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BMW 5-Series Tires and Wheels

2

Comments

  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    My guess is that there are ways to determine if the crack is the result of fatigue or an impact. The testing may cost more than it's worth. But, on low profile tires, doing something as inoccuous as hitting a speed bump too fast could crack both wheels. This gets to be a bigger deal the lower the profile of the tire.

    It's also possible that the methods of the tire changer could crack a wheel, but most of the modern machines are pretty good at protecting them. The simple expedient of overinflating the tire to help seat the bead can be problematic as well. It usually damages the tire but could damage a wheel under extreme situations.
  • jarchdeaconjarchdeacon Member Posts: 22
    I am in exactly the same boat with a cracked wheel that started as a slow leak; changed from RFT to non-RFT and BMW just told me I have a cracked rim (same old story, "you must have hit a pothole..."). They said the other rim is bent but not leaking and I should replace both (18" on 530i).

    I was disgusted to learn this rim problem is not uncommon, and that BMW is not backing their product... ARG.
  • techman9techman9 Member Posts: 18
    I have a 2011 535i. I have had 6 bent rims since November and had to replace 3 tires. BMW won't step up to the plate to fix this problem.I have never had a bent rim in over 40 years of driving. I'm bringing it to the feds to see what they will do or just dump the car it rides like a tank.
  • techman9techman9 Member Posts: 18
    OK now its 8 bent rims and 2 more tires. I called BMW again BMW still doesn't want to recognize the problem.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Not to absolve BMW of not offering higher profile wheel/tire combinations, but their web site and sales literature does alert folks to potential tire and wheel damage when running with low profile tires.

    Personally I believe the problem "demand" in that folks have become so conditioned to "believe" the larger the wheel in relation to the overall diameter of the tire looks "better" and is a good thing for handling (it isn't beyond wheel sized of 16"-17"). Many manufacturers have been caught in this trap as they've found that if they offer a car with say 17" wheels and 18" wheels, the car with the smaller wheels rarely (if ever) sells.
  • jarchdeaconjarchdeacon Member Posts: 22
    I don't disagree about 17" being adequate, however, the main issue here is that wheels being sold by BMW are failing, sometimes at an extraordinary rate such as experienced by techman9.

    BMW gave me a similar response; sorry, wheels are not covered. I did finally take the car to a local shop here in northern CA (Wheel Technologies) and they repaired the wheel; they showed me the three cracks present in my wheel. They also told me they see this problem at least ONCE a day for later model BMW and Mercedes cars.

    This does seem to confirm (at least to me) that BMW really does have a problem with their alloy wheels; they simply aren't strong enough to hold up to normal streets, at least here in CA. I decided to wait until I need new tires to have my other bent wheel repaired at this shop.

    I have NEVER had a broken wheel in my life before this car (30+years of driving), and it is unfortunate that BMW doesn't seem interested in dealing with the issue. I'll certainly keep this in mind for my next car (at least if I go with another BMW I'd make sure to get the wheel insurance)!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Before I finally wised up and started buying "downsized" wheels I managed to bend wheels on Mazdas, Audis, VWs, and even a Chrysler. By the time I bought my BMWs I was "smarter" and made sure the wheel/tire combo I was ordering for my cars (yes, I factory ordered both BMWs) was sufficiently tall for my driving environment. That said, I really wanted the Sport Package for my 530i, a package that came with a wheel/tire combo that was at the very narrow end of my acceptable range; I simply ordered a "minus one" set of wheels and tires and used them for November through April duty.
  • tfetfe Member Posts: 1
    Experiencing flats on my 2011 550. Less then 10,000 mile on my tires. I've had 3 flats so far and always have to wait days before BMW can find an available tire because there is a huge problem getting the tire. I am sitting with out a car now, that makes 1 week because they still haven't found a tire.
    Please very one with this tire problem call and write to BMW nationally and locally so they will fess up to this mess.
    I do not feel safe taking my car farther then 50 miles away from a BMW dealer because that is as far as a run flat will go and I don't want to get stuck in Tim Buck 2 while I wait another week plus for a replacement tire to be found.
    I haven't experienced a bent wheel.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Which wheel size do you have on your 550i; 18" or 19"?

    FWIW, the wheels for your 550i can be "downsized" to either 17" or 18" which will imbue the tires with an extra inch or half inch (depending on what you have versus what you might opt for as a replacement set) in sidewall height. The taller the sidewall, the lesser the chance of tire and/or wheel damage when abrupt surface imperfections are encountered.

    For my part, there's absolutely no way I'd own a 5-Series with 19" wheels; they're almost guaranteed to suffer tire and wheel issues unless you drive on glass smooth roads all of the time.
  • jarchdeaconjarchdeacon Member Posts: 22
    tfe, are your unfortunate flat tire events related to a cracked wheel, or are you just having problems with your tires? I wasn't clear from your post. My tires never went flat as the pressure sensor would light on the dash (saying I had a flat tire) but in reality really it was low pressure (around 20 psi) due to the slow leak caused by the cracked rims. Since I have had my 1st cracked wheel repaired (knock on wood) I haven't had any more events, but my repair was only done 3 weeks ago...
  • ehc0791ehc0791 Member Posts: 1
    I have CPO 2006 550 with sport package for 4 years, and so far replaced 2 rim and 4 tires. The total cost was about $3000. Luckily, I bought tire insurance, but I dislike the situation at all. The tires are 245/70/18R. Basically the design of rim and tire can not handle the normal road condition. They may be good on a glass surface. I decide to cut my loss and sell the damn thing and forget about it in my life.
  • gregoryxgregoryx Member Posts: 44
    I have 2010 and considering 2011 535xi but have been reading horror stories about TFT. I have similar experience with my mb rft They are expensive and really don't deliver incremental value.

    Can I purchase new vehicle without rft?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    A few questions:
    - - You have a 2010 what?
    - - Are you inquiring whether you can buy any new car with GFTs? Yes. Many companies sell their cars with GFTs.
    - - Are you wondering if you can buy a new BMW with GFTs? Yes, and no. As far as I know, all standard model BMWs are now equipped with RFTs while all M-Series BMWs are equipped with GFTs.

    The thing is, if you don't want a 535xi with RFTs, simply buy the car and change the tires to GFTs; problem solved.
  • gregoryxgregoryx Member Posts: 44
    2010 535xi. I'm wondering if I can buy 2011 without rft. In prior years the rft tire has been an option. If I have to spend more $ after purchase to move to standard tires I just want to know rather than be surprised.

    Has there been precedent with dealer swapping the tires as part of the original purchase?

    Finally, are there any redeeming qualities to having rft? I read only horror stories
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited July 2011
    All versions of the 535xi come with RFTs.

    I've yet to hear of a single dealer policy allowing a pre-delivery swap of GFTs for the factory RFTs; no precident.

    Redeeming qualities of RFTs? Being able to drive out of a bad neighborhood if you get a flat.
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    At least on my BMW, there is NO place to store a spare tire (plus, you'd have to buy the jack and wrench, as it doesn't come with them). If you want one cluttering up most of the trunk area, and no easy way to hold it down, go for it. If you figure you'll just call for service...good luck - you may just be out of range on the cellphone and may have to wait hours. The redeeming feature of a RFT is you can safely drive on them and get to a place where you (hopefully) can replace it or repair it. So, without one, your choices are: run without a spare at all, carry around a spare (you'd have to buy a new wheel, or maybe one of the compact spares), or install something like 'Slime' in the tires and hope that would prevent a flat (and doesn't trash the pressure sensors). Expect a tire servicing dealer to charge you extra for getting all that slime on his equipment when you do need to replace the tire.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    You paint a pretty bleak picture of relying on a flat-fixer kit, however, the costs of using such a kit are far less than running with nasty RFTs.

    The kit ($79.00):
    http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38

    Cost of a new TPMS sensor: $53.

    The cost difference between a set of RFTs and a set of GFTs: $500.

    I'm thinking I'd much rather pay for a few new TPMS sensors than a set of RFTs.
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    If it did trash the TPS, and I'm not saying it would (but it could), you'd then have to listen to the car chime at you all the time as I don't think there is a way to turn off that warning, not counting the displayed warning as well. It might even play nanny if it detects you driving too fast for having a flat as well. All that is supposition. If you go that route, let us know your feelings, especially if you end up with a flat. I typically go years without one, then get a couple. On one day, I had two tires with nails/screws in them, now that was a major pain. Luckily, the leak was slow enough, I could pump them up and leap-frog my way to a repair shop, but that assumes you carry a compressor.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    The kit I included the link to includes a compressor. :)
  • gregoryxgregoryx Member Posts: 44
    Thanks - sounds like run flat can be a pain and expensive, as they are with my mb. I'd rather have conventional tires and will try to negotiate with dealer. I'm ordering my vehicle next week
  • abandonedabandoned Member Posts: 1
    I have a year old 550GT with the Sport package (20" wheels and RFT's). Just replaced both rear tires and wheels. Wheels were cracked and tires slashed from inside. These tires were replaced 6 months previous for same thing. BMW does nothing and blames me for driving through pot holes. For 32 years I have been driving high end MB and BMW. Never experienced this problem before. My last car was MB 550S with AMG package. This is not a safe vehicle and stay away. BMW refuses to deal with my problem and will not take responsibility. There is a design and manufacture flaw but they hide from the problem. Does someone need to be killed for them to wake up?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Your post misses a few very key points:

    1) It is highly unlikely that any of your previous cars have ever had 20" wheels with such short sidewalls.

    2) When you say "BMW does nothing but blame me..." are you referring to your dealer (a franchisee, and not BMW proper), or are you saying someone from Woodcliff Lake, NJ?

    3) There is no design or manufacturing flaw, low profile tires such as you're running will, by definition, become easily damaged at the slightest provocation; regardless of tire brand, wheel manufacturer, or vehicle manufacturer.

    4) Not only did you opt to "upgrade" the size of the wheels on your car when you bought it, you "upgraded" them two full sizes. The standard 18" wheel setup which comes on the GT has tires with over 4.8" of sidewall, and even the 19" setup of the standard sport package has a fairly reasonable 4.3"; which is typically enough to absorb pot-hole hits and such encountered in normal day to day driving. Instead of opting for either of the above, you went for a setup which only offers 3.8" of sidewall give.

    5) All of BMWs web sites and Sales and Marketing literature include disclaimers regarding tire and wheel damage caused by opting for large diameter wheels and low profile tires.

    So, BMW clearly states tire and wheel damage can result from running the low profile setup you have, and you still bought it anyway; how is it BMWs responsibility? Some folks feel they need that much bling, but for my part, I have no intention of ever owning a car with wheels with less than 4" of rubber protecting them from the road (and 4.3" would be even better).
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited September 2011
    I take it by your continued silence you've figured out that BMW isn't really to blame for your wheel and tire issues.

    Suggestion; have your dealership put a 19" wheel and tires setup from the standard 550i GT Sport Package on your car. Not only should both the ride and handling of your car improve (not that you need the handling this car is capable of on regular roads), but your wheels and tires will be far more capable of absorbing the impacts from the things you seem to be driving over without sustaining damage.
  • techman9techman9 Member Posts: 18
    On the contrary, I still blame BMW. There is clearly a design flaw in the suspension. After my 9th bent wheel and my 6th tire replacement, I traded the car in for a new 2012 Audi A6. I now have a car that rides like a sport sedan should ride and I no longer must worry about what roads I travel down, will I need to have my car towed to the dealer again, downtime and the most important the aggravation.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    So which size of wheels and tires were you running on your BMW?

    FWIW, I see that the two different wheel/tire options of the 2012 Audi A6 have 4.8" and 4.3" of sidewall height between the rim and the road (sound familiar?).
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    Yes, I also noted he didn't mention wheel/tire size on his new Audi.

    Let's face it... For some, it will always be the manufacturer's fault. And, to an extent, I can accept that reasoning. Even if I find a disclaimer that "legally" exonerates the carmaker (as BMW includes in it's manual), does that really go far enough in informing the potential buyer about probable damage to oversize wheels?

    Still, in the end, no one is forcing the buyer to take the vehicle... So it's up to the buyer to understand what he is purchasing. Couple that with the fact that only a small percentage of owners ever actually read the owner's manual ( most can be read "on-line" before the purchase has been made) and you get an overall "uninformed" car owner. In fact, most car buyers probably spend more time researching the purchase of a $800 wide-screen TV than the car they buy...

    If I had to guess, I would bet the implications of larger wheels/smaller tire sidewalls NEVER crossed his mind. He probably just liked the way the vehicle looked.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Yeah, probably infected by the "Bling-Virus" where everything bigger is automatically better.
  • jarchdeaconjarchdeacon Member Posts: 22
    I think some are possibly missing the point here and suggesting the problem must definitely be with the driver(s) and not with the mfr wheels themselves. In some cases it may be the driver hitting a huge hole or major obstacle in the road that would put it outside of the design specs for absorbing the impact. But in others (most?), it sounds like there ARE problems with certain mfr alloy wheels 18" and wider even under normal road conditions (minor potholes, ...). I only came to this thread because two of my rims on my 530i developed issues (one cracked, the other bent) and I was curious if this was common or not to my vehicle. I have never hit anything that would have suggested my wheels would crack or bend in my 530i. In fact, I have never had a failed wheel before in 30+ years of driving including two previous BMWs, Acura, Cadillac, ..., so it did seem at least to me to be a legitimate gripe after reading about others having similar problems. I have to admit, I will definitely be wary of replacing my 530i with another BMW (or from any other mfr) that seems to have a higher than normal degree of wheel failure. It is an expensive fix obviously!
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    I haven't looked at where the wheels BMW uses are made, but that may be an issue as more and more manufacturing moves to the far east. There's only so much you can do in quality control, it takes a conscientious management of each supplier to keep it high. I do know if you look on the aftermarket choices, most are made there. But, as manufacturers move to make lower profile monster tires available based on demand, the people that buy them must take responsibility for the fact that they have nowhere near the same safety margin when hitting anything other than a smooth road before they can be damaged.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Wider wheels and tires are not the issue as "wider" doesn't necessarily translate to short sidewalls. That said, regardless of how wide the tire is, as the sidewall height decreases to a point less than about 4.25", the tire and wheel will become increasingly prone to damage with relatively minor provocation; it matters not the maker of the width or maker of the tire, the maker of the wheel, or the maker of the car.

    Case in point, the 18" wheels which come standard on the previously discussed 550i GT are wrapped with tires endowed with over 4.8" of sidewall height; enough "give" so that one could drive those tires through some of the worst Manhattan has to offer and still not incur any damage.

    The next step up is the 550i Sport Package which comes with 19" wheels and tires with a minimal (but still ample) 4.3" of sidewall height. While this setup will be somewhat more susceptible to damage compared to the 18" setup, they'll still survive most of what the big bad world of roads out there can throw at you.

    In the Sublime to the Ridiculous department, those whom opt for the 20" Max-Bling setup which sports tires with a paltry 3.8" of sidewall height, had better be sure that the roads they drive on were just black-topped yesterday, because if the roads aren’t nearly glass smooth, they're going to be finding themselves buying new wheels and tires to replace the ones which were damaged when they ran over something as minor as a tar-strip. :P
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    Hello, Dale and All: Don't know if you'll remember me from the Luxury Lounge and other forums, but a quick question. Not having yet read through this forum, but we just bought a new '11 535xi, with the Radial Spoke (Style 237) 18 x 8.0 light alloy wheels, 245/45 run-flat1 all-season tires (base setup). Thinks I got a decent deal...

    Everyone: Offered the 5 year BMW Tire Protection package for $1267, my initial reaction is thanks, but no (self insure). Your thoughts? Have a couple of days to think about it, new to run flats and have read here and there that the wheels seem to be (relatively) easily damaged. I'm a bit less worried about the tires as the wheels.

    Any and all input appreciated!

    Regards,

    Laurasdada

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Long time no hear from. :)

    The 245/45 R18s offer roughly 4.34" of sidewall height which should be more than enough to deal with all but the nastiest of road obstructions. Personally I'd pass on the Protection Package. :)
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    Thanks for the thoughts. Yeah, I've been more of a lurker than a poster the last couple of years, life kinda got in the way...

    Spoke to my local shop, they suggested the warranty as they claim to see a lot of BMW, Audi and Saab wheel issues. I've never bought any kind of extended warranty, always self-insured, but this is a bit of a new ball game, shop said price sounded good for five years. We'll see, I think the lovely wife would feel warmer and fuzzier with the warranty.

    Hey, we continue to support the economy, two new cars in three months! What have I done??? :confuse:

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    I've never been really impressed with Goodyear tires, but that being said, there are a lot of people on the forums that complain about sidewall bubbles (supposedly from doing things like hitting curbs, etc.) with the stock tires. The nature of a run-flat is that it tends to protect the rim of the wheel better than 'normal' tires, since it must prevent the tire from peeling off the rim when it loses pressure. While it somewhat depends on your deductable, a broken rim normally is covered by your existing collision insurance, and that may cover a bit of the cost of any eventual replacment. Then, the wear rating on the tires isn't all that great, so they'll need to be replaced regularly anyway. This is more because BMW specs a higher performance tire than the fact they are run-flats. For equivalent sizes, it seems that a runflat tire costs in the order of $100 more than the conventional counterpart. The price you pay for not lugging a spare around and the safety of choosing where you stop if you do get a flat.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    So much depends on the road conditions where you drive. I have the insurance on my 2010 328i and just used it to replace the left front tire due to a screw puncture wound.

    The price of the tire alone was $310.00 on Tirerack.com. I got the insurance discounted to about $1000.00 when I bought the car. I would have broken even if the wheel had also been damaged.

    I guess I would ask..."do you feel lucky?"
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    Certainly I didn't mean to suggest all wheel damage is the driver's fault, but in my experience I would say when someone complains of wheel damage multiple times in short order, the driver is the most obvious cause.

    Even though one may have driven 50 years without a single incident, most/all of those years were probably on higher profile, non RFT tires.

    Is like me blaming BMW for poor design if I happen to hit a speed bump too fast and damage the front fascia on my Z4 coupe.

    Sidewalls on RFTs are much more rigid and less forgiving when driven through potholes. It's something folks need to consider when buying large rims with low profile tires.
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    Roads of Boston and New England. Not feeling so lucky! Tires, I believe, come with a one year warranty, but I do worry about the wheels. For the first time in my life, from the research I've done the last couple of days, I think we may go for it...

    Was your contract for 5 years?

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • seykarseykar Member Posts: 2
    I have 530xit station wagon sport package. Have replaced the run flat tires with 18"rim completly with a 17" rim 225/45/R17 tire. I have no issue with the indication since we moved all sensers from RFT rim to the new off the shave rim. I get perfect ride with the all season tires and my hwy milage has gone up by 3 miles. I am going to use the RFT 18 inch rim with 245/45/R18 tires to replace all my RFT for the winter on 328XI which my wife drives locally. Parts in the BMW told me I could use 18" rim on the 328xi.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Last time I checked the 3-Series and the 5-Series had a rather different offset; I suggest you check again before you commit to putting those wheels on your 328xi.
  • atalaya505atalaya505 Member Posts: 18
    edited March 2012
    I cannot believe that I am seeing the same "blame the driver" crap on this thread that you get from BMW. I have been driving reasonably high-performance cars on 45 profile tires for ten years now. Mostly turbocharged Subies, Infiniti, VW CC and Audi's. Prior to that, mostly BMW's. I have carefully avoided the "sport" upgrades with 40 or lower profile tires.

    Went back to BMW this past year when we bought a 2011 535xi. Again, stayed with 18 inch wheels and the 45 series tires. This car has a SERIOUS problem! One pothole on I 40 in New Mexico bent the rim. The car immediately began vibrating badly. We were worried that we were going to be stranded hundreds of miles from any dealer. No damage we could see at night with a flashlight, so we limped 250 miles home.

    The pothole is one that would barely have bothered any of the cars we have driven.

    There was NO driver error here. I have driven over 1.5 million miles on three continents and never had a car suffer anything like this kind of damage from this sort of impact.

    $650 and the dealer said that I was lucky that the impact did not take out the tire as well. They usually see tire sidewall bubbles when someone takes out a BMW rim.

    When we bought the car, we had planned to replace the run flats with non-run flat Conti Extreme Contact DWS tires (and the Conti inflation kit) this coming fall. Now, we are debating whether we dare keep this car. It spends much of its time on trips in the middle of nowhere.

    I know that replacing the RFTs with standard all-seasons will provide more cushioning for the wheel. With earlier BMW's this extra cushioning might be sufficient to have saved the rim in our pothole impact. But, I am far less confident that it will be sufficient on our car. The new 5 series seems to have a particularly soft front suspension. After hearing other reports of 2011 535's crashing over potholes, I took a new, non AWD, 535i out on a test drive this past week and deliberately drove it over a known pothole on a nearby surface street. The Bimmer completely bottomed its suspension with a loud jarring crash. In five other cars -- all with 45 profile tires -- I drove over the same pothole at the same speed with very little fuss.

    Stiff run flat tires, soft wheels, a suspension that crashes . . . Not sure how to fix all of these. We are now worried that even if we replace the RFTs with more flexible non-RFTs, this car may still be dangerously susceptible to impact damage.

    One possibility would be to replace the RFT's, buy the Conti kit AND devote a sizable amount of trunk real-estate to a spare tire and jack.

    Or, we could take the more drastic step of dumping a beautiful new 535xi for an Audi A6.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    I certainly didn't intend to paint everyone with a broad brush, and I don't put everyone in the same bucket.

    However, there are many 5-series owners that don't suffer tire and wheel issues. All I was stating is that folks who go through wheel and tire after wheel and tire probably are contributing to their problem, even if it's just because the roads where they live are in a sad state of disrepair.

    And, as the wheel size increases and the sidewall height decreases, it creates the "perfect storm" for wheel and tire damage. That's not just a guess, because I have a good friend that's in the wheel repair business (for quite a few years now) and he's been pretty clear that frequency of damage increases as wheel diameter increases.

    Add to the, in BMW's case, stiff RFT sidewalls nd you decrease the margin of "give" even further.

    Personally, if I could, I would change BMW policy to offer GFT's and a space-saver spare in the truck option.
  • techman9techman9 Member Posts: 18
    I traded in the 2011 BMW for the 2012 A6. I have had it for 6 months, 10K in mileage and can tell you it was well worth it. The all wheel drive is by far superior to the BMW. Also Transmission and suspension in the A6 far exceeds performance of the BMW. People can argue wheels all day long on this forum but the simple truth is the BMW as seen better days.
  • techman9techman9 Member Posts: 18
    What everyone seems to be missing is that it is not a simple case of changing tires. It has to do with a combination of tires, wheels and the suspension system. For a vehicle to constantly bottom out over almost every bump is not normal for any vehicle. I have owned many cars with lower profile tires and have never had to replace any wheels or tires as a result of the size of the wheel and tire sidewall, nor did the vehicle botton out. Someone miscalculated something when it came to the suspension.

    Go get an Audi and enjoy driving again.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    edited March 2012
    I'm not gonna argue the point, but I'll simply say this.

    Do a Google on "XXX alloy wheel damage", where XXX is BMW, Audi, Nissan, etc. and you will find every manufacturer shows up with wheel damage.

    I'm not here to defend BMW nor accuse any other manufacturer of defects, nor praise them. I'm just saying that the incidence of damage is directly correlated to the diameter of the wheel as it increases in size.

    If you want the bling of 18, 19 or larger wheel sizes, get ready to pay extra.
  • atalaya505atalaya505 Member Posts: 18
    edited March 2012
    It is absolutely true that the lower the profile tire and the stiffer the sidewall, the less "give" you are going to have, and the more problems you will have.

    But, I am comparing apples to apples here: a 2011 BMW 535xi with the standard 18" wheels and 45 profile tires against other cars with tires of similar size and profile.

    I have driven over 500,000 miles in cars with 17" and 18" 45 profile tires over all kinds of roads on three continents. And, as noted in my post, I have now tested a sampling of such cars over the same pothole at the same speed.

    ONLY the 2011 535xi exhibited this problem. I believe that is a combination of the very stiff RFT tires and a suspension design that is not suitable for our potholed American roads. You would probably never encounter this problem in Germany. But our roads are much worse than theirs.

    This would not stop me from driving this car in an urban area, but we no longer trust where it could leave us stranded a long way from civilization.

    I would love to hear from anyone who has a 2011 5 series and who has replaced the RFTs with conventional tires. Does this solve the problem? Does the suspension still crash? Have you had any tire or wheel damage since making the change?
  • rand_the_finrand_the_fin Member Posts: 1
    I leased a 2011 535xi with the M Sport package. To date, I have blown out 5 tires due to driving over pot holes. I have never seen anything like this, and the previous post about this being exclusive to this model BMW is accurate. It's a combination of the suspension, rim design and tire. The car feels like it is about to break into two pieces and as a result the tires blow or bubble.

    BMW has replaced all the tires at no cost. This issue, along with the slow tip in at throttle and I am hugely disappointed in the car. Working to return it to BMW this week.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    Either you purchased the wheel & tire insurance or you must have the most understanding and sympathetic BMW dealer in the country!
  • lawcarlawcar Member Posts: 97
    What type of rims and tires do you have? How big were the potholes? Where do you live? Did the tires blow up?
  • atalaya505atalaya505 Member Posts: 18
    The M sport package includes 19" wheels with lower profile tires, so I can readily understand why you would be having even more problems than I.

    How did you get BMW to pay attention to you? They told me that I had to go through my dealer. So, I got the sympathetic service manager at the dealer to contact BMW on my behalf.
    Through the service manager intermediary, BMW has just blown me off. Told me that they are are not aware of any problem with F10 tires, wheels or suspension.
    Just for good measure, they informed me that replacing the RFTs with conventional all season tires would void my warrantee on anything relating to wheels, suspension or steering.
  • atalaya505atalaya505 Member Posts: 18
    BTW:

    Consumer Reports complained about the (non sport) 535i they tested crashing over sharp bumps so hard that it sent shudders through the entire car.

    Car and Driver had six bent rims and two blown tires in 40,000 miles on their 550. They blamed wheels that were too soft. I think that it has more to do with the suspension design combined with the very stiff RFT tires. Probably fine for German roads, but not for the U.S.
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