Mikesamg

I have 19 in Chrome AMG rims that are originally for an SL. I was able to be lucky so I thought in getting them for my E55 as OEM. Problem is in the last 4 months I have bent 6 of them. All thanks to Cali's fine budgeting skills and care to our roads. January of this year when I was driving 580 East bound I came up to resurfaced road. I wasn't doing my usual but I was around 60-70 MPH. It didn't hit as hard as it did before on say potholes but it sounded like the car struggled to absorbe the impact properly. Not to far down the road the car started pulling and I could see smoke coming out the left rear well from the tire heating up. While noticing this and trying to get over it exploded and dropped her on the pavement cracking it. Turns out all four got bent from this.

Well just last night driving in San Jose on Almaden Expressway looking for the 76 to get racing gas I had another nightmare. I wasn't even doing more than 40 and as I was turning a lovely pothole was right in the way of the front left. It hit hard and scared me. I get to the gas station and the lip is flared out. The tired is bubbling out with the flare so I am not sure yet if the tire is damaged yet either. I drove her home later and the tire is still holding pressure so that is good. Still why are these rims so cheap and easy to bend? Is anyone else having problems like this with these rims? FOr $10k for a set I expect something strong than this.

lkirchner

I have heard in the past that plating analloy wheel will compromise the integrity of the wheel--i.e. weaken the metal.

I have the same wheels on my SL55 , not chrome plated, and likewise live in Cali. with the bad roads. I have broken the sidewall on my front tires (the same bulge that you described) but did not have any wheel damage. An aside I moved to the Socialist State of Kalifornia from Pennsylvania and we really should not ***** about the roads here. In PA after the winter the roads look like a mortar field. You not only break wheels you destroy suspensions.

Mikesamg

I think it's time to replace them. I know the tire if it's damaged will be replaced free because it's within 2/32 of an inch. The wheel I wonder if it has some sorta of warranty from Mercedes. Would help in dealing with a Caltrans claim.

EXECMALIBU

My original Sl65 19 inch AMG 2 piece wheels looked perfect with absolutely no evidence of ever having contact with anything. Not even a tiny scratch. The tires were also original and perfect. The car only had 9,300 miles.

The MB dealer noticed that 2 wheels, one front one rear were bent (flat spotted) on the inside.

Then I bought another apparently perfect set. But when they were spun on the balance machine 2 of the 4 second set of wheels were also bent!

I bought a third perfect set of AMG wheels. I spun them to verify there were perfect and installed them on my SL65. After only 3,000 miles another wheel is bent on the inside! I have never hit anything and once again there is not so much as a nick on the wheels inside or out but it is bent!!!

I have been buying 19 inch AMG wheels that come up as spares because I know that I will eventually need them.

I have heard from around 6-8 other AMG owners that they also have had the same problem but only with the 19 inch 2 piece wheels! The wheel repair shop also said they see a lot of these wheels that are bent.

These AMG wheels are defective they are not strong enough for the weight of our cars! These AMG wheels are not fit for the purpose intended!

I guess at $10,000 per set you should not expect strong wheels

Mikesamg

I couldn't see the justification in $10k market on a new vehicle with these either. Luckily the dealer charged only $7k for all four. But I agree cheaper aftermarket rims like my friends HRE's have had no issue. What I find funny too is how no rivets are sold. So you can't take the rim apart to repair it and have it rechromed. I'm tempted to write to Mercedes and demand my money back this is ridiculous for something being so flimsy IMO. I expect cheap aftermarket rims to have issues, not rims on a car capable of going 180. I can't trust them anymore on the road they seem too unsafe to me.

allenjdmb

is incredibly overrated. I don't care if they are forged cast, or come from the surface of the moon, miy beef is with the runout and the poor finish. I'm on my second set on my 55 with 030, and the replacement set that they gave me (thanks for trying guys) is already beginning to show finish problems, not to mention they are not even nicely finished in the lug holes. 20 years ago, I wouldn't have touched a copy wheel or one from the far east or Italy. The quality of them now is really surprising, and I usually just buy 5 or 6 in case I have a problem. They're so cheap, what does it matter?
Makes you long for the days of the real forged and properly painted MB wheels.