I have an '08 535xi wagon and would like to install a staggered setup (18x8.5 and 18x9.5). I know all about the offset and making sure that's right. I have seen in some places that staggered is ok and in others that it is not. My understanding is that if the tires are a different circumference it could cause issues for the transmission. Even if I were to use a 40 series tire on both F and R there is a slight difference.

Any thoughts/comments?

 

I run the following:


19x8.5 ET38 235/35/19


19x10 ET44 275/30/19


No issues.


My tires are the wrong size. I will run larger tires when I wear these out.

 

Timmay - Can you post a pic of the car? Would like to see how the 19s look.:

Why do you say the tires are the wrong size?

 

The recommended size is usually 245/35/19 and 275/30/19 for staggered 19 inch wheels. I run 285/30/19 in the rear because it has a closer overall rolling diameter match front to rear.

 

The tires where brand new when I bought the wheels, so I figured I would just burn through them and buy a new set when they are 50% worn.





Exactly......

 

Did you ever decide on a set up? I'd be interested in knowing what rim you ended up with.
Thanks!

 

In case you need some more information, I had the same concerns as you. I have the same size wheels as you do, and tried to find tires with the same overall circumference front to back. I ended up getting 235/45-18 for the front, and 265/40-18 for the rear. According to most tire size comparison tools, these two sizes have ~0.1% of difference, and I could live with that.

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks Tortoiseracing…there's A LOT out on the forums about tire and rim sizes, off sets, etc. What is puzzling is the sea of aftermarket rim manufactures.

I'm trying to balance fitment, cost and quality. I don't need a fully forged wheel but I don't want to second guess quality when driving.

Can anyone recommend a retailer that has experience with our cars? The Tireracks of the world are great for OEM fitment but are limited when moving to alternate fitments.

Thanks again for the info on the 18s!

 

Turner Motorsports has a list of what fits for our cars.

Beyond that, honestly a lot of manufacturers make wheels that will fit, and even if they don't, you can always run 5x114.3 to 5x120 spacers and open your options up a good bit more

 

I was planning to do Beyern Spartan in hyper silver 18x8.5 (40 et) square. This is/was a conservative decision. I planned to do 245/45/18s instead of 40s so that it would fill the gap a bit. Long story short, my order was screwed up and I'm going to put it on the back burner for a bit. May move forward with a Dinan upgrade and then wheels after that!