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[Chrisguilday]

Hey guys, I have a 2011 E93 335i with sport package.

The car is currently on 19x8 stock sport wheels with 255/30R tires. It has bilstein B8’s struts with stock springs, but since it has “M-sport suspension” I think the stock springs are shorter, so it sits pretty low. I like the current wheel gap, so my main goal here is to get 17” wheels for a better ride but buy tires that keep the wheel gap the same.

The car currently rides very harsh, and I feel like the big wheels with the tiny aspect ratio is what’s causing that, and if so I’d like to get rid of that. I don’t track the car and never plan on it, but it is FBO on E30/E50.

I’ve heard going with 17” wheels is the best all around, so that was what I was going to get, and with 17” wheels I’d assume I can fit a tall tire (tall sidewall) which will fill the gap up and also make the ride comfy. Is that the correct concept / train of thought?

If so, what size tire would I be able to fit without any rubbing issues, IE (255/50R)? Or how big can I go based on aspect ratio before I start having issues. I am not even sure if a 255 size tire is needed, it’s just what was on the car when I bought it. I am a complete amateur when it comes to wheels / tires.

I’m mainly concerned with comfort, but I also want it to look good, so if anyone has a better recommendation, such as 18” wheels + tire size or whatever that would be great.

Basically to summarize, I guess what I’m looking for is what tire size / aspect ratio would be needed to keep the wheel gap the same if switching from 19” wheels with 255/30R, to 17” wheels. I think I understand how the math works, but I’m not 100% sure (30R = 30% of 255 = 76.5MM), and if the wheel is two inches smaller that means I have 50MM extra gap, right? So just using that same tire as an example, I’d need 255/50R to make the gap the same (50% of 255 = 127MM, which is + 52MM) I think that’s how that works, right? I really don’t know lol so maybe I’m missing something.

Thanks!

[whyzee125]

If you go with 17's (which is the best for comfort), I would probably go with 17x9 et30 and 255/40r17 all around. That's a nice comfy setup with plenty of grip at all corners.

IMO 18's look better and you could do something similar with 18x9 et30 and 255/35r18 all around or step up to 18x9.5 in the rear and go with a 265 tire. Either setup will ride a lot better, 19's are notoriously harsh on these cars.

[Chrisguilday]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

If you go with 17's (which is the best for comfort), I would probably go with 17x9 et30 and 255/40r17 all around. That's a nice comfy setup with plenty of grip at all corners.

IMO 18's look better and you could do something similar with 18x9 et30 and 255/35r18 all around or step up to 18x9.5 in the rear and go with a 265 tire. Either setup will ride a lot better, 19's are notoriously harsh on these cars.

So can I just ask a clarifying question to make sure I understand?

Let’s say I want to keep the same wheel gap I currently have but get the combo you referenced, wouldn’t that combo increase my wheel gap? I’d be going two inches shorter with the wheels / tires (17” vs 19” = 50MM), so that would mean I’d need to make up that 50MM in tire aspect ratio. If my current tires are 76MM sidewall (255/30), and the tires you just referenced are 255/35 (89MM), I’d have a bigger gap than before.

Wouldn’t I need 255/50? which is 127MM sidewall (Current = 76MM, I lose 50MM by having 17’s, so I’d need 126MM to keep the gap the same) that’s basically what I’m trying to understand, but again I’m not sure if I’m understanding if that’s how that works.

Also my stock wheels are +37MM offset, and I think that’s fine, if anything maybe I’d go slightly less like what you said, 30MM. I know if I do keep the gap the same (126MM), and I reduce the offset I’m more likely to rub while turning, but I don’t track the car at all, if that combo were to cause it to rub regardless I’d prefer the bigger offset and reduce the gap instead.

[335_DE90]

255/30/19, 255/35/18, and 255/40/17 are all 25 inch tall tires and have the same rev per mile so the gap wouldn't change at all.

[tcphoto]

I might assume that you have Style 313's on your E93, I'll never understand why BMW didn't recommend a 35 ratio on the rear instead of 30. In reality, roads are filled with potholes, poorly done patches and irregularities and a 30 ratio tire offers very little protection to the wheel or passengers. I have Style 189's on my E92 and replaced the Run Flats with PS4S' with 235/40/18 and 265/35/18 and I've been happy with the ride. I'm looking to replace the setup with 19" BMW 269 or VMR v703 but I'd prefer something like a 265/35/19 on the rear for comfort. I'd love to get 225's but they have a bad reputation for bending when you hit a pothole. I installed Power Supreme spring perches up front to lower slightly, I'll attach a picture of mine as a reference.

[whyzee125]

Originally Posted by Chrisguilday

So can I just ask a clarifying question to make sure I understand?

Let’s say I want to keep the same wheel gap I currently have but get the combo you referenced, wouldn’t that combo increase my wheel gap? I’d be going two inches shorter with the wheels / tires (17” vs 19” = 50MM), so that would mean I’d need to make up that 50MM in tire aspect ratio. If my current tires are 76MM sidewall (255/30), and the tires you just referenced are 255/35 (89MM), I’d have a bigger gap than before.

Wouldn’t I need 255/50? which is 127MM sidewall (Current = 76MM, I lose 50MM by having 17’s, so I’d need 126MM to keep the gap the same) that’s basically what I’m trying to understand, but again I’m not sure if I’m understanding if that’s how that works.

Also my stock wheels are +37MM offset, and I think that’s fine, if anything maybe I’d go slightly less like what you said, 30MM. I know if I do keep the gap the same (126MM), and I reduce the offset I’m more likely to rub while turning, but I don’t track the car at all, if that combo were to cause it to rub regardless I’d prefer the bigger offset and reduce the gap instead.

Wheel gap will be about the same, because you have two sidewalls to consider (on top and on bottom of the wheel if looking at it while stationary) and one inch difference in the wheel size.

[Mavus]

need to consider tire type also. all season will be more comfy than extreme summer. 17” or 18” is the way to go on e9x.

You can go with staggered or square config. Square allows you to rotate wheels on each side of car ie front to rear and rear to front for directional tires.