I'm new to the forum and don't know if this question has already been answered, so please forgive me if I'm going over old ground.
I have a 318ti (white, automatic, ~43,000) and it currently has AEZ 15" alloy wheels fitted with 185/65 tyres.
I have just obtained 5 style 30 BMW alloys 16" IS46. They are fitted with 225/50 tyres.
I have tried fitting the BMW wheels and they do fit but I am concerned that there is very little clearance between the bottom coil spring plate and the tyre. On one side of the car it is about 1/4 inch. Is this normal? I am worried that with tyre deflection or suspension flexing the tyre will contact the strut.
Note: the clearance is different on the two sides of the car... On one side of the car the spring retaining plate is positioned such that there is more clearance. This is a bit difficult to describe but the part of the retaining plate giving the most problem is where the end of the coil spring locates (which is a bump in the plate)... If that plate and coil could be rotated it would probably be OK.
What confuses me most is that this combination of wheel and tyre was an approved option on the 318 according to most web sources... am I missing something? Was this combination fitted only to cars with a specific suspension package (perhaps with narrower struts)?... was there a fitting kit (e.g. spacers that changed the track)?
I'd like some opinions / advice.... should I look into spacers (hubcentric of course!). Would it be better to look at smaller tyres ... 205's not 225's...
225/50-16 is the factory tire size on the ti sport model, so the fit should be no problem. I have 235/45-17 tires on my ti and there is very little clearance to the front spring mount, about 1/4", but it has never touched the tire. Not sure why your's is different side to side, though? Maybe the spring mount rotated?
Thanks for the reply... Yes everything I've seen suggest that these rims and tyres should fit without issue. Indeed on one side of the car it does look OK.
it is the drivers side that has the problem - and as you say it could be that the spring is rotated from where it should be... but looking at it - it looks like the spring plate is welded to the strut and cannot rotate (or be rotated).
I'm planning on taking another look - I only had time for a quick trial fit previously - and I will take some photos and post them.
Perhaps the sport model had different front struts?
Hi John, mine is a Sport and I believe the springs and struts are about 1" lower than the standard ti. I am not sure if or how this would affect the tire to spring mount clearance?
Advice wanted - Fitting style 30 rims 
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