Low profile wider tires noisier?

I have checked the front offset and it's +41 too. Thanks.

Reply to
bimbim
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AFAIK, all E36's have a 35mm positive offset front and rear. On the Z3 the offset is 41mm, so although the wheels from a Z3 will physically fit on an E36, they are bound to affect the steering. Ideally the wheel offset should be the same on front wheels as the offset of the wheel mounting face on the hub, so the steering geometry stays the same. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

I thought they were more like 44 or thereabouts depending on the width.

Reply to
adder1969

Good point, he did say that. When I think of getting understeer "under control" I think of getting the car to oversteer, but I suppose getting it close to neutral would qualify.

Hah!! I knew someone would bring up the ole' handbrake move.

Reply to
Fred W

AFAIK the offset of a wheel allows the centreline of the wheels to be in the correct position relative to the offset of the hub wheel mounting face. IOW, no matter how wide the rims are, providing the offset is the same as that of the hubs, their c/line stays the same. With rear wheels it's not so important, but a different offset on front wheels must affect the steering, as in effect you are altering the steering geometry. Whether the alteration is acceptable, is something else. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

I would think that the offset should increase with the wheel width...

Reply to
Fred W

The offset has nothing to do with wheel width. The offset of a wheel is the dimension between the mounting face and the c/line of the wheel rims. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

You are probably right as that makes a lot of sense.

Reply to
Fred W

As the wheel gets wider one starts to run out of room one side or the other so there is usually some adjustment to the offset. For an E36 the following are listed as original fitment...

6X15 offset of 42 7X15 offset of 47 7X16 offset of 46 7.5x17 offset of 41
Reply to
adder1969

If you got them from a Z3, they are not X5 wheels.

The Z3 tires and rims should be interchangeable with the other 3 Series cars. The stagger, in and of itself, is not necessarily a problem, and the stagger numbers you cite are normal stagger for the 3 Series cars.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Thanks all to your wonderful insights, they are all valid. Yeah, I think the new offset should be acceptable, also it should have a little effect on steering.

I think I'm getting used to the noise. I seem to hear it more when my windows are closed as there is no outside noise to mask it.

I also looked closely on the stretch of asphalt road I take, and it's unbelievably wobbled. The lanes have raised bumps on the sides perhaps either it was pushed up or the usual tire track deepened. These are at minimum an inch high. I think the switch to wider tires has made these bumps more apparent. I needed to be more alert on steering when changing lanes.

Reply to
bimbim

The "new offset" is exactly the same as you'd get with those size wheels intended for an E36. X5 wheels have a similar offset but you can't get the range of widths for 17" X5 rims.

Reply to
adder1969

On a flat road the effect of wider tyres is not usually very noticeable. On an uneven road at times, the weight of the car might be only on the outside or inside edge of the tyres. That alters the self centreing effect of the steering, tending to bias it one way or the other, resulting in the tramlining effect you mentioned in an earlier post. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

I needed to be more alert on steering when

That's the spirit. High Performance attention for a performance car with performance tires. Me thinks you're starting to get Performance Driving.

Seriously, I think you're gonna like the new tires in the long run. If I was doing it, I think I would NOT have done the stagger, that way I'd have more options with rotating and such. Having said that, I do not generally rotate my tires. I had a brand spanking new spare tire in the trunk that was more than 10 years old. Now, I have a brand spanking new spare tire that is 2 years old. But, my spare is the same size as all 4 tires on the ground, so I can have a flat on any corner and my spare will do the trick ...

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Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Or get the suspension checked and aligned.

If you're into performance rotating tyres isn't generally done as the wear pattern on the front usually doesn't give good results when placed on the rear. As long as you have a spare that actualyl fits on all four corners it doesn't really matter what the main road wheels are.

Reply to
adder1969

Hahaha. It's crazy true. First you get nice rims and tires. Next you're thinking of upgrading exhaust and intake...Thanks!

BTW, will a stock M3 exhaust give me some benefit?

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Reply to
bimbim

I believe so

Reply to
adder1969

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