BMW 3-Series Tires and Wheels

shipo · January 2009

Hmmm, well, in the real world, the winter tire shod RWD E-Class stopped some 40' shorter from 50 mph (something like 190' vs. 230', IIRC) than the AWD E-Class with the standard all-season tires. If that extra stopping power is irrelevant in day-to-day driving, well, then I must be missing something.

Regarding hill climbing, hmmm, well, I live in southern New Hampshire and have a driveway with a 9% grade to deal with along with many local roads that are even steeper. My winter tire equipped RWD 530i never once had a problem climbing anything less than a 20% grade (the driveways across the street from us are steep, real steep, so steep in fact that my neighbor's winter tire shod Audi A6 Quattro is often seen kind of sideways half way up), and even then only in the worst conditions.

Best regards,
Shipo

srs_49 · January 2009

Here are a couple of data points based on personnel experience.

1. The first car I owned was a 69 Camaro Z-28 muscle car (RWD). I would put snow tires (on the rear only) every winter season. With snows on the rear, the car would do very well in snow of 3-6 inches. I remember driving the roads around the local reservoir one evening around Christmas when it was snowing to beat the band. Never had an issue with hills or losing the back end on a turn. So long as you were mindful of the throttle, the car was really fairly well behaved.

2. I also owned an 82 Mazda 626, RWD. In Feb of 1983, my wife and I went away for our anniversary. We drove down to the Homestead Inn in Hot Springs Va on a Friday. That was the day of the blizzard of 83. The Front Royal area of Virginia, in which we stopped for breakfast, received around 21 of snow. Again, we did not have any real problems, though we were only moving along at 30 or 40 mph most of the way. The 18 wheelers on I-81 were helpful in that they were kind-of packing down and plowing the road for us, so we really didnt have to drive though 21 of snow, but it was still a lot. The Mazda was equipped with whatever came from the factory  some kind of all season tire. I think having the luggage in the trunk weighed the rear end sown and helped with traction.

3. Our 2002 Subaru Outback (AWD) came equipped with Bridgestone RE-90s(?), which I replaced with Goodyear Triple Treads at the 65,000 mile mark. This was the car we regularly took up to our place in the mountains. Again, never had any issues at all in with up to 8 of snow on the road (yeah  I would look for unplowed roads to try). Course, neither of these tires could be considered performance tires  just good or very good all-season radials.

4. The car I drive regularly now is an 87 BMW 325  RWD obviously, with Yokohama Avis H4s all round. This car really s***s pretty bad with even a little bit of snow on the ground. I added some weight in the trunk to try and help things, but its still pretty dicey. I think its the tires.

idoc2 · January 2009

Like I said I drive cautiously in wintery conditions so the stopping distances don't seem to be an issue and are not as important to me as the ability to get up a hill.

I'm always amazed at how two people can have strikingly different experiences and priorities given essentially similar circumstances.

shipo · January 2009

Agreed.

FWIW, back when I had the 530i, one very snowy day I was tooling conservatively down our hilly and winding main(ish) road when a driver was unable to brake while descending his steep driveway and slid right out in front of me. Due to the height of the snow banks on either side of his driveway I didn't see him coming until he hit the street. I barely stopped in time with the snows, and am absolutely convinced that had I had all-season tires on the car, I would have T-Boned him right in the driver's side door.

Best regards,
Shipo

sammybmw · January 2009

I just want to use this forum to let people in the Northeast know that AWD is not a requirement for driving in snow areas. It should be a conscience decision, and consumers shouldn't be pushed toward AWD at extra cost by dealers or because most people are buying them. When I was shopping around in upstate NY, there were many more iX now xDrive cars on the lots. A RWD car with snow tires and better driving skill in snow are options for most people. I see a lot of problems due to low driving skill, people just spinning their tires with any of the drive wheel arrangement. AWD cars have given some poor drivers a false since of security in wintry driving conditions, kind of like they are invincible ... drive through a couple feet of snow (they don't know their cars are not plows) and that AWD cars stop quicker on ice or don't spin out. I see as many of them perched on snow banks or down in the ditch as any drive wheel arrangement. Bottom line, they are a choice, not a requirement for most people in snow areas and they are not invincible and no substitute for winter driving skill and good sense.

asi12 · January 2009

Those of you who put snow tires on your cars, do you keep separate set of wheels with tires mounted on them or just replace tires on the wheels? Do you have rebalance/realign wheels of your car afterwords.

I have heard that in some cars there have tire pressure sensors so it has to done by dealer otherwise it keep giving your bad signal. It is not there is something wrong with the car just that's how computer is programmed.

I guess one can go to Walmart to replace your tires and they only charge few dollars per tire, like $9/10 per tire.

Once your RFT are gone, did you put back RFT or regular tires? I have not heard any thing good about RFT but more and more auto maker are bringing cars with them. My concern is if you are out in wood or some remote area, you RFT might be good to get you some where but then how do you know if a repair shop there can handle repairing RFT.

canman1971 · February 2009

I have my Toyo winter tires on a separate set of wheels. I went to Town Fair tire and I get free change over for the life of the tire. It is much better to have a second set of wheels. I believe I read on here that constantly changing tires on one wheel set can damage the tire. It is also much easier. I would do it myself if Town Fair wasn't so close to me and it was free. I have only needed one alignment since and I have changed over 4 times to date. Also, my car is great in the snow. No real need for AWD, IMO. I live in NH and we have gotten hammered this year with snow.

roadburner · February 2009

Those of you who put snow tires on your cars, do you keep separate set of wheels with tires mounted on them or just replace tires on the wheels? Do you have rebalance/realign wheels of your car afterwords.

I have a dedicated set of winter tires and wheels, and I simply swap them over in my driveway. It only takes me about 45 minutes. You don't need to re-balance or re-align them.

kominsky · February 2009

Like the other responders, I have dedicated wheels. If you were going to switch tires on your existing wheels, you would need a rebalance, but shouldn't need to have an alignment done.

Personally, I don't trust mechanics (especially Walmart's) enough to let them handle my wheels twice a year. But even if I did, figure at ~$50 per switch, or $100 annually, it wouldn't take too long to pay for a set of reasonably-priced wheels.

Another advantage of getting wheels is you can down size... either with a -1 setup (going down one inch in wheel size) if you can or, like I did, going with a narrower wheel and narrower tires. I go from 245 R and 225 F down to 205s on all four corners.

birdrules · July 2009

I am looking to replace all four OEM Continental tires (205/55/16) on my '05 325i with about 52k miles. I drive mostly city with some highway driving in the DC area. I would be interested to hear driving experiences with specific brands and recommendations for tire types (Goodyear Assurance, others?). Thanks in advance!!!

jicbulk · August 2009

Looking for a UHP All-Season Tire (Live in NH but the car won't ever see snow...it will see cold temps, though) for my '07 328i. 205/55R16 and I'm looking at either the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position or Cooper Zeon Sport A/S.

Comments, please! Thanks.

shipo · August 2009

Both good tires, that said, I opted for Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires over those two for my car (that I drive year-round here in New Hampshire), and in spite of the fairly heavy winter we went through last season, and in spite of my (then) eighty mile per day commute, they performed flawlessly.

Now that it's summer time I find that I can really lean on them and their upper limits are significantly high enough that I'd have to be seriously extra-legal to get them to even complain much less break loose.

As a side benefit, the Michelin's have a tread life rating that is 25% higher than either the Bridgestone or the Cooper. I now have about 18,000 miles on the Michelins, and based upon their wear to date, I'm thinking I'll get at least 45,000 to 50,000 miles out of them.

Best regards,
Shipo

dash5 · August 2009

Conflicted again! I had been assuming I should just get AWD for North East winters in NJ. I had read about snow tires and I am convinced they will make a difference on RWD cars like the BMW 328 I am interested in buying.

What I am not convinced on yet:

- How big a difference? I owned a 2004 G35 coupe, auto, RWD and stock tires and it was horrible in the snow. I'm guessing that's the worst possible combination outside performance tires though, coupe, auto, RWD, all seasons?

- What about in the rain? I dont recall the G35 being that great in the rain either. I did not feel particularly safe at highway speeds. Thoughts on a BMW 328i in the rain in the run flats?

- How tough is it to change the tires? I'm not a wrencher. I'm not a car guy particularly. I'm also not dumb and I can learn something as basic as changing tires, it's just a matter of do I want to bother doing that. Is it just a matter of swapping the 2 back tires as if you were changing a flat? May be a dumb question but if you've never done it these questions pop up. I mean... tires are an important safety feature on cars I'm told

- How does Manual Transmission factor in? I drove a stick for years, maybe it's time to go back to that.

Thanks for any help.

jicbulk · August 2009

Snow Tires make a HUGE difference. With low-profile summer-like tires, the car will literally be undriveable in the snow. With snow tires you will swear the car was AWD. It is that noticable. Remember, AWD only helps you start up from a stop, it can't help you stop any faster. Snow tires will.

I have a 328i RWD with RFTs that are practically bald in the rear and they do not slip, even in a raging downpour. The car is glued to the road. No worries.

Changing a tire is a matter of lifting the car with a jack and getting off the lug nuts. Not a big deal. Most tire shops these days will give you free tire rotation as long as you buy the tires there. So switching from a summer tire to a winter tire is as easy as that...provided you have another set of wheels. If you want to use the same wheel and switch tires, then it will be quite a hassle, since you'll have to go to a shop (and where to you put the four other tires? They won't all fit in the trunk...

If you are buying a BMW, then trust me, you want the Stick...

venture · August 2009

Is it just a matter of swapping the 2 back tires as if you were changing a flat?

If you are going to use winter tires, get four of them, not just two for the rear. You would like to go around a corner in the snow too wouldn't you, or stop in a decent distance?

Get 4 wheels mounted with winter tires and change them out each spring and fall. You won't regret it.

qali · August 2009

I have been reading posts in this board about replacing all-seasons with winter tires of a different size. My 2007 335i has 225/45R17 91 H tires. If I were to put on new rims and winter tires, what would you recommend that I drop down to? Can I put 16" tires and rims?

kyfdx · August 2009

You can't go smaller than 17" on a 335i...The wheels wouldn't clear the brakes..

You could possibly do 205/50-17 (which is an equivalent diameter), to get a narrower tread.. . but, you can't go down to 16".

sjthomas · September 2009

OK. The other day, I removed a 2 inch screw from the side of the tire and the air started to deflate. I took the car to the car immediately to nearby costco about two miles away. I took to costco because I put new tires about 20 months back from the same costco and know that they fix flats for the lifetime of the tire.

Costco said as the nail was on the side wall, it's unrepairable and with the road hazard warranty replaced the tire. They said that the tires had only 63% tread left which was surprising for a 20 month old tire. I had to shell out about $50 for the new tire. They are Michelin Pilot Exalto's.

Now after changing the rear right tire, I see a shake in my steering wheel at low speeds. This is occasional and doesn't come every time. I know the other three were worn similar to what Costco said: 37% of the tread gone.

I am not sure if I have to do a wheel balance or alignment. Does alignment fix this steering shakiness? I will take it to a dealer for the alignment typically.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

philchen · September 2009

Hi dear all,

I will move to Indianapolis from LA this Dec. I might drive my 2004 325Ci to there. Because this is a RWD, I am thinking to replace winter tires. I hereby have some questions (sorry I never used winter tires/wheels, so I have too many questions):

1. Can I just buy 4 winter tires? or is it better to buy new winter tires/rims combo because it will be more convenient to replace?

2. I found winter tire/wheel options on tirerack.com. Are their products and service reliable?

3. How well do you think these options would fit my 2004 325CI? My current summer tires/rims are 225/45/17 91H

225/45R17 Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 Blackwall $137 each
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Blizzak+W- S60&partnum=245R7BZWS60&i1_Qty=4&autoMake=BMW&autoModel=325Ci%20Coupe&autoYear=2- 004&autoModClar=&vehicleSearch=true

17x7.5 Sport Edition A7 Silver Painted $115 each
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&autoMak- e=BMW&autoModel=325Ci+Coupe&autoYear=2004&autoModClar=&initialPartNumber=JH372P1- S&i1_Qty=4&wheelMake=Sport+Edition&wheelModel=A7&wheelFinish=Silver+Painted&show- Rear=no

4. What is the feature of a *winter wheel*? What is its difference compared to my current OEM wheels? Can I use the selected Sport Edition A7 for my summer tires in future?

Thanks a lot guys...

qali · September 2009

I live in Toronto so let me take a stab at your questions:
1. You can get 4 tires and install them on your current rims, however, if you plan on keeping your car and being in Indianapolis for some time, it is recommended you get 4 rims.
2. Cannot comment as I have never purchased via Tirerack but some of my friends who have give it a thumbs up experience.
3. The Blizzak WS-60 is an excellent tire and you can read the reviews on Tirerack. I am going to finalize my decision between the Blizzaks and the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D this week. Just make sure that you get the correct tire size. Have a look at this URL that compare tire categories.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=W&VT=C&width=- 225%2F&ratio=45&diameter=17&tireSearch=true&autoMake=BMW&autoYear=2004&autoModel- =325Ci%20Coupe&autoModClar=

4. There is no special feature of a winter wheel. It is meant as a replacement to be used in the winter where salt/sand mixtures could damage your OEM wheels which may be more expensive to replace.

philchen · September 2009

Hi man thanks for your nice reply.

1. Yes plan to keep my 2004 325CI for a while. So probably I will purchase 4 winter tires/rims and install them. Then I can drive to Indianapolis this winter. However, I am thinking do I have to buy 5? cuz I need one as a spare tire/rim.

2. Now I lean to Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D a little bit... I read comments and they said Blizzaks is no as good as Dunlop, and its thread wears out very quickly compared to Dunlop.

3. I am looking between "studless" and "performance snow". First, I am not sure what "studless" means. Is it a kind of more conservative and safe tires in snow? I will commute one-way 40 miles in Indiana. It is known that the high-way I65 in IN has icy-surface in winter. Not a lot snow because the snow will be plowed as long as it falls to the ground. In my case, I am not sure if I should pick '"snow performance" or a more conservative snow tire. My wife is using a Honda accord 2008. I think I will get her some more conservative snow tires, because she does not care performance. For me, I am still thinking what I should use...

4. As you said there is no special features on a winter wheel. However, I see many different sizes 17x7, 17x7.5, 17x8. Here the second number is the width of the wheel? If yes, how can they all fit the same tire (say, 225/45/R17), whose width is the same (225 mm). How should I pick the width of the rim?

5. Do I have to do downsizing? Is a 16" snow tire much better than a 17" one?? Tirerack recommends me to use 205/55/R16 for my winter tires. They also cost less ($300-400 less) than a package of 17 inch tires. My OEM tires are sport series and are 225/45/R17. I am thinking to use 17" snow tires for two reasons: 1) my OEM 17" wheels are old. If they broken someday I can use the new 17" wheels. 2) I will drive to IN from LA this winter with snow tires, which is a long trip. If any of my new snow tires gets broken, maybe I can use my OEM tires as a temporary one?

kyfdx · September 2009

1) I wouldn't buy five tires/rims... you still have a spare, don't you?

2) Indy is relatively flat... I'd go for the more performance-oriented snow tire, as you'll be on dry roads 90% of the time (that would be the dunlops).

3) I don't think Indiana allows studded tires, any more... Either way, all the tires you are shopping are studless.. (which is what you want). Q-rated tires are basic snow tires... performance-snow tires are usually H- or V-rated.. which is how I would go... for where you live.

4) 205/50-17 with 7" or 7.5" wheels..
225/45-17 with 7.5" or 8" wheels..
205/55-16 with 7" or 7.5" wheels (16")

5) 16" wheels will give you a little more sidewall cushion, in case of winter potholes, but otherwise not any advantage vs. 205/50-17, other than less money... 17" wheels will look better, considering you'll have them on for 4-5 months... I always stuck with 17", if that's what my car comes with..

The 16" and 17" wheel tire/combo is the same overall diameter.. You can use your same spare, or mix one temporarily in an emergency..

I like OEM wheels... If you look on the BMW enthusiasts forums/classifieds, you can usually find a set for sale, that won't be any more than buying aftermarket wheels..

A lot of these recommended choices are because of where you live.. Relatively flat, and not a lot of snowfall (I live in a similar area, but with hills). If you lived in Minnesota, I might lean towards winter tires with maximum snow performance..

regards,
kyfdx
visting host

philchen · September 2009

Dear kyfdx:

Thanks a lot for your reply, which is really helpful.

I did not know the spare in my trunk can be used for 16", 17" and 18" tires,,, it is amazing.

the overall diameter of a 225/45/R17 tire is 17*2.54 + 2*4.5 = 52.18 (cm). The overall diameter for a 205/55/R16 is 16*2.54 + 2*5.5 = 51.64 (cm). So this is not a big difference? And we can mix these two 16- and 17-inch tires?

kyfdx · September 2009

1/2 centimeter = 1/5 of an inch... Actually, the calculator I use, shows the difference to be only half that much..

You can mix the spare in.... for short distances... I didn't mean to imply that you could mix and match indiscriminately... But, 16" or 17", they both have the same overall diameter (well... very close, as I noted).

No one that I know of.. buys a winter tire/wheel for a spare... They just make do with their normal spare.

205/55/16
225/50-16
205/50-17
225/45-17
245/40-17

Those are all pretty much equivalent sizes for an E46 3-series (which is what you have).

One caveat for 330i owners.. you can't downsize to 16" wheels, as they won't clear the bigger brakes on the 330i.

regards,
kyfdx

kominsky · September 2009

I agree with everything kyfdx has said on the topic except for one thing... there are 16" wheels that fit some(all?) 330's. A few years back tirerack.com sold a 16" wheel made by AT, I believe, that looked like the E36 M3 Contour wheels and they currently have 16" Sport Edition A7 wheels that will fit. There's something with the way they are dished out that allows them to clear the brakes.

That said, I would probably stick to 17" anyway since I don't know what, if any, negative effect the smaller wheel could have on brake cooling.

ngmh · September 2009

Hi,

I am in Toronto and I have a 2009 328i xdrive coupe with sport package, and need a set of winter wheels / tires,

1. should I go for 225/45R17. Any wheels and tires suggestion which can keep the look of the coupe look great.

2. Should I go for normal tire or run flat tires

3. Should I get the Tire Pressure Monitor on the wheels (some tire store say not necessay). Will the warning light keep on all winter as long as the winter pacjage is on the car.

4. Any good tire store in Toronto can do good job?

Thanks everyone for the input.

qali · October 2009

Thanks kyfdx. I am putting on 205/50-17 non-RFT winter tires on new BMW rims. Do I need to do anything in terms of changing the settings in the car because I am not going to be using RFT tires?

qali · October 2009

Hi,
I live in Toronto as well and drive a 335i. The standard tire size on my car is also 225/45/17. Answers to your questions:
1. You can go for the same low profile tire however, you could also put in 205/50-17 and save some $$.
2. Up to you. I am going for normal wires tires as RFTs can begin to get quite expensive.
3. Sorry, I am not sure how to answer that.
4. Try Tires 23 at http://www.tires23.com/

neprop · October 2009

I am looking at buying a used Audi A4 AWD Cabriolet (convertible) or a used BMW 3 series convertible. Both are great cars, but I live in New England where the winters can be quite snowy. Having driven Subaru's with AWD and all season tires, this is acceptable. So my question is can a rear wheel drive BMW with true, good WINTER tires actually handle a normal New England winter or not.

Interested in real world feedback. If the answers are mostly "no", then I'll keep looking for the right Audi A4 with AWD and go that route. Thanks for your help.

srs_49 · October 2009

Yes. IMO, good winter tires are all you need.

Of course, the driver needs to know what they're doing also :shades: ,

qali · November 2009

Ok, so I put on a set of 205/50-17 winter tires. Any tips on what the tire pressure should be? The owner's manual and the door label only lists the pressure for stock tires, ie, 225/45-17.

kyfdx · November 2009

205-50-17 should have the same pressures.... same sidewall height as the 225/45-17...

dmargo2 · November 2009

I live in Wisconsin...and need to get into work even with bad weather. I have a new 335xi coupe which I love; came with Continental RFT as "all season". My question is has anyone put snows on a 335xi coupe and been happy or unhappy. I've never put snows on an awd car; but from doing some reading it seems like it might be a good idea and will take a good 7-10K miles/year off my other tires. Just wondering if others have been happy with that "investment"...thanks Dave

srs_49 · November 2009

I can't speak for the 335xi, but when we had our 2002 Subaru Outback wagon, we did just fine with a good set of all season radials (not performance summer tires) in up to 6-8" of snowfall.

upstatedoc · November 2009

I've never owned an AWD sedan until i bought my '09 328ix recently. We have(had) 2 Acura MDX's w/ AWD and only used the all seasons that came with it,, granted those all seasons seem a little "chunkier" than the Conti's on my 3. The 335ix comes w/ the 17" rims no? They may be a little worse in the snow than my 16". I'll let you know how my all seasons performed in the spring!

dhanley · November 2009

I own a sport package 335i e90. A friend has unknown 17' rims with snow tires from his e46. The tires are 225/50/R17.

Is this likely to fit on my 335i? I would like to not be driving a giant ice skate this winter.

kyfdx · November 2009

If they fit his E46, they probably won't fit your E90..

Correct size is 205/50-17 or 225/45-17.. His tires are too tall (if that size is correct).

raja6 · November 2009

I was offered wheel and tire protection for my 328xi for 1995 and came down to 1700 within 10 seconds and I was informed that i have to take a decision then and there only. Due to cheap tricks played by the dealor, i might be getting my vehicle next week.

My questions here are
# What will be the reasonable price buyers are paying for 16" wheels.
# Can i take this after i took the delivery of my vehicle .if yes , is there any time limits to take this?

Thanks for any advice in this regard .
Raj

srs_49 · November 2009

That seems outrageously expensive to me.

I paid $599 for the wheel/tire protection plan on my 2009 G37S. Good for 5 years.

raja6 · December 2009

Can anyone suggest me any Dealers in NJ to get 16" wheel and Tire Protection package for 5 years with reasonable rate.
I am taking my vehicle from my dealer today and my dealer is not interested to reduce earlier mentioned amount.
Thanks
Raj

dan12 · December 2009

The dealer hasn't said anything, but I wonder if anyone can advise me on when a tire change is appropriate. I know SP performance tires don't last as long as the regular tires. I don't drive super aggressive (although I have my fun once in a while), but I had heard that around 20K to 25K miles I should change the tires. I am now at over 30K miles so I'm getting worried, especially with the rainy season here.

Any advice?

pat · January 2010

Lowballer7, I am sorry but I had to delete your post. Your picture was waaay too wide. You can repost if you can resize it to fit between the left and right margins of the page.

The easiest way to do that is post it on your CarSpace page and then use the automatically generated embed text. Then the picture will be resized to fit.

lowballer7 · January 2010

All,

I have a 2009 335i sedan with the factory 5 spoke 18" wheels that come with the sport package... see picture in this link: link title

They're nice, but I want to get the 18" wheels that come with the sport package on the 335d (Diesel). See picture in this link: link title OR HERE for close-up picture: link title

3 questions:

1. Is the lug nut spacing the same between the 335i and the 335d? So, are both wheels interchangeable?

2. Can anyone recommend a good wheel shop in Southern California that carries the 335d wheels?

3. Do you think I can do an exchange? My wheels only have 6400 miles on them.

Thanks!

P.S. - Pat, thanks for removing the last post.... I couldn't edit or remove it myself!

waynes_bb335 · November 2010

My ride is an '09 335i with Sport Package wearing 225/40 R18 fronts and 255/35 R18 rears. TireRack and other forums I've read recommend downsizing 1 size when changing from UHP Summer Tires to Winter Tires. I understand the physics and logic behind that recommendation but I still have some questions that I've not seen addressed.

1) If I drop down to 225/45 R17 tires all the way around, as recommended by TireRack and others, what wear-n-tear and handling performance impact is there given the suspension is designed for 18" wheels/tires? Are there recommended wheel alignment adjustments that should be made to compensate for the smaller (width and diameter) setup?

2) What impact is there on the speedo and odometer? If I recall my math training correctly, smaller diameter wheels/tires should result in my speedo reading faster than I'm actually driving (the speedo already is reading faster than I'm actually driving with my OE 18" thus the 17" will make that issue even worse, but that's a whole other thread). Also, my odometer will indicate more miles traveled with the smaller wheels/tires than I've really travelled (thereby getting me closer to the end of my warranty sooner than later).

kyfdx · November 2010

225/45-17 tires will have the same overall diameter as the tires that are already on your car. So, no effect on the speedo or odometer... Also, since they are the same diameter, they will have no effect on your suspension or other mechanicals... 225/45-17 is the stock size for your car.

They will have a little more sidewall flex (due to the extra 1/2" of sidewall), and of course, winter tires won't handle like your summer rubber, but that's more of a driver adjustment..

Of course, they won't fit on your current wheels. You'll need a dedicated set of 17" wheels for them.

waynes_bb335 · December 2010

I had not considered the fact that 17" tires would be the same diameter as my OE 18" tires. Once you mentioned the extra sidewall it dawned on me and what you're saying makes good sense. Just did a little research on TireRack.com and notice that the 17"s have an overall diameter of 25" while my OE fronts are 25.2" and the OE rears are 25.1". I presume the 0.1 and 0.2 inch difference is negligible.

Yes, I've picked out a set of 17" wheels for the near winter rubber.

Thanks for the info.

kyfdx · December 2010

Yeah... you've got it...

205/55-16
225/50-16
205/50-17
225/45-17
245/40-17
255/40-17
225/40-18
255/35-18

Those sizes are all virtually interchangeable on a 3-series.... Sometimes you have to watch width clearance on the front axle... and, on bigger engine models, you may have to have a bigger diameter size to clear the brakes..

waynes_bb335 · April 2011

Now that the threat of snow and sustained sub-40 degree days are gone, it's time to put the summer rims & rubber back on. What is the recommended torque setting for the OEM wheels on my 2009 335i with Sport Package? I can't find it in the owners manual or anywhere on the car.

Also, this is my first time swapping (dealer put the winter's on). Any tips or lessons learned I should beware of?

Thanks!

capriracer · April 2011

According to Tire Guides, the wheel bolt torque is 88 ft-lbs.

waynes_bb335 · April 2011

Thanks! Changed them over this weekend without any problems.

BMW 3-Series Tires and Wheels

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