ANOTHER Wheel/Tire Question

[m3f_Blackforest5]

I need some help. I have a '95 M3 that has no suspension or wheel modifications. It's stock in every way, which means the tires are 235/40/17. I need new ones, but have found the choices offered are very limited. An independent mechanic told me that I could run 245/40/17 in order to have more tire choices. However, Tire Rack said they won't fit on the front. At this time I don't want to buy new wheels.



With this in mind, here's my question. Can those of you who are more technically savvy tell me exactly what size and specifications of front and rear tires would work? If 245's would fit on the rear axle, what works on the front? Would the fenders need to be rolled? Please keep your replies rather simplistic; I don't understand much about offset and other technical aspects. Many thanks for your help.

[m3f_roarE36M3]

95's came stock with a square setup (meaning all 4 wheels are 7.5" wide)


The rest came with staggered setup (meaning 7.5" in front and 8.5" in rear)


Make sure you have a square setup and everything is in fact stock.


I have a 95 and I went with 235/40ZR -17 BFGoodrich g-Force Sport on all 4 corners. Been happy with them so far.


Not saying that 245's won't work... and you def. have more options. Just saying what I'm running , I try to keep things as close to "stock" as possible.

[m3f_aeronaut]

95's came stock with a square setup (meaning all 4 wheels are 7.5" wide)



The rest came with staggered setup (meaning 7.5" in front and 8.5" in rear)



Make sure you have a square setup and everything is in fact stock.



I have a 95 and I went with 235/40ZR -17 BFGoodrich g-Force Sport on all 4 corners. Been happy with them so far.



Not saying that 245's won't work... and you def. have more options. Just saying what I'm running , I try to keep things as close to "stock" as possible.

I believe 7.5" F / 8.5" R wheels were an option, or even standard, for later 95's, but they came with 235 tires on all 4 corners. So square setup for tires originally, but not necessarily square rims.

[m3f_roarE36M3]

^ hmmm interesting.

[m3f_aeronaut]

I'm going by the fact that my 95 has staggered Contour rims, and what's stated here:

http://www.bmwmregistry.com/model_faq.php?id=14

[m3f_roarE36M3]

what size tires does it have now? stick with what works

[m3f_bimmaboy88]

I got a 95 and mine has a sticker saying suggest tire size 215/45/17 in front and 235/40/17 in rear.

[m3f_fiveightandten]

I need some help. I have a '95 M3 that has no suspension or wheel modifications. It's stock in every way, which means the tires are 235/40/17. I need new ones, but have found the choices offered are very limited. An independent mechanic told me that I could run 245/40/17 in order to have more tire choices. However, Tire Rack said they won't fit on the front. At this time I don't want to buy new wheels.


With this in mind, here's my question. Can those of you who are more technically savvy tell me exactly what size and specifications of front and rear tires would work? If 245's would fit on the rear axle, what works on the front? Would the fenders need to be rolled? Please keep your replies rather simplistic; I don't understand much about offset and other technical aspects. Many thanks for your help.

Lets get back to basics...


1) Do you plan on changing the wheels out at any point?

2) What kind of tires do you plan on running? No seasons (all seasons)? Summer performance tires?

3) What is the car used for (weekend car, daily driver in a snow climate, daily driver only in nice weather)?

4) What is your budget for the tires?


If you drive the car year round in a place that snows, it's STRONGLY recommended (i'd go so far as to say a necessity) that you get snow tires. For this reason, most of us run separate wheels for the warm and cold seasons.


I'll refrain from getting into giving you advice on sizing until we know what kind of tires you need to buy based on what the car is used for.


EDIT: also, post clear pics of the car and wheels (3/4 view so we can see the lips), or look on the wheels to be sure of the sizes so we know what you're working with. You'll have to remove the wheels to see the sizes stamped on the inside of the spokes.

[m3f_hencini]

As a guy who has gone down both roads, I'll definitely vote for the summer / winter combo if you are in an area that sees any snow at all.


I went with a set all-seasons for a couple years, and they were fine, but the difference that driving a dedicated snow tire makes is simply stunning. And if you do any kind of performance driving (autoX, HPDE, etc), you'll appreciate being able to run a dedicated summer performance tire as well.


If you just use it for "spirited driving" and rarely see snow, you could get by with a sporty set of all-seasons, but it's definitely a trade-off.


Regarding the size of the tire, yes, I've heard that 235s are harder and harder to find for these cars. As was said above, check what wheel sizes you actually have and report back. 225 / 245 was the stock combo from 96+, but if you have 7.5" wheels in the rear, you probably don't want to be running 245s.


I recently acquired another staggered set of DSIIs, so I'll be switching to a square 8.5 setup come Spring. One nice thing about running square is that you can rotate tires. It also gives you a little more grip up front, of course. You might consider this option if you go the winter / summer tire route. Use the 8.5s for summer and the 7.5s for winter (assuming you have a staggered set currently).


However, if you have square 7.5s now, I'd go with the best set of 235s you can find. If nothing in that size works for your budget and needs, square 225s is your best bet.

[m3f_Richardsperry]

I just checked tirerack. there list about 10 street performance tires, (not DOT-R). What problem do you have?



Star specs, Pilot sports, Proxys...





Oh you mean a CHEAP TIRE.... Can't help you there. But the Bridgestone G force is $536 for a set... That seems pretty cheap to me.



If you have a 7.5" wheel, you shouldn't go any bigger than a 235-40 on it.

[m3f_bmans]

I just checked tirerack. there list about 10 street performance tires, (not DOT-R). What problem do you have?



Star specs, Pilot sports, Proxys...





Oh you mean a CHEAP TIRE.... Can't help you there. But the Bridgestone G force is $536 for a set... That seems pretty cheap to me.



If you have a 7.5" wheel, you shouldn't go any bigger than a 235-40 on it.

He didn't say Tire Rack didn't have tires - he said Tire Rack told him the 245 size won't fit on his car

[m3f_fiveightandten]

He didn't say Tire Rack didn't have tires - he said Tire Rack told him the 245 size won't fit on his car

I believe this was the statement Richard was referring to...

...I need new ones, but have found the choices offered are very limited...