ASK ALL WHEEL/TIRE FITMENT QUESTIONS HERE - The Official Wheel/Tire Fitment Thread

[Mystikal]

yeah, got it from GaryE30 on e30tech, don't know his user name here. I hope to be putting down around 500HP/TQ so I need to use all 8.5" of wheel. If I run the 8's and 5's up fron for 13 and the 16's in the back would fender rolling fit anything bigger? I'll do what it takes to get as much tire as possible short of ugly fender flairs.

Yeah that's his name here too.

You can't run both the 8mm and 5mm together because there will be no hub for the wheel to sit on. You can get the wheels on without spacers in the rear and run 245/35/16 Toyos, that would actually be a pretty good setup. For the fronts, you will need at least 10mm to clear the struts. So I'd probably go with the 16mm up front, roll the fenders flat, and slap on some 225/40/16 Toyos to match the rear.

[akorcovelos]

Yeah that's his name here too.

You can't run both the 8mm and 5mm together because there will be no hub for the wheel to sit on. You can get the wheels on without spacers in the rear and run 245/35/16 Toyos, that would actually be a pretty good setup. For the fronts, you will need at least 10mm to clear the struts. So I'd probably go with the 16mm up front, roll the fenders flat, and slap on some 225/40/16 Toyos to match the rear.

would that be a stretch fit, cause I'm not a big fan of that look? Any reason to use Toyos specifically?

[Mystikal]

I got one for you guys my Kosei rims are hitting the front brake calipers what size of spacers do I need to fit this problem here is a link to the problem

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=1048886&postcount=36

thanks alot Franco

Well, looking at the thread it seems you got it sorted out now. I think that with proper spacers (like H&R) you wouldn't have that issue.

[Mystikal]

Jay RS2's or Azenis? this will be going on 14" steelies.
i need something for daily/once in a while autox.

I'm always more of a fan of the Azenis, after owning both. The R-S2 will be better on the highway in a rain storm, but that's about it. The Azenis is more capable in all other ways.

[Mystikal]

Ok, i asked your opinion before about tire sizes and I'm still undecided. I have 16x8's with an offset of 33. I'd like to run 225/45/16's as that's the proper size, but whats the lowest offset i can run before hitting the fenders. I need new tires and don't want to limit myself to like 2 brands of tires with a 200 treadwear rating. I came from VW's just recently and we always run the smallest tire possible. :D The 225/45's just look too bulbous to me. What about a 205/50/16 for a more common size?

Pic. Car is on Eibach's/Koni's. it currently has 205/45's on it now, just cause I had them laying around.

205/50/16 actually has an even taller sidewall, so it would look even more odd to you.

205/45 isn't that small, you can stick with those. With that size tire, I say run a 15mm spacer all around and it will look really good (no fender mods needed, well maybe because of the super soft springs).

[Mystikal]

215/40/17 Falken 512 tires, 17x8.5" wheels, ET14 rear, ET17 front.

I have rolled my fenders but not dramatically.

New suspension will be GC 525F/650R rates on revalved Koni's and with camber plates in the front more more suspension travel.

What say you Jay, will they rub? And what foam bump stops should I get with this setup? I want to offset the stiffer rate with a more cushioned ride if possible...

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=10/CA=3

There is a $68 (total) difference between 205 and 215 profile tires. Is it worth it?

P.S. - No more questions from me for a while after this! :-P

Nice suspension setup! I have the 512 spec sheet open here, it will be a tight fit on the rear. I'd honestly go with the 205/40/17, for which you'd have pretty much zero rolling to do. Tire width is also less important than people believe, you'd be happy.

As for the bump stops, I can't remember which ones work well with that setup (it's been 4 years since I looked at that GC pic, haha). But with your parts, the car honestly won't be touching the bumpstops very often. Therefore, the ride quality won't be affected much if at all by which stop you choose. And for the record, with my GC/Koni setup I'm using OEM bump stops cut down to the single bump (so they're like 1" tall). With how much more travel you will have, you'll need to be even less concerned.

[Mystikal]

What spacers do i need? 205/50/16 on 16 x 7.5 ET40

What Dan said. 20mm is good.

[Mystikal]

What size tires and spacers would I need to run 16x7.5 wheels with et 35? Car is dropped on H&R races.

TIA
Mike

15mm all around. You can run a 225/45/16 tire if you want with that setup (may have a slight rub in the rear with unrolled fenders).

[Mystikal]

i need new wheels
i want 16" w/ a masive lip on them i want the wide look

so i was looking at the sportmax 0 offset or 15 offset

any suggestions??

The 0 offset ones look ridiculous, the fronts stick outside of the fenders by a full inch.

The ET15 ones look better, and they can be run with 205/45/16 tires with no problems.

[Mystikal]

This is a great thread, many thanks to Jay for helping out E30 owners.

As a little "payback" for how it has helped me, I have compiled a rough spreadsheet of offsets and tire sizes as discussed in this thread:

http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/E30_tire_wheel_offset_guide.xls

As the disclaimer inside the spreadsheet says, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither Jay nor myself are responsible for how you use this info and whether it is accurate for the exact wheels and tires you use.

With that out of the way, I'm hoping Jay may have some insight on the "Mission Impossible" tire fitment riddle I am working with right now. The car is a 1988 325is 2-door, about to receive a transplanted S52 and 6-speed and some other goodies. To understate it, as much tire as possible would be a good thing. Part of the plan is to use iX flares and modify the underlying sheetmetal to maximize room.

Wheel choice is the soon-to-be-released D-Force 15x7 et25 wheels with Toyo R888 tires. I am considering the 235/50ZR15 at least at the rear. In addition to being a super lightweight wheel and an excellent streetable track tire (kids, don't try this at home), they make for a very "old school" look with the smaller wheels and chubby sidewall tires.

The R888s are R-compound tires, and their concept of "235" looks like a "250" compared to other tires. In fact, my eyeball estimate is that they are 1" wider than the Dunlop SP Sport W-10 225/45-16 that have on my 325iX.

Toyos published data:

Tire Size 235/50ZR15
Approved Rim width range 6.5-7.5-8.5
Tread width 9.2"

Dimensions:

Overal diameter 24.2"
Overall width 9.6"
Static loaded radius 11.1"

While I think the rear fitment is possible with this tire, front may be an issue. Closest diameter, other than the 225/50-15, is the 195/55R15:

Tire Size 195/55R15
Approved Rim width range 5.5-6.0-7.0
Tread width 7.5"

Dimensions:

Overal diameter 23.3"
Overall width 8.0"
Static loaded radius 10.7"

The full table of all available sizes can be found on Toyo's tech sheet: http://marktg.toyotires.com/file/30029.pdf

So, Jay, what say you? Insanity? 16" a better choice?

- Rob

Wow, Rob Levinson. It's an honour to be thanked by you, and extremely flattering that you took the time to compile that spreadsheet. I also really like the note that there are extraneous variables which cannot be accounted for, nice touch!

Now, on to your fitment question. On a ET25 15x7 rim, the 235 R888 will be around 9.4" wide. With that width, you should clear the front struts and rear shocks by literally a few mm. I know of a particular car ('89 325iS) that ran that exact same section width (225/50/15 V700's on a 15x7.5 wheel) with that exact same offset (ET25), with no spacers; the car had no issues, even in heavy auto-x situations. So I don't see a problem for fitment, especially if you're going to be playing around with iX flares and fender modification. That same car did not even have its fenders rolled.

I hope that helped!

[Mystikal]

would that be a stretch fit, cause I'm not a big fan of that look? Any reason to use Toyos specifically?

I mention the Toyos because I can't think of another tire that is available in both of those odd sizes. The T1-R is the particular one I'm referring to.

Edit: 1000th reply in the thread! :)

[akorcovelos]

I mention the Toyos because I can't think of another tire that is available in both of those odd sizes. The T1-R is the particular one I'm referring to.

Edit: 1000th reply in the thread! :)

Great info, thanks. Would those be a stretch fit? This is one of the most helpful threads EVER! Oh, and I think that was the 1001 thread :p

[fourcylsgood]

Here's a new fitment for the Spec E30 guys

http://949racing.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=119

15x7 +10

Now, for Spec E30 the target tire size is 205/50R15 so I can see that working without necessarily having to roll fenders. (Not that the Spec E30 guys care but I do at the moment). But would 205/55 also work or does a 7" +10 require an undersized tire to avoid fender rolling?

[Rob@UUC]

Wow, Rob Levinson. It's an honour to be thanked by you, and extremely flattering that you took the time to compile that spreadsheet. I also really like the note that there are extraneous variables which cannot be accounted for, nice touch!

:D

Now, on to your fitment question. On a ET25 15x7 rim, the 235 R888 will be around 9.4" wide. With that width, you should clear the front struts and rear shocks by literally a few mm. I know of a particular car ('89 325iS) that ran that exact same section width (225/50/15 V700's on a 15x7.5 wheel) with that exact same offset (ET25), with no spacers; the car had no issues, even in heavy auto-x situations. So I don't see a problem for fitment, especially if you're going to be playing around with iX flares and fender modification. That same car did not even have its fenders rolled.

I hope that helped!

Interesting - no fender modifications? This is really quite the chub of a tire, I'll have to take pics next to the 225 Dunlop.

- Rob

[Miasma]

Are you looking for easy fitment or Euro-flush style?

Easy:
17x8 ET26 front
17x9 ET26 rear
215/40/17 tires all around, likely no fender rolling necessary.

Flush:
17x8 ET15
17x9 ET15
205/40/17 tires all around, possibly light rear roll.

Thanks a bunch!!

I prefer the Euro flush look and as much width as possible as the car will be putting down 400+rwhp. Rolling the fender's isnt a problem. Also to note. The car will be on GC's with adjustment plate's and Koni's before these go on. Will the fitment become an issue? Oh and im going 17x8 all the way around. They dont offer the 17x9 in the BP needed.