9" wide...will they fit?

[Hessom]

I just wanted to know if 17 x 9 inch wheels will fit on my ti?
I have H&R Sport Springs and Koni shocks/struts. Thanks for the help.

[Budget M3]

IIRC, that is the same size as on rear of the Z3 M Roadster. I looked into it for my ti, and the answer was NO, they will not fit in the rear of the ti. I currently have 17x8 all around on my car...they barely fit, so 9" will be problematic...

Hope this helps...

[J!m]

It depends on the offset, and the size of the tire used. I run stock E36 M3 forged 8.5's in the rear, and with 275's, they rubbed the body (hard) and the shock as well. I went down to 265's, and they just barely rub the body, and not the shock.

If you go with 9" wheels, you will have to go with narrow tires to prevent rubbing. I do not know the offset you are working with, but I expect you will have some fitment problems with the 9" wheel.

Go to an 8.5 (maximum) with 245-265 wide tires and you will be happier.

PS: 245 fits with no mods, 255+ needs the quarters rolled for clearance (this assumes a stock E36 M3 wheel).

Good luck!

[Hessom]

Thanks for the help....will stick to 17x8, lol.

[Budget M3]

FWIW, my 17x8s are a 35mm offset...I found a noticeable (but no significant) difference when I recently bolted on some 17x7.5, 38mm offset, stock wheels from an E46. The E46 wheels seem to sit a lot more to the inside and look appreciably narrower (more than the 0.5" width and 10mm narrower tire width would indicate).

[G.T.]

Depending on the offset, they'll fit.

My 17x9 SSR Comps are fine in the rear but won't clear the fronts, even with 15mm spacers. The problem seems to be more with the wide rubber (245/40 Hoosiers), but the higher offset of the SSRs is definitely a factor.

However, even with the PSS-9s cranked down to the lowest possible setting (in the rear), my 17x9 IFGs fit with no rubbing whatsoever - front or rear - even with same-sized rubber.

Funny thing is that the ti actually offers more clearance than the car the IFGs are usually on. Then again, the other car sits a bit lower than the ti.

[Budget M3]

Originally Posted by G.T.

Depending on the offset, they'll fit.

My 17x9 SSR Comps are fine in the rear but won't clear the fronts, even with 15mm spacers. The problem seems to be more with the wide rubber (245/40 Hoosiers), but the higher offset of the SSRs is definitely a factor.

What is the offset in the rear of the 17x9 SSR's? Your's is the first ti I've heard of that could fit a 17x9 with no other mods (i.e. fenders).

[G.T.]

IIRC, the SSRs have a 40 offset and the IFGs have a 38. Both sets are 17x9s all around; there is no difference in offsets from front to rear.

As with the M3, the Ti's rear fenders have been rolled but it seems that the Ti's were done a bit more aggressively. Yes, the M3 is lower than the Ti, but I also run more negative camber on it. Despite that, I'd get occasional rubbing with the IFGs. Not so with the Ti.

Maybe it's the Ti's ride height, maybe it's the way the fender lips were rolled, probably both. Whatever the reason is, I have enough room to run 5mm spacers with the lower-offset IFGs and still not rub in the rear.

[michaelhofastcar]

I am also considering staggering wheel sizes, as tirerack.com suggests:

Front: 225/45R17 tire mounted on 17"X8" wheel with 40mm offset
Rear: 245/40R17 tire mounted on 17"X9" wheel with 40mm offset

Is it more technically difficult to mount a 245 tire on 8" wide wheel? Is that why tirerack.com suggests going for a 9" wide rear wheel, instead of using 8" wide all round?