E36 95 M3 rims/tires help please 18"

[RupTheKid]

Hello all,

As stated above, I have a beautiful E36 M3 that's 95 3.0L model year but made in August 96. It's red, in mint condition with a fresh factory paint job (courtesy of the insurance company ), and 50k miles. This car was a hand-me-down from my father (just got it last month), and I love it.

The car is completely stock, except for a Dinan performance chip, Dinan engine mangement software, and Dinan and cold air intake system. This car is so much lighter than the newer M3 (and the later E36M3 as well), and with an extra 30-40 horsepower and lb ft (of torque) it's pretty damn fun around town.

Last night driving home a critter popped up on the highway while I was cruising 70. I avoided it, but jumped the curb with two rims on the driver's side - the rims need refinished, two tires blew, I need a new bumper, and of course the undercarriage cover fell off.

So I was thinking that now might be a good time to find a set of new rims while I send the Motorsport doublespoke rims to the factory for refinished and I can sell them later (or keep them for winter tires). I love this car, intend to keep it for a long time, and am seriously considering upgrading to 18's. It's just so much fun to drive every day I can't help but make excuses to go to the grocery store .

Please make recommendations for a new set of rims - I was thinking about buying a set of AC Schnitzer Type III (original) off eBay, but I'm not exactly knowledgable for the best rims and tire sizes for my car.

I will likely go with the Michelin Pilot Sport tires, because I really love the way they drive (despite the road noise).

The current sizes are 235/40/17 and 17 x 7.5 all around I believe.

Any help you guys can give with tire size and rim manufacturers / size are really appreciated.

Also, what's the deal with all these replica wheels out there? I'm pretty apprehensive towards them - are they reliable?


Thanks,

Rup

[rrsperry]

Well, if it is stock, then the rims are the doublespoke 1 rims, 17 x 7.5 on all corners. If I were going to get new rims, they wouldn't by ACS. They are very heavy for the size. Not to mention overpriced, like Dinan stuff is...

Some other things to consider, the larger the wheel the less sidewall there is, the easier the rim is to bend. (for the most part) The ride is worse, tires are more expensive, and there are less size choices within a brand of tire. Also, depending on the size you get, you could end up changing the final drive gearing, hurting acceleration. Look at http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html .

Remember that the 17" wheel weighed 22.3#, BBS RK in 17" weighs 16 and change, that will be noticable to the butt dyno. Oh well, it's your car, do what you want.

[RupTheKid]

Hello rrsperry,

Thank you for the reply - this is really informative. I agree the ACS and Dinan stuff is expensive; but I'm new to this and like most people new to a hobby I'm wary of straying from well known brands on my first attempt. I did not even think to consider the weight of the rims, but an extra 30-40lbs would be really nice to save. As for the Dinan components, well they came with the car when I received it, so I'm in no position to complain.

In your opinion, are 18's just not a practical option? Will they be too detrimental to the performance of the vehicle? If that's the case I can stick with the current size. Maybe I can look into getting Eibach's or something else to improve the performance.

Does a loss of weight in rims make the rims more succeptable to being bent? Again, sorry if these questions are obvious. Are there any other recommendations besides the BBS RK?

Thanks again,

Rupesh

[Desertnate]

In my view, 18" aren't practical due to their vunerability to potholes and other hazards on the jeep trails they call roads due to the tire wrapped around that wheel not having much sidewall.

If you are truly dedicated to performance I would recommend the 17" based on the weight. Just because the 17"s are lighter, that doesn't mean they aren't as strong. They are just smaller so there is less material needed to provide the same level of strength/durability.

I have actually bent my OEM 16"...no way I personaly would go 18".

[rrsperry]

Hello rrsperry,

Thank you for the reply - this is really informative. I agree the ACS and Dinan stuff is expensive; but I'm new to this and like most people new to a hobby I'm wary of straying from well known brands on my first attempt. I did not even think to consider the weight of the rims, but an extra 30-40lbs would be really nice to save. As for the Dinan components, well they came with the car when I received it, so I'm in no position to complain.

In your opinion, are 18's just not a practical option? Will they be too detrimental to the performance of the vehicle? If that's the case I can stick with the current size. Maybe I can look into getting Eibach's or something else to improve the performance.

Does a loss of weight in rims make the rims more succeptable to being bent? Again, sorry if these questions are obvious. Are there any other recommendations besides the BBS RK?

Thanks again,

Rupesh

Like they said in Mad Max, "Speed is a question of money, how fast do you want to go?"

It really depends on the condition of the roads you drive on, and how aware you are of the hazards. There are three attributes to wheels, strong, light, and cheap. The only problem is you can only get two of the three together. There are very light 17 and 18 inch rims available, from the Kosei K1 racing, 17x 8.5 at 16.8# and $200 each, to the forged BBS R-GR 18 x 8.5 and 18# for $700 each. Keep in mind you can bend any rim.