wheel offset

Post Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:47 am

Hi Everybody

Guys, i have the following problem... I own a 318 cabrio and want to change the wheels to alpina replica 17x7,5". I thought the right offset is ET20. Is that right? The thing is that i am seriously thinking to upgrade my car to 325, which means changing all mechanical parts. Of course i am not sure when i ll be able to do the mod or if i shall do it at all... I read somewhere the wheel offset for 325 cabrio is ET35. Is that true? Why is there a difference? If that's true, what should i do? I'd like to buy now the wheels (since i need new tyres as well) but i don't want to have unpleasant surpsises when i do the mod and be forced to throw my new wheels away because they would'n fit the 325... What to you know about that? Thank you!
Tasos

Post Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:54 pm

I don't know about the Cabrio but I think the normal 325 is around ET25.

Aston

Post Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:59 pm

i thought they were same et

Post Wed Apr 20, 2005 3:02 pm

most people on here running alpinas bolt them striaght on? with hubcentric rings so they sit flush on the hub, that all i think i know lol...

but the et ofset on the e30 is around 25, bbs 15 are 24 i think. u can use lower ofset but will stick out, use hight ofset and will push in the wing, where you need to use spacers.

but i think you shuold be find, offset is on the wheels, what the off set on the alpinas?

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:23 pm

i spoke to 3 shops in UK for Alpinas replicas, one of them said it has both ET35 and ET20, another talked only for ET35... I am getting confused...

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 4:51 pm

you need the et20 ones for sure

john

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:01 pm

offset is the same on all e30's apart from M3's et25 being your ideal a little more each way will be ok though. As Jon says et20 for sure

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:50 pm

I own (and don't ask why) a 318i conv and a 325i conv; both cars have had 14" alloys ET30, 15" BMW BBS ET24 and 16" Hartges ET25 and no rubbing or difference between the two cars was perceived. The 325 is certainly not ET35.

I wouldn't get hung up about having a 325 over the 318 - yes it's a bit quicker but the 4-cyl is a lot lighter (at least 10%) and handles better, though of course putting 17" wheels on will spoil the handling anyway IMHO (unless you drive on a race circuit all the time) and make it much more likely that you'll be off into the scenery on a wet day

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:53 pm

thank you all very much. i think et20 or et25 would be fine. i do have doubts about the 17". maby a 16" would be more reasonable. but i find it difficult to find a really nice wheel 16" fitting e30. and alpina replicas dont come woth 16"

Any ideas on 16" wheels?

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 5:29 pm

buy the real alpina's! they are much better and classy

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 5:49 pm

moutraklas wrote:thank you all very much. i think et20 or et25 would be fine. i do have doubts about the 17". maby a 16" would be more reasonable. but i find it difficult to find a really nice wheel 16" fitting e30. and alpina replicas dont come woth 16" Any ideas on 16" wheels?

Real 'pinas like Si said - much better wheels (in terms of how they're made) & better for handling too... Or Hartges...

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:07 pm

16s are a good compromise for real road surfaces - you don't want the sidewall too small. I think the Hartges look better than Alpinas, and are very easy to clean having only 11 spokes each a handswidth apart.

Copies will never be as strong as the real thing, whatever you buy.

Lizzie (moderator) seems to have them on her 'signature', and if you send me your email address I can send you a jpeg of mine.

Post Tue May 03, 2005 1:47 pm

BBS multispoke are the ones i have now...
Me too, i think they are ET24 but what is their width? They could be used as a guide...

Post Tue May 03, 2005 2:01 pm

Bizarrely, the handbook says they should all be ET35! That's an early old handbook though C1985

Post Wed May 04, 2005 8:25 pm

15" BBS multispoke are 7J
the 16" Hartges are 7.5J - I have 205/50/16s on these and they handle very well, not noticably different/harder from the 15" BBS with 205/55/15s, but both are worlds better than the 14" alloys with 195/65/14s, prob as these are only 6.5J

I have a 15" BBS in the garage with no tyre - I've just measured its width, and for those of you interested in such things, it is 8 inches from outermost edge to innermost, but 7 inches (the 7J) across from inside the inner and outer rims.... did that make any sense?