How many spokes does your E60 have?
09-04-2009, 07:12 PM
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My Ride: 2005 545i, Silber-grau/grau. Vanilla flavored except for cold WX pkg.
My 545i has five main spokes but they are doubled making 10. However, I have noticed that alloy wheels come in many numbers of spokes but the vast majority are either 5 or 7 spokes. Why an odd number? Is there some kind of rotational, vibrational, torsional standing-wave thingy at work here? Or is it just some kind of aesthetic input. Anyone made a study of this? 
09-04-2009, 08:23 PM
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My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
My 124s have 7 spokes per wheel X 4 wheels = 28.
2 + 8 = 10
10/4 wheels = 2.5 per wheel
2.5 spokes will not properly support a wheel under operational loads.
Therefore, they had to go with 7.
2 + 8 = 10
10/4 wheels = 2.5 per wheel
2.5 spokes will not properly support a wheel under operational loads.
Therefore, they had to go with 7.
09-04-2009, 09:04 PM
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My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i Sport Package, Jet Black
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09-05-2009, 03:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Curmudgeon' post='998996' date='Sep 5 2009, 05:12 AM
My 545i has five main spokes but they are doubled making 10. However, I have noticed that alloy wheels come in many numbers of spokes but the vast majority are either 5 or 7 spokes. Why an odd number? Is there some kind of rotational, vibrational, torsional standing-wave thingy at work here? Or is it just some kind of aesthetic input. Anyone made a study of this?
You think how you want the wheel design to look, and you make sure the spokes are strong enough to do the job as well as something with more spokes.
09-05-2009, 09:19 AM
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My Ride: 2008 550i Jet Black on Black Leather, SAT with Paddles, Logic 7, Comfort Seats, NAV, Sport Package, PDC, Xenons, Sirius, Trinity 12W LED Angel Eyes, RPi GT Exhaust, M rear spoiler, ACS Roof Spoiler, Tinted Tail Lights, Bimmian Carbon Fiber Pillar Trim, Bimmian Shadow 550i emblem, RPi Scoop, E60 Forum Cling, Mtec bulbs in fog lights, Mtec 2W LED for License Plate Light Bulbs, K&N Filter, Bimmian LED Smoked Side Markers, Blackout roundels, Carbon Fiber Kidney Grills.
Retired Rides - 1989 325i convertible, 1995 M3, 2002 X5, 2005 545i, 2008 X5 (Lemon)
20 spokes (5 per wheel). 
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