17 inch rims and wheels

I was going to opt for narrower tires and 17" rims for my 35i but the dealership told me the 35i has larger brakes and requires 18" rims. I don't always trust the dealership knowing what will and will not fit... below is a screen capture from RealOEM

I did read that the 35i has bigger brakes and the smallest you should go would be an 18" tire. In all the 35i pictures I've seen, I don't recall seeing anyone that switched down to 17's. Why don't you call the dealer service department to see what they say for a second opinion? I ran my 19" 309's last winter and they did great, but it wasn't a typical winter in Michigan. We only got 70" of snow where normally we get 125+" of snow.

Originally Posted by BMW4grrl

Hi Slam & kglo...good and bad news.

Good news, the 17' package is still being offered at $2,300. Didn't talk to Tony D. who was off today but they still have some packages kicking around.

Bad news...I was told the 17" would not fit on my vehicle which is the 35i. I questioned him about it and after he seemed to look up a few things I was told that the 35i has a bigger breaking package which would only fit 18" wheels and up. Worse news, the current price for the V-spoke 307's are $3,723. The parts guy is going to have Tony D. call me tomorrow after looking for a set from last year.

Can anyone confirm that the 35i can only take 18" wheels and up??

Thanks everyone!

Thanks for checking - I have the 28i so this would definitely work for me. I'll call them to order this - thanks for the info Slam, definitely saved a few bucks on BMW orig wheels.

I'm calling my BMW mechanic and a couple of BMW's service dept.

lbjgh...from what I can see the pads are identical. The part #'s are the same. I used the site to look up the callipers too. Same part number for the 28i and 35i. So it looks like everythings the same. But I know zip about car mechanics and brakes, etc. so I need have someone walk me through this.

Thanks for the research!

I honestly don't know why there is a difference in winter tires when the specs are the same. Besides "Tony" speak to the service advisors, they might be helpful, especially given the huge price difference in tire price.

My mechanic spoke with his dealership service contact and here's what he found out. Both the 28i and 35i have the same brake part #'s. However, for the 28i "part" it says for 28i only. So he's just as confused.

He suggested to get on the phone with Tire Rack. They recommend both the 17" and 18" wheels for the 35i. I'll go over all this with them and find out why they are listing the 17" as an option. If they will accept the 17" back if they don't fit and pick up the shipping I think Ill do that.

He said that I should think twice about buying last years wheel packages. The tires are probably 2-3 years old which will lessen their useful life to me. I am not sure how relevant this is to me. My last set of winter tires were driven for 9 seasons and had about 45,000 KM on them. I think they would have just take me through one more winter.

Originally Posted by BMW4grrl

My mechanic spoke with his dealership service contact and here's what he found out. Both the 28i and 35i have the same brake part #'s. However, for the 28i "part" it says for 28i only. So he's just as confused.

He suggested to get on the phone with Tire Rack. They recommend both the 17" and 18" wheels for the 35i. I'll go over all this with them and find out why they are listing the 17" as an option. If they will accept the 17" back if they don't fit and pick up the shipping I think Ill do that.

He said that I should think twice about buying last years wheel packages. The tires are probably 2-3 years old which will lessen their useful life to me. I am not sure how relevant this is to me. My last set of winter tires were driven for 9 seasons and had about 45,000 KM on them. I think they would have just take me through one more winter.

Thanks for the update and still don't understand their rationale on why the 17" won't fit. I also don't understand the shelf life of winter tires, especially when they are unused and new.

Mechanics wonder why their reputations are not very good. I still wonder if my 17" winters are a good deal when they might be a year+ old.

I did end up getting this set of tires (just purchased them about an hour ago) - since I will have a 28i. The guy I talked to in parts, Dennis, also said that the 35i has different brakes (as already discussed here on the thread).

I think its a pretty good deal - for me, I was more interested in getting the BMW factory wheels. The tires, hopefully are ok too. They said that they ordered too many last winter, and because it was so mild, didn't sell out all the stock.

Originally Posted by kglo

I did end up getting this set of tires (just purchased them about an hour ago) - since I will have a 28i. The guy I talked to in parts, Dennis, also said that the 35i has different brakes (as already discussed here on the thread).

I think its a pretty good deal - for me, I was more interested in getting the BMW factory wheels. The tires, hopefully are ok too. They said that they ordered too many last winter, and because it was so mild, didn't sell out all the stock.

Excellent news...glad you purchased the winters and also the discount. Check the tires for the BMW caps, they were missing on the RIMs, so I had to return to the dealership.

Hi guys, I called Tire Rack today.

They said they would guarantee that the 17" wheels would fit my 35i. I questioned them, went over the whole bigger brake thing and they said that they have done their due diligence and if the website says my car, trim level, etc. will accept the smaller wheels than it's a sure thing. It's nice to know that they will stand behind what they recommend.

So here's my dilema...we all are pretty sure that 17" will fit. Should I risk it and buy the $2,300 set from Autohaus or go with Tire Rack. After freight and duty the price difference is only $200! I can choose rims that will accept the BMW centre cap so they will look factory.

I guess all sales are final on the $2,300 set. The last thing I would want to do is have to sell them.

Originally Posted by BMW4grrl

Hi guys, I called Tire Rack today.

They said they would guarantee that the 17" wheels would fit my 35i. I questioned them, went over the whole bigger brake thing and they said that they have done their due diligence and if the website says my car, trim level, etc. will accept the smaller wheels than it's a sure thing. It's nice to know that they will stand behind what they recommend.

So here's my dilema...we all are pretty sure that 17" will fit. Should I risk it and buy the $2,300 set from Autohaus or go with Tire Rack. After freight and duty the price difference is only $200! I can choose rims that will accept the BMW centre cap so they will look factory.

I guess all sales are final on the $2,300 set. The last thing I would want to do is have to sell them.

Try BMW Canada. I had a similar tire problem with my Mercedes and called the help desk for an opinion.

I know so little about cars and would believe anything mechanics say. Interesting Tire Rack say they work, but the BMW dealership would advise otherwise.

Don't worry about the caps. They're standard size and you can purchase them for about $15 each.

hello everyone,
A reputable tire dealer in Vancouver has suggested the following for my x3 35i:
17" wheel and tire
Wheel should be 17x7 or 17x7.5
The tire size will be 225/60/17
This tire dealer has equipped many high end cars including BMWs.
Snow isn't usually an issue here in Vancouver, BC Canada.
I will probably choose the following:
Touren TR9 $130 each - Silver
Hankook W409 tires $192 each
Installation and balancing $50.

I also asked about the TPMS and should I be concerned not having it in my snow tires. Because my BMW was manufactured for Canada, the TPMS is part of the braking (ABS) system. This system monitors the rotation of the tires and if there is a lot of difference ( low air in any tire ), the computer will inform the driver. Whereas, if the BMW was manufatured for USA drivers, the TPMS is part of the valve stem. Drivers driving without the TPMS in their wheels will see a warning on their dash.

Originally Posted by BMW4grrl

Hi guys, I called Tire Rack today.

They said they would guarantee that the 17" wheels would fit my 35i. I questioned them, went over the whole bigger brake thing and they said that they have done their due diligence and if the website says my car, trim level, etc. will accept the smaller wheels than it's a sure thing. It's nice to know that they will stand behind what they recommend.

So here's my dilema...we all are pretty sure that 17" will fit. Should I risk it and buy the $2,300 set from Autohaus or go with Tire Rack. After freight and duty the price difference is only $200! I can choose rims that will accept the BMW centre cap so they will look factory.

I guess all sales are final on the $2,300 set. The last thing I would want to do is have to sell them.

Personally, if given choice between factory vs. replica, I'll stick to factory and its less so for the looks than the strength of the rim itself. Stories about replica wheels being easier to bend/warp scare me. Do a Google search on "factory vs. replica wheels bmw" and there are loads of info where this has been debated

Definitely make sure though that the factory 28i kit will work on your 35i.

Though if you do go Tirerack route, I am sure it should be fine too. Many people have used them and they have a good reputation. It is the unknown local shops that sell cheap replicas that concern me more.

17" DONOT fit the 35i The brakes are larger been there done that the 17" rim contacts the brake rotor unless you get some strange offset it will not work I found a set of used 18's from a x5 worked fine..

Originally Posted by 04prox2

17" DONOT fit the 35i The brakes are larger been there done that the 17" rim contacts the brake rotor unless you get some strange offset it will not work I found a set of used 18's from a x5 worked fine..

Hi,
I have a 35i and have successfully installed 17 inch wheels with no problems.
Touren TR9; 17x7; 42 mm offset

The rotors and other brake components are the same between the 28i and 35i (see post 26 above).

Please provide evidence of larger rotors on the 35i....

Originally Posted by 04prox2

17" DONOT fit the 35i The brakes are larger been there done that the 17" rim contacts the brake rotor unless you get some strange offset it will not work I found a set of used 18's from a x5 worked fine..

Has anyone contacted the BMW Help Service for an opinion regarding the tire size?

Originally Posted by slambmw

Has anyone contacted the BMW Help Service for an opinion regarding the tire size?

the bmw winter tire package for 17 inch wheels is
225/60R17

Exactly the same size I mentioned in quote 37.

Originally Posted by BMW4grrl

My mechanic spoke with his dealership service contact and here's what he found out. Both the 28i and 35i have the same brake part #'s. However, for the 28i "part" it says for 28i only. So he's just as confused.

He suggested to get on the phone with Tire Rack. They recommend both the 17" and 18" wheels for the 35i. I'll go over all this with them and find out why they are listing the 17" as an option. If they will accept the 17" back if they don't fit and pick up the shipping I think Ill do that.

He said that I should think twice about buying last years wheel packages. The tires are probably 2-3 years old which will lessen their useful life to me. I am not sure how relevant this is to me. My last set of winter tires were driven for 9 seasons and had about 45,000 KM on them. I think they would have just take me through one more winter.

One of the 4 tires I purchased on special from Autohaus was manufactured in 2008 all other 3 were 2011. The 08's is a bit old and hope it won't give me too much trouble. I was told the rubber compound age over time, therefore instead of 9 seasons in your case may become 5. Even if I have to replace one tire, it still was a good deal. By the way, not sure if I can replace just one tire...would it affects the performance...anyone? Guess I can try too drive them really hard and replace the whole set after 4/5 seasons. Unfortunately I have to take them back to rebalance twice. The second time the dealer said the road force was too high?? In general I feel the winter tires are harder and bumpier to ride on in comparison with the all season, they are both RFT.

@2625, I never even thought to check the date code on the wheel/tire package from BMW Autohaus. I just assumed they would be manufactured in 2011.

The date is harder to read once the tires were installed because it is only printed on one side of tire.

Didn't check my winter tires on the mfg. date, but still don't understand why rubber would have an expiry date?

We're only a few years apart and a tire that can withstand high speeds, rough/wet roads, frequent temperature changes with snow/ice cannot handle sitting in a dry warehouse???

Hey Slam... here is some reading for ya.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...rticle1358907/

Originally Posted by slambmw

Didn't check my winter tires on the mfg. date, but still don't understand why rubber would have an expiry date?

We're only a few years apart and a tire that can withstand high speeds, rough/wet roads, frequent temperature changes with snow/ice cannot handle sitting in a dry warehouse???

Originally Posted by lbjgh

Hey Slam... here is some reading for ya.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...rticle1358907/

Thanks and really appreciate the info!

I perform normal driving approx 24K annually switching each season. So 3-4 years the entire set is replaced and lifespan is not much of an issue. Yet, there should be better regulation to enforce retailers to divulge this information, especially to less frequent drivers.