What year/model BMW wheels are the closest fit to our cars?

 

None. BMW will have a metric bolt pattern.

 

BMWs rims = 120mm lugcentric bolt pattern.

our 4.75" rims = 120.65mm lugcentric bolt pattern.

the .65mm diff is less then the warpage 90% of our cars have from people using impacts on the lugs, compressing the alum

therefore, yes... some BMW rims do fit our cars.

however, there are alot of offset options.



i dont know his exact answer, but it can be found with a search..

 

BMWs have a 5 x 120mm bolt pattern. Our cars have a 5 x 4 3/4" bolt pattern, which = 5 x 120.65mm. It's tight, but they do fit.

Factory BMW rims are not hubcentric, and special hubcentric rings are required to make them work on our cars. Most aftermarket rims are hubcentric, however, and do fit.

If you do a search, you'll find literally dozens of threads on here about BMW rims fitting our cars. I appreciate your responding, but how can someone become a moderator and not know they fit when that has been discussed so often on this board? Moderators are supposed to be knowledgable about the boards they moderate, aren't they?

I asked the question about models which fit closest because most sites selling aftermarket wheels don't list them by bolt pattern, offset, backspace, etc., They list wheels by car model. I know 3 series, 5 series and 7 series rims fit, and I'm pretty sure M-series fit, too, but one model has offset and backspacing pretty close to ours, and knowing that will make finding wheels much easier.

 

Thanks for responding, dude, but I did a search and read every thread concerning BMW wheels; specific models weren't discussed. That's why I'm asking the question.

 

None that I know of will fit directly without using spacers. But any Beemer wheel with a 5 X 120 mm pattern could theoretically be made to fit with the use of spacers.

 

Actually, it looks like it's six of one, a half dozen of the other. Apparently, M5 wheels have just a slight + offset and will fit without spacers, but then you run into the grease caps on the front hubs not fitting beneath the wheels' center caps. I'm thinking a +20mm offset with spacers would be the best bet, still giving a "deep lip" look, but also allowing the grease caps to fit, too.

I still don't know what models have that offset, though.

 

just FYI, our wheels are also lugcentric, not hubcentric.

the centers are close to hold the wheel in place, until you bolt it on, but they are not actually located by the center ring.

bolt on wheel adapters dont even have the center ring...

however, the hub rings are used to located the brake rotor...


i think i said it wrong above, but the BMW wheels are hubcentric.
you'll have to work out your solution to that, but i would probly end up converting the rims to a self centering lugcentric design...


also, pay careful attention to widths.. most BMW wheels, both factory and aftermarket are narrower then our stock rims...


some of the 5 and 7 series have almost the same backspacing that is needed for our 3rdgens.. however, id go on a case by case basis... espcially if you're going wider then stock BMW size, since you dont know how they have their offset.

some of the 5 series rims are very close to 4thgen size.. meaning you need a 2" bolt on spacer.
if you get thoes, and have custom spacers made, it could be a perfect bolt on, and its just as safe and just like when people put 4thgen rims on their 3rdgens.... only you'll pay $50 or so more in spacers then the normal 4thgen spacers....

 

Thanks for responding. I'm a little fuzzy on hubcentric and lug centric. Can you help me with it?

As I understand it, hubcentric wheels are centered on the car by the fit of the center bore of the wheel over hub on the brake rotor in front, and by the lip on the brake rotor on the rear.

Lugcentric wheels are centered by the lugs themselves.

Now, many of the BMW wheels are lug centric, not hub centric, and the center bore of the wheel, which fits snugly over the hub for the length of the center bore in our cars, actually becomes wider as you move towards the inside of BMW wheels, causing a loose fit. I understood the fix for this was with a hubcentric ring adapter, like this:

http://www.justforwheels.com/index.j...entric&sub=how

Am I wrong on any of this, and how would you convert a wheel to lugcentric?

Thanks

 

you got it right..
the way i convert it would be dependant upon the exact wheels i intend to run.. but assuming theres enough metal, and its currently flat id probably make the "reverse acorn" divots around the center of the rim, like our stock rims have, then id hone/bore out the center so it clears all the way around with some room to spare.
unless it was a newer rim that needed a spacer.. in that case, id make conversion bolt on spacers.

 

I've read 5 and 7 series wheels fit, but as you've said this is very general. I dont ever remember seeing exact specs, closest was the wheel diameter and what car is came off (I remember I saw 18's from a '00 5 series w/ sport package). If I were you and serious about running BMW wheels, I would do research on the BMW wheels themselves and determine all the common backspacing, offset, and width combos that come from the factory. Then match it up to what you'd need on a 3rdgen to see whats close.

 

Here's what I'm looking at: They're 17 x 8 1/2" front (shown), with +13 mm offset, and 17 X 10" rear, with a +15" offset. The fronts have a 4 1/2" backspace. I'm thinking it would take a 1/2" spacer to get them to work on the front, I'm just not sure if that would be enough to clear the grease caps.

 

This is actually the one I prefer, but they don't make them anymore and I haven't been able to locate any. Wish I'd bought them two years ago when they were easy to find!

 

Backspace is 133mm(5,23") at 8,5" wheels(et 13)

 

Do you have experience with those wheels? The manufacturer says 4 1/2".

Looking at it, I don't see how there could be 5.23" backspace. Wheel width is calculated by measuring from the inside lip to the inside lip of the wheel Centerline is established by measuring from the outside lip to the outside lip. Offset is the measurement of the distance from the mounting surface to the centerline, and backspace is calculated by measuring the distance from the mounting surface to the outside lip of the rear of the wheel.

Now, the outside-outside measurement is almost always .75" to 1" wider than the advertised, inside-inside wheel width, so a wheel with an advertised width of 8.5" would have an outside-outside width of between 9.25" to 9.5", so the wheel's centerline would be between4.625" and 4.75". The offset of +13mm = .512", so we'll round it off to .5". Adding the offset to the centerline gives the backspace (when it's a "+" offset), so that would yield a backspace of 5.125" to 5.25".

Hmmmmm looks like you're right!

 

I've been giving this further thought. The ad just says "et 13mm" for the offset. If that "et 13mm" denoted a -13mm offset, rather than a +13mm offset, that would leave a backspace of 4 1/2". If that is true, I don't think there's any way I can run those wheels; I'd never be able to space them out far enough for the center caps to clear the grease caps on the rotors.

I thought when there was no "+" or "-" on the offset, you automatically read it as "+". Am I wrong there?

 

There is + and - offset.If it reads for example "et 13" it means +13mm positive offset.

 

Whew, that's what I thought.

When you posted that backspace earlier, was it from actual experience with that wheel, or did you just calculate it from the numbers I'd posted?

 

I have 8,5x17 et 13 wheels at my z(by the way,bmw wheels)Been there over five years whitout problems,but it is highly recommend use centering rings between hub and wheel(make wheel hubcentric)

 

ahhh ... that's another one of my questions! What rings (sizes) did you use? Do you remember where you got them?

Also, did you use adapters? If so, which did you use? How about the grease caps fitting behind the wheel's center caps?

any pics of the wheels on your car?

 

Outside of that centering rim is 74,2mm(E39 center bore) and inside is 70,6mm(Camaro's hub)Local machinist made them to me.
I have also used 6mm thick centering spacers,wish makes offset suitable.Grease cap fittings were deep enough at mine wheels(over 70mm)
Picture: http://www.carwaxzaino.fi/customer/c...ide_silver.jpg

 

Wow, your car is beautiful, and those wheels look great on it. Congratulations, and thanks for the help.

 

Thanks,nice to hear that.