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[naregf]

Hi everyone,

Happy recent owner of a 2012 128i M package as a daily driver, trying to optimize my wheel and tire setup for both summer and winter.

The car is currently on what appears like 18" M replica wheels with 224/40ZR18s cheap tires on them (not sure width or offset).

I was considering dropping some winter tires on the 18" square wheels (225/40R18s), and getting a new set of quality staggered wheels and tires for the summer.

Saw a set of spotless Z4M wheels and tires for a decent price (1000CAD), but worried about the fit, especially in the rear. I have the M sport suspension at stock, and have not rolled fenders.

Front: 18x8" with 225/45ZR18 ET42.
Rear: 18x9" with 255/40ZR18 ET 30.

Has anyone tried a similar setup or would be able to tell if these would work? Would I need spacers, camber or rolling of fenders? Ideally I'd be able to switch without resorting to additional costs.

Also, does anyone have experience 18" in the winter (Canadian winter!)? The alternative would be to run the current 18" wheels and tires to the ground in the summer and get a 16/17" inch dedicated winter set.

Hope I'm asking in the right spot. Looked over this and other forums and couldn't find an answer :/

Cheers!

[asbrr]

Originally Posted by naregf

Hi everyone,

Happy recent owner of a 2012 128i M package as a daily driver, trying to optimize my wheel and tire setup for both summer and winter.

The car is currently on what appears like 18" M replica wheels with 224/40ZR18s cheap tires on them (not sure width or offset).

I was considering dropping some winter tires on the 18" square wheels (225/40R18s), and getting a new set of quality staggered wheels and tires for the summer.

Saw a set of spotless Z4M wheels and tires for a decent price (1000CAD), but worried about the fit, especially in the rear. I have the M sport suspension at stock, and have not rolled fenders.

Front: 18x8" with 225/45ZR18 ET42.
Rear: 18x9" with 255/40ZR18 ET 30.

Has anyone tried a similar setup or would be able to tell if these would work? Would I need spacers, camber or rolling of fenders? Ideally I'd be able to switch without resorting to additional costs.

Also, does anyone have experience 18" in the winter (Canadian winter!)? The alternative would be to run the current 18" wheels and tires to the ground in the summer and get a 16/17" inch dedicated winter set.

Hope I'm asking in the right spot. Looked over this and other forums and couldn't find an answer :/

Cheers!

Almost no chance the rear will fit without rubbing, you'll probably need to roll the fender at least. The front will be close, but with some camber is probably doable, probably ok with stock m sport suspension for normal driving. It all gets worse if you lower the car further.

For winters, downsizing to a 17" is recommended, 205/50/17 will work much better than a wide/large tire on snow covered roads.

[naregf]

Thanks for the feedback!

Almost no chance the rear will fit without rubbing, you'll probably need to roll the fender at least. The front will be close, but with some camber is probably doable, probably ok with stock m sport suspension for normal driving. It all gets worse if you lower the car further.

whyyyyyyy!!! I'll keep looking for a nice set that fits stock. Ideally not, but don't mind rolling if I have to. Definitely don't want to get into fiddling with camber. Any BMW wheels that particularly stand out and fit our cars (like these Z4Ms did)?

For winters, downsizing to a 17" is recommended, 205/50/17 will work much better than a wide/large tire on snow covered roads.

This is with a square setup I assume? Is staggered not recommended at all for the winter? And is the difference in snow performance that noticeable when you add 2cm to the tire width (205 vs 225)? Or is the difference due to dropping from 18" down to 17"? And are there the same advantages to dropping all the way to 16" diameter for the winter?

Cheers!

[Enoe Ulbeht]

My experience driving various cars with 18'' and 16'' wheels in Michigan winter is that the proper tires matter more than the wheels. Since you have the wheels, I would just buy a set of 18'' Bridgestone blizzaks or Michelin x-ice and put whatever money is left towards summertime wheels and tires.

[naregf]

Originally Posted by Enoe Ulbeht

My experience driving various cars with 18'' and 16'' wheels in Michigan winter is that the proper tires matter more than the wheels. Since you have the wheels, I would just buy a set of 18'' Bridgestone blizzaks or Michelin x-ice and put whatever money is left towards summertime wheels and tires.

Ah Michigan winter!

16" or 18", I'd get a quality set of tires (like you said, Blizzak, X-ice, Hakkapelitta, Sottozero, etc.). That being a given, would the winter downsizing make a difference on the overall experience?

Would definitely prefer getting a new setup for the summer, but if smaller tires can help survive the winter times better, it might be the wiser choice for the longevity of the car.

[Enoe Ulbeht]

I don't think it would be such a big difference, but it may depend on the conditions you typically encounter. In principle 16'' should be better if nothing else because they would be lighter (less suspended weight) and give a softer more cushioned drive that may increase control over bumpy snow surfaces. Also, they will need less wide tires and these are generally better in snow.
We would need to compare the same car with
two sets of wheels to say for sure if the difference is considerable.
I currently run 16'' with blizzak run flat on my 128 convertible and I have never had any problems in the snow. The only reason I chose 16''was ride comfort and price and because the car already run on 16''. If you were near by I would invite you to try my car, but we don't even have snow yet this year so I don't know if you will learn something from the experience.