[illjah]

Off topic i know, but as some of you lot are well experienced with more than just the e34 M5, i thought i'd ask a quick 3 series question.

My other half has a e36 318i, with 17 inch BBS M3 wheels, i have attached a picture of one of the rears.

Now the rears have a deeper dish, but appear to be all fitted with the same size tyre - 225/45/R17 but the spare which is the same as the fronts (narrower dish) is fitted with 235/40/R17 - Any one know what these wheels should have fitted? I'm guessing the rears should be wider, and 40 profile as oppossed to 45 so maybe 235/40/R17 rears and 225/45/R17 fronts?

Anyone help me out?

Cheers,

illz

 

[MBrasil]

Go for 235/40/17

225/40/17 front 245/40/17 rear on M3 E36 Evos

Off topic i know, but as some of you lot are well experienced with more than just the e34 M5, i thought i'd ask a quick 3 series question.

My other half has a e36 318i, with 17 inch BBS M3 wheels, i have attached a picture of one of the rears.

Now the rears have a deeper dish, but appear to be all fitted with the same size tyre - 225/45/R17 but the spare which is the same as the fronts (narrower dish) is fitted with 235/40/R17 - Any one know what these wheels should have fitted? I'm guessing the rears should be wider, and 40 profile as oppossed to 45 so maybe 235/40/R17 rears and 225/45/R17 fronts?

Anyone help me out?

Cheers,

illz

 

[illjah]

Go for 235/40/17

What all round? i thought the trend was to have 45 profile on fronts and 40 on the rears? I'm not sure whether the actual rear rims are wider, and can't tell with the tyres on, but I would have thought it was going to be, so shouldn't I have wider tyres on the rears?

Cheers,

illz

 

[MBrasil]

On original M3 wheels from 92 to 95 they were all the same ...

What all round? i thought the trend was to have 45 profile on fronts and 40 on the rears? I'm not sure whether the actual rear rims are wider, and can't tell with the tyres on, but I would have thought it was going to be, so shouldn't I have wider tyres on the rears?

Cheers,

illz

 

[illjah]

On original M3 wheels from 92 to 95 they were all the same ...

Even tho the wheels have a deeper dish rim on the rears? Does that mean the actual wheel is the same width? It looks deeper by about 10mm.

Thanks again!!

illz

 

[MBrasil]

No, the actual wheel from the E46 M3 even from 330i motorsport has different wheels front and back. I had a few euro M3 E36 95 and they are all the same, the evos has bigger wheels on rear. About yours I realy don't know but is very easy say if you go to a shop.

Even tho the wheels have a deeper dish rim on the rears? Does that mean the actual wheel is the same width? It looks deeper by about 10mm.

Thanks again!!

illz

 

[AndyE]

My M3 Evo has different wheels to those, but they staggered wheel and tyre setup means it has 225/40-17 fronts and 245/40-17 rears.

The deeper dish rear wheels are an inch wider. On the inside of the wheel, you can see the width cast into the alloy. Something like 8J for the fronts (8 inch) and 9J (9") rears.

 

[Stevie]

e36 M3 3.0 8x17 with 235/40 allround

e36 M3 3.2 7.5x17 with 225/45 front, 8.5x17 with 245/40 rear

e36 Z3M 7.5x17 with 225/45 front, 9x17 with 245/40 rear

 

[illjah]

My M3 Evo has different wheels to those, but they staggered wheel and tyre setup means it has 225/40-17 fronts and 245/40-17 rears.

The deeper dish rear wheels are an inch wider. On the inside of the wheel, you can see the width cast into the alloy. Something like 8J for the fronts (8 inch) and 9J (9") rears.

Well I had a closer look at the markings on the alloy, and where i thought it read "BBS" it actually has 885 for the fronts with narrow dish, and 985 for the rears - so i'm guessing its 8" on the fronts with 9 inch on the rears? But as i said at the moment its got 225/45/17 wrapped round both rims - would a 225mm tyre fit on a 9" rim? Still a bit confused....

 

[AndyE]

My Evo wheels look like this...

I checked since I last posted. I think have 7J (on the front) and 8J (on the rear) raised in the casting on the back side of one of the spokes (viewed from the inside of the wheel, might be easier when the wheel is clean)

9" wheels are possibly a bit on the wide side for an E36.

Don't know about BBS or 885...

 

[illjah]

9" wheels are possibly a bit on the wide side for an E36.

Don't know about BBS or 885...

Yeah thinking about it, they can't be 9" on the rears! that's what I got on my M5 and they are obviously visually thinner than these by a fair way.

I've tried to look behind the wheel, but they aint too clean at the mo, and can't see anything other than the numbers I mentioned - here's some more pictures - first one of the front rims, and then a detail showing the number round the tyre valve, and then a pic of one of the rear rims, and a detail of the number there as well - 895 for the fronts and 995 for the rears. I guess they gonna be 7" on the front 8" rears as yours are Andy. Could easily be 7.5 fronts and 8.5 rears I suppose as on the 3.2 M3 - so that would mean 225/45/17 fronts, and 245/40/17 rears as Stevie suggested earlier.

 

[AndyE]

that would mean 225/45/17 fronts, and 245/40/17 rears as Stevie suggested earlier.

Sounds about right matey!
:M5thumbs:

 

[Stevie]

The width for these are 7,5" front, and 8,5" rear as well. Sizes are cast into the backside of a spoke. The size are the same for all 3 stylings of wheels used on the M3 3.2 (evo in UK). The ones on this picture where standard on a coupe, the curved five-spoke (also called M-contour or winterwheel) on a saloon, and the double 5 spoke (painted or polished) on the convertible and green-only M3 3.0 GT 300 Bhp.

The 3.0 litre cars used a flatter version of the pictured wheel with BMW-Motorsport cast into them in 8.0x17 all round, the 3.0 convertibles used the double-5-spoke both in equal and staggered sizes. I've also seen green 3.0 GT's with old 8.0x17 in front, and later 8.5x17 in the rear, on 235/40 front and 245/40 rears, but I'm unsure if BMW supplied them that way.

To make it a real mess: All these wheels were available on ALL other e36 models, except the wheel pictured here, which according to the BMW Accesory catalog of the time would not fit 6-cyl tourings. To top it off a picture on the same page showed a 328i touring on these wheels.... :sad2:

My Evo wheels look like this...

I checked since I last posted. I think have 7J (on the front) and 8J (on the rear) raised in the casting on the back side of one of the spokes (viewed from the inside of the wheel, might be easier when the wheel is clean)

9" wheels are possibly a bit on the wide side for an E36.

Don't know about BBS or 885...

 

[illjah]

wow!

seems I've opened a right can of worms here then!! Thanks for all your help. So i guess I'l need 225/45/17 fronts and 245/40/17 rears - if that's the case I've had 225 width tyres wrapped round the larger wheels - sureley that's not safe - 20mm too narrow tyre on a wheel.

I'll double check and take one of the wheels off, but I think that's what I'll be ordering. thanks again!