tganci

I desperately need an extremely strong 17' wheel. Anyone have any recommendations? I have now been through a set of 17' IWC Quicksilvers(I knew they weren't great when I bought them, but still expected a bit more durability) in under two months of driving in and around NYC. I run Michelin Pilot Sports, so my tires aren't garbage and I run 38 - 40 psi up front, and can't stop bending the wheels. I can go over the same bump that just bent my wheel and hit it just as hard with my girlfriends 330ci that has the stock 17' wheel and same michelin tires, and not bend those wheels. How are the stock S4 wheels? How about the 17' Celebration package wheel?

ex-quattro PETE

How about OZ Supperlegeras or SSR Integrals?

Also, Ronal makes some strong wheels, although not the lightest.

I don't think the 17" celebration wheels are the strongest - people bend them all the time.

For NYC, you may want to consider downsizing to 16" ;-)

RKA

I guess your problem is you need a quality wheel. Oettinger, BBS, and SSR's (except the SSR Comps) are all good wheel brands that can be had in the $300-400 range. Most forged wheels will serve you well, but they will run $500-1000 (Volk, Fikse, HRE, Kinesis).

The S4 wheels are pretty strong, however they also weight 28 lbs a corner...in other words, about 6-10 lbs more than the other wheels I mentioned above. The 17" Celebration wheels are pretty weak (they weigh 19 lbs), so I wouldn't do that in NYC. You'll bend all 4 inside a year.

Lastly, and aftermarket suspension will also affect how often you're bending wheels. The stiffer the suspension, the more road shock the wheels have to stand up to. Your driving habits will also affect wheel longevity. If you're used to driving fast, and you can't react in time to avoid a pothole, then you'll pay the price. When I drive into NYC, I'm ALWAYS driving slower than the traffic around me, so I can scan the road ahead, and avoid potholes, or at least drive slower through them.

MM120

Don't buy Intro Forged (look down 2 posts)

Silver Streakin'

try running 16 feet wheels.

ex-quattro PETE

lol... now that I'd like to see.

tganci

I run S4 springs and bilstein shocks, I drive just as fast as the rest of the traffic, when I borrow my girlfriends car, I drive the same, and have yet to bend a wheel. Maybe I should just run BMW wheels...or get a BMW

tganci

probably the best idea

RKA

careful. A $200 wheel will not be the same quality as a $400 wheel. You should expect the $400 wheel to be lighter, stronger, and have a better finish quality. Generally, this statement holds very true.

That almighty BMW will bend a rim too. BMW's wheels are notoriously soft (thought probably not quite as soft as the IWC's). Go spend some time on bimmer.org.

You wanted an answer, you got one, now stop crying about your gf's BMW. If you want one, just go out and buy one, but I don't really want to hear about it.