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[MPowered91]

Hi, guys,

I'm looking for a new summer wheel/tire setup for my '06 335d E91 Pre-LCI. I've been using staggered setups on all my BMWs till now, but this time I want to try something different. I'm seeing more and more often RWD BMWs with square setups used for track weekends. And considering that E9x have tend toward understeer I decided to go for a square setup myself and put a wider tire on the front axle.

After a lot of thinking and reading, I decided to go with 18"x9J wheels. The wheels are already ordered and I'm waiting for them to arrive. The offset is ET40 (+40) because there were no other options. I know that I can correct it with spacers if needed.

So far so good but now when I start considering the tire dimension and checking other people's setups I started to worry a little. I was originally led by Apex's Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide - https://support.apexraceparts.com/hc..._JXXxmuT6Z1w5w . Which is very nice btw! So I was going for 255/35/18 tires, but already read some comments by people who can't exactly fit this setup in front. I have now worries about the rear axle. I talked with a guy running a strange setup in front - 17"x8J ET15 with 205/50/17 and he told me that his front tires rub on sharper turns with more passengers in the car. After I checked some calculators I saw that theoretically, this fitment is poking less than the fitment I'm considering. Keep in mind that that car is running Eibach Sportline lowering springs.

My car is running an OEM M Sport suspension and has no other mods. So what do you think? Is the 18"x9J with 255/35/18 tires really a direct fit or that is not quite right? I ran an 18"x9J ET30 with 235/40/18 setup and Eibach Sportline lowering spring on my previous car ('07 320d E91) with no problems. But not sure about this wider setup. Any information will help me.

Thank you in advance and have a great day!

[whyzee125]

Originally Posted by MPowered91

Hi, guys,

I'm looking for a new summer wheel/tire setup for my '06 335d E91 Pre-LCI. I've been using staggered setups on all my BMWs till now, but this time I want to try something different. I'm seeing more and more often RWD BMWs with square setups used for track weekends. And considering that E9x have tend toward understeer I decided to go for a square setup myself and put a wider tire on the front axle.

After a lot of thinking and reading, I decided to go with 18"x9J wheels. The wheels are already ordered and I'm waiting for them to arrive. The offset is ET40 (+40) because there were no other options. I know that I can correct it with spacers if needed.

So far so good but now when I start considering the tire dimension and checking other people's setups I started to worry a little. I was originally led by Apex's Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide - https://support.apexraceparts.com/hc..._JXXxmuT6Z1w5w . Which is very nice btw! So I was going for 255/35/18 tires, but already read some comments by people who can't exactly fit this setup in front. I have now worries about the rear axle. I talked with a guy running a strange setup in front - 17"x8J ET15 with 205/50/17 and he told me that his front tires rub on sharper turns with more passengers in the car. After I checked some calculators I saw that theoretically, this fitment is poking less than the fitment I'm considering. Keep in mind that that car is running Eibach Sportline lowering springs.

My car is running an OEM M Sport suspension and has no other mods. So what do you think? Is the 18"x9J with 255/35/18 tires really a direct fit or that is not quite right? I ran an 18"x9J ET30 with 235/40/18 setup and Eibach Sportline lowering spring on my previous car ('07 320d E91) with no problems. But not sure about this wider setup. Any information will help me.

Thank you in advance and have a great day!

+40 offset is not aggressive at all; in fact you'll likely need spacers to not rub on the inside by touching the strut in front (rear should be fine but will look sunken in).

18x9 et30 is almost the universal standard for those running Apex wheels and it's more aggressive than stock but not all that aggressive relative to what some people run. A 10mm spacer would get you there in the front and that's what I would do. In the rear you'll need a bigger spacer to get it looking even with the front, especially since you're pre-LCI. You have zero rubbing concerns in the rear and will probably want something like an 18mm spacer back there but you can experiment based on the tires you use, etc. 255/35r18 is the size you want but the actual fitment will vary by brand and tire type.

[MPowered91]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

+40 offset is not aggressive at all; in fact you'll likely need spacers to not rub on the inside by touching the strut in front (rear should be fine but will look sunken in).

18x9 et30 is almost the universal standard for those running Apex wheels and it's more aggressive than stock but not all that aggressive relative to what some people run. A 10mm spacer would get you there in the front and that's what I would do. In the rear you'll need a bigger spacer to get it looking even with the front, especially since you're pre-LCI. You have zero rubbing concerns in the rear and will probably want something like an 18mm spacer back there but you can experiment based on the tires you use, etc. 255/35r18 is the size you want but the actual fitment will vary by brand and tire type.

Thank you for your reply! I do know that I will need spacers for both the front and the back.

As I said, I have no worries about the rear. I suppose that I will need 15 to 20mm spacers to get the fitment right. On my previous car, I was running 18x10 ET27 with 265/35/18 tires on the back and I had a little rub in the fenders sometimes depending on the load (with Eibach Sporline lowering springs). According to the calculators, this fitment will be the same if I use 20mm spacers with the new setup which I'm considering so 15mm will be better I think.

10mm spacers in the front will get me to ET30 but I'm just worried about the tire rubbing after installing them. It seems pretty aggressive to me, considering that even the stock M3 with its bigger wheel arches is running smaller wheels and tires in the front. I still did not find anybody using a similar or more aggressive front setup without modifications and that's why I'm asking here. I will not be going to use Apex wheels, but I don't think that matters, the wheel dimension is the most important after all.

[whyzee125]

Originally Posted by MPowered91

Thank you for your reply! I do know that I will need spacers for both the front and the back.

As I said, I have no worries about the rear. I suppose that I will need 15 to 20mm spacers to get the fitment right. On my previous car, I was running 18x10 ET27 with 265/35/18 tires on the back and I had a little rub in the fenders sometimes depending on the load (with Eibach Sporline lowering springs). According to the calculators, this fitment will be the same if I use 20mm spacers with the new setup which I'm considering so 15mm will be better I think.

10mm spacers in the front will get me to ET30 but I'm just worried about the tire rubbing after installing them. It seems pretty aggressive to me, considering that even the stock M3 with its bigger wheel arches is running smaller wheels and tires in the front. I still did not find anybody using a similar or more aggressive front setup without modifications and that's why I'm asking here. I will not be going to use Apex wheels, but I don't think that matters, the wheel dimension is the most important after all.

Look in the apex thread, 18x9 et30 is the most common setup that people run and it's usually run with 255/35r18. I run this setup too. No mods and no rubbing. I rubbed a little bit when I had Michelins as they were a bit wider in the same size. I now have Conti DWS with no rubbing. You could always do like an 8mm spacer if you're worried about it but it's really not a super aggressive setup.