Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Calling all Z3s without lowered suspension or wheel spacers. Please make yourselves Known!
Last edited by Bonzo on Fri 10 Feb, 2017 20:02, edited 1 time in total.
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Hi, I'm Z3lda. I'm an Aries and I'm nearly 19! I don't have any spacers and I haven't been lowered because I don't want to scrape my butt (struts) on the road.
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Mine's standard but for retrofitted rollhoops, hardtop and multi-changer hump removal. Wouldn't have it any other way. The Sprite on the other hand...
Cheers R.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Cheers R.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Hi
Both Z3's in the garage are still running standard suspension and wheels.
Both Z3's in the garage are still running standard suspension and wheels.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
I changed original 16" wheels for 17", and don't intend to make the car any more prone to scraping by lowering it. Let alone ease of getting in and out of the car in tightish parking bays where the doors can't be fully opened. For the looks though, I might be tempted by 15mm spacers.
Boosh.
Boosh.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
I might be tempted by 15mm spacers.
Boosh [/quote]
Sacrilege!
Boosh [/quote]
Sacrilege!
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Mine's also standard.
I only sold the Spitfire and bought the Z3 as I had trouble getting in and out with a buggered knee.
Tony.
I only sold the Spitfire and bought the Z3 as I had trouble getting in and out with a buggered knee.
Tony.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Don't understand why anyone would want to lower their car, or fit wheel spacers. These cars are beautiful the way they are, and more than adequate for road use. I think they are converting an elegant car into a posers hotrod.
Flight
Flight
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Sacrilege!Bonzo wrote:I might be tempted by 15mm spacers.
Boosh
[/quote]
Sacrilege indeed, but considering that I swapped my style 55s for 89s, which were not originally available for Z3s, purists would disown me anyway... That's me added to the list of foes, isn't it? Am I getting banned? Do I have to hand the car to a higher authority? Will I get pointed at when in public? Is there some kind of penitence? What will become of me?
Boosh.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
mines a sport model so doesn't need any mods
peterz3
peterz3
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Sacrilege indeed, but considering that I swapped my style 55s for 89s, which were not originally available for Z3s, purists would disown me anyway... That's me added to the list of foes, isn't it? Am I getting banned? Do I have to hand the car to a higher authority? Will I get pointed at when in public? Is there some kind of penitence? What will become of me?Boosh wrote:Sacrilege!Bonzo wrote:I might be tempted by 15mm spacers.
Boosh
Boosh.[/quote]
I don't think my Alpina 17x8 wheels were standard, though possibly an option. The addition of the strut and body braces I fitted are also obviously not OEM equipment, but they don't alter the ride height, just the ride and handling. As for spacers, I like the line my front wheels take with the arch, and the bottom line of the rear wheels are level with the arch, but that could be due to the 8 inch width of the wheel. To me, putting spacers on the rear wheels makes the car look bow legged when viewed from the rear.
It could be a generational thing, People owning sports cars in the 60's didn't really feel the need to fit spacers or lower the ride height in classic sports cars of that era. I think Max Power Magazine has a lot to answer for!
Bonzo.
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
My 1998 1.9 is standard height and the handling is good. It now has Bilstein B3 springs (Bilstein's OE replacement option), Sach Super Touring shocks and an ever increasing number of Powerflex bushes.
Lowering on the Z3 is probably more for the "look" rather than "handling".
Lowering on the Z3 is probably more for the "look" rather than "handling".
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Agreed, I changed my springs, shocks, mounts. drop links and A.R.B. bushes last year ( OEM ) and noticed the difference.... It is cosmetic no doubt, but lowering and spacers to me seems like a bit of a herd instinct thing.
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
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- Joined: Mon 10 Oct, 2016 15:39
- Posts: 57
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Hi Guys, as you probably know when I got my Z3 (3.0i manual) it handled like a lame duck & tramlined with the best of them. So after fitting new 16inch wheels & new tyres and replacing the front (rear) arm bushes (Polly bushes), so now back to the wheels size that BMW designed the car with. Still looks good and all handeling issues gone.
The hight of the tyre wall will always effect and alter the handeling and the comfort of the ride. Big/ oversized wheels will always look smart but there will always be a compromise.
Not sure about spacers, my new wheels have a 35mm off set which doesn't need spacers.
I suspect a large percentage of Z3 are now on larger wheels.
H
The hight of the tyre wall will always effect and alter the handeling and the comfort of the ride. Big/ oversized wheels will always look smart but there will always be a compromise.
Not sure about spacers, my new wheels have a 35mm off set which doesn't need spacers.
I suspect a large percentage of Z3 are now on larger wheels.
H
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
mines a 3.0, on 15" wheels.... all drives fine, nice and slideable, 4 wheel drifting etc!
but.. they do look naff, and i want bigger brakes..... do you pick 16 or 17's?
its fairly soft in my opinion compared to my S4, but its a lighter car and they tend to be softer.
but.. they do look naff, and i want bigger brakes..... do you pick 16 or 17's?
its fairly soft in my opinion compared to my S4, but its a lighter car and they tend to be softer.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
I think 17" wheels are fine, they were fitted OEM to old shape 2.8s . Anything bigger to me seems to shout, "WHEELS, LOOK," and is out of proportion to the shape and size of a Z3. I recently saw a Z3 with great big wide wheels and had to laugh, it looked ridiculous, all wheels, oh, and a car!
Just my opinion, for what it's worth!
Bonzo
Just my opinion, for what it's worth!
Bonzo
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
I've recently gone from 16" to 17" with no change in ride quality.. saying that l made sure that l bought non-XL tyres which have a softer sidewall, and the added bonus of having to buy new tyres all round means that l now no longer suffer tramlining.
I also have 20mm spacers on the rear as lve not liked how both sets of wheels failed to fill the facelift rear arches, it's a matter of personal taste and not a permanent fixture so the car can be put back to standard n about 10 mins..
16" without spacers on rear
17" with spacers on rear
I also have 20mm spacers on the rear as lve not liked how both sets of wheels failed to fill the facelift rear arches, it's a matter of personal taste and not a permanent fixture so the car can be put back to standard n about 10 mins..
16" without spacers on rear
17" with spacers on rear
1999 facelit Z3 Roadster 2.8 Auto in Cosmos Black aka 'Gloria'
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
I agree, as far as I know they were never fitted with anything larger than 17 inchBonzo wrote:Anything bigger to me seems to shout, "WHEELS, LOOK," and is out of proportion
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
That's right! But I was talking about people fitting 18"-19" wheels as replacements.
Z3lda (Zelda), 1998 2.8, Montreal Blue, Beige Oregon leather interior and M steering wheel, Sports Seats, Wood trim, Chrome Line Interior, Centre armrest with Cupholder, Alpina Softline wheels, Chromed Angel Eyes, De- tango'd, Rear stone guards, Sport aerial, ASC front strut brace, Strong Strut Butt Strut and Body Brace, Uprated brake fluid, Yellowstuff pads 78k.
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
No spacers on my black one and it is not lowered (at least yet).
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
Stock ride height over here! Can't go any lower otherwise I'd scrape her belly where I live! Although the new rims with a different offset give a more sportier look (now 18" 255 previously 17" 225) love it! 2017-02-13_01-54-45 by Rich Oldham, on Flickr
Z3 > Miata
Re: Calling all non lowered Z3s without wheel spacers!
With spacers on the rear, surely this makes it tend to understeer more?
Or is it so slight you can't tell
Or is it so slight you can't tell