Tire fitment for the e23- running 16's

[sharkski]

I am sure this has been addressed before but what would be a good size to fit to fill out the wheel wells? I will be getting bilsteins with h&r's. Currently the tires are 215/50 but I am looking for an aggressive look. Appreciate any feedback.
Thanks

[kojo96]

Depends on wheel offset, guessing 225-50 most common but I've seen 245-45 in the rear, possible 255.
I like a staggered set over a square set personally. I'll be running 16x7.5 and 16x8.5, not sure tire sizes yet.

[Jay535is]

215/50 is wrong, consider stock is 205/70/14, which gives you a diameter of 25.3".
215/50/16 is only 24.5".
225/50/16 is 24.9".
235/50/16 is perfect at 25.3, but good luck finding it-but would look meaty and badass.
235/45/17 the common size found on E39, is also perfect at 25.3"

[sharkski]

20170717_153640.jpg 20170717_153224.jpg

The 215/50's came on these rims of a e24. I really appreciate your information. I will search for those 235/50's

[GazM3]

I run 205/55/16 all round. These are on 16x8 bbs Rs 006 wheels. For a more modern aggressive look I run a 25mm spacer on the front and a 35mm spacer on the rear. The tyres still have plenty of clearance to the guards and don't look overstretched. The benifit of running this size is you can use a modern pilot sport 4 rubber which I will use when the ps3's wear down. It's good for handling (if u can call it handling in an e23) to have a square set of tyres. Having it overtyred at the rear makes it less fun.

[timgal1234]

I ran 205/55/16 on the front 225/50/16 rear on my old 745i worked fine for me. This was on e38 style 5s which have very little clearance in the front due to their weird offset.

[mottati]

i've got 225/50-16 front and rear on bbs ra in 16x7 and 8. I like the front but the rears look too small. Thinking a 245 would look better

[kojo96]

i've got 225/50-16 front and rear on bbs ra in 16x7 and 8. I like the front but the rears look too small. Thinking a 245 would look better

Mike, mind puttin up an image of the rears, and what offset are you running?

[mottati]

not the best pic for the rear, but you get the idea. I'm not 100% sure of the offsets, i'll check if i run home at lunch. 16x7 and 8"

[kojo96]

not the best pic for the rear, but you get the idea. I'm not 100% sure of the offsets, i'll check if i run home at lunch. 16x7 and 8"

Car looks good! You already got the M motor in?

[mottati]

Car looks good! You already got the M motor in?

thanks, yes fired it up and pulled out of garage for first time last saturday. Lots of little things to do before really roadworthy, but running!

[kojo96]

... nice, how will you smog it, or rather get by the visual?

[mottati]

... nice, how will you smog it, or rather get by the visual?

i'll worry about that next year. On the plus side, the CARB sticker says it needs a cat, an 02 sensor and an evap canister, all of which it will have.

[roninguitars]

not the best pic for the rear, but you get the idea. I'm not 100% sure of the offsets, i'll check if i run home at lunch. 16x7 and 8"

My friend at Hubbard German Motors here in Eureka just showed me this car on his phone today...what a crazy coincidence...I guess he knows you?

[mottati]

My friend at Hubbard German Motors here in Eureka just showed me this car on his phone today...what a crazy coincidence...I guess he knows you?

not sure. Doesn't ring a bell.

[kojo96]

Just for the record, 16x8.5 wheels with 225/50/16 25mm offset do not fit up front- had to run same wheel with a 13mm offset which fits perfectly.

[Jay535is]

A 5mm spacer should make them fit, but a 10mm spacer would make them fill out the wheel well nicely.

[kojo96]

A 5mm spacer should make them fit, but a 10mm spacer would make them fill out the wheel well nicely.

Didn't have the spacers, ran a 7.5" up front and an 8.5" rear, looks pretty good.

[Jay535is]

ET25 with a 10mm spacer makes effective ET15, which is great up to about an 8.5" wheel. Any lower effective offset/wheel width combo and you start to get that 'poke'. :-/
I have a set of Racing Dynamics RGR 16*8 et13 that would fit great, but I just love how the 17*8 style 5s look on the car...though I do plan some spacers for the back to flush things out a bit.

[CMG]

The Miata tire calculator is what I use but there is also a Toyota one. You have to start with the correct size. Then you can see your options in that size. Every tire has a different tread and sidewall and different "look". Same size tires from different manufacturers may "fill out" better than others. Using the basic percentage differences you can take into account tread wear if considering used tires and possible close options like 225/45-17 and 235/40-17. They don't make a tire for every size, i.e if you're running 16x7.5" you have limited options for 225/45-16 tires.

- - - Updated - - -

The Miata tire calculator is what I use but there is also a Toyota one. You have to start with the correct size. Then you can see your options in that size. Every tire has a different tread and sidewall and different "look". Same size tires from different manufacturers may "fill out" better than others. Using the basic percentage differences you can take into account tread wear if considering used tires and possible close options like 225/45-17 and 235/40-17. They don't make a tire for every size, i.e if you're running 16x7.5" you have limited options for 225/45-16 tires.

[roninguitars]

I just grabbed an 84 745i from a women in the Bay Area, 75k original miles but needs paint and dashboard due to weather checking. It has H&B Forged 16"x8" wheels (really killer wheel) on it with old Pilot Sport 245/45R16 (they of course do not make these any longer) that were almost cracked to the core...miracle I made the 5 hour drive home in one piece. The stance and look is incredible with those tires but the options on tirerack are very small and don't seem like good tires. The Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 seem like the only option.

[CSBM5]

thanks, yes fired it up and pulled out of garage for first time last saturday. Lots of little things to do before really roadworthy, but running!

Mike,

You've done an M88 swap into an E23 and don't have a build thread somewhere???

Regards,
Chuck (aka long time M5board member)

[mottati]

Mike,

You've done an M88 swap into an E23 and don't have a build thread somewhere???

Regards,
Chuck (aka long time M5board member)

Hi Chuck, yes i am not good at build threads. I have a handful of pics on facebook, and a bunch of the process. I'll put something together once i get it all dialed in and finished. Muffler shop appt tomorrow.

[CSBM5]

Hi Chuck, yes i am not good at build threads. I have a handful of pics on facebook, and a bunch of the process. I'll put something together once i get it all dialed in and finished. Muffler shop appt tomorrow.

That would be great to see and a tribute to such a special car...looking forward to it! I have fond memories of driving my father's then new 1980 E23 733i 4MT in the Spring of 1980; he had the car for a bit over 7 years and I sadly turned down the opportunity to buy it cheaply from him in 1987 as I had a full up garage then with E3, E21 and E28. Right after he bought the E23 I did install some Suspension Techniques large front and rear sways on it for him which that car desperately needed. The E23 is a vastly underappreciated but significant car in BMW's past imo. Similar to how the E3/Bavaria has been ignored all these years until just recently, I think the E23's future will resolve in the same manner at some point.

[CMG]

You are pretty much correct, that model is one of the few left for odd 16" sizes. You can get cheap Chinese off brands but they are crap. The changeover occurred within the last 5 years or so, if you keep an eye out on ebay and craigslist sometimes old stock will pop up, I got a set of Dunlop 16" for my M3 for under $400 last year, were made in 2014. Many corporate tire stores won't install a tire more than 5 years old.