18" BBS CH Questions for Jim and others

[Philo]

I have a '96 E36 M3 with stock suspension and NON rolled fenders. I am looking at purchasing 18" BBS CH wheels for it and am having problems deciding on rim width and tire size. My preference is Bridgestone SO3s which run a little bigger than usual. Here are my options:

1. Front: 18x8.5 225/40
Rear: 18x8.5 245/35
General consensus is that this should work but will the
oversize nature of the SO3s be an issue and cause rubbing?


2. Front: 18x8.5 225/40
Rear: 18x8.5 255/35
Any chance this would work without having to roll the
fender? Does 255 too big for 8.5"? How about the SO3 issue?

3. Last question. On the tirerack website there is a "rear
fitment" option that would result in the following:
Front: 18x8.5 225/40
Rear: 18x10 245/35
Can this really work without rolling the fenders? Seems like
245 would be too narrow for 10" width? How about 255/35s
on them?

Thanks in advance!

[ADVANT123]

The BBS CH has been a favorite wheel of mine for a long time. The 18x8.5" Wheel can fit a tire up to 255 easily. Anything after 255 and your gonna need a 9" + wide rim. The 18x10 BBS CH will not fit the M3 without modification from what I hear. They usually require a fender roll at the absolute minimum, some people have gone so far as to cutting their fenders to make them fit. The problem with running a 245/35/18 (the ideal size for the M3) is that only 2 or 3 manufacturers make tires in this size ( I believe Goodyear and Pirelli make them). I currently run S03's on my stock M3 wheel and yes, they do run slightly larger than your normal tire. I believe you should go with a 18x8.5" Setup with 225/40 in the front and 255/35 in the rear and just have your fenders rolled if they rub.

[Philo]

bump...