ac schnitzer Alloys...help needed

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 15:54

Hi

just purchased some ac schnitzer type two alloys which are 9J x 17" for the front and 10J x 17" for the rear. Does anybody know if i need spacers and all the extras to get the wheels fitting nice on a Z3 M Roadster.

cheers

Andrew330Ci · Post by **Andrew330Ci** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 16:39

Lovely choice of wheel, sorry dont have any helpful comments though.

How much did you pay for them? Be sure to post pictures afterwards!

Andrew

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 17:04

9J is very wide for the front, a long as the offset isn't too "aggressive" / low then you might get away with it (def no spacers needed). With the rear, again 10J is wide, but if it's 5-series offset, something like ET15 they should go straight on fine. Are they definite 9 front and 10 rear? Also without knowing the offsets it's difficult to say what you'd need.

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 17:05

I hope these are the 3-piece splits that ended on ebay today recently... they were absolutely stunning

exdos · Post by **exdos** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 17:58

Yes, 9J is huge for the front. 8.5J is the usual upgrade size and this takes a 235 tyre. You wouldn't want any wider tyre than that.

Dav · Post by **Dav** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 18:37

The answer to your question is totally dependant on the offset figure for the front and rears.

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 20:12

The offset for the front is ET13 and the offset for the rear is ET19. What sort of stuff should i get to make them fit well.

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 20:33

Schnitzer wrote:The offset for the front is ET13 and the offset for the rear is ET19. What sort of stuff should i get to make them fit well.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but they won't fit on a Z3 or Z3M. The front offset is way out and the wheels will sit really far out. The rear wheels would be ok, could even add a 10mm spacer as the Z3M runs very strange/low rear offset but the front offset is regular 3-series offset (around ET40). They're 5-series wheels.

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Sun 15 Jun, 2008 21:02

really!!!!! So there is no way of making them fit then?

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 06:59

I would beg to differ, in Germany people run those offsets all day long! The key is in the tyres, you'll need to size the tyres to suit the fitment, a slight stretch can compensate for a low offset.

Dav · Post by **Dav** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 08:05

yalden wrote:I would beg to differ, in Germany people run those offsets all day long! The key is in the tyres, you'll need to size the tyres to suit the fitment, a slight stretch can compensate for a low offset.

I really don't understand what difference the tyre size is going to make to the position of the wheel on the hub. Yes, you can put these wheels on the front of your M but the fact is they will protrude 47mm (1.75 inches) out from the position of your original wheels giving you the Carlos Fandango effect. Here is my usual reminder of what that is:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqqZ28m8uCo

I don't see what difference putting stretched tyre sizes on the wheel will make but I am always willing to learn.

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 12:37

Tyres are usually the first element of a wheel/tyre setup to foul any part of the car, inner arch, fender, strut etc. A smaller tyre, lesser profile, with stretching will reduce the risk of contact.

As for wheels protruding arches... to some that's the aim, take my old car for example... standard E36 rear arches housing Hartge Design E wheels that I custom rebuilt to 9.5J ET23. No problems with fitment due to my tyre sizes (225/35/17).

Click...

If the author of the thread wants wheels that fit without any rubbing issues I think you can work it fine. If you want wheels that sit tight inside the arches then perhaps takes the advice of those above.

PhoenixCoupe · Post by **PhoenixCoupe** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 12:59

My understanding was that Schnitzer wheels were universal and the offset was altered to suit various models using spacers - 2 different deakers told me that.

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 13:06

PhoenixCoupe wrote:My understanding was that Schnitzer wheels were universal and the offset was altered to suit various models using spacers - 2 different deakers told me that.

But if the wheel starts at ET13 you can't take anything off so you can't work it that way. It only works the other way, say start off with ET40 and you can add spacers if you need to space the wheel outwards.

I don't think they're universal as the 5 series usually have deeper dish compared to the 3-series versions (Racing Type 2 is a good example).

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 13:14

yalden wrote:Tyres are usually the first element of a wheel/tyre setup to foul any part of the car, inner arch, fender, strut etc. A smaller tyre, lesser profile, with stretching will reduce the risk of contact.

As for wheels protruding arches... to some that's the aim, take my old car for example... standard E36 rear arches housing Hartge Design E wheels that I custom rebuilt to 9.5J ET23. No problems with fitment due to my tyre sizes (225/35/17).

Click...

If the author of the thread wants wheels that fit without any rubbing issues I think you can work it fine. If you want wheels that sit tight inside the arches then perhaps takes the advice of those above.

I can see from those pictures that the wheel sticks out slightly from the arches, the only reason they dont rub is that you must have had stiff suspension along wth the tapered/stretched tyres which is a look some poeple like but some don't, it's not really a performance choice. I know E36s don't have that much space at the back like Z3s for wider wheels and a 225 is too thin IMO on a Z3M even on the front if you're upgrading your wheels.

But on your rears you had only deviated from 8.5" (say factory M3 rear wheels which sit fairly far in the arch anyway) with offset ET40 to plus 1" in wheel width and "plus" 17mm on the offset (29mm further outwards), but those ACS wheels are going to be 1.5" wider plus the 25mm offset (extra 44mm outwards).

It won't look right as the front will be way wider than the rear which isn't going to look right on a Z3M.

Fixer · Post by **Fixer** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 13:17

I’ve just taken a set of genuine AC type two off my Zed, they were 8 ½ J x 18 ET 43 and they had 7m spacers fitted to clear the leg.
The tyres sizes are 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear.
They looked stunning and didn’t stick out but I like the ride with the standard wheels and tyres on better.

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 13:21

Yea, with 8.5" on the front you really want something more like ET35 which is what you created using the 7mm spacers. I bet they sat quite flush with the front? just imagine anotyher 1/2" [1/4"] width and 22mm in offset!!!

Fixer · Post by **Fixer** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 13:24

Your right C_W

That’s why I’ve quoted the sizes to give a comparison.
7 1/2 would have been nice on the front but the 18" start from 8 1/2 upwards.

Dav · Post by **Dav** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 15:14

Fixer wrote:I’ve just taken a set of genuine AC type two off my Zed, they were 8 ½ J x 18 ET 43 and they had 7m spacers fitted to clear the leg.

I am quite surprised by that. Were you running on the original suspension?
I understood you could get away with a 40 offset with 8 1/2 rims on the front (3mm less than yours) whih would bring you 12mm closer to the leg.

Fixer · Post by **Fixer** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 15:32

I am quite surprised by that. Were you running on the original suspension?

Well I’m not the first owner and the wheels came with the car but I assume the suspension is standard
Like I said before they looked great and that’s one of the reasons I bought the car but the steering was awful, I seemed to be fighting with it all the time, it was fine in a straight line but try a fast bend and you were in big trouble, the other reason I took them off is with the stretched tyres there’s no kerb protection at all.
I suppose it could have been the tyre make that caused the problem but I wasn’t about to experiment with different tyres because the kerbing problem would still be there.
The car drives perfect now with the standard wheels and tyres back on

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 20:07

thanks for all the info guys....just to clear up what is the best size alloy to go for then which keeps the ride perfect???

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Mon 16 Jun, 2008 20:57

Schnitzer wrote:thanks for all the info guys....just to clear up what is the best size alloy to go for then which keeps the ride perfect???

17" is probably best to maintain the current ride, but a lot of people have gone for 18s which are the limit for me for an every day "ride". Some do have 19s but I think the ride and handling can only suffer.

Only problem with aftermarket wheels for the Z3M is that for them to look right they need to be staggered which limits choice a LOT, then factor in the rear offset which is unique in BMWs then the choice is pretty much non-existent. Luckily the 5-series offset is close so most aftermarket wheels can be a combination of 3-series front and 5-series on the rear (with a small spacer if required).

Justin Time · Post by **Justin Time** » Tue 17 Jun, 2008 12:18

Dependent upon the offset of the chosen alloy wheels, 18's are a good choice. I went up from 16's to 18's and the tramlining and jitteryness I had with the steering has almost gone, and the ride is only a little harsher than before.

ET13 on the front though?

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Tue 17 Jun, 2008 12:34

Schnitzer, got any pics of the wheels you bought?

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Tue 17 Jun, 2008 22:07

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AC-SCHNITZER-TYPE ... dZViewItem

Well these were the ones i was going to buy but i spoke to ac schnitzer UK and they said that code on the wheel doesnt match to any wheel they have ever made...also the guy on ebay said they would fit and clearly they wont!!! So didnt buy them in the end

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 07:16

Schnitzer wrote:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AC-SCHNITZER-TYPE ... dZViewItem

Well these were the ones i was going to buy but i spoke to ac schnitzer UK and they said that code on the wheel doesnt match to any wheel they have ever made...also the guy on ebay said they would fit and clearly they wont!!! So didnt buy them in the end

These are the ones I assumed you had bought... it's a shame you decided against them as they would've looked awesome! However if a bit of a tuck and poke isn't the look you're after I guess you've made the right choice! The part number is more than likely a Ronal reference seeing as they produced the wheels on behalf of ACS.

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 08:02

yalden wrote:
Schnitzer wrote:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AC-SCHNITZER-TYPE ... dZViewItem

Well these were the ones i was going to buy but i spoke to ac schnitzer UK and they said that code on the wheel doesnt match to any wheel they have ever made...also the guy on ebay said they would fit and clearly they wont!!! So didnt buy them in the end
These are the ones I assumed you had bought... it's a shame you decided against them as they would've looked awesome!

They just wouldn't look that awesome sticking out 2" at the front and sitting fine at the rear!

it'd just look wrong.

Dav · Post by **Dav** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 08:18

c_w wrote:
yalden wrote:
Schnitzer wrote:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AC-SCHNITZER-TYPE ... dZViewItem

Well these were the ones i was going to buy but i spoke to ac schnitzer UK and they said that code on the wheel doesnt match to any wheel they have ever made...also the guy on ebay said they would fit and clearly they wont!!! So didnt buy them in the end
These are the ones I assumed you had bought... it's a shame you decided against them as they would've looked awesome!
They just wouldn't look that awesome sticking out 2" at the front and sitting fine at the rear! it'd just look wrong.

...........and illegal<a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%25 ... /page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_111.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%25 ... e.gif"></a>

MrPoz · Post by **MrPoz** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 12:26

lol are you the timewaster that he names and shames in the description.

If so are you aware he has reported you to eBay?

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 16:31

c_w wrote:
yalden wrote:
Schnitzer wrote:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AC-SCHNITZER-TYPE ... dZViewItem

Well these were the ones i was going to buy but i spoke to ac schnitzer UK and they said that code on the wheel doesnt match to any wheel they have ever made...also the guy on ebay said they would fit and clearly they wont!!! So didnt buy them in the end
These are the ones I assumed you had bought... it's a shame you decided against them as they would've looked awesome!
They just wouldn't look that awesome sticking out 2" at the front and sitting fine at the rear! it'd just look wrong.

The below pictures show 8.5x17 ET14 fronts 10x17 ET28 rears.

The ACS fronts are 0.5" wider, which is spread across each side of the hub, with a 1mm lower offset, so only 7.35mm further out than those shown below.

The rears shown below will sit approx. 9mm further into the arch than the ACS within this thread, so definately no need for spacers with the ACS as these already seem to fill the arches.

I'd say the wheels were do-able but you'd have to be sacrificing the ability to throw your car into bends in favour of a 'euro' trend. The wheels would protrude the arches, but I believe the rears would too (consdiering you'd be 9mm further out than the wheels shown below).

Also, I'm sure the law is governed by the position of the top edge of the tyre wall, which would usually be stretched for the above style of fitment and therefore sit within the edge of the arch. I know my E36 had no problems.

Fixer · Post by **Fixer** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 16:52

Well the front tyre is under the arch I’ll give you that but the rim is way out from under the arch, not sure what an insurance assessor would say about them should he have to make a visit and view the car.

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 17:51

I do like that look, and the rears are sat spot on but I think the fronts are on the limit of how far you can have them sat out of the arch without them looking like they're for a different car. I think another almost 10mm would make that difference, plus you HAVE to stretch the tyre like that to ensure the tyre leads up to the arch which gives the illusion they're not sat that far out, fit a tyre that's anyway near "square" on the wheel and it'll look daft.

That car does look good though, but the front track is probably almost as wide as the rear with that setup which doesn't fit in with the Z3Ms wide rear stance.

Also with regards to the rear, that is not an Z3M Coupe, but a Z3 Coupe which means it has "normal" E36 offset, hence why the ET28 poke out a little, but on a Z3M they're sit in but you could fit a 20mm spacer to correct the offset.

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Wed 18 Jun, 2008 21:45

he cant report me because he lied about the item!!!! lol. In fact he lied about alot of things and is bloody rude......avoid if i was you.

c_w · Post by **c_w** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 08:26

What'd he lied about?

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 21:15

he said the wheels would def fit by fitting wheel spacers!!!! after what i had seen on here and the bit of knowledge that i had i knew he was talking rubbish and not a gen person!!!!

Schnitzer · Post by **Schnitzer** » Sun 29 Jun, 2008 17:56

one question. Is the Z3 M coupe a different fitment from the Z3 M Roadster. i.e. offset and so on. Just want to know if the wheels would have fit the Z3 M Coupe or would that have stuck out as well and been illegal