will bilstein HD shocks make space for m3 wheels?

[maxslomoff]

hello,
i cracked a rim so i needed to find new ones fast. i found a good deal on m3 wheels from a 2001 so i got em. the rears are 9 inches wide and the tires rub against the car. the body only sits 1 inch above the edge of the tires.

i have a 95 325is.

my roommate says that if i replace the shock absorbers it will raise the car. he says i don't need to replace the coil springs though. he used to be a mercedes mechanic... but he's also the one that told me these tires would work so i don't fully trust his opinion. i was noticing even before i replaced the wheels that the back end seemed to sag, and unevenly so. the left side is lower.

will bilstein HD shock absorbers raise the back end of my car 3-4 inches? will it even the two sides out? finally, will i need to get another alignment? (i just got one 1 month before i switched the wheels)

thanks a lot for your input. i really appreciate it.
max
http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/ima...lies/smile.gif

[ss325]

you need new wheels. dont the e46 m3's come with like 19 inch wheels? you shouldnt go any bigger then 17's. Also, hd shocks should not raise your car. the only thing a shock does is prevents your car from bouncing by using a fluid filled damper system. however, when i replaced the rear shocks on me old 325 with bilstein hd's, i really think it did raise the rear about a centimeter. I dont know how, but it did

[maxslomoff]

thanks a lot for the reply ss325.

the wheels are only 18" diameter. my previous set of wheels were also 18" diameter. they were replica m3 wheels of the same style. the difference between the replica and the 2001 OEM M3 wheels is the staggered fitment apparently. the fronts are 8" wide and the rears are 9" wide. in effect, the rear wheels stick out just enough to rub on the lip of the wheel well, where the other wheels would just push up inside it...

the tires on these wheels seem to have a large profile, they stand about 3" off the wheels.

[maxslomoff]

well i guess i should have read up before i listened to my roommate and ran and bought these things... i've found a couple posts saying they wont fit, which i guess is obvious to me now.

but of my two options, which is cheaper:

1) sell the wheels and get new ones?

2) raise the rear with different springs?

here's a guy with 19s on his car:
///Men0z: 98 E36, Kit, HID,CCFL, Lots Of Mods - carle place, New York

and these rims do look sweet. it'd be sad to see them go.
m

[Nick_318is]

Option 1, you don't want to raise the car. Let me guess the m3 wheels offset is wrong in the back causing them to stick out too far and you get all these problems. You can probably find some of those that actually fit.

[SHAHAB323IS]

Originally Posted by ss325

you need new wheels. dont the e46 m3's come with like 19 inch wheels? you shouldnt go any bigger then 17's. Also, hd shocks should not raise your car. the only thing a shock does is prevents your car from bouncing by using a fluid filled damper system. however, when i replaced the rear shocks on me old 325 with bilstein hd's, i really think it did raise the rear about a centimeter. I dont know how, but it did

it's because your old suspension was worn out