jcantanixon

Okay, so I've read through this epic thread twice so I think I've figured some things out..but still want to ask for opinions. I'm looking at some 20x8.5 et35 fronts and 20x10.5 et45 rear wheels, fitted with the "one size taller than stock" tires. 245/35 fronts and 285/30 rears. I'm not going to lower the car anytime soon, so my question is..how will this fit? Will I need a spacer in the rear to keep front rubbing the inner liner? If so, how big before the outer liner becomes an issue?

norsecarnut

well, ET 43 is basically factory for an 8" wheel. you're adding 1.25" to either side of that. It might be close on both sides. I think you need to compare some math on the car m3this put together because he ran some 20's but i don't recall what width.

for what it's worth, my rear wheels are 8.5" wide and ET29 and still have plenty of room out to the fender. Your tire width, not height, is going to have an impact on how the fender liner clearance is at the outer edge. E.I., a more stretched tire will clear more easily but you may not need to do that.

I am willing to guess that your wheel choice stated above may be close to fine or just require a 5mm-10mm spacer on the rear wheels. a 9.5 would be no problem at all.

the fronts will be perfect. My fronts are 8.5" wide ET 29 so you could even space yours out 5mm if you wanted really flush fit at the fender.

Roy7

What about some M5/M3 rims? What type would be ideal for our 535i Xdrive rims?

In regards to M5/M3 replica's which one/brand do you recommend? I would like for it to be one that provides the same ride as the stock M3/M5 rims.

Thanks again.

norsecarnut

There is nothing the same about m3 m5 wheels so don't confuse that. they are different sizes, weights, offsets and the m5 wheels will not fit the e61 awd cars.

there are m5 reps all over the threads, search for them to see what people like. they only look similar as they cannot be identical or they wouldn't fit either.

the "ride", well same wheel diameter will be similar but wheel weight will affect the ride as well but not by much. the ride is more determined by the wheel diameter/tire sidewall.

I didn't want a soft/floating feeling but i didn't want a low profile tire either. on my 3 series wagon i had 19" rft and actually loved the feel and handling. so on the 5 series i did a lot of research to be sure i got 18" tires which would be solid feeling. my winter tires are pirelli rft which despite the softer compund, feel really stable and precise due to their overall design (pirelli sottozero 240II RFT, 245/45x18) and my summer are the stiffer sidewall but non-rft, Bridgestone 960 AllSeason Pole position in same size. They provide me with plenty of road hazard protection due to the sidewall while still being a high speed rated tire that handles great.

I'd have liked 19" for the look but opted for this set-up to start with.

norsecarnut

FYI, I "like" oem wheels but sometimes aftermarkets are poor quality while other times they are many times higher quality than oem/factory. I once paid $1100 per wheel and realized later it was totally silly on something that isn't a show car.

Light and strong doesn't have to also be super expensive.

norsecarnut

I'd look into the above posting with the m6 reps. looks good, maybe do some research on how they are holding up for people 4 years down the road.

Roy7

Thanks for the quick replys! I more or less had a feeling that the M3/M5 rims would have nothing similar to stock e60 awd rims/set ups (especially after reading the first post of the forum), but figured I'd try.

Sent the M6 replica guy a PM to get his take.

I really like the "stock" 535i xDrive ride, and after reading some posts, it seems like the stock tire/rim combination was designed to minimize bending, and have a "balanced" feel.

I would like to keep the reliability/durability, and be able to get a feel for the ride without actually buying a new set of rims.

The reason I'm so paranoid about new rims, is that had a set of 20inch Hart Racing rims/tires a few years ago for an old car of mine (acura CL), and constantly ran into rim bends, flat tires, and a bumpy, noisy ride - so much so that I took the fancy, gorgeous rims off, and just went back to stock. I just want to avoid that ordeal again.

Any thoughts?

norsecarnut

just find some nice 18" and get on with life that's why i went with the oem m3 18". they look cool, have a nice flush stance without spacers, have great factory finish (available in silver or grey), etc.

i think some of the new F10 cars, wheels, will fit our offset too.

check this to see a lot of oem options:

http://felgenkatalog.auto-treff.com/

fresh07E60

make that 8! hahaha!!!

corey

Has anyone gone with 245/45/18 and 275/40/18 on a sedan? If so, can you post some pics? The only ones I saw thus far are on wagons.