Will 7 series mesh 16 x 7 fit 3 series

[jae_rex]

I have an opportunity to pick up some 7 series mesh 16 x 8's. Would they fit the Ti? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[tiFreak]

they might if you're car isn't lowered at all

[spidertri]

http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24104

[cooljess76]

16's don't look good on e36's. The ones in the link that Dave posted don't have low enough profile tires so the sidewalls sorta balloon out. The problem is if you run a low profile tire like a 215/40/16, you'll end up with a big gap between the tire and wheel arch. I recommend 17" e39 style 5's or 17" RS's. 2 piece wheels look better anyway, plus they're easier to restore.

[jae_rex]

Don't the 17's look too big on the Ti? I have been browsing and I think 16's would be perfect. All of your opinions will be considered since I am a Ti noob. Thanks.

[tiFreak]

I know some Honda guys run 16"s, on the E36 17"s are the more popular option, anything bigger does look too big

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by jae_rex

Don't the 17's look too big on the Ti? I have been browsing and I think 16's would be perfect. All of your opinions will be considered since I am a Ti noob. Thanks.

So these look too big




Here's a good comparison between 16" vs. 17", with tires mounted, the 16's actually have a larger overall diameter than the 17's:


Besides, 17" wheels were standard on all e36 M3's.

[cooljess76]

Personally, I think this car looks like crap. Besides the "Home Depot front lip", OEM tow hook protruding through the bumper molding, License plate relocated with factory holes clearly visible, and dry looking rattle canned grilles, the 16" wheels with balloon tires look hideous:




Definitely not my cup of tea.

[jae_rex]

Nice pics for comparison. I will go 17's. Thanks for the advice and pics. It really helped. Where those mesh OEM BMW or ADR's?

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by jae_rex

Nice pics for comparison. I will go 17's. Thanks for the advice and pics. It really helped. Where those mesh OEM BMW or ADR's?

No prob. The wheels on my cars were OEM 17x8 e39 style 42's(et20), 17x8 OZ Racing Superlegerras(et40) and my Clubsport had the same stock 16" style 18's that came on my '97 sport as well.

If you run e39 wheels, you'll need to run 215/40/17 tires and hubcentric adapter rings. The offset is too low to run wider tires than 215/40 and the center bore is 74.1mm while the e36 center bore is 72.56mm.

[roadrash]

I like my 16" Style 43's just fine, thanks. :-D I don't think they're available in a 17" but I've never looked.

Correct me if I'm wrong but...
1) Given the same style wheel, won't the 17" wheels be heavier?
2) Given the same brand/model of tires, won't the 17" tires be more expensive?
3) Jess didn't you point out #2 to me just the other day? :-)

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by roadrash

I like my 16" Style 43's just fine, thanks. :-D I don't think they're available in a 17" but I've never looked.

Correct me if I'm wrong but...
1) Given the same style wheel, won't the 17" wheels be heavier?
2) Given the same brand/model of tires, won't the 17" tires be more expensive?
3) Jess didn't you point out #2 to me just the other day? :-)

All valid points. Back in the day my Civic came with 13" wheels. The 13" tires were dirt cheap. I later upgraded to 16's with low profile tires. I guess it's a matter of looks and opinion. Wheel weight varies on the make and model of the wheel. My 17" Superleggeras were lighter than most 16" wheels weighing in at just over 17lbs. 17" OEM style 5's and style 42's aren't very heavy either, I bet they're lighter than the 16" style 18's. But you're right, "given the same style wheel" from the same manufacturer, the smaller wheel should be lighter. Tires will more than likely cost more, but that's negligable since one might find a discounted set. Will handling improve? Perhaps. While a 17" tire with a lower profile than a 16" will give a rougher ride, the cornering abilities should improve due to less sidewall flex and or roll. Which brings to question, why not mount lower profile tires on the 16" and have the best of both worlds? Simple, looks/appearance. Unless your car is completely slammed with modified coilovers set beyond their lowest intended setting or cut springs riding on bumpstops, you'll have a huge gap between the wheel arch and tire. So the most logical solution IMO is to run a lightweight 17" wheel with a 40 series tire and have looks, performance and the ability to fit bigger brakes if you decide to upgrade

I guess what I'm trying to say is, you won't see me sporting 13" Honda wheels just because they're lighter

[Mad-Machine]

in a function over form debate.. lightweight 16s with lowprofile tyres would be all over a car with 17s on a track.

At least a car on the track does not have to look good.

[autolex]

It's all about moment of inertia, not ALL about the weight, but where it is distributed on the wheel, the weight of the tire hull.. etc...

A good rule of thumb for a wheel noob is just pick 5-10 wheels out you like, then get the lightest one of those.

[Mad-Machine]

true... with rims most of the weight is actually in the tyre and bead area. Makes a nice flywheel effect with larger diametre rims