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Thread: venting about Tire Rack

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    577

    Default venting about Tire Rack

    I've always read singing reviews for sales service at Tire Rack. As I've done wheel research on various forums, I've heard people say things like "Just call tire rack. If anybody knows, they'll know." But, sorry to say, if it isn't currently in their very limited database, they don't know **** and they don't care.

    I talked to several reps (each one sounding younger than the last) in my search for hub centric rings for a set of Mille Miglia wheels, which are no longer made, but were sold for years (in this decade) by Tire Rack. No one there even seemed to remember that brand even though they were still selling these wheels just a couple of years ago. Nor did they remember that Tire Rack bought most of the molds from Mille Miglia and continued selling the same wheels under a different name. Eventually they told me to measure the wheel bore diameter and call back. No problem.
    Called back and it went like this.
    me: "Hi, I need some hubcentric rings for aftermarket wheels."

    16 year old TR rep: "OK, what type of vehicle is it"

    me: "Well, I actually know the specific measurements, so we can skip that I think."

    "Sorry, I have to know the vehicle."

    me: "Alright, it's a 95 BMW 525i. And I'm putting on Mille Miglia rims."

    16 year old TR rep: "I haven't heard of those. What size are the rims."

    me: "79.5 hub bore"

    16 year old TR rep: "I mean, are they 15 or 16 inches."

    me: "Oh, uh 15 inches, but I don't see how..."

    16 year old TR rep:"I see one option for that vehicle. A 74 to 72.5."

    me: "Right, that's to put a newer BMW wheel on an older BMW, but that's not really wheel specific, and not really what I'm looking for. Other vehicles had similar dimensions, I'm sure. Can't you just search by ring size?"

    16 year old TR rep: "No, I can only look by vehicle....."

    me: "Look, you gotta help me out here. I've been calling and e-mailing people for weeks trying to find these stupid rings and you guys are the experts.... Is there any other search you can do, someone you can talk to?"

    16 year old TR rep: "Sorry, that's all the computer will do."

    Does anyone else see a limitation here? I mean, they're sort of the go-to wheel people, and yet they have such a rigid system (and apparently a high 2 year turnover for employees), and they forget their own products so quickly, it's amazing that they've earned such a high reputation. Based on what I read over the years, I expected these guys to live eat and breathe wheels and tires, but I guess my problem is just too obscure for the a large structured corporate system like theirs.

    I'm not even that old, but I have nostalgia for the days when I could go to a shop with a query and they'd be able to tell me the name and life story of the engineer who invented whatever random widget I was looking for, and they could rattle off all the other widgets that were built with this widget, and another kind of widget that might also work, etc. And it was because they were truly interested in the products, in sharing their knowledge, and in helping people.

    Rant over.


    1995 525i 5-Speed 201,000mi

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Thunder Bay, Ontario
    Posts
    2,538

    Default

    Wally World of Wheels

    10/90 Build 525im, 630,000+km, Eibach/Sachs, Engine Rebuild
    *RIP Oskar the DOG *

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    20

    Default

    i too have been on the search for hubcentric spacers as well.
    i've gotten offers from locasl for 50CDN+!!!!!!

    I always hear call tirerack, email tirerack..etc.etc...i emailed "Dameon" or whoever works there but never got a reply. Perhaps cause I got it from a post from 2008?? Lol.

    But I really need these spacers too in order for the E39 M5 rims to fit my 89 525i.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    4,894

    Default

    You guys mean A670 hubcentric spacers are not available anymore? I thought I saw some on ebay... the plastic one work well too.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiger View Post
    You guys mean A670 hubcentric spacers are not available anymore? I thought I saw some on ebay... the plastic one work well too.
    These are the ones I'm looking at online on Ebay.
    There are those plastic ones and these metal ones. A few dollar difference but perhaps that's what makes a difference?

    ALUMINUM HUB CENTRIC RINGS 74.1 mm FITS BMW 525 89-95 on eBay.ca (item 370427385344 end time 30-Dec-10 16:45:30 EST)

    Just making sure, if thses are the ones I'm gonna buy them.

    Compared to the ones I see on H&R kits are like almost 200US +!!!!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    4,894

    Default

    Yep, those are it... reasonable priced too. I have both but only recently I started to use the aluminum one because the plastic one got mangled. The plastic one did last 8 years before I started to use the aluminum one. Plastic one seems to fit tighter... either way, you are good.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiger View Post
    Yep, those are it... reasonable priced too. I have both but only recently I started to use the aluminum one because the plastic one got mangled. The plastic one did last 8 years before I started to use the aluminum one. Plastic one seems to fit tighter... either way, you are good.
    Ok thanks sounds good. That's what I needed to know. Illj ust do it right and buy the alumunum one right away.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

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    I tried both the plastic and aluminum ones. In my experience the plastic ones actually center the when where the aluminum ones are not tight. I will use the plastic ones even if they sometimes get all messed up vs the aluminum ones. Seems the aluminum ones they recommend for this are a mass produced variety made for more than one application IE: one size fits all.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    335

    Default

    These are about $10 per set US plus S/H online. I just looked them up for a 318is that had them missing. These were plastic and I entered hub centric adapters OD and ID and they showed up.

    1990 535im 421,000 miles, 1987 325is, 1989 325is, 1990 m3, 1991 318is, 2001 X5 3.0

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    577

    Default

    Hey guys. Despite my venting above, I eventually found a Tire Rack rep on another forum who knew his stuff and knew exactly what I was looking for. I asked for him specifically when I called Tire Rack (for the 4th time) and ordered the aluminum rings he told me about. They fit my Mille Miglia wheels exactly. 79.5 to 72.56. The vibrations I had before are gone. So, if you have a tough part to track down like I did, contact Gary@tirerack.com.


    1995 525i 5-Speed 201,000mi

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