Hi,

I'm shopping for wheels/tires and ebay give me a pretty big range and ease of searching so i am looking there first. I was wondering if you guys could take a look at this listing and tell me what you think. Is the offset ok? Have you ever heard of the Brand of rims and the "Lexani" Tires? What about the "205/40zr17(INCLUDED) OR 215/45/17 ($50 eXTRA)" The 215/45/17's would be better right? I understand that his shipping is high to make up for ebay costs or whatever but isn't this still a good deal? I'm debating what the style would look like on my mini....but any input/opinions would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!!

I guess the total with shipping and the 215/45's would be $670 for brand new wheels and tires. Also includes "FREE Set of Tuner Lugs!"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/17-JD...QQcmdZViewItem

Casey

*****UPDATE*****

Here is a link to a site selling just the Lexani Tires for $89 each.
http://superbuytires.com/tires/model/Lexani/N3000/

Also an ebay listing of just the rims for $499 no tires with $80 Shipping:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/17-in...0790QQtcZphoto

 

All those ebay ad's posted are ripping people off with the shipping fee's. $190 to ship a set of mounted tires is tantamount to theivery.

 

understandable ..but your missing the point. Find those wheels +tires brand new for that kind of money...even if the shipping is included in the price. I don't care how much the shipping is. It's the total price you look at. Because they jack shipping prices and lower item costs because they try and avoid ebay selling costs. Thats fine. I gave the total prices....give me an opinion on what the price is for what you get.

 

Since I like to play with lots of tires I did some research online. Not much info on these tires out there. Only found a handfull of reviews, all from people that just put them on, all were positive. being the cynic that I am I have to ask what's wrong with this picture.

None of the majors seem to carry this brand.

Most of the people that wrote reviews of the tires on various forums bought them from ebay. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with a product bought from ebay, but when most of the reported sales are from there where do turn with an issue if one crops up.

Most of the ebay sellers that carry this tire charge way to much for shipping. What does say about the seller if they resort to that type of marketing.

Some research shows they are made by Nexen Tire of Korea. Nexen's site shows the same tires with the same tread pattern with the same model designation but does not label then as a the Lexani brand.

If it was my money I'd not be buying these tires.

As to the wheels. Who know where they are mdae. probably China. This is what I found.
Looks to me as they are a marketing company. My take is that it's a third teir product. Probably a decent 10ft finish. Probably pretty heavy but it's roound and it spins and holds a tire. If you like the design and it fits a price point you have in mind then it fits your need.

My take, and this is my take only, is that it's a Wal-Mart quality item Not the best, but gets the job done at an affordable price.

 

What wheels and....well what isn't made in china/korea/taiwan/*insert other foreign country here* nowadays?

Thanks for your input! And yes i've done the same research as you. and the Nexen tires have actually gotten some good reviews...and not just by Ebayers. But others who have used them.

More opinions wanted!

 

Lexani tires are the same as Nexen. You should be able to find more a little more information about Nexen tires.

 

Ya i pretty much figured that from thier website and them having the same model numbers. Thanks!

 

Not sure if the same manufacturer makes both ADR and Stern, but yes, Golden Apple is the distributor for both. ADR wheels are quite common - being that they are very affordable and have the same styles as brand name wheels. Stern is marketed as a step up from ADR, targeting luxury car owners.

I've owned ADR wheels before, and they were decently strong and light. The finish looked good but the clear coat was not very durable. If you are not diligent about cleaning off brake dust regularly, then you will get some clear coat pitting.

IMHO, go for cheap wheels unless your cash is burning a hole in your pocket and/or you are doing competitive racing. For the most part, cheap wheels on a daily driver will be just as good as expensive wheels, with the added bonus that you won't pull your hair out when (not if) you curb/nick/scratch/otherwise blemish your wheels on the street.

Matt

 

So i just called the Golden Apple company. They said that they were the Stern company and not just an importer. I asked him about the model in the ebay listing and he said they were discontinued in 2000. So that is why these have such a good price on them. The guy probably bought a surplus from somebody at a VERY good price and is selling them off. Definatley still debating but they seem to be decent wheels and tires. Thanks for your input matma.

Casey

I'm also interested to see if anyone here could give me a virtual picture of the rims/tires on my cooper. This would really help me get the picture. Also was i right on the tire size? The 215/45/17's would be better right?

 

Lol.. Korea make Good wheels... please take it off of ur 'cheap chop suey wheel makers' ..

 

Just because MINIs are inexpensive doesn't mean you should skimp on wheels and tires. At 100+mph, how well are those wheels and tires going to hold up? I'd stick with brands that I have experienace with. But if you are only cruising around town and no track use, then they might be ok. I am skeptical about the shipping, since Tire Rack ships for under $70.

 

I wasn't saying Korea makes good wheels. I said in response to "made in china," that among not only wheels almost everything in the U.S. and other countries is imported from a number of foreign and asian countries. As i'm sure that a number of the parts on our car whether we like it or not are not strictly made in Germany by BMW.

Also in response to z3bum, i'm not saying that a Mini is inexpensive...because they are not. I will never go to the track and race and will hardly ever have my car over 100mph. Anyways if you read my post you would see that i understand that the shipping has been inflated...this is common on ebay to cut down on ebay seller costs. I'm not concerned about the price of shipping i'm concerned with total price. Say the shipping was only $70 if you want. It is still a set of brand new decent looking wheels and tires for $600.

Any input on the tire size i asked about?

 

Compared to stock, 205/40/17 is a tiny bit smaller in rolling circumference/diameter; 215/45/17 is a tiny bit bigger. 215 should ride a little better, give you a little more grip, and a little less milege. Your choice. Either one will not be bad.

 

Thanks! Now if i could only see what they would look like on my mini lol.

 

I think you will find that the majority of people around here that ditched the runflats went with a 215/45/17 tire. That's what I got, allthough for me, they are a bit tall & when they wear out I will probably switch to 215/40/17 just my worthless .02

 

Same here!! My 215-45-17 rub even after I have chopped up the wheel well liner. Next time it is 205's for me!!!

As far as this thread is concerned, my advice is just "you get what you pay for". Personally, i would stay away from them and spend a few more bucks on a name brand that is tried and true...but of course, that is just me and my opinion!!

 

I did the Ebay thing once. Never again. I will only buy from a local store where I can see the wheels before I put them on. I bought a set of wheels from Ebay and when they arrived (could be UPS fault) all but one were damaged and then I spent more then a month trying to get them replaced. Even the next set I recieved were damaged . Never again ! I bought my newest wheels in town and got a better deal then I could have gotten from any out of state company selling the same wheels. I just asked them if they would match the competitors price and they did.