E36 Rim Offsets and Widths

[crossb1988]

Hey Guys,

Just curious as to what rim widths will fit my 1993 325i 4 door sedan. I'm currently running with 17" AC Schnitzer 8" rims with 215/45/17z Falken FK542"s.

I want to go a size bigger to 18" Beyern manufactured rims (made for BMW) but they all have 8.5" and 9.5" widths for the rims.

How does that work? Can I run wider rims than 8" on the front and rear?

My bolt pattern is 5x120mm with a high positive offset of 40mm I believe.

Hypothetically if I were to go 18" 8.5 on the front and 18" 9.5 on the rear is that possible? And what tire sizes would work for those widths?

Thanks in advance. Any help would be much appreciated.

Brent.

[Lord Vader]

Welcome to Bimmerwerkz.

I have a 98 E36 sedan. I have 18" ASA AR1 rims. I have 8" wide in the front and 8.5" in the rear. With 8" wide wheels you have to roll your front fenders if you lower the car. I'mf you don't the rubbing will eventually chip your paint. The rears I have no issues with.

Tire size is 225/40R18 front and 245/35R18 rear.

[crossb1988]

Hey man I appreciate the quick response. That helps big time. My car isn't lowered as of right now so that's definitely something to think about. I'll probably end up going 8.5" all around so I can rotate the tires.

Cheers bud. Thanks again.

[Lord Vader]

I Definitley advocate for keeping the wheels "squared". Better for handling and performance. If you click the link in my signature and scroll down to the pic of the car with the black wheels that's how it looks at factory ride height. I took those pics before it was lowered. It'll give you an idea of what it looks like. Then imaging the fender sitting where the upper edge of the tire is and that's how it looks lowered. It cleans up the wheel gap.

[crossb1988]

Love the colour of your car, looks sharp. I think I will end up going 18 8.5"...I doubt I'll be lowering it unless the price is right. So by squared you mean same rim diameter (18") all around? I don't think I would ever stagger with different rim sizes in the front and rear. I guess my final question is if I were to go 18" 8.5" for the whole car, would the 225/40r18 be sufficient? I find that my Falken's at 215/45R/17 look too thick, like not enough like a low pro. The one's on the front of your car in the later pictures look good. Are those the ones?

[Lord Vader]

I'm not sure if 8.5" wide will fit on the front. When you look at it it's actually pretty wide. 8" would be best. Squaring them means same width all around. The front tires are actually taller then the rears. You don't want to go to low profile or it affects drivability. I like the height of my tires and wouldn't go any lower.

The black ones are the ASA 18"s.