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Thread: Consideration on wheel and tire sizes for E32

  1. #26
    Join Date
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    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    I am also style 3 fan, 20 years ago those style 3 were used as cheap winter rims, now the prices are going up, original fans like them https://www.7-forum.com/bilder/model...015-b_jpg.html
    https://www.bmwoemwheels.com/en/rim-...more%20rows%20
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  2. #27
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    1990 750iL, 2005 X5 3.0i
    BMW still has the E38 16 inch style 5s brand new. They have a lot of them. I bought 5 and 5 center caps. I am putting 245/50 16s on them. The circumference and diameter are exactly the same as the stock wheel and tire combination and the tire is 7 tenths of an inch wider. That is 3.5 tenths on the outside and 3.5 tenths on the inside. I have spacers but I'll bet I will not need them. There is enough room between the current tire and the strut to accommodate the new size.
    Last edited by 2shelbys; 12-21-2021 at 03:05 PM.

  3. #28
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    1994 BMW E32 730i M30
    Quote Originally Posted by 2shelbys View Post
    I am putting 245/50 16s on them.
    It's quite bemusing, the nowadays availability of tires in different parts of the world.
    A few posts above Shogun was complaining that he cannot get decent 225/60R15 tires in Japan.
    However, in Europe we still have enough options in this size, including good ones such as Continental EcoContact 6, Falken Ziex ZE310, or - most odd - the Japanese Toyo Proxes CF2. On the other hand, there's virtually no way to order any 245/50R16 tires.
    --
    1994 E32 730i M30 manual
    ex- 2006 E86 Z4M Coupe
    ex- 1986 E28 535i

  4. #29
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    8/88 750iL
    Quote Originally Posted by 2shelbys View Post
    BMW still has the E38 16 inch style 5s brand new. They have a lot of them. I bought 5 and 5 center caps. I am putting 245/50 16s on them. The circumference and diameter are exactly the same as the stock wheel and tire combination and the tire is 7 tenths of an inch wider. That is 3.5 tenths on the outside and 3.5 tenths on the inside. I have spacers but I'll bet I will not need them. There is enough room between the current tire and the strut to accommodate the new size.
    Very interesting. How much more would it impact geometry to go with 245/45R17, ie, stock E34 sport size? I think you could have ordered a E32 from factory with 17" wheels, or at least, maybe just for E34s.

    I would hate to hack up my style 3 to 16", but have 16" tires to away, and be back at square one.

    Would imagine 17" tires will be around for many more years to come, probably much more common than 16"

    1989 BMW 750iL (prod 08/88) (vin: 2768675)
    Gone but not forgotten: 1994 BMW 740iL (prod 10/11/1993) (vin: *DE89667) 6spd swap, 2001 BMW 740i Sport

  5. #30
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    e34 540ia/e32 740il
    Yeah BMW has both the E38 16x8 Style 4s and Style 5s still available new. I was deciding between a set of those two options as an interim solution until I can find 17x8.5 wheels that I like. I ultimately went with the Style 4s because they are a little bit lighter weight than the e38 Style 5, and they are forged and made by Fuchs Although I did go back and forth on my decision because I do actually prefer the look of the e38 style 5s over the e38 style 4s on the E32. I'm going to run 225/55R16 tires like I do on my other E32. And if I ever find a set of 17x8.5 wheels I'll go with 245/45R17 tires.

    Edit: From a quick google search I found a couple pics of two piece (maybe 3-piece?) modified Style 3 wheels for some inspiration:

    style3_2.JPG style3_1.JPG

    Damn, they do look so good!
    Last edited by m60power; 12-22-2021 at 08:39 PM.

  6. #31
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    92 735iL (12/1991)
    Wow those are some good looking wheels! Imagine them on a black 750iL, perfection.

    90,700 miles 1992 BMW 735iL Azure Blue Metallic with Silver Grey leather interior ‣My car ‣My YouTube channel

  7. #32
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    93 525i 84 533i
    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    so what's the best tire size option from your own experience to keep 15" original wheels and same/similar riding style as 225/60/15? More tires are still available in these sizes
    205/65/15
    215/65/15
    other options?
    I have 205/65 Nokian R3 (Winter Tires) on my car now (for Winter only). And this size (stock for a 525i sedan), feels lighter, accelerates better, a little more tosable, and less steering effort is needed compared to the 225/60. The 225/60 does ride a little better (minimal). The look of a 225/60-15 is more 535/540-like.

  8. #33
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    '92 740iL + '85 M635CSi
    I'm just going through the tyre replacement process here, having worn my second hand Continental SSR's down to the TWI right across the width on the front. I had to switch to 16" style 61 wheels because finding 15" tyres was basically impossible or very, very hard and very expensive for what you could get. Basically in 15" size now in Australia you're looking at reproduction tyres only for the classic market by the likes of Avon etc. and only produced sporadically when they have enough confirmed orders and they can be arsed getting the moulds down and tooling up for a production run. Being limited production items now of course, they are also very expensive for what you get.

    I can still get new 16" tyres, but only one model each from about 4 manufacturers with a recognisable name that isn't Chinglish like Happy Sunshine Rainbow Motoring Tyre Co. of Kowloon. I can get Continental, Pirelli, Kuhmo and Nexen, but the options there are starting to dry up too.

    Again, for any sort of quality like Continental or Pirelli, they're expensive, like around the $250ea. mark. Instead, I only ever buy second hand tyres now and these come from Japan. I've had nothing but very good experience with second hand tyres.

    I use a company called https://www.rollrighttyresperth.com.au/ and these guys source all their second hand tyres from Japan. They have some contact there who obviously sources good second hand tyres off Japanese wreckers, fills shipping containers with them and sells them to Australia. We literally buy Japanese rubbish and import it to Australia. I guess that makes Australia a third world country, but I don't mind because it means I can still get 16" tyres to fit my 30yo BMW in a make/model and quality that I would never be willing to pay brand new price for.

    It's obviously harder to get a full matched set of four tyres, but if that isn't a deal breaker, then you can't argue the price. I just bought a matched pair of Pirelli Cinturato P7 in 225/55R16 99W with 75% tread left for $135 the pair fitted up, balanced, new valves. Not run flat like the Continentals before either.

  9. #34
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    It's taken a while, but just had a call from my local second hand tyre importer to tell me he's got some more good matched pairs of used 225/55-R16 in a container just landed from Japan. I couldn't be lucky enough for another pair of Pirelli Cinturato P7, but in truth I'll be happy enough with a matched pair that aren't run-flat of any brand/model. The Cinturato P7 pair I got 3 months ago are great. Nice and quiet and smooth and balanced up perfectly. I was a bit sceptical at first when I saw them because the beads had been ripped and damaged in the no-care attitude to removing them from whatever wreck they came off, but the guys fitted them up with adhesive sealant in the damaged bead area and you'd never know now they're on. Holding air perfectly.

    I must say that the difference between run-flat and normal tyres is quite noticeable when you switch from one to the other. Initially the run-flat Contis didn't seem too bad when they had a lot of nice soft tread on them, but as they wear down and you lose that nice squishy dampening from the soft tread, all you've got left is the rock hard stiff side walls and the ride devolves into a nasty jarring motion over bumps

  10. #35
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    e34 540ia/e32 740il
    A few weeks ago I finally got around to switching to the 16" wheels on my second e32 (because decent 15" tires are impossible to find). I went with the E38 Style 4 wheels (8Jx16" ET23). Although they aren't the most ideal look for matching the style of the E32, I chose them because they are one of the lightest 8 inch wide 16" BMW wheels that has an offset close to OE offset for the e32. They are forged and made by Fuchs. Weighed on a scale they are 17.9 lbs.

    Because of the ET23 offset they need 5mm spacers to safely clear the front strut. They might fit the front without the 5mm spacer but it looks too close for comfort.

    I'm running 225/55R16 Hankook Ventus s1 noble2 tires on them (W-rated, 168mph)

    e32_2.jpg
    Last edited by m60power; 07-29-2022 at 09:41 PM.

  11. #36
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    Just got back from the second hand tyre shop and it seems my luck is in. He's got for me another matched pair of Pirelli Cinturato P7. About 75-80% tread left which is the same as the pair I bought before that are now on the rear axle of my car. $135 the pair again same as last time. So $270 for a full matched set of four P7 with around 75% tread left. I'm calling that a bargain, when these things brand new would run me well over $1,000 down here. $270 down here won't even get you one brand new Pirelli Cinturato P7, let alone four!

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Legoman View Post
    Just got back from the second hand tyre shop and it seems my luck is in. He's got for me another matched pair of Pirelli Cinturato P7. About 75-80% tread left which is the same as the pair I bought before that are now on the rear axle of my car. $135 the pair again same as last time. So $270 for a full matched set of four P7 with around 75% tread left. I'm calling that a bargain, when these things brand new would run me well over $1,000 down here. $270 down here won't even get you one brand new Pirelli Cinturato P7, let alone four!
    Good stuff! That's a great deal

  13. #38
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    Finally got the second pair of Pirelli Cinturato P7 on the front today to match the rears. Got ripped off in the end though, got charged $140 instead of the promised $135! I had things planned for that $5, so feeling a bit hard done by. The old SSR Contis were perfectly balanced but took 90-100g of weights to get there on outside and about half that on inside. The Pirellis have balanced up perfectly with only 15g on the outside and nothing at all on the inside. It's like driving my leather lounge suite floating on a custard blancmange in the clouds while having my brow wiped with a goose feather now on non-runflats. Only had it up to 90km/h so far, but nary even the faintest hint of anything untoward at that speed.

    I found myself looking for chopped up road and divots to deliberately drive into, just to feel something and make sure I was in fact still connected to the ground!

  14. #39
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    1994 BMW E32 730i M30
    I am glad to see that major tire manufacturers still launch new models in 225/55x16 size. This pushes the useability of 16" rims on BMW E32 for quite a few more years further.

    Recently, Continental announced the new PremiumContact 7, which will be available in this size, too. I expect it to be a good to great tire for an E32. But we still have to wait until someone will publish a professional test on this tire.

    https://www.continental-tires.com/ca...remiumcontact7
    --
    1994 E32 730i M30 manual
    ex- 2006 E86 Z4M Coupe
    ex- 1986 E28 535i

  15. #40
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    I can confirm the used set of Pirelli Cinturato P7 in 225/55-60 I got on my car are easily the best ride and handling it's ever had and not by a small margin either. Little bit wonky and nervous initially what with them having been on another car and weight and probably in different corners too, but that's to be expected when you go second hand. Same as if they had been brand new though to a slightly greater extent, but after the first bedding-in 250km or so, they're now perfect.

    No thumping over bumps, tramlining or steering wander, no wind roar noise and absolutely no chance of losing grip wet or dry. You'd have to drive like a lunatic with a death wish on ice with the ASC turned off to have any chance of making them slip.

  16. #41
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    And here it is, a first test with the new Continental PremiumContact 7.
    Being the newest kid on the street, the PremiumContact 7 performed best, but the test shows that there are other good tires to consider as well.

    https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/...-Tyre-Test.htm
    --
    1994 E32 730i M30 manual
    ex- 2006 E86 Z4M Coupe
    ex- 1986 E28 535i

  17. #42
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    Based on that I'm calling $135 for a pair of used Pirelli Cinturato P7 with ~80% tread left compared against $135ea. down here for brand new Double Coin DC99 (a brand I had to look up) as the bargain of the century.

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