Anyone with 17x9?

[Joey]

Any issues running this size wheel? I'm sure the right tire choice has to be made but that shouldnt be too tough. I'm wanting to go 17x9 and lowered on coils. Any recommended offset? Fender rolling?

[spidertri]

17x9 is where things start to get tight on these cars. Offset, tire size, neg camber, and strut/spring location come into play.

I don't know what you're going after, stance or performance.

A performance set up would be 17x9 et30 (or et42 with some spacer to clear the strut body), moderate fender roll, -2.5deg camber or more, and short coilover spring so the perches clear the top of the tire. With all of that it should be pretty easy to fit a 255/40 up front. 245/40 would be easier to fit since the overall diameter is smaller.

The rear can be tricky because the wheel starts to get close to the trailing arm. So you'll need appropriate offset or spacers. ET42 would probably fit the easiest with a fender roll.

[Joey]

Thanks for the info. Maybe I'd be better off going with an 17x8 instead. I was looking at a set of wheels and the stagger was 8 up front and 9 in the rear but the offset was around 20 I think. I would rather not run too much spacer so maybe I'll keep looking.

As far as what I'm going for, I think both. But for now is getting a decently aggressive stance. Performance won't come into play untill this car fails. Then maybe a swap of some sort. I would probably go after what's easiest to swap in. Been looking at the 5.0 swaps and those don't seem too bad. Also read a lot of guys doing the M swap so I don't really know.

I'm new to this platform so I'm still trying to learn/read the info that's out there. Guess I'm just looking for the easiest route to create less headache

[raamaudio]

If you want more power then you want as much wheel and tire as you can get under the car. I am working on fitting 17x9.5, have done the math, just have to order the wheels to see what I end up needing.

My measurements using 3 sets of narrower wheels, on two cars, one stock height, one lowered on shocks and springs, one off the car with ti knuckles, M3 hubs, Ground Control coilovers, and then drawing up a chart shows I can fit the 17x9.5 +35 offsets, without spacers but might need some fender work front and rear.

At least rolled and pulled, fronts easiest, rears are more effort, might need minor flare work which gets pretty serious but my whole car is getting a premium body and paint job when done.

---------------

I got to looking as wider wheels after seeing the thread with many wides ones show on
these cars but I have a feeling not all were actually drivable, just done for pictures but I could be mistaken.

Using what I had on hand and decades of fitting wide wheels on my cars, I drew up a chart, front and rear fitment, etc then compare to wheels I have on hand, double checked it all.....and it shows the info below but not exactly how well it will all fit.

Wheels I have actually measured on the car with Bilstein shocks and springs or on the other car with stock shocks are marked with *

17x8 also tested on parts off the car, ti spindles, M3 hubs, 328 brakes, Ground Control coilovers.

Past Fender Width was done only on the front and is a visual estimate at front wheels based on the 15x8 +22 then measured on the chart for the other wheels and not much camber which I will use more of to get them tucked better but mostly as needed for proper performance alignment.

Size Offset Back Space Front Space Shock Clearance Past Fender Width
*15x8 +22 142mm 87mm 33mm approx +12mm
17x8 +40 155mm 75mm 20mm tucks
*17x8.5 +40 161mm 81mm 15mm tucks
17x9 +42 169mm 85mm 6mm + 9mm
17x9 +30 158mm 97mm 18mm +21mm
17x9.5 +35 169mm 99mm 7mm +23mm
17x10 +25 165mm 114mm 11mm +38mm

The 17x9.5 should fit for strut, shock, etc clearance front and rear and require no more fender work than the 17x9 +30 which would add more load on the bearings, have more effect on geometry when turning, etc.......so if it fits the 9.5 is a better choice.

17x9 +42 is a pretty easy fit, better offset for the bearings, etc...but not concave so not as cool looking Of course performance is the most important but if you can have looks and performance that is best

[raamaudio]

All my work shows they would all fit without spacers though many claim to need them so I will find out once I decide what wheels to order, I have many sizes of spacers on hand.

There could be a clearance issue on the rear trailing arms requiring a spacer for some wheel width/offsets, serious fender work, possibly inner fender work as well......

[Joey]

Good info. I'm not going for performance because there isn't any thing to gain out of this 1.6l. I just want a nice clean look for my DDing habits. It's not to be herra frush or any of that. I like a good stanced car so that's what I am after. If I wanted performance, I would have went with another platform, if not a different platform, a different model. I'll be looking forward to what you find out as it will help me in my choosing

[raamaudio]

Since you mentioned a 5.0 swap, which is quite a performance upgrade, I mentioned needing more wheel and tire

The ti can be quite a good performance car, mine will have around 300 HP at the crank, cammed S52.

If I wanted to go nuts I have a forged LS1 I could put in as well but just more than I want or need, it is a pretty easy swap.

[Joey]

Yeah, if the motor were to take a **** on me, I would upgrade to something with a little but of nuts. I'd have to do more searching on what's what though as I'm new to all of this. But I did build a 700+whp Evo X so I'm not new to power, just the BMW side of things

[Joey]

Here is the graph of my last car

[raamaudio]

700 HP in an Evo is quite nuts to say the least, I know some have done much more as well but when you get to a certain point huge power is not really that great except to brag about and spend a ton of time and money supporting it......

A well balanced car with proper suspension, brakes, tires, and power has always been far more fun to me to actually use as a car.

I could boost the forged LS1 I have but for what purpose, mostly just posting about it, showing off, constant headaches nearly always when you go overboard....then again after 45 years of modding cars I am to the point where I just want to set them up really well and enjoy them more, work less......

[Joey]

True, but when you have a car that can handle (decently) with that kind of power, then numbers don't do the bragging. My car was properly setup for time attack/road racing (minus a cage because I wanted to keep it as much of a dd as possible). A boosted ls1 in one of these cars can't do much because you won't have any traction. Maybe highway pulls from 80+mph would work, but street racing is for the idiots that need a reality check. Drifting would be ok, but you don't need a boosted ls1 to do that

[Bluebimma]

18x9 et42 245/35



17x9 et40 275/35/17




18x10 et25 245/35/18




18x9 et35 245/35 - 285/30




18x8.5 et35 245/35 18x9.5et 42 285/30

[Joey]

Damn dude, you been through some wheels lol. Any fender mods or spacers? Thanks for the pics

[Bluebimma]

No spacers, just notched the trailing arms

[Joey]

What are you lowered on?