bent wheels/any advice?

[LightningBlue99]

I'm fairly new to the forums and I know that this topic has been discussed before, but I have a few questions I need your help with. First, my situation. I bought a viggen last Fall (great deal on Ebay, $10k w/82k miles)...except it came with 4 bent stock wheels. So I knew they were soft, but had em all straightened. Several months later, all bent again. Replaced with Moda R1s. My Dad immediately bent two on a vicious pothole and had them replaced. Now after driving Boston-DC-Boston...some of the worst highway conditions in the country, I have two bent wheels and one irrepairably square wheel. I'm already out more than $1k just trying to keep round wheels on my car, and my bank account cant take much more. What to do?

First of all, does anyone know if there is any difference between the Moda R1s and the stock viggen wheel it terms of strength? My wheel guy seems to think that the Moda are made by BBS and therefore should be strong, but it seems to me that they're the same flawed design. I know that any wheel will bend if you hit a big enough hole, but will I have any better luck with a different wheel? What is the max air pressure you'd recommend running?

I'd really like to get a BBS wheel, but I dont have the money right now, so I'm open to any suggestions for a 17" wheel that might be a bit stronger that I can get my hands on for less than $180 a wheel. I'm looking at the Ronal LV (17x7.5) and the ASA EM9 (17x7). I can get either for around $155 a wheel. Any advice and comments would be greatly appriciated.

[Jeremy R.]

A lot of people think that the Moda R1 is the same Italian-made wheel as the Viggen's stock one. They're probably made by Fondmetal, but no one knows for sure. Ronal wheels are very good. They make a lot of Saab's stock ones, including the dual three-spoke wheels I have, and they're solid. I've never heard of a dual three-spoke getting bent, or many of their other wheels at all. I run my tires at 2 or 3 pounds more than the stock Viggen pressure, but I can't remember offhand what that is.

[99Saabnut]

the ASAs are $139 each at tirerack I think either of those wheels will be good for you, and both should hold up well. There is another guy on here whit the EM9s on his Saab, maybe he can speak up for ya

Oh, and Jeremy, If the dual 3 spoke is the wheel I have, i have 2 bent ones so it can happen I love em though, so they will be getting fixed soon...

[reslab]

Would love to see what you ended up choosing...any chance for pics?

[Fast_Ed]

Originally Posted by Jeremy R.

I run my tires at 2 or 3 pounds more than the stock Viggen pressure, but I can't remember offhand what that is.

When I was getting my Vig wheel unbent (Nearly 2 years in this car on crappy roads and only one bent wheel *knocks on wood*) the guy at Bent Wheels in Westport, MA said that running higher pressures actually makes it more likely that you'll bend a wheel, because more of the force of potholes is transferred to the rim rather than absorbed by the rubber.

I know that thsi is not the result of an intensive scientific study, but this fella knows a good amount about unbending wheels, so I figure he's got a clue about bending them as well. Another interesting note is that he said he doesnt see a whole lot of Viggen rims, but he sees a lot of 17" SAAB rims in general. This is probably at least in part due to the small number of Viggens that exist, though.