e90 -- offset question for winter wheels

[Robbie!]

:dunno:
I went to the tire store to check out rims today. I had heard that the E90 uses a special rim, and that the e46 wheels WILL NOT FIT. The guy at the tire place heard the same. He asked if I would not mind pulling my car in and he had some e46 wheels that fit. The offset is only 4mm different. my car has 17's ... I want 16's for the winter. the offset is 38 and new offset will be 34 or vice versa. Will this affect at all my handling, speedometer or anything with my car?

The wheel he tested is a 17" but he said there is no difference with the 16". They were also relived that they wouldnt have to order special wheels for just the e90.

So before I buy them, will they work or is the tire store pulling a fast one on me?

So will these work on a 325i with sports package, I am going to buy 16" rather than 17".

Thanks.
:dunno:

[The HACK]

Offset depends heavily on the width of the rim. If your factory rims, theoretically, is an 8" wide rim, and the offset for the that rim is 38mm, if you are putting on a 7.5" wide aftermarket rim the proper offset should be in the 33-35mm range.

The offset you posted for your rim(s) seems typical of E46 rims. I don't know who told you that E90 rims are any different than E46 rims, from all indications I've seen, the E90 rim size and offsets are very similar, if not identical to E46, E36, E85, X5, and Z3 rims. Any rims designed for any of the above listed BMWs are interchangeable if they'll clear your brake calipers, provided they're the right width for each corner (meaning, some 9+ inch rims may not fit E36/Z3s up front).

[The HACK]

On a side note, those look like replica wheels. Unless I'm getting them from a very reputable vendors, I'd stay away from replicas like the Avian Flu.

Even reputable replicas can bend easily.

[Robbie!]

thanks for the info, yes the vendor is very reputable in toronto, they have been around for a long time.

[prolix21]

I was looking at bmwwheels.com yesterday and asked them what the deal is with e90 wheel fitment and if it e46 wheels fit or not. What they told me was that any previous 3 series wheel will fit fine, and the same goes for z series wheels as well.

I have a 330i zsp so obviously 16" wheels are out of the question, but from what they told me at bmwwheels.com I am safe with most 3 or Z series wheels. Can anyone confirm this? I was looking for winter wheels in 17" and there are a TON more choices if the 17" e46 or z series wheels are fair game.

I'm really paranoid to try it though b/c there are conflicting statements all over about whether you can really fit e46 wheels on the car or not. I know the brake clearance on an e90 330i zsp is an issue, but 17" would fit I assume? I was thinking some nice M wheels for winter

[The HACK]

...from what they told me at bmwwheels.com I am safe with most 3 or Z series wheels. Can anyone confirm this?
Looks to me like in the ETK, it is listed that E46 wheels (at 8" wide) have an offset of 47mm while E90 wheels have a 37mm offset. The effect of putting on E46 wheels on the E90, while technically they should fit, will be the wheels are pushed in by about 10mm (3/8") inside the fenders. While these offsets are within operating ranges, running wider tires may end up rubbing the dampers on the inside.

Only way to CONFIRM is to test fit the rim/tires or find someone who has the same combo.

[prolix21]

yeah, the more i think about it and the more specs i look at i really question the validity of what they told me.

i've not been able to find many who actually have e46 wheels on their e90. i think one guy at e90post has some m3 wheels on his, but they are 18 or 19's so obviously that offset may be different

i may just go with some bbs wheels for my winter set, gary@tirerack gave me the offset and i think thats the best bet at this point. that or get a 2nd set of 162's but running a staggered setup for winter might be a pain