Wheel Sources?

#1

Being new to BMW’s, it appears that the wheels that came on my 325is aren’t legal for the series. (14" basketweaves - prob 6.5"). In any case, I would want to run 15’s I think in order to get the lower profile tire on the car.

I see a ton of wheels on eBay for various years of BMW’s and wondering what will fit. Is offset "free" as long as the wheel/tire combo fits under the stock fender? Is there much variance in offset for the various years? From what I read in the spec, as long as they are 15x7, I can use them, correct?

Last, I saw that Bimmerworld carries the stud conversion. Are most poeple running them? Is it as simple as threading them into the current hubs? Looks like 75mm and 90mm are the two sizes available. I have the 90’s on my 944 and like the easy mounting. Any reason to run the 75mm?

Thanks

#2

Can I ask, why not just run the 14" you have and save some cash? Maybe some other will ring in on this, but will moving from 14" to 15" make you that much quicker?

14" basketweaves and anything else in a 14" seem to be plentyful and fairly affordable.

#3

All I know of run studs - we have used 75 and 90 mm, both work fine, but clean the threads or you may have trouble getting them to seat correctly. From my research and talking to various folks suggests that the offset (ET##) should be between 15 ansd 27. A hubcentric wheel is also preferred. Some run 10 mm spacers as well, but I believe most of the folks that do are running a 25 - 27 offset wheel. I believe the weight minimum is 13 pounds so I would look for something close to that.
Ed

#4

erupert66 wrote:

Offset isn’t specified in the regs, so long as the wheels are 14x6" or 15x7" and >13lbs. The Kosei K1 (with spacers) and the Team Dynamics Pro Race (1.2 or 2.0) in the correct E30 offset from Bimmerworld

erupert66 wrote:

Most are, some aren’t – it’s a personal preference and it probably saves 10-20 seconds per corner when changing wheels. Either way, studs or bolts should be an annual replacement item (and you should order at least 4 spares – it’s a simple bit of advice, but you’d be surprised at how many forget to do so).

erupert66 wrote:

If you’re not running spacers, the 75mm length avoids the Ben-Hur effect, unless you believe that’ll be a competitive advantage.

I have been hit square on the wheel (twice, actually) – neither time bent the TD wheels, but it would have snapped a longer wheel stud (I run 75mm Bimmerworld studs).

#5

jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]Can I ask, why not just run the 14" you have and save some cash? Maybe some other will ring in on this, but will moving from 14" to 15" make you that much quicker?

14" basketweaves and anything else in a 14" seem to be plentyful and fairly affordable.[/quote]

[quote]9.3.9.3. Wheels shall be 14 by 6 inches or 15 by 7 inches, shall weigh a minimum of
thirteen (13) pounds, any brand, unless specified in these regulations.
[/quote]

Not to sound condescending, but before you do anything to your car, familiarize yourself with the SpecE30 regulations. The 14x6.5" 325iS basketweaves are and always have been illegal – in fact, it’s been a major point of contention.

#6

[
Not to sound condescending, but before you do anything to your car, familiarize yourself with the SpecE30 regulations. The 14x6.5" 325iS basketweaves are and always have been illegal – in fact, it’s been a major point of contention.[/quote]

Yea Dan, that did sound condesending! Only kidding!

Just thought life could be easier for some if we were able to run these, That’s why I asked if anyone knew if one size was alot faster then the other.

It seems like the 14x6.5 would be slower then any 15?

#7

sharkd wrote:

[quote]

Not to sound condescending, but before you do anything to your car, familiarize yourself with the SpecE30 regulations. The 14x6.5" 325iS basketweaves are and always have been illegal – in fact, it’s been a major point of contention.[/quote]

Hmm, in every other sporting reg that I have been a part of (PCA, 944Cup, Grand-AM) it’s always the same - if it’s not specifically listed, you cannot do it. It’s the same for Spec e30. I have read the regs over and this is what I see:

9.3.9.3. Wheels shall be 14 by 6 inches or 15 by 7 inches, shall weigh a minimum of thirteen (13) pounds, any brand, unless specified in these regulations.

I would hypothosize that the reason that it’s a source of contention is that the reg does not say "any 14 rim", it specifies a 14x6. How would one deduce that a 6.5" rim is legal based on reading the rules?

#8

OK, I surrender!!!

I should have put more thought into how exacting everyone is in this game and put my statement much more clearly!

The point is: would a 14x6.5 be any faster then either of the two wheel sizes ALLOWED? This is a forum and I just threw out (up?) a question in a general sense. I have read the rules and yes, your both right, currently only 2 wheels sizes are allowed.

I will, for the sake of exactment (is that a word, if not, someone surely will let me know here) restate; Would either of the ALLOWABLE and LEGAL wheel size be much faster OR much slower then the afore mentioned, NON legal, NON ALLOWED, stock wheels size 14x6.5.

If your offended by this question, please forgive and forget and overlook it and just run me off the road soon!

#9

jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]OK, I surrender!!!

I should have put more thought into how exacting everyone is in this game and put my statement much more clearly!

The point is: would a 14x6.5 be any faster then either of the two wheel sizes ALLOWED? This is a forum and I just threw out (up?) a question in a general sense. I have read the rules and yes, your both right, currently only 2 wheels sizes are allowed.

I will, for the sake of exactment (is that a word, if not, someone surely will let me know here) restate; Would either of the ALLOWABLE and LEGAL wheel size be much faster OR much slower then the afore mentioned, NON legal, NON ALLOWED, stock wheels size 14x6.5.

If your offended by this question, please forgive and forget and overlook it and just run me off the road soon![/quote]

The extra half-inch of width really won’t make a difference as far as cornering grip. Gearing-wise, a 15" diameter wheel has a slight (as in tenths of a percent) advantage over a 14". The 14" tires are slightly cheaper, but legal aftermarket wheels are a little harder to come by.

Either way, the reduction in unsprung weight found in switching from OEM to TD’s or Koseis makes a much bigger difference than an inch of diameter/3.14159… inches of circumference.

The reason why there have been complaints about the illegality of the 325iS basketweaves is that a good number of desirable cars on the market (i.e., those that unquestionably have the 3.73 LSD) come with those wheels and many people don’t want to spend the money to replace them. However, they’re heavy and can be sold for upwards of $60 apiece, so you’ll recoup ~50% of the cost of one set new, straight, light and strong race wheels. (And you can find sets of used K1s and TD PR 1.0s for ~$300, if you look through various racing forums, now that seasons are over.)

#10

jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]OK, I surrender!!!

I should have put more thought into how exacting everyone is in this game and put my statement much more clearly!

[/quote]

Jeff - First off, I apologize - I TOTALLY misread your email. I thought it said that the 14x6.5’s have always been "LEGAL", hence my confusion.

I did read the rules but would have never realized that my factory wheels were illegal until I was down at the shop setting up the balancing machine. Who would have thought that the rules would preclude a stock wheel? Again, this comes from my early-on ignorance of BMW’s in general. That’s why the post started out with "I’ve just come to realize that my wheels aren’t allowed".

#11

Show me a set of $300 15 x 7 rims and I’ll buy them! I’ve been looking, and they always seem to go for more than $400 by the time you factor in shipping. For my money, I’d rather have a new set of TD Pro Race wheels for a little more cash.

Incidentally, I’ve never gotten a straight answer about the Kosei’s and whehter they require a centering ring or not. My tire installer advises against additing things to the hub if at all possible, simply because it’s one more variable that could introduce a vibration. If you simply bolt up a wheel that’s been balanced, there’s nothing else to introduce a shimmy.

Sasha

#12

edavidson wrote:

[quote] A hubcentric wheel is also preferred. Some run 10 mm spacers as well, but I believe most of the folks that do are running a 25 - 27 offset wheel. I believe the weight minimum is 13 pounds so I would look for something close to that.
Ed[/quote]

What’s a "hubcentric" wheel?

#13

sharkd wrote:

[quote]jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]OK, I surrender!!!

I should have put more thought into how exacting everyone is in this game and put my statement much more clearly!

The point is: would a 14x6.5 be any faster then either of the two wheel sizes ALLOWED? This is a forum and I just threw out (up?) a question in a general sense. I have read the rules and yes, your both right, currently only 2 wheels sizes are allowed.

I will, for the sake of exactment (is that a word, if not, someone surely will let me know here) restate; Would either of the ALLOWABLE and LEGAL wheel size be much faster OR much slower then the afore mentioned, NON legal, NON ALLOWED, stock wheels size 14x6.5.

If your offended by this question, please forgive and forget and overlook it and just run me off the road soon![/quote]

The extra half-inch of width really won’t make a difference as far as cornering grip. Gearing-wise, a 15" diameter wheel has a slight (as in tenths of a percent) advantage over a 14". The 14" tires are slightly cheaper, but legal aftermarket wheels are a little harder to come by.

Either way, the reduction in unsprung weight found in switching from OEM to TD’s or Koseis makes a much bigger difference than an inch of diameter/3.14159… inches of circumference.

The reason why there have been complaints about the illegality of the 325iS basketweaves is that a good number of desirable cars on the market (i.e., those that unquestionably have the 3.73 LSD) come with those wheels and many people don’t want to spend the money to replace them. However, they’re heavy and can be sold for upwards of $60 apiece, so you’ll recoup ~50% of the cost of one set new, straight, light and strong race wheels. (And you can find sets of used K1s and TD PR 1.0s for ~$300, if you look through various racing forums, now that seasons are over.)[/quote]

Wow, no way I can ever be EXACT enough for you Sharkd!!!

You must be an engineer! Engineers are smart, they must be to drive those trains, right!

#14

www.ronalusa.com/.../hubcentric_centerbore.jpg

#15

edavidson wrote:

Can’t use that link because the … got into the URL. Can you try to re-send? Thanks

#16

how about this - Ed

#17

erupert66 wrote:

Don’t worry, you’re not the only person who’s confused SpecE30 with StockE30.

Ex36 wrote:

Sasha, I was looking at a set of 4 TD wheels off of a Miata that were selling used for $400 with RA1 tires, a year ago. The seller was in Greensboro. They come up on www.Corner-Carvers.com www.NASAforums.com www.nceuro.org etc. more often than you’d think – it helps to put up a WTB post (I did and had strangers sending me to For Sale posts on forums all over the place).

jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]Wow, no way I can ever be EXACT enough for you Sharkd!!!

You must be an engineer! Engineers are smart, they must be to drive those trains, right![/quote]

Nope, I’m a (currently) unemployed National Security Analyst/Defense Research Manager/Graphic Designer/Photographer. I’m just a sponge for information and being exact reduces ambiguity and misunderstanding.

#18

there is a similar thread over on the 944 Spec forum at nasaforums.com titled "what the fuchs, my wheels are illegal". Happens in every series, it seems …
cheers,
bruce

erupert66 wrote:

[quote]jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]OK, I surrender!!!

I should have put more thought into how exacting everyone is in this game and put my statement much more clearly!

[/quote]

Jeff - First off, I apologize - I TOTALLY misread your email. I thought it said that the 14x6.5’s have always been "LEGAL", hence my confusion.

I did read the rules but would have never realized that my factory wheels were illegal until I was down at the shop setting up the balancing machine. Who would have thought that the rules would preclude a stock wheel? Again, this comes from my early-on ignorance of BMW’s in general. That’s why the post started out with "I’ve just come to realize that my wheels aren’t allowed".[/quote]

#19

sharkd wrote:

[quote]erupert66 wrote:

Don’t worry, you’re not the only person who’s confused SpecE30 with StockE30.

Ex36 wrote:

Sasha, I was looking at a set of 4 TD wheels off of a Miata that were selling used for $400 with RA1 tires, a year ago. The seller was in Greensboro. They come up on www.Corner-Carvers.com www.NASAforums.com www.nceuro.org etc. more often than you’d think – it helps to put up a WTB post (I did and had strangers sending me to For Sale posts on forums all over the place).

jhall1957 wrote:

[quote]Wow, no way I can ever be EXACT enough for you Sharkd!!!

You must be an engineer! Engineers are smart, they must be to drive those trains, right![/quote]

Nope, I’m a (currently) unemployed National Security Analyst/Defense Research Manager/Graphic Designer/Photographer. I’m just a sponge for information and being exact reduces ambiguity and misunderstanding.[/quote]

OK, well for us guys that are cooks, pot washers, insurance agents and other stuff, I guess that is explained!

Thanks, I’ll spend more time crafting next time!

Can’t wait to meet you Sharkd and buy you a beer (maybe I should say, 12 oz. of bubbly product, manufactured with Hops, Grains, and barley that is served cold, in a mug or other glass vessel for human consumption normally with salty snacks like peanuts or popcorn. Often found in ball parks, bars and frat house and normally preceding a fun and relaxed time!).

#20

leggwork wrote:

[quote]there is a similar thread over on the 944 Spec forum at nasaforums.com titled "what the fuchs, my wheels are illegal". Happens in every series, it seems …
cheers,
bruce

[/quote]

Well, if the title indicates the thread, we’ve got one difference, Fuchs never came on a 944.

Well, I think that I would want to run 15’s anyway to get the lower sidewall which ususally gives more transition stability but w/out seeing what the majority of the front runners are doing, it’s hard to decide.