

i just got my gray 97 528i and i know i want to save up for chrome m5's with low profile tires to replace those cheesy stock rims. i can never tell which is a good brand to by the m5 from? OEM's are the originals, right? But ive also found other replica brands. Does any1 know which is best? Also, any suggestions on where to buy or what tires to get?

[silverlea]

You need to ask mrogers he seems to know where most of the stuff is !
good luck.

[mrogers]

LOL...silverlea, please stop referring people to me; as far as wheels go I'm not the person to ask! I simply suggested you post in classifieds since you already knew what you wanted.

To answer Felton...the M5 rims do look great on E39s. You are correct that "OEM" means that they are real BMW rims; a full set of these will probably run between $2000 and $3000. Replica rims can be found many places; they look exactly the same, but a full set can be had for around $800. The difference is that the OEM rims are forged, but the replicas are cast. This makes the OEM rims MUCH stronger, lighter, more resisitant to bending, etc. However, many people are happy with the replicas, especially since they're so cheap. Just make sure you don't nail any big potholes, or else you'll be shelling out another $200+ for a new wheel.

[eric528i]

I was considering the M5 style rims for my 528i and found aftermarket prices ranged from $149 (AAA Rims) to $175 (Highline Wheels) for the 17x7.5 size. Highline listed the weight at 21.8 lbs. I asked my local dealer what the stock wheels weigh, and they told me about 25 lbs. I ultimately decided to stay with the stock 15" wheels, but installed better rubber (ContiExtremeContact).

[Franks528i]

Please keep in mind that the replicas are not the correct size, most of them are only 18x8 or 18x8.5 while the real ones are 18x8 and 18x9.5 and the finish is not the same! the real ones have a "two toned" if you will finish. be careful. i searched everywhere for fakes and ended up buying OEM ones. i have found some OEM for less than 2k brand new though. good luck