personal opinions on wheel size?

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Jamie8GTi
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Thu Jul 25, 2013 11:18 pm

I'm building a more door e30 and i really cannot decide which wheel size is better suited to the e30!
originally my car came with the 14" bbs rz's which personally were far to small for me.
I think i will go for a bbs rs lookalike or maybe borbets but cannot decide between 16's and 17's

Im not hugely into all this "slammed look" I'm really after a nice ride height where normal roads and speedbumps pose no threat!

what do you guys think?
jmc330i
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Thu Jul 25, 2013 11:27 pm

15s or 16s, no bigger.
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Jamie8GTi
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:00 am

what about the 17" alpinas?
maxfield
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:04 am

E30s drive like shit on 17s. Especially 'alpinas'
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pac1982
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:08 am

no bigger than 16's really unless you just want looks and dont mind about it riding like a bag of masturbation then 17's but nothing bigger unless your part of the Bruv crew
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Kos
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:39 am

17's aren't that bad depending on th suspension you have fitted

Most e30's on 17" Alpina reps have cheap nasty suspension which is never going to help
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:43 am

What size are the original BBS x spokes?
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 6:40 am

Junglistjed wrote:What size are the original BBS x spokes?
15"

you should go no bigger than 16" IMO
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 7:15 am

BBS RX in 16"
Or is it too modern?
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Kos
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:31 am

They work
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joeyb
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:57 am

My heart says 16's for looks but my head says 15's for cheaper tyres lol
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:11 pm

joeyb wrote:my head says 15's for cheaper tyres lol
Not necessarally true. 205/55x15 are getting thin on the ground, especially in "better" makes, and 205/50x16 are not much dearer.
This is why I no longer drive an E30......

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magpie
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:14 pm

16" FTW.

hartge and alpina both made e30 wheels in 16 " for a reason .......


nuff said .
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:26 pm

magpie wrote:16" FTW.

hartge and alpina both made e30 wheels in 16 " for a reason .......


nuff said .
+1
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veeza
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:23 pm

bmw spent time and money designing e30s to run on 14" 15" 16"
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Fastroad
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:19 pm

17" RS :D
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:37 pm

I'm on 17" lenso's have apex springs boge gas dampers and mine is not like a gocart . I personally don't like bbs much and everyone has them. Find something original that you like. Is your car at the end of the day
if there wern't people like me,
with cars like mine,
who would you put down to make yourself feel better?
Jamie8GTi
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:21 pm

i was personally looking at 16's! just noticed a few for sale on 17's is the m3 at the top of the website page on 17's?
zd3bx
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:47 pm

16's are the sweet spot :) Not too big and not too small...Although, I'm still on my original 14" BBS'es. £50 for 4 new'ish tyres? Yes, please!
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:52 pm

hongkongfuey wrote:I'm on 17" lenso's have apex springs boge gas dampers and mine is not like a gocart . I personally don't like bbs much and everyone has them. Find something original that you like. Is your car at the end of the day
You don't like bbs. But aren't lensos bbs reps? :mad:
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:00 pm

hongkongfuey wrote:Find something original that you like. Is your car at the end of the day
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i like these
smithysmith wrote:
hongkongfuey wrote:I'm on 17" lenso's have apex springs boge gas dampers and mine is not like a gocart . I personally don't like bbs much and everyone has them. Find something original that you like. Is your car at the end of the day
You don't like bbs. But aren't lensos bbs reps? :mad:
he means basket weave innit .
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Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:40 pm

Topblag wrote:
magpie wrote:16" FTW.

hartge and alpina both made e30 wheels in 16 " for a reason .......


nuff said .
+1

+2
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hongkongfuey
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 9:05 am

smithysmith wrote:
hongkongfuey wrote:I'm on 17" lenso's have apex springs boge gas dampers and mine is not like a gocart . I personally don't like bbs much and everyone has them. Find something original that you like. Is your car at the end of the day
You don't like bbs. But aren't lensos bbs reps? :mad:
Mine are 7 spoke.
if there wern't people like me,
with cars like mine,
who would you put down to make yourself feel better?
penton08
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 9:38 am

I had 17s on my old turd and it drove fine, the myth comes from wobbly old Alpina reps fitted to cars with fooked suspension.
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joeyb
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 10:32 am

StuBeeDoo wrote:
joeyb wrote:my head says 15's for cheaper tyres lol
Not necessarally true. 205/55x15 are getting thin on the ground, especially in "better" makes, and 205/50x16 are not much dearer.
I was talking about 195/50 - much cheaper!
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Fastroad
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 12:52 pm

Purist:
E30 - 14" or 15" basket weaves - Alpina 16"
E30 M3 - 15" or 16" Basket weaves - alpina 16"

If the turd has over 100k miles and your slapping it with after market wheels go with anything over 16" (only basket weaves and alpinas look ok in 16") and if your turd don't ride right, stop using cheap aftermarket sh*t and buy some better quality parts.

Never had any problems with shakes or wobbles on the daily absue turds and I have run 17" and 18", next missions is to cut one up and fit 19" and see how close I can get it to the ground and then put my Fat friends in the back and see how long them cheap tyres last or the bottom of the zhaust

*My current cars are running the purist 16" Basket weaves, purist at heart but like to mod sh*tters * :mad:
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Kos
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:39 pm

joeyb wrote:
StuBeeDoo wrote:
joeyb wrote:my head says 15's for cheaper tyres lol
Not necessarally true. 205/55x15 are getting thin on the ground, especially in "better" makes, and 205/50x16 are not much dearer.
I was talking about 195/50 - much cheaper!
which look shit on an e30
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:42 pm

I agree with Kos - I had 195/50s on my car they looked like shopping trolley wheels. 205/55 are much better, and you can still get Toyo Proxes in that size, which is all that matters.
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:50 pm

Grrrmachine wrote:I agree with Kos - I had 195/50s on my car they looked like shopping trolley wheels. 205/55 are much better, and you can still get Toyo Proxes in that size, which is all that matters.
+1
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Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:36 pm

And falken 912 which are better in the wet IMO and according to the new tests.
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reggid
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:14 am

16x7 Alpina 205/50/16 michelin pilot sport 3 or conti extreme contact DW
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Jamie8GTi
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:31 am

i personally think the bbs rs wheels suit the e30 perfectly, also love the borbets.. at the end of the day for a set of borbets you are looking 900 new and rs.. :S over 1500 so i have no problem running reps as i have before and if you mess one up no biggy.
besides these are just the bling wheels i've got a set of battered rz's for sliding!

were those wheels above in the picture rota grid v's? they did look pretty good :)
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:53 am

Size wise 15" or 16"!!!

Can tell the difference in comfort levels - 15's are a lot more comfortable on crap roads, but I feel like it handles better on the 16" schnitzers!!!
I am running h&r coilovers though, so comfort levels may not differ much on softer/standard suspension!!!
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reggid
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Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:55 am

miniblob wrote:Size wise 15" or 16"!!!

Can tell the difference in comfort levels - 15's are a lot more comfortable on crap roads, but I feel like it handles better on the 16" schnitzers!!!
I am running h&r coilovers though, so comfort levels may not differ much on softer/standard suspension!!!
depends on the tyres, my alpinas on michelin ride better than the 15" basketweaves on bridgetstone with stiff sidewalls
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Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:19 pm

I think ride confort will always come down to tyres, I was thinking toyo proxes. I run a super grippy set of Falken fk452's on my Passat and considering the 35mm profile on 18's the car rides like a dream! Only thing is with an m50 lump and an LSD I think soft compounds won't really do the trick on this puppy, anyone recommend a good solid tyre that'll take a bit of abuse? (:
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