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Thread: E30 4x100 to 5x130 adapters: Any good?

  1. #1
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    E30 4x100 to 5x130 adapters: Any good?

    Hi all,
    Today, looking for something totally different, I came across these adapters. Check them out:
    Here:
    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=148958

    and here:
    http://www.8380labs.com/products/42-...acers-adapters

    For all of us E30 owners, it looks like a much cheaper, faster, and easier solution than a full 5-lug conversion, and will allow us to really expand our horizons while searching for wheels (I am not personally looking for new wheels, but some of you might be)

    Have any of you tried them?
    Aloha!

    Luciano
    Last edited by Luciano36; 06-28-2012 at 04:59 PM.
    Glacier blue metallic 1991 BMW 325ic

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Luciano36
    Hi all,
    Today, looking for something totally different, I came across these adapters. Check them out:
    Here:
    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=148958

    and here:
    http://www.8380labs.com/products/42-...acers-adapters

    For all of us E30 owners, it looks like a much cheaper, faster, and easier solution than a full 5-lug conversion, and will allow us to really expand our horizons while searching for wheels (I am not personally looking for new wheels, but some of you might be)

    Have any of you tried them?
    Aloha!

    Luciano
    No.

    Don't.

    Build a five lug swap, or find a set of 4x100 you like.

    imagine the damage that Honolulu potholes do to your car's OEM suspension, wheel bearings, hubs, etc. Imagine the millions of dollars and engineering PHD's that developed said suspension.

    Imagine Cletus with a CNC machine making those adapters...

    -ken

    DD: 1986 Cosmosblau 528e Dinan Chip, BBS RS05, 3.46, H&R over Bilsteins

  3. #3
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    E30 4x100 to 5x130 adapters: Any good?

    You're gonna put Porsche rims on your car?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Beastmaster
    E30 4x100 to 5x130 adapters: Any good?

    You're gonna put Porsche rims on your car?
    Haha, I was pretty sure that was a typo. What are common Porsche offsets?
    -ken

    DD: 1986 Cosmosblau 528e Dinan Chip, BBS RS05, 3.46, H&R over Bilsteins

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by swerved300 View Post
    Haha, I was pretty sure that was a typo. What are common Porsche offsets?
    -ken
    Later ones from 89+ are high, in the 50s.

  6. #6
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    Not looking for wheels myself right now. I just wanted to know whether these adapters are good or not, just in case I want to get new wheels in the future. I guess it's a "no"?

    And I meant 120! (I think) :P
    Glacier blue metallic 1991 BMW 325ic

  7. #7
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    I have had porsche turbo twist on a new beetle, been using the adapters on the car for about 6 years with no issues. Granted a beetle is a lot different from a E30

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Luciano36
    Not looking for wheels myself right now. I just wanted to know whether these adapters are good or not, just in case I want to get new wheels in the future. I guess it's a "no"?

    And I meant 120! (I think) :P
    You'll end up spending close to the same amount to run adapters, and then you've got to run higher offset wheels, which means less lip, which means less asthetics; so what's the point really?
    I've looked for a while into any option I could think of.

    Nothing really works and actually gives you a good look except M3/318ti or e30M3 swaps. I've postulated you could use a few bits and pieces to make regular E36 spindles work, but it'll require a welder and some interesting geometry.

    If you're game- grab an e36 control arm and spindle from the junkyard and we can attack it together.
    -ken

    DD: 1986 Cosmosblau 528e Dinan Chip, BBS RS05, 3.46, H&R over Bilsteins

  9. #9
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    I don't know men, lots of E30 enthusiast seem to be buying them (the ones selling on r3vlimted) with no regrets.

    Lots of people these days do the swap just for the much broader option of wheels. I mean, if you're gonna do the swap JUST to use "cooler" wheels, don't you think the adapter is worth a try?

    Now if you're doing the swap to improve performance (brakes, etc), that's another story. I read threads on 5-lug full swaps with final budgets from $500 to $2000...

    Obviously, I have no experience in this matter, just debating (since I won't change my 14" basketweaves for anything...well, maybe for a good set of 15" Euroweaves)
    Last edited by Luciano36; 06-28-2012 at 11:20 PM.
    Glacier blue metallic 1991 BMW 325ic

  10. #10
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    cool post.

    Luciano, i sent you a PM.

  11. #11
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    to address some of the concerns that have been mentioned:

    i'll start by saying i'm an e30 driver myself, so i'm familiar with all the options available and how they work. OEM 5-lug style 5's are the most popular example of a wide range stock BMW (and other manufacturers') wheels that people like to run on 4-lug e30s.

    as i see it, there are several factors that must be taken into account when considering a modification like running 5-lug wheels on a 4-lug car:

    1) what are the available options?

    - full 5-lug suspension swap, redrill or adapters

    2) are you planning on driving the car on the track or the street?

    - i would not recommend adapters or a redrill for track applications

    3) what is your budget?

    - if we're talking about running a set of wheels for purely aesthetic purposes on a street car, only two of these options make sense from a budget/effort standpoint, and that would be a redrill or adapters.

    4) which option will fit the best?

    - let's say you were hell bent on a 5-lug swap. unless you're planning on purchasing a $1,500+ e30 m3 setup, a hacked together e36/z3/whatever setup is going to totally bugger the geometry (especially the front castor) those german engineers worked so hard to perfect. an e36/etc 5-lug swap also widens the track significantly, so your 5-lug wheels now bolt up directly, but fit the same way as they would with $400 adapters - except you spent way more money and effort to get there.

    - fill and drill will allow you to retain the stock offsets, but you'll most likely end up needing to buy spacers to get the wheels to sit properly in
    the fenders - there's another $150+ on top of the $300+ you spent on the redrill...if you can find a place who will touch that project.

    - we've sold quite a few sets of 18mm 4x100 > 5x120 adapters to e30 guys running style 5s and other 5-lug wheels - there are a bunch of pics
    and reviews in our thread on r3v...people have been really receptive to them and are realizing the degree to which this 4-to-5-lug design has
    opened up their wheel options.

    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...6&postcount=98

    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...&postcount=124

    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...&postcount=174

    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...&postcount=178

    http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...&postcount=185

    5) which option is the safest?

    - if you've ever seen a 4x100 redrilled style 5 wheel, you'll know that to do that they must machine into the centerbore of the wheels. i personally
    wouldn't want to run those on my car, and it's the same reason many machinists will refuse to do the work. i know there are people out there
    who have run redrilled wheels safely, but if there's a price-competitive option that's more readily available and less of a safety gamble, i'd
    go that route, personally.

    - if you take a minute to look through the pics in our ad on r3v and on the 42 draft website, it should become pretty obvious that these adapters
    weren't machined by cletus with a lathe. a considerable amount of time was put into the research and development of this product line, and the
    result is a 4-to-5 lug adapter design that is revolutionary. i've been using adapters in some form or another for about 8 years now, and these are
    the best i've ever seen.

    - from the modular hubcentric rings, to the use of studs (which makes installs much easier) and the design of the kidney-shaped adapter plate,
    which means no moving parts (compared to all other 4-to-5-lug adapter designs) - these are by far the best designed/built and safest adapters
    on the market, and the best choice if you want to quickly/easily/cheaply/safely run 5-lug wheels on your 4-lug car.

    let me know if you have any questions, thanks.
    Last edited by 8380 Labs; 06-29-2012 at 11:19 AM.

  12. #12
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    Thanks so much for the info, and well put. As I implied before, I have no experience with adapters, or wheels, or 5-lug conversions. I am just an E30 enthusiast and an avid reader that sometimes find interesting stuff that might help me and others to make future decisions, and I just post and ask about it to the people that are actually much more knowledgeable than I am on the matter. Then the debate begins, which is how is supposed to go
    Aloha!
    Luciano
    Glacier blue metallic 1991 BMW 325ic

  13. #13
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    surely, glad to offer some help.

  14. #14
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    Lucho, I have a set of RS224's in Los Angeles, they are 15x6.5 et45 and 5x114.


    They'll come with adaptors, no redrilling and perfect fit.

    http://store.42draftdesigns.com/VWAu...Set_p_445.html

    or cheaper version ... http://wheeladapters.us/4x100mm-3-94...-00-Thick.html



  15. #15
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    Aloha Frank, those are nice wheels and cheap (but good looking) adapters! I am actually not on the market for wheels yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I decide to go for it!
    Glacier blue metallic 1991 BMW 325ic

  16. #16
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    1987 BMW 325e
    Hey guys,

    Ive spent the last couple of years doing my e30 homework and I've finally got one. I would like a second opinion on getting adapters for the 5-lug 525i 17in. rims. Do they rub? What problems will I (do you think i'll) have?

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