Wheels and Tires - - 5-lug Conversion

[Craig]

My vehicle is a 1992 BMW 318ic cabriolet (with a 5-lug complete conversion from a BMW E30 M3) with billstein sport shocks, H&R sport lowering springs and a 410 LSD. It is for street use only. The stock bottle cap wheels are an offset of 35mm and the sport basket weaves are 25mm.

My question is: What size rims and tires can I use on this 5-lug conversion, and in particular, what offset parameters can I use? Would like to stay with 17" x 7" because of the low horse power motor, and not go 8" wide.

BBS LM replicas (or real LM's) and style 42's are the looks I like, but am open to all suggestions of what will fit. What brand of BBS LM replicas are the best – esm's, tre's . . .? Also, I am attracted to the BMW Z3 style 42, 16" x 7” wheels, the offset being 46mm. With that offset, are wheel spacers a must, an option, or are they a joke?


Any information and/or suggestions that can be provided would be greatly apprecited.


Thanks, Craig

[MR 325]

For something that will fit well you want the offset to be around 20-25 with a 7" wheel.

To run those Z3 wheels you would want to use a 20mm spacer which is fairly large.