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[panzer948]

Hi,

I think the general consensus is going from RFTs to non-RFTs will improve handling and ride comfort some. But what I am curious about is going from 18" to 19". I think it may improve the look some and was considering about swapping out the wheels anyway.

I have a E92 with Performance/Summer 18" RFTs and have taken my car to the track and would like to again. I also don't want to lose general performance on the street either. I read somewhere that 18" tires were better than 19" tires for handling/performance. Is this true? And if I was to go from Performance 18" RFTs to 19" Performance non-RFTs, could it be a wash?

[Revlis]

If you are looking for a pure performance change, I would stick with an 18" wheel and reap the benefits of lighter weight and a wider selection of available performance rubber.

I had the 19" non-RFTs on the car for a year and there is an improvement in ride quality versus the OEM 18" RFTs. Nothing earth shattering but an improvement and they do look good.

Now I've got a new set of 19" wheels and tires waiting to go tonight so yeah I am not really taking my own advice but the wheel I wanted didn't come in 18". But 18" is what I was really after, FWIW.

[panzer948]

So is the performance benefit with the 18" more in the lighter wheels or rubber? I would get the same rubber with either wheel size, which is the Goodyear F1s.

Also, if I was to go with 19" aftermarket wheels that were lighter than my BMW stock 18" wheels, wouldn't I gain some improvement even with the larger wheels. Of course, that's assuming that I can find affordable aftermarket wheels lighter than the BMW wheels.

This is becoming a hard decision on what to do.

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by panzer948

So is the performance benefit with the 18" more in the lighter wheels or rubber? I would get the same rubber with either wheel size, which is the Goodyear F1s.

Also, if I was to go with 19" aftermarket wheels that were lighter than my BMW stock 18" wheels, wouldn't I gain some improvement even with the larger wheels. Of course, that's assuming that I can find affordable aftermarket wheels lighter than the BMW wheels.

This is becoming a hard decision on what to do.

Yes to both gain "some" improvement with lighter 19s even with larger wheels.

If you are talking regular street driving on similar tires you're just going to be giving up some little bit of extra weight and some sidewall with the 19s which might be important depending on how smooth the roads are where you spend most of your time. Mostly my "go with 18s" is because a lot of the good track day rubber doesn't come in a 19" size. But same same, a Goodyear F1 GS-D3 in 19" is just as effective for all intents as the 18" version, allowing for a little weight of course.

The 19s look good, but I would rather have a bit more sidewall, save a few pounds, and over all gain some additional ride comfort and go with 18's if I could.

But in the end I am not living at the track, I am NOT Micheal Schumacher, so for me the little fashion slave in me has me sitting with 19s in the garage again even though I know that a lightweight 18" setup would be a more practical and better performing setup.

If it's all about the track though definitely go with 18" wheels, get some SSRs or something at 18 lbs plus some sticky rubber and you're good to go.

[panzer948]

Okay, thanks for the info. I guess I could always keep my BMW 18" wheels just for the 1 or two times a year I go to the track and put some special track tires on, like some of those die hard guys I met!

[Revlis]

That's what I was thinking you meant, something hardcore track only. But that's where the SSRs at 18" come into play. Lightweight with DOT spec tires on there. I focus on the SSRs because they are really light, and pretty affordable when compared to the other lightweight options out there.

So a 19" set for daily driving and a superlight 18" set just for the track days.

Perfect.

OH and I'm not an expert in any way, I can speak from experience when it comes to 19" wheels and tires on the streets, but otherwise I am just repeating what I've read or heard. SO yeah FWIW.