BEST all around tire size for 18x8.5??

[actp16]

hi, im running ACS type 3 two piece 18x8.5 with HR/BL sports setup. Whats the best all around tire size for my car? 235/40/18? 235/35/18? 245/35/18?? pros and cons? i just ordered a set of goodyear eagle F1 gs d3 with 235/40/18. opinion needed before they place an order on monday....=p Thanks alot for any input and information!!

ac

[///Arman]

235/40 18s , no rubbing problems even if you slam your car, and it will still be comfortable AND a lot of tire companies make it in that size.

[Mantic]

It all depends on the tire maker. 225/40/18 Bridgestone S-03s look like this: They are as wide as 245 Kumho Ecsta 712's.
http://www.dtmpower.net/ppost2/data/500/1007282ndabutt.jpg

Very nice tire.

[BSH]

235/40 or 245/35

[CarbonBlkE36]

i've ran most those sizes before, the 235/35 is not bad, i did that in michellin, usually i run the 225/40/18 or 235, and the 245/35/18 in the rear, which ever u pick im sure would look and feel right

[Don Nguyen]

you say no rubbing problems, but i have 235/40 and i am lowered 1.5 inch all around and my front tires rub when my steering wheel is almost fully locked and my rear tires rub the upper fender inside the wheel well.

[axel]

you guys with the 8.5" wide rims, do you use a spacer to get the rim off the strut?

i just tried putting some Kumho MX 235/40/18 on my 18x9 and NO WAY will they fit. Too tall and the rim is too wide. I'm gonna have to run a 35 profile and a spacer for sure.

[Don Nguyen]

im gonna need some spacers soon, since mine are just barely rubbing on the fender wall on the inside, hopefully 5mm all around will do it. How much do they usually cost? 35 a pair?

[blueStreak]

Very tire dependant. I also suggest you go with 225/40 SO3's on all 4 corners.

I have H&R coilovers and with a 235/40 on an 8.5x18 BBS RK wheel, I rubbed in the front immediately as soon as I took the jack off the car. Mind you, the tire was actually a Pole Position 2 tire that was OEM for BMW if I recall so I'm pretty sure they ran large for the size.

But with the 225/40 SO3 on an 8.5" rim, the tire fits almost square and not stretched or squished. Very clean look IMO.

[M3corey]

im running 235/40/18 s03s .. with hr race springs w/ bilsteins on a 95 m3 .. and my rims are 18x8 and they have a 35mm offset which is pretty aggressive .. no problems with the front at all

[Mantic]

I'm running 18x8.5 Racing Dynamic wheels with a 34 offset (I believe), 225/40/18 S-03s, and 10mm spacers up front. This clears my KW VariantII coilovers. With my car at it's current hight i do have rubbing when turning onto an incline. Infact i've bent my fender lip as a result of this.

[Dinan330ic]

I like the GS-D3's. Awesome everyday-tires.

[axel]

for those of you with spacers in the front and wheels 8.5" or wider, does the wheel stick out past the fender lip?

[Mantic]

I don't run spacers in the rear, only the front to clear my coilovers.

[Don Nguyen]

someone said it wasnt that good to run spacers in the front only because it has to deal something with balance? or is there no real difference?

[///Arman]

Originally posted by AirborneDEN
someone said it wasnt that good to run spacers in the front only because it has to deal something with balance? or is there no real difference?

I don't think thats true, I run only fronts with no problem. I even put in the rears just to see if they made a difference and didn't notice anything.


I was a little too quick in my earlier reply, this question does have a lot to do with the kind of suspension you will be running, your wheels and specially tires. The S03s DO run much wider, so if you decide to go with them you gotta get 225s, since they're really somewhere between 235s and 245s....

But in general, 235 40 18s is a good size, with most tires/wheels/suspension.

[Dinan330ic]

yeah, i too run spacers in the front only because Dinan said it is required for their wheel and with 245's.

If anything, the wider front grips better.

[Mantic]

Well i'm sure it does make some sort or difference, it has to........... But i imagine the change is very negligible for the good or bad.

[axel]

What about how it looks with just spacers in the front? If using the same size wheels and rubber all around, can you notice the front sticking out further past the lip than the rear?

[Bernman]

255/35-18 will work, but you will need to do some fender mod in the rear. The M3 bumper cover has more room than my 325 version, so once you fix the pointy bit that sticks out you should be ok there. You can read more about fitting large tires in these threads...

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63433
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47073

I love the handling I get with these tires, and they look really aggressive. I would not go this size again though. Probably 245/35-18 GS-D3 will be the next tire for me.

...of course that was not the question. Practically, 225/40-18 is the best size. Like the others said, the S-03 runs large, so it fills the wheel nicely and you will not have rubbing problems. The diameter is slightly larger than stock, but nothing to worry about.

So the short answer. 225/40 S-03 if you are practical, 245/35 GS-D3 if you want to push the envelope a little, and 255/35 S-03 if you want to push the envelope a lot :)

Good luck!
Bernman

[Mantic]

I don't see you putting a 255 S-03 in there without some seriouse fender pulling.

[Bernman]

I have 255/35 on my car. Works great without serious work, though some fender modification is required (see links). 225/40 will not require any work at all.

[axel]

right on Berman, thanks.

any idea if a 225/40/18 SO3 will look square and fill the wheel nicely on a 9" wide rim. I put some 225/40/18 Contis on and it looked odd, not square at all.

[Bernman]

On a 9" you might be better off using the 245/35. With the right offset, it will fit without modification. 225/40 will probably work reasonably well though.

[Mantic]

Benman----
You have 255 S-03s on your car?

Axel----
I agree with a 9in wide wheel you might want to go a little wider then a 225 tire. The 225 look clean and flush on a 8.5in wide wheel. You may be pushing it with a 225 on a 9in wheel. Keep in mind we are talking about 225 S-03s here that run wider then most other tires.

[Bernman]

Originally posted by mantic6t9
Benman----
You have 255 S-03s on your car?


Yes, follow the first link... :)

[axel]

Originally posted by Bernman
On a 9" you might be better off using the 245/35. With the right offset, it will fit without modification. 225/40 will probably work reasonably well though.

So what is the right offset? I tried putting a 9" wide on and the inside of the rim rubbed on the stock strut. I will definitely have to go spacers....just trying to figure out what size. Any clues?

[Mantic]

Oh sorry, for some reason i didn't see those links.

There is no way in hell 255 would fit on my car with the setup i have now. I rub in the front with 225s granted i do have 40 series where you have 35s. The 255 look great, very meaty looking. I've been thinking of trying a 35 series but i like the way the 40 fill the fender wells without haveing to slam my car to get rid of gap.

Here is what my setup looks like. You can see in this pic how the 10mm spacer pushes the wheels out in the front.
http://www.dtmpower.net/ppost2/data/500/1007282side2.jpg

[actp16]

thanks guys!

i just found out i have ET43 on my ACS wheels and i dont think i can run any 245/35/18 since my fronts almost touch the struts by.....1mm?? i have 235/40/18 right now.....im thinknig about 10mm spacer all around to make sure that 245/35 can fit...what ya'll think??? will i need to take the orange ACS center ring off to fit the spacers? will any hubcentric spacer fit my ACS type 3 two piece?? such as HR or Rogue or i must use ACS spacers??

thanks alot guys:buttrock :buttrock :buttrock

[Dinan330ic]

I have the Dinan 10mm spacers. They work beautifully. They are attached to the rim with hex screws.

[Bernman]

18x8.5 43mm offset will be perfect for the rear with 245/35, or even 255/35 (with some trimming). In the front, you may need a 5mm spacer.

18x9 40mm offset (Superleggera?) will probably rub on the front without a spacer. Rear will be good.

Of course, you could always buy Umnitza's wheels. He has a nice set of Iforged 18x9 that I hear he is trying to sell...no spacers needed, and they have 245/35 on them. Sweet wheels :)