205/60r16 tires on model 44 wheels 1996 318ti
 

Whew, There's a ton of tire fitment content out there, but I having trouble solving my particular concern so here comes a new thread:

I have a stock 1996 318ti with the original little steel 15" wheels and 185/65r15 tires on it. It's the most fun commuter I've ever had!

A nice set of 16"x7" model 44 BMW wheels came to me so now I am looking for new tires. 205/60R16 size sounds good because long wearing Michelin's are available in that size and the taller height of 25.7" vs 24.5" sounds good to get a few hundred less highway rpm's without changing out the rear end.

The width and the compatibility of the rims sounds safe, my question is really whether the taller size is going to cause any fitment troubles. Bolt on and drive without tires hitting anything is my goal. The speedometer inaccuracy is okay with me. Just don't want the tires to run and stuff.

Is anybody running this size, or anything else this tall? Will they fit on all four wheels?

Thanks Folks!

Thanks for so many people viewing this thread. I'd love to hear from any body who ran any size tire/wheel combination that was taller than stock even it wasn't in this particular size. Feel free to post thoughts or even tips on where I should look further. Thanks!

Congrats on the new wheels! You sure you have 16x7 style 44's? http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/44 shows these were 17X8.

My 95 Club Sport came with the original style 18 wheels and 225/50R16 tires. I also have style 35 wheels with the same tire size. The suspension is stock and there's plenty of clearance with these wheels.

The offset of your style 44 is close enough to stock (ET 47) that you shouldn't need spacers.

Thanks for replying Juice,

Yes they are 16x7's, and the look exactly like the ones in your picture. They even have the size and BMW logo formed in raised letters on the backside of each wheel. BMW might not have made 16x7's in a while, so I am glad to have these.

The tire size calculator shows a 25.7" height for the 205/60r16 and 24.9" for the 225/50r16. Thanks for adding to my confidence on the width and the side to side spacing. The only thing left for me to worry about is that I'd still be 8 tenths of an inch taller. Granted, 1/2 of that is on the bottom so I only have to worry about the 4 tenths on the top of the front to back. I'd sure like to find out if the extra height of 4 tenths of an inch would clear everything. It sure doesn't sound like much. Thanks Juice!

I've only seen those wheels in 17".

I just got new tires for my style 18 16" wheels. 225/50 16 is the stock size. I got Hankook Ventus V2 performance all seasons.

The part number on the back of the wheels is BM316007 with a size stamp of 7Jx16H2. I uploaded pics to 318ti site, but can't seem to get them into this post.

The 225/50R16's are a popular size for sure. The tire calculators show them to be 24.9" tall, while the 205/60R16's show 25.7" of overall height. I am guessing that folks like the wider tires better and the low profile better too. Maybe my tire choice is odd enough that I need to learn how to figure how to find the clearance if nobody else has run a tire this tall.

Thanks for sharing what you folks have done. :)

Here are the wheel photos! I think i figured it out.

Look like style 45 to me: http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/45

I think you're right. I didn't know such an animal existed.

Thanks for digging that up.

16x7 though, and I wonder if the 205/60R16's will work with these on my 318ti.

Thanks again

225/55R16 have the same 25.7" diameter as the 205/60R16 narrower ones I want. Anybody running that size?