[335ddd]

Hi guys
My 2011 335D SE comes with 225 front / 255 rear 18" summer RFT tires / style 195 wheels.

Harsh New York City streets plus mild winters (compared to upstate NY) made we wonder if I am better off switching to 17" wheels such as Style 194 (msport) with all season RFTs such as the new Bridgestone DriveGuards.

Maybe someone can help me with some answers.
1. Tirerack recommends F 225 (8 rim) / R 245 (8.5 rim) even though my 18s are 225 / 255 on the same width rim. Should I go with 255 in the rears still?
2. Is the ride much softer?
3. How much better / stronger 17s are vs 18s when it comes to hitting potholes ?


Personally I think that 194 style probably looks better on Mtech 335d but maybe it wont look too bad on SE. Plus same tires cost 860$ for 18s vs 680$ for 17s and I save 2.5 pounds per wheel + whatever savings from the tire itself.

[DieselRacer]

If your going to go with 17 inchers you might as well get a square set up, I would stay with a 255 rear if you stay 18 inch and staggard, I don't notice much of a difference between 17 vs 18 what I do notice a huge difference in is the series of tire, stay with a 50 or 60 series and you will absorbs the bumps much better, its the 35-40 series tires that run harsh...

[Hoooper]

Originally Posted by 335ddd

Maybe someone can help me with some answers.
1. Tirerack recommends F 225 (8 rim) / R 245 (8.5 rim) even though my 18s are 225 / 255 on the same width rim. Should I go with 255 in the rears still? Personal preference really. I would go with the wider tire but it depends on what youre in to
2. Is the ride much softer? so long as you get the same height tire you will have an extra 1/2" of sidewall on each tire which should make a pretty good difference.
3. How much better / stronger 17s are vs 18s when it comes to hitting potholes ?Totally depends on wheel quality and build. There are lots of 18" wheels out there that would take a much bigger beating than a number of 17" wheels. Its not the wheel itself that is necessarily stronger but that the tire absorbs a lot more impact. Remember, BMW has had to pay a bunch of people for putting crappy wheels on cars from the factory, so if you get aftermarket wheels from a known quality company you are likely not getting a weaker wheel. If you get OEM BMW wheels just make sure you research whether that series is prone to cracking or bending

.

[Quasimodem]

All other things being equal, 17 inchers will absorb more punishment than 18 inchers because they are protected better by the thicker rubber.

On the other hand, rubber is heavier than AL, so you add weight. From your description of the area you drive in, I would switch to 17 inchers.

[austinla335d]

18" front 225/40/18 (stock)
25.08" diameter
3.54" sidewall

17" front 225/45/17 (stock)
24.98" diameter
3.99" sidewall

17" front upsized taller
*225/50/17 (+1 sizing)
*25.86" diameter
*4.43" sidewall

17" front upsized wider
235/45/17
*25.32 diameter
*4.16 sidewall

18" front upsized taller
*225/45/18
*25.97" diameter
*3.99" sidewall

*18" front upsized wider
*235/40/18
*25.40 diameter
*3.70 sidewall

+1 sizing is possible, but go wider rather than taller and if you're going to upsize, do it on 18's and not 17's. The speedometer will be slightly closer to correct, too!

And definitely go square, 235/40/18 all around would be a great setup for handling, comfort and appearance. Win/win/win.

[austinla335d]

Originally Posted by 335ddd

Hi guys
My 2011 335D SE comes with 225 front / 255 rear 18" summer RFT tires / style 195 wheels.

Maybe someone can help me with some answers.
1. Tirerack recommends F 225 (8 rim) / R 245 (8.5 rim) even though my 18s are 225 / 255 on the same width rim. Should I go with 255 in the rears still?

Personally I think that 194 style probably looks better on Mtech 335d but maybe it wont look too bad on SE. Plus same tires cost 860$ for 18s vs 680$ for 17s and I save 2.5 pounds per wheel + whatever savings from the tire itself.

The tire will weigh a little more in all likelihood, which might cancel out wheel weight savings... plus the outermost portion of rotating mass has the greatest inertia. Better or worse or identical--who knows.

But the outside diameter for the 245 rear wouldn't match the 225 front as close as the 255. If you go staggered, you end up 30mm apart. My wife's X1 has 245/40-19 front and 275/35/19 rear for that reason. The M3 E90 came with 245 front and 265 rear, but it has a 1/2" or so difference in OD. It probably should've been 245/275, as it is on the new F80 M3.

[Yozh]

My experience on an E92 335i with factory RFTs, staggered 225/255 and 18" 189s. Bent them all the time, front or back, did not matter. And our roads here are not that bad as we do not get much winter.

Personally, I would avoid RFTs as their sidewall is stiffer and they transfer much of the impact to the wheel/suspension. Also, if you have the money, get better wheels. BMW ones seem to be fairly soft. On the d, the 193Ms are not better it seems so far. I have now ditched the run flats and see now we shall do.

[335ddd]

Originally Posted by DieselRacer

If your going to go with 17 inchers you might as well get a square set up, I would stay with a 255 rear if you stay 18 inch and staggard, I don't notice much of a difference between 17 vs 18 what I do notice a huge difference in is the series of tire, stay with a 50 or 60 series and you will absorbs the bumps much better, its the 35-40 series tires that run harsh...

so from all this it seems that switching to 17s 225/45 + 255/40 will yield only a small improvement as far as pothole protection go since +.05 sidewall will not really add much needed protection. 50/60 series is the way to go but looks wise I think it might look funky on our e90s.

I am not sure about the square setup since one of the things I like about BMWs is the staggard setup . plus 17s I am looking at are F8 + R8.5. If I get all 8's then I would need spacers. Now if 335Ds came in XI then square setup for sure.

Are RFTs more or less prone to pothole damage vs regular tires?

[Yozh]

Depends on RFTs. Bridgestone RE050s are terrible.

[Hoooper]

Originally Posted by 335ddd

Are RFTs more or less prone to pothole damage vs regular tires?

Damage to the tire or the wheel?

[335ddd]

Originally Posted by Hoooper

Damage to the tire or the wheel?

Tire

[austinla335d]

Originally Posted by 335ddd

so from all this it seems that switching to 17s 225/45 + 255/40 will yield only a small improvement as far as pothole protection go since +.05 sidewall will not really add much needed protection. 50/60 series is the way to go but looks wise I think it might look funky on our e90s.

I am not sure about the square setup since one of the things I like about BMWs is the staggard setup . plus 17s I am looking at are F8 + R8.5. If I get all 8's then I would need spacers. Now if 335Ds came in XI then square setup for sure.

Are RFTs more or less prone to pothole damage vs regular tires?

Get 50/60 series out of your head.

You'll have a 25.9" outside diameter at 225/50/17. That's too big. Stock is basically 25.0-25.1.

Not sure why you're so bent on getting 17's, but if you're going to get them, you'll need to maintain the 45 sidewall and increase width from 225 to 235. If you posted in the wheel/tire forum (this isn't specific to Diesel models), you'd have 5x as many people saying the same thing... and a calculator at the top of the page that allows you to punch in different configurations.

If you're wanting to stay staggered, you'll want to match outside diameter of front and rear, hence 225/40-18 matches 255/35-18, or 225/45-17 matches 255/40-17. If you're not going square (*I would, just use spacers in back), then you're stuck at 225/255 or 235/265, which would look goofy on 8/8.5 width wheels.

BMW wheels aren't the greatest. Aftermarket wheels are available that are much lighter, stronger, and objectively speaking look much better. 17's on the 335 look silly... the non-sport 335d wheels are designed where the spoke blends to the edge, so they look bigger than they really are. Most 17's look terrible on E90's.

[335ddd]

AustinLA335d Get 50/60 series out of your head.

Agreed

[AzureHaze]

I would stick with 18" as it is definitely a sweet spot when it comes to tire sizes for the 3-series. Aftermarket wheels will help you a bit on the weight department vs stock. As for RFTs, put those out of your equation and get yourself a set of Michelin PSS.

Sorry but I think those 194 wheels are hideous.

[335ddd]

Originally Posted by AzureHaze

I would stick with 18" as it is definitely a sweet spot when it comes to tire sizes for the 3-series. Aftermarket wheels will help you a bit on the weight department vs stock. As for RFTs, put those out of your equation and get yourself a set of Michelin PSS.

Sorry but I think those 194 wheels are hideous.

I need something for all seasons. I dont want to be swapping over and over. My current 050 rfts I think are summer only so I really dont have much choice. I will need all-season or winter tires soon. Being in NYC + parking space I think I can get away with all-season tires. I do like stock 195s (looks individual plus rare) so maybe my only choice is to try to sell my 050s and get a decent all-season tire. Or splurge myself and get new light rims + tires.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

Ive had 17 OEM and 18 and 19 VMR 710 staggered. Living in Puerto Rico is somewhat similar to living in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx combined. I would suggest the 17s for the duration 18 and 19 staggered for the looks!!

[335ddd]

Originally Posted by Puerto Rican 335d

Ive had 17 OEM and 18 and 19 VMR 710 staggered. Living in Puerto Rico is somewhat similar to living in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx combined. I would suggest the 17s for the duration 18 and 19 staggered for the looks!!

I wonder how light 17s (16-18 pounds) feel. Do you get I just chipped my car feeling?