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Alloy wheel upgrade - good options anyone?

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  • Alloy wheel upgrade - good options anyone?

    Starting to think about giving my car a festive treat.

    I'm getting a fraction bored of my M coupe original alloys, especially the rears how they sit just slightly too far under the arches, makes the rear arches look a bit baggy don't you think?

    Seen some wheel options on other MC's and wondered if anyone could advise me on wheel and tyre packages, what to avoid, spacers? what's too big? nasty tales? Any thoughts welcome.

    My number one idea at the moment is to go for some CSL copies, purely on aesthetics alone, no idea what the drive is like or if they're a bugger to fit etc.. I'm no mechanic. looking to get a pro to fit a balance them etc.

    I've just seen some Hartge alloys on a black MC recently posted on pistonheads classifieds. Beautiful.

    So any pics and tales of wheel wonder welcome

    :)

  • #2
    cheap fix is to put some wheel spacers on all round

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Mcoupe heaven View Post
      My number one idea at the moment is to go for some CSL copies, purely on aesthetics alone,
      :)
      These might fit the bill for you:

      Shunt
      Ex Z3MC 2000
      Ex Z4MC 2007
      Aston V8V
      M135i

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Mcoupe heaven View Post
        Starting to think about giving my car a festive treat.

        I'm getting a fraction bored of my M coupe original alloys, especially the rears how they sit just slightly too far under the arches, makes the rear arches look a bit baggy don't you think?

        :)

        I agree, the car could do with wider tracks all round. 10mm is nice at the rear and almost brings them flush. Doesn't sound like much but it makes all the difference IMO. Currently my fronts look a bit sorry sunk into the arches in comparison (made worse by swapping the top mounts for extra negative camber which makes the top lean in more).

        You will struggle however finding an aftermarket wheel that sits better than the factory 9" wheel due to the unusually "low" offset (ET8). Of course you can add spacers to the aftermarket wheels though too.

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        • #5
          So ok..10 ml spacers on the rear...any ones specific..?? what about the fronts ?? or 10 alround...ime needing to replace my rear tyres..normaly run on conti's...any thing better ?..car is not tracked..just spirited sometimes ............

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          • #6
            I've got 15mm on rear and 10 on front - precise alignment with guards will of course depend on the state of each car's suspension, wear etc but on mine, 15 on the rear is perfect - brings my stock wheels flush to the guards on OEM suspension. As for spacers, I've always used Rogue engineering because they are quality and come with the longer lugs. Certainly cheaper options though.

            Here's a pic to show the rears aren't sticking out

            Last edited by Kiwi; 09-11-2008, 11:30 PM.
            2000 Dakar MC
            1999 Cosmos Z3 2.8
            2004 545i Sport

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Kiwi View Post
              Here's a pic to show the rears aren't sticking out
              And nothing to do with the great number plate of which I am very jealous.
              Strongstrut CL front brace-Yellowstuff pads/Castrol SRF race brake fluid-Rogue top mounts/Rear support bushes-H&R ARBs-Whiteline droplinks-Bilstein Sport shockers-H&R Springs-Black Halo Angel Eye headlight units-Sachs lightweight flywheel/matching clutch-Supersprint exhaust/race catalysers-BBS RSGTs with Falkens-K&N High Flow Air Filter-Recaro Pole Position seats - Exdos mod - ACS flippers

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              • #8
                10mm HC spacers on the rear push the wheels out really well. Here's my car with them fitted:

                Out: 99 S50 Titan Silver V876 KKO
                In: 98 S50 Estoril.......

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                • #9
                  I run 20mm spacers rear and now 15mm spacers on front. Like CW I have swapped the top mounts for more camber so 15mm is the minimum you'd want to look right (20mm on the front may have rubbed, hard to say). I run KW V3s and it gives the car an amazing stance, however very infrequently I get a tiny bit of rubbing on the rears on very bad roads - this can and will be fixed by rolling the lip of the arch slightly.

                  Eibach hubcentric spacers currently appear to be the cheapest of the spacers I'd consider using. Don't forget to use copper grease when fitting to avoid future problems!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by miketheman2k View Post
                    I run 20mm spacers rear
                    Are you running factory wheels? with mine running 10mm spacers I find they're almost flush, 15mm probably ok but I'd have though 20mm would sit out slightly?

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                    • #11
                      Yes, standard wheels with 245/40 Pirelli's. Over-compensating with spacers is worse than wheels that sit in too far, giving it a 4x4 look (or euro look depending on whether you have a skinny tyre stretched over a wide rim) but I found 20mm looked perfect - where the bodywork ends, the wheel begins (visually of course, the wheel still sits in about 3-4mm or it would get carved up by the arch). It reminds me of a concept car's stance because they always have flush, arch-filling wheels but when the car is released, they have skinny wheels with serious negative offsets ruining the finished product imo. I think visually the difference between 10mm and 20mm is much less apparent than 10mm and nothing.



                      And here's the fronts with around -3 degrees camber and 15mm spacers.



                      The difference on the front is that there is the plastic inner arch under the bonnet which would rub before you got too close to the bonnet arch itself.

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                      • #12
                        Miketheman2k - Those rears look particularly "right". I suspect as you say the suspension has a fair bit to do with that also.

                        By the way, I like that top photo above - the shadow in front tones down what IMO is the least flattering feature of the Z3 - the front grille.
                        "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."

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                        • #13
                          I temporarily tried 20mm at the front and even that wasn't quite flush with top mounts swapped. It's a shame the factory front wheel isn't at least 8J with a bit less offset as the fatory 7.5J sits further in than my old 2.8 did with it's factory 17" wheels.

                          Mike, what are you thoughts on 245/40 on a 10J rim? I'm debating on whether it will be too much [of a stretch] or whether it will just work (I quite like a little bit of sidewall stretch but not OTT where the rim sticks out from the tyre) and don't want to go to 255/40 if possible.
                          Last edited by c_w; 10-11-2008, 02:38 PM.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by c_w View Post
                            I temporarily tried 20mm at the front and even that wasn't quite flush with top mounts swapped. It's a shame the factory front wheel isn't at least 8J with a bit less offset as the fatory 7.5J sits further in than my old 2.8 did with it's factory 17" wheels.

                            Mike, what are you thoughts on 245/40 on a 10J rim? I'm debating on whether it will be too much [of a stretch] or whether it will just work (I quite like a little bit of sidewall stretch but not OTT where the rim sticks out from the tyre) and don't want to go to 255/40 if possible.
                            Did the 20mm spacers on the front mean the tyres rubbed? Especially as you run 235's don't you? 7.5J is particularly skinny given the weight up front, I always thought it was 8J.

                            I changed the rears recently and I was so pleased with the feel and look of the 245/40 (P zero rosso) that I replaced them with the same. The sidewall curves nicely without looking stretched and for the size of the car, 245 seems like enough rubber on the road (and still allow some fun!). I will be fitting 235/40 Eagle F1 Asymmetric's to the fronts later this week, firstly because the current front tyres aren't that great (P zero "system") and secondly so that the sidewall matches the rears.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by c_w View Post
                              Mike, what are you thoughts on 245/40 on a 10J rim? I'm debating on whether it will be too much [of a stretch] or whether it will just work (I quite like a little bit of sidewall stretch but not OTT where the rim sticks out from the tyre) and don't want to go to 255/40 if possible.
                              245 tyres on a 10" rim sounds awfully stretched to me!!!

                              Current - BMW M6
                              Previous - Estoril S50 '98

                              KW V3's, ACS Splitters, H&R ARB's, Rogue Engineering rear top mounts,
                              Carbon Induction kit, Supersprint Exhaust, BBS 19" CH alloys, Strong Strut

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