What is the widest tire you can put on a 325i?
I have 6.5 inch by 14 inch diameter rims and I'm thinking of 7.5 or 8 inch by 15 inch diameter rims. Will it make a difference on the tire width? I'm currently running 195/65/14 tires. Would 205/50/15 tires look noticeably wider?
TireRack has great tools to figure out what is an acceptable tire for a car
^ +1 on Tire. Though most E30 BMW enthusiast upgrade to a 17" wheel. Which is typically 8" wide. Also it's possible to do a 5 lug conversion to have more of a selection or wheels/rims to choose from. I upgraded a E32 740iL from a stock 15" to a 18" set of rims and it helped the handling in corners. I taller wheel with lower profile tires gives less play for tire sidewall flexing. Usually a rim upgrade will give you a wider stance due to a better offset profile (depending on brand). Don't forget to have your inner fender rolled to prevent a tire rubbing issue.
I was wondering about the fenders, the front seems to clear completely and the rear looks like it has 1-2 inches. Would a 7-8 inch rim rub on the inside? I was thinking of the 15 inch rims mostly because it gives me a wider selection of higher mileage, all-weather performance tires. I'm not planning on auto-crossing and the 195/65/14s actually handle well enough for my driving. I really am mostly going for appearance; I'm after a wider appearance.
Most guys run 15x7's. If you go 205/50 it will definetly look wider than your current set up. If youre going for looks, I'd recommend ESM's 16x8's with a 225/45/16. This is also all depends on suspension. Good luck!
Thanks for the feedback guys. What are ESM's?
Yea go with 205/50s that's what I usually ran on my E30s
Yea! That red one looks like the size I'm after. Is that a 16" rim?
15" Here they are mounted on the coupe
I had 225 60 14 on my 1990 325i.
Any turning clearance issues with 225??? Also tire size, cost, and availability will help with your decision.
Full turn with heavy compression cause contact on fronts, otherwise, no problems.
I got 15" rims from Tire Rack for mi 325i convertible with a 25mm offset. Then put on 225/50/15 all-weather performance tires and and had them siped - it handles great with no rub. The tread is 9" wide and the tire diameter is essentially identical, so the speedo is still correct.
