i am planning on replacing the rims and tires on my 05 325i does anyone have any suggestions on tires and do you know if staggered 18' csl replica rims would be to large for the 325? here is a link http://www.modbargains.com/product.aspx?pf_id=bmw-e46-wheels004 and a picture
Yes, staggered 18 inch CSL reps will fit on your 325 but you cant go wider than 245 in the rear unless you want to do some fender rolling. I would advise AGAINST the staggered set up. Wider tires in the rear than the front will only induce understeer and look cool. But If you are looking for a great handling set up its recomended that you use the same width tire all the way around. 235 all the way around is a great width and you will still be able to rotate your tires when you need to, which is difficult with staggered set up, you can only rotate side to side.
I replaced my factory 17" rims with 19" OEM M3 rims! HAve had no problems, they dont rub in turns! Very satisfied!!
for my '04 325i, i went with 18" Kontakt -staggered 8.5 front 9.5 for rear. I went with: 225/40ZR18 92Y RD front 255/35ZR18 94Y RD rear I wanted the roadster look from the back and fill the wheel wells, but i'm a girl, what do i know. The ride is awesome, but I don't speed, i float. Also, this is nice summer alternative, the dude is right, you'll get the best handling from using same width all around and be able to rotate, but like you guys always seem to say, you only live once. Be brave, I'd like to switch wheels often to change up the looks, but I'm gonna have trouble switching back this fall to the 16's. I'll probably invest in a winter look with 17's someday. happy wheel shopping!
Well it toke me a while to get use to it (looks), its grew on me though! From the back it just looks like a bad ass car... but thats just me, they threw the rear end up in the air though! But these will be coming off real soon cause I really just wanted a set and I wanted them fast so I somewhat settled for these, Im looking at tring to pick up a set of M6's! Lemme know if you see any! I really didnt notice a traction difference witht the offset!
I just got a used 2005 325i, same color and wheels as yours! I live in Michigan so I'm keeping the 16" wheels for the winter and may get winter performance tires. As for next spring, I'm also looking to upgrade but because of the bad roads here, I'm staying away from 18" wheels. I'll probably look for some used 17" bmw wheels and get some good performance tires from Tire Rack. My experience with too big wheels and tires is that they are heavy, and actually hurt the ride and handling as well as gas milage.
rims?? Hey guys im new to this club and I have a question considering the rims that I want to get on my 05 325xi. I was looking at the M6 rims and I really like them. I know a website that I can get them from. Should I go with the 19in. or the 18in.?
Most BMW rims do not fit other models. I do not know the specs on X5 or M6 rims but they are available on the web. The critical specs are lug spacing, centering bore and offset. In addition, the overall dimension of the tire must fit in the wheel well. Use the current tires as a reference.
Your 19" inch rims look nice on your car....I am looking at the same BMW performance style rim but was looking to only go up to 18" for my 330xi. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the set cost including installation, if any? Any thoughts on 18" vs. 19" other than preference?
yea i think i might get some 17's to what do you think about these, i found them pretty cheap ($600 for the set) at myhotbmw.com, but i dont know what size tire would be best for them since they wont sell me tires along with it so what do you think would be best
So what size would be best for normal driving with summer performance tires in Michigan on bad roads with a stock 2005 325i with stock shocks? 17" or 18"?? Will performance springs really help the handling, or do I need coil-overs? Thanks
More sidewall is better for bad roads. The ONLY reason to get 18 over 17 is aesthetics. Generally when one refers to coil-overs they mean "ride height adjustable". No you don't need that at all. They are useless actually to a typical driver. Performance springs will help. My recommendation is get $300 aftermarket anti-swaybars (UUC) then if you still want it stiffer get used sport package springs. The swaybars will make a big difference is perceived handling and will probably make you happy all-by-themselves. If you go to sport springs and are still not happy you will have to jump to a $1000 spring/shock package.
'Bad roads' require taller sidewalls. Go for the smaller wheels. I don't know. Can you 'outdrive' the stock springs? If you don't know the answer, you need to take a few driver schools to find out. Grattan and Gingerman are both neat little tracks. Mid Ohio and Road America aren't too far away and they're great tracks (and you can even stumble across passable instructors like me at RA). Improve the driver first. Then we can talk about the car ...
