Wheel sizes?

UK forum for general and technical discussion about the Z3 roadster
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Dr. Wilson
Joined: Tue 30 Sep, 2008 20:25
Posts: 117

  Z4 M roadster
Location: London

Wheel sizes?

Post by Dr. Wilson »

Can anybody tell me what setup I could go to on my 99 2.8?
I’d quite like 18” wheels and a staggered setup if possible (bigger rears).

Can’t seem to find anything definitive on what would work.
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by mrscalex »

18” wheels split opinion. To the best of my knowledge no Z3 (not sure on Ms) left the factory with 18” wheels. Some people say they get on fine with them. Others take them back off. I have some on one of my cars and they have caused tramlining. But new suspension and tyres may sort that. 18” wheels seem to demand more from the rest of the car.

17” are the safer option and you will certainly find these as staggered sets. In fact I have a nice set of 5-spoke Style 18s for sale.

Robert
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
Dr. Wilson
Joined: Tue 30 Sep, 2008 20:25
Posts: 117

  Z4 M roadster
Location: London

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Dr. Wilson »

mrscalex wrote: Mon 14 May, 2018 20:20 18” wheels split opinion. To the best of my knowledge no Z3 (not sure on Ms) left the factory with 18” wheels. Some people say they get on fine with them. Others take them back off. I have some on one of my cars and they have caused tramlining. But new suspension and tyres may sort that. 18” wheels seem to demand more from the rest of the car.

17” are the safer option and you will certainly find these as staggered sets. In fact I have a nice set of 5-spoke Style 18s for sale.

Robert
Thanks for the advice. The car actually has style 18s on it already, but I’m looking for more of a multispoke. 17s sound like the way forward.

My first Z3 had split rims on which were hellish to clean but looked great (pic below). Can’t remeber size and not sure of style number. I do like style 78s though.

Image
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Gazza »

I had 18x8.5 on my 2.8 without problem.

One member I remember had 19’
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
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Dr. Wilson
Joined: Tue 30 Sep, 2008 20:25
Posts: 117

  Z4 M roadster
Location: London

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Dr. Wilson »

Gazza wrote: Mon 14 May, 2018 20:56 I had 18x8.5 on my 2.8 without problem.

One member I remember had 19’
What 18” did you have. OEM 18s or something else, Gazza?
mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by mrscalex »

Dr. Wilson wrote: Mon 14 May, 2018 20:51 My first Z3 had split rims on which were hellish to clean but looked great (pic below). Can’t remeber size and not sure of style number. I do like style 78s though.

Image
Those wheels are a little odd in that they don't have a 'Style x' designation. They are actually known somewhat clumsily as 'Cross spoke comp.II 42'. The 42 presumably refers to the fact they are a split rim version of Style 42. But they are not as some people believe Style 42 itself.

They were an official Z3 option and would have been 17" and staggered.

Style 108s are my favourites and are the 18" wheels I have on currently. But I must try and resolve the tram-lining or go back to 17" wheels. And the Style 78s are my favourite there. The connection with most of the nice Z3 wheels is that they are made by BBS.
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Gazza »

Dr. Wilson wrote: Mon 14 May, 2018 20:59
Gazza wrote: Mon 14 May, 2018 20:56 I had 18x8.5 on my 2.8 without problem.

One member I remember had 19’
What 18” did you have. OEM 18s or something else, Gazza?
They were AC Schnitzer type IV racing copies

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18-BMW-AC-SC ... Swj-Ba-KSE
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
ImageImage
Dr. Wilson
Joined: Tue 30 Sep, 2008 20:25
Posts: 117

  Z4 M roadster
Location: London

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Dr. Wilson »

Thanks both. Good info (and thanks for the link).
Style 68 seems to tick a lot of boxes for me too.

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Gazza
Joined: Tue 04 Oct, 2005 20:58
Posts: 9521

  M roadster S54
Location: Romford Essex

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Gazza »

Those wheels really suit the Zed 8-)
Gazza

"Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far you take the wall with you"

Z3 S54 M roadster Image, BMW Z1, BMW M3 CSL, Z4M Coupe
ImageImage
Boosh
Joined: Sun 30 Nov, 2014 22:40
Posts: 324

  Z3 roadster 1.9i

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Boosh »

Horses for courses, but I wouldn't swap my 17' 'style 89 for anything else!

Boosh.
Lewy
Joined: Mon 22 Oct, 2012 17:34
Posts: 206

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Wolverhampton

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Lewy »

Here's mine on Style 32s from an E46 (3 series). 18 x 8 fronts on 225 tyres, 18 x 8.5 rears on 255 tyres - also on Eibach lowering springs. Handles very well, car mostly used on track. ImageImage

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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Antm72
Joined: Fri 01 May, 2015 13:53
Posts: 75

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Wheel sizes?

Post by Antm72 »

I run staggered 18's never had any tramlining issues because of them . Its had 17's and 2 sets of 18's no issues at all.
Run an 8.5 offset 38 front and a 9.5 offset 32 rear and they fit perfect without any spacers.

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