Opinion on my odd tire size selection

[maupineda]

Looking for some opinion on my rather odd choice of tires, not by brand but size and staggering.

my car is mostly a weekend car for cars and coffee and cruises and winding road drives. My chassis is the E86 and as such the front is rather limited in wheel well space as anything more aggressive than factory make it rub, which is a no go for me.

foe the front I am stepping up from 225/45 to 235/40 which is a bit smaller diameter overall by 12mm, and at the rear looking to move to 245/40, which is an 8mm change in diameter. These will maintain a very similar overall diameter front and back and will help me to resolve some minor rubbing as my front wheels are a bit more aggressive than OE.

my choice for tires will either be PS4S or F1 Asymmetric 6.

[bigjae46]

Smaller OD tires may look really odd on the car. Just something to be aware of.

I tried 245/40R17 tires and they looked odd on an M3.

[Slideways]

What are the widths and offsets of the wheels? Style 216?

[Nate047]

50/50 on if you notice a difference visually. I don’t know you but as an highly visual person myself, I can tell you 12mm difference in tire height is definitely noticeable.

How it drives is a whole other question, getting rid of a rubbing problem should outweigh a cosmetic visual complaint. But maybe there’s a better way to alleviate your rubbing.

[maupineda]

What are the widths and offsets of the wheels? Style 216?

Correct, style 216.

ET34 and 8in wide Front
ET37 and 8.5in wide Rear (have 17mm spacer)

[chris719]

Is the reason to reduce understeer, or only cosmetic for the wheels? I always avoided attempts to neutralize the Z4M as I remember it snapping on me a couple times way back in 2008 when I first had one new. I love the way 224m look so I will stick with the sub-optimal offerings at the stock sizes. If you are lowered a bit it may be tolerable. Certainly it has a better chance of looking ok on a Z4M rather than M3.

[Nardo S54]

Unless you actually find front end grip lacking, I would stick with the oe staggered 225/255. While 245/40 + 265/35 work well on the Z, the issue is your e9x non-m wheels are the limiting factor.

You should test fit your rear 224 on the front. If that clears, then you’ll have better sense of what you can get away with on your current suspension.

[Bry5on]

Correct, style 216.

ET34 and 8in wide Front
ET37 and 8.5in wide Rear (have 17mm spacer)

Your front offset is your primary problem! For an 8-8.5” wheel you should be running et47. For a 9” wheel, a 245/40 front tire would give you MORE clearance than your current tires at et45-47. You’ll also get better at the limit performance and steering feel

[maupineda]

Your front offset is your primary problem! For an 8-8.5” wheel you should be running et47. For a 9” wheel, a 245/40 front tire would give you MORE clearance than your current tires at et45-47. You’ll also get better at the limit performance and steering feel

Thanks Bryson! Will keep these numbers in my notes for when I need to change wheels.