Replace OE alloys with After market alloys ?

[MrGreedy]

In regards to wheel refurbs, i have of good things from Lepsons.

If they were nearer to me, this is where I'd be going.
Gillingham!

 

[Londonscottish]

I agree with this.

I'm sure care in driving also affects likelihood of damaging alloys.

Some people, and I'm speaking from experience as a regular passenger so I'm not going to name them, have zero mechanical sympathy. They slam on the brakes, drive over (rather than avoid) potholes, smash over speed bumps without slowing or straddling the narrower humps (whilst people in the back get shaken about like rag dolls), smash the clutch out on every gear change and crash into kerbs whilst parking.

I try to drive with much more awareness, am prepared and looking for potholes to avoid in good time, slow right down for and evenly straddle speed humps, have never kerbed an alloy and have opted for an automatic so said other driver can't smash the clutch and DMF to bits on my car.

When I have very tentatively tried to raise a casual observation on why (for example) the wheel on the other car has become buckled an needs to be replaced, I'm met with strong opinion and resolute belief that the driving styles are the same.

Yeah but no but.

I looked after my C43's but still found the rear 17 inch Monoblocs would buckle and sometimes crack on the inside.

 

[Panju]

Yeah but no but.

I looked after my C43's but still found the rear 17 inch Monoblocs would buckle and sometimes crack on the inside.

Absolutely I agree with you, I have anyways been careful when it comes to driving - over a speed bump, potholes, kerbs. My wheels got damaged when an a** from the other side was approaching and I had to move towards the kerb Caz he they wouldn’t give a damn

 

[AMV]

Could you please elaborate further on this?

What i mean by this is that.

I wouldn't want to risk putting the wheel back on and risking any other damage. Just because as far as im aware diamond cut wheels can only be refurbed x amount of times.

Saying that i haven't kerbed a wheel in years its more so chips from general road use.

 

[poormansporsche]

The distinction needs to be made between aftermarket and replica wheels. Mid priced branded aftermarket wheels are on the whole better than made to a price OEM wheels. Unbranded replica wheels are generally £hite.

For an example I had a brand new set of OEM wheels made by ronal on my van, within 6 months 2 were cracked and all 4 had lacquer peel. I bought a aftermarket set of 4, 98% the same design also from ronal for less than the price of 2 wheels from the stealer and they lasted 4 years with no cracks or lacquer peel !

If you look on eBay.de there are no cheap Chinese replica wheels like we get over here but loads of branded aftermarket wheels this because the certification standards are higher over there.

Like the previous post though I've only heard good things about the replicas sold by cmwheels as they seem to get them made to their specs and are quite expensive compared to the eBay rubbish. Over on the beemer forums their wheels are considered longer lasting than the crap OEM wheels.

With regards to monoblocks all sets are at least 15 years old now and the chances of getting a 100% straight set is zero. I had 3 different sets of monoblocks on my last 202 and they never ran perfect, I've had over 12 sets over the years and I've never been completely happy with them. I ended up buying a set of 450 quid Dare Futura replicas and they rode substantially better than any monoblock !

Here's a fact for you, my daily commute has over 150 speed humps and God knows how many pot holes I've never had a crack in a newish aftermarket set of wheels but OEM wheels, plenty !

 

[MrGreedy]

Yeah but no but.

I looked after my C43's but still found the rear 17 inch Monoblocs would buckle and sometimes crack on the inside.

I take it back. Care in driving makes absolutely no difference to the likelihood of damaging or buckling alloys.


Accepting poormansporsche's comments above, the point I was obviously failing to make is all things being equal, that whilst careful driving can still result in occasional alloy deterioration (likely due to design or manufacturing short comings), on the whole and not limiting this to Mercedes alloys, the likelihood of bent, buckled or cracked wheels predominantly results from what we might term driving incidents without mechanical sympathy (be that from an unavoidable incident regardless of care, or from repeated carelessness), rather than there being a glut of wheels dished out in their millions that are not fit for purpose.

 

[poormansporsche]

Or in BMW's case the perfect storm of 1, £hite quality oversized wheels 2, £hite run flat tyres, 3, £hite drivers

 

[MrGreedy]

Or in BMW's case the perfect storm of 1, £hite quality oversized wheels 2, £hite run flat tyres, 3, £hite drivers

Oh dear. You've shot me in the foot there! A perfect example of not fit for purpose wheels dished out in their millions.
I'll get my coat

 

[bolidemichael]

With regards to monoblocks all sets are at least 15 years old now and the chances of getting a 100% straight set is zero.

If you have a set with a damaged alloy, you only need to find a single alloy replacement and they usually aren't that dear if you watch for long enough. Even a set, which you can select and ditch the buckled alloys would be quite affordable... at least, that it my experience in used Ankaa alloys for the 211.

 

[unimog]

Aftermarket alloys, no problem... what ever takes your fancy.

But if you are taking about the fake/copied 'Mercedes Style' ones on eBay then please don't. People need to stop buying cheap shit Chinese knock offs.

 

[Gbrowncls55]

I prefer OEM amg but it is true that they are not very well made and crack just by looking at them. All four of mine and the spare set have welds (expext better at the best part of 3k per set with good tyres if you can even get them.)

 

[Kp269]

Has anyone had an issue where the boss in the center of the wheel is thinner than the original and had to use spacers or shorter wheel bolts?

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Has anyone had an issue where the boss in the center of the wheel is thinner than the original and had to use spacers or shorter wheel bolts?

centre hole should be 66.6 mm , not sure what you mean by thinner ?

 

[Kp269]

centre hole should be 66.6 mm , not sure what you mean by thinner ?

Sorry, I didn’t make it clear, I mean the part of the wheel that meets the hub is not as thick as the original wheel, and so the the shoulder of the bolt meets the hub before it has secured the wheel. So is the solution shorter bolts or a spacer and use the original bolts?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Fastcar155]

Sorry, I didn’t make it clear, I mean the part of the wheel that meets the hub is not as thick as the original wheel, and so the the shoulder of the bolt meets the hub before it has secured the wheel. So is the solution shorter bolts or a spacer and use the original bolts?
Thanks for any advice.

Hi , Mercedes sorted out my diamond cut wheels and made a real mess of the procedure.

I won't have my wheels d / c twice so next time my tyres are changed I will have the wheels powder coated.

I would not temp fate and have fake wheels fitted to my car.

Not sure about the down under video because they have an interest to declare.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Sorry, I didn’t make it clear, I mean the part of the wheel that meets the hub is not as thick as the original wheel, and so the the shoulder of the bolt meets the hub before it has secured the wheel. So is the solution shorter bolts or a spacer and use the original bolts?
Thanks for any advice.

Thats what gives you the offset , the wheels are therefore not designed for your vehicle tbh.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Has anyone had an issue where the boss in the center of the wheel is thinner than the original and had to use spacers or shorter wheel bolts?

Not uncommon that different wheels for MB come with different lengths of bolts. You should try the short ones but if those also don’t secure the wheel the only option are spacers. But then it means that those wheels are not for MB.

 

[Bigdrew]

Personally I would get them diamond cut again got mine done a couple of weeks ago

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Hi , Mercedes sorted out my diamond cut wheels and made a real mess of the procedure.

I won't have my wheels d / c twice so next time my tyres are changed I will have the wheels powder coated.

I would not temp fate and have fake wheels fitted to my car.

Not sure about the down under video because they have an interest to declare.

Can you even cut them twice ?

 

[Fastcar155]

Can you even cut them twice ?

Hi , Mercedes re cut my wheels so powder coating next time.