17 inches on an E30

jamesthevaliant · 12-08-2002, 03:15 PM

I have a 1990 325is, and I am looking to equip her with 17x7" BBS RKs with 205/45 rubber. I am curious if anyone has an E30 with a similar wheel/tire combo w/o wheel well mods before I make the purchase. Eibachs or Racing Dynamic Springs are coming next, so I am curious to see if anyone has had any problems. Any advise is appreciated.

dylan · 12-08-2002, 06:21 PM

i have a 320i and i had 16 inch KMX wheels on it and the only problem i saw was that the rims came off a honda and the offset is diffrent other than that i belive the wheels wont have any problems other than finding the right offset

mcanales · 12-16-2002, 08:57 AM

I have a 1987 325is i changed the wheels to 17x7 with 215 40's it looked okay but i wanted a huskier look. the cost of new rims to go to 8
' really limited my options. on the rear i installed225/40's nito-the only brand i could find in this size .they are about .8" taller than the previous tires so the engine rpms dropped slightly and i'm sure the speedo isn't right but from what i've heard bmw wasn'tgood at that anyways. the other options for 17x8 wheels on the e30 would be to change the rear brakes and hubs to e30 m3's 5 Lug and then 17" rims with better widths are available. Or use 16"wheels the higher profile tires won't be as harsh if you live where there are lots of pot holes ie.nj/ny. I have 17's with lower springs and bilstiens when i drove to nj let's just say indash cd player was turned off and only the radio was used.

mcanales · 12-16-2002, 09:00 AM

james i forgot one thing i have 10mm spacers at each wheel and i have no suspension or wheel travel issues.

jamesthevaliant · 12-17-2002, 06:11 PM

mcanales,
Thanks for the insight.... I am in new jersey myself. I have heard about the switchover from an e30 4 lug to an m3 5 lug to accomidate a more diverse selection of wheel combos, but do you know anything about the procedure or its difficulty?

mcanales · 12-18-2002, 12:58 PM

Here's what you need rear hubs and or front hubs (if you do ft and rr), backing plates calipers and rotors. I've been told it's as easy as replacing wheel bearings. if you plan on doing it the cheapest way is to buy as many parts as you can from a recycling center (junk yard)

Jared at Pelican Parts · 12-18-2002, 05:43 PM

IS it a simple matter of just changing the hubs? Will the stock calipers fit?

mcanales · 12-19-2002, 06:26 AM

Jared, no you need new calipers but they fit the same bolt holes

Jared at Pelican Parts · 12-19-2002, 10:16 AM

I have been considering this swap so i can put some 5 lug wheels on my 325is. I'm just ot happy with 14 inch wheels. I'd like to put some Motorsport 2 wheels on my ride. What is the lug measurments for the 5 lug? I know on the 4 it's 4 X 100mm.

mcanales · 12-20-2002, 05:28 PM

Jared I don't know what the measurement is. I just wish I had nown about the conversion before i selected the package i bought now it would be a waste of good tires to convert.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 12-20-2002, 05:30 PM

Do you know if the bearings and hubs require the use of a press?

mcanales · 12-22-2002, 01:23 PM

Jared, I don't think you have to change the bearings for the conversion. I easiest way to check is to see if the bearings are different for the e30 vs the e30 m3. Which simply means call a bmw dealer and seeing if theres a different pn. Personally I don't think there would be any difference from a design perspective the hub diameteres should be the same. If you end up doing the conversion let me know I would consider changing the rear after I wear out my current tires.
mark c

mcanales · 12-23-2002, 01:04 PM

Jared, I got my car back today. My starting problem was due to the anit theft circuitry and a dme problem tied to an obc loose connection.Anyways I picked it up and took it for a ride you will not be disappointed with the racing dynamics sway bar package. The directions weren't very good. So if you decide to do it let me know and I'll fill you in on what i found. The car handles flat as a gocart and the ride is fine.
I also replaced the fuel pumps recommended on e30's with 100k or more. and i also replaced the flexible coupler (guibo) good thing it was cracked and probably wouldn't last another year.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 12-23-2002, 01:10 PM

Good to hear. I plan to do a tech atricle on sway bars and bushings in the future.

mcanales · 12-23-2002, 01:20 PM

Jared, Forgot to mention also installed a UUC short shift kit,I wasn't able to install the derin bushing on the shifter arm the clip came off easy but there wasn't enough clearance to pull it off. I 'll save it for when the clutch needs to be replaced. But you must do this upgrade to you car it gives shifting a great feel

Jared at Pelican Parts · 12-23-2002, 02:06 PM

I've been looking into it. I plan to do this as well.