What to do with the Style 135's (part rant, part cry for help)

[Mike2003ZHP]

I've been mulling what to do with my OEM Style 135s. I have a love/hate relationship with these wheels. Like some really attractive women, I LOVE how they look but man they can be a real pain. They are hard to detail with the narrow spaces between the spokes/ribs (and there are a lot of them). The silver shows brake dust one minute after they're clean and curbs in my area have have a strange magnetic forces for the 135s. And because there is no lip to speak of, some curb rash has run up on the ribs. But they are what makes the ZHP unique and, in my opinion, one of the best looking OEM wheel designs during the e46 run. I'm at the point where I really need to do something, the curb rash has me bugged every time a detail the car.

Do I have the professionally refinished?
DIY the refinish myself (moderately skilled but no expert)?
Color change?
Buy VMRs or another aftermarket wheel and stock pile the 135s?

I did get a quote for shadow chrome OEM exchange for $850.

I really want to know what others have done or think about these beautiful pains in the ass wheels.

[Avetiso]

Refinish them, get ceramic brakes, call it day. With the refinish, I'd get them powdercoated.

[jakksfor20]

Wife's sedan 135's are getting redone (already quoted $600 to redo) when I get home after my Navy Reserve stint. The clear is starting to flake in a few spots and the graphite has took hold of them pretty good. She needs new tires so figured it was an opportune time to do it. She has an abhorrence against curbs, so I'm extremely confident that they will stay pretty.

[danewilson77]

Get BBS (or VMR).

Done.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...ial-BBS-Thread

[KevinC]

Refinish them, get ceramic brakes, call it day. With the refinish, I'd get them powdercoated.

This. Took the words right out of my.. keyboard.

I love the look too, and as our cars age, they're more "special" if they're as close to stock as possible, IMHO.. certainly stock appearance anyways. I have Akebono ceramic pads and they *completely* gets rid of brake dust, period. You can go for weeks without washing and your wheels will have zero visible brake dust. Get'em refurbed & powder coated, go ceramic, and religiously avoid curbing the freshened wheels, and you'll look like a meeeeeeelion bucks.

[ELCID86]

The question I have been wrestling with as I'm sure many others have. Thanks for putting it "on paper" so we can discuss. The P&B shop that is giving me back by OB-delight (tomorrow I hope) quoted me $125/wheel but hinted he'd discount it since I just did $800 with him on the front clip. I really like the VMRs and have been tempted to go with an Alzor 030 (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...t-Personality) or similar. Hope you get some good advice here and I'm in to follow the thread.

[ELCID86]

... I have Akebono ceramic pads and they *completely* gets rid of brake dust, period. You can go for weeks without washing and your wheels will have zero visible brake dust.

Which one? http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brand...&brand=Akebono

[ELCID86]

Maybe this is an option for now. http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...187#post329187 (#55).

[JKO_ZHP]

Got tired of cleaning them as you said, and was itching for some E46 M3 ZCP-style wheels.
Looked into VMR's VB3s at first, was told that they are gravity-cast, which is a method of wheel-making that is a step below low-pressure cast, which is what BMW requires for their wheels at the minimum. (In theory then, any factory BMW wheels are stronger than any gravity-cast VMR wheels)

Ended up with Avant Garde M359s, which look identical to E92 M3 ZCP wheels. AG's are low-pressure cast.

The style 135s are sitting in the AG boxes, waiting for a good cleaning so I can have them refinished and then later on, sold. Luckily there's a local "wheel god" nearby (http://www.yelp.com/biz/onsite-wheel...-westminster-3)

As for brake dust, I've asked everyone from mechanics to parts suppliers, and their answers are the same.
1) Performance brake pads give you better stopping power, but more dust.
2) Ceramic and a few other brake pads have a little less stopping power, but less dust.
3) OEM is half and half.

[tkundhi]

I'm looking for a set of style 135 wheels. Must be original BMW not knock offs. I'll consider all sets as long as they are straight and true. Curb rash is OK as I'll refinish. If you've got a set to sell PM me pics. Price will be fair based upon condition.

Still no ZHP yet. But getting close...

Thx,

t.