» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | | | | | | 11-11-2009, 02:43 PM | #1 | Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Washington DC Posts: 36 | Sorry to open up this can of worms again, but... ...are 18's really too big for the ti? I've finally saved up enough for new wheels, and am absolutely torn between 17" and 18" rims. I really, really like the way 18's look, but again, there are conflicting opinions in this group. Do those who oppose 18inch rims feel this way because they don't like the aesthetics or for more practical reasons? THANKS! And sorry to reopen this debate... BTW, probably going to get ASA ar1's because I am still poor and that's the best I can do! | | | 11-11-2009, 03:13 PM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,356 | Yes. Both reasons. I don't think 18s look good on the ti. The ride will suck. Not to mention, Metro Washington DC roads. I think you will find yourself bending the wheels and getting them very scuffed up. __________________ ...steven BMW CCA #146825 1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i www.bmwcca.org | | | 11-11-2009, 04:07 PM | #3 | Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Montreal Posts: 25 | Buy 17'', save money on tires & wheels, go faster with this lower weigth rims. | | | 11-11-2009, 05:10 PM | #4 | Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Washington DC Posts: 36 | Good advice, thanks. Looks like I'll be going with 17's. Also, do you guys have any tire recommendations? My ti is NOT a daily driver, and I mostly just have fun jetting around town or going out to the suburbs where it gets curvy... I was thinking about getting some fairly sticky rubber, but nothing too pricey. | | | 11-11-2009, 06:13 PM | #5 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Saint Paul, MN Posts: 3,244 | On tire rack, the General UHP's get a very high marks regardless of price. Plus they sell AR1's and you can get them shipped to you mounted and balanced. You can almost never beat their pricing when buying both. __________________ My Former Rides 1999 318ti Alpine White, Cali Roof, Dinan goodies 1996 318ti Hellrot California Edition | | | 11-11-2009, 07:03 PM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,356 | Quote: Originally Posted by WashDC318ti Good advice, thanks. Looks like I'll be going with 17's. Also, do you guys have any tire recommendations? My ti is NOT a daily driver, and I mostly just have fun jetting around town or going out to the suburbs where it gets curvy... I was thinking about getting some fairly sticky rubber, but nothing too pricey. | Go to Radial Tire in Silver Spring. They will beat Tire Rack and give you personalized service. It's best to develop a relationship with a shop. When I lived there they always fixed flats for tips, gave me good advice and service. Flipped tires for tips. Edit: Toyo T1R or T1S FTW! __________________ ...steven BMW CCA #146825 1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i www.bmwcca.org | | | 11-12-2009, 01:14 AM | #7 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Long Beach area Posts: 1,189 | Yeah, I have 18s on my ti, and I think it looks nice. (Couldn't resist the price haha) Although I kinda liked the way the ZHP wheels looked on my car, I would like a nice set of 17s to put on it instead. __________________ 97 Jet Black 318ti Sport. Not so stock anymore!.... Now Featuring:318ti.org sticker Now featuring: Hartge exhaust|Blacked out Grilles|Front Clear Corners or Ambers depending on how I feel|325is vented front brakes|Bilstein Sports|H&R Sports|E46 RSMs w/ Z3 reinforcment plates|16" Style 45s|17" E46 M68 rims|18" Authentic Hartge Classics C|OEM M135 ZHP wheels and 99 Titan Silver 323is Dinan S1+few more mods Coming sometime in the future:...SCed 2.1...new (to me) car mod maybe?...all in one car Last edited by lkwd318ti; 11-12-2009 at 01:16 AM. | | | 11-12-2009, 03:05 AM | #8 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: CA Posts: 143 | Look at it this way, which ever you decide the over all size of the wheel and tire will be very close to the same size. When you go with a bigger rim, you end up with a smaller side wall, in return losing ride quality; the reason being there is less tire to absorb road impacts. Keep in mind while bigger may look better you are the one driving the car, so IMO comfort > looks. For reference use: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html | | | 11-12-2009, 03:38 PM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Halethorpe, MD Posts: 1,028 | I heartily recommend the Kumho Ecsta SPT. They're cheap (~$70), have great grip in the dry and wet (when they're not worn ), and they wear like iron. I've got them on my daily driver ti and an E30 that my buddy and I use for autocross. The set on the E30 has been absolutely heroic. They've got two seasons of autocross, two track weekends, and two years of daily driving on them. They're pretty thrashed, but he was still using them until he picked up a nail in one the other day. | | | 11-12-2009, 04:59 PM | #10 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: PA Posts: 822 | You most certainly can run some 18s on the ti. Look at my sig. I think 17 still look good but I would go 18s over 17s any day unless the wheels are for autocross or track events. The 17 would be better auto cross and track events, but I think 18s look great on the ti. The 18s will be a little harsher than the 17s but when you go from 15 to 17s or 18 you are always gonna be a little rougher of a ride. __________________ Clever but we are clueless... Current mods...18" staggered CSL reps, ZHP shift knob, BavAuto lowering springs, Bilstein sports, fogged airbox, Dinan ECU upgrade, mtech front bumper, mirrors and side moldings, DEPO headlights, tinted windows, JL Audio 12w3v2s, Phoenix Gold ZX350... | | | 11-12-2009, 05:57 PM | #11 | Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Washington DC Posts: 36 | At this point, I think 17's are the safer bet. Even though I really only mess around in this car, I do live in the city, and DC is notorious for crappy streets. As careful as I try to be, 1996 328ti makes the astute point that DC streets would almost certainly wreak havoc on a set of 18's. Having a set of dinged up 18's sort of defeats the purpose...and besides, with the money I save on less metal, perhaps I can invest in better rubber! | | | 11-12-2009, 06:38 PM | #12 | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: PA Posts: 822 | Have you checked out modbargains.com for wheels? They have awesome prices. __________________ Clever but we are clueless... Current mods...18" staggered CSL reps, ZHP shift knob, BavAuto lowering springs, Bilstein sports, fogged airbox, Dinan ECU upgrade, mtech front bumper, mirrors and side moldings, DEPO headlights, tinted windows, JL Audio 12w3v2s, Phoenix Gold ZX350... | | | 11-14-2009, 01:29 AM | #13 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: MD/PA/DC Posts: 1,629 | I cracked a 17" wheel in DC...and bent another one. With 215/40's on them. Driving in DC sucks. __________________ No more ti. | | | 11-14-2009, 04:51 PM | #14 | Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Washington DC Posts: 36 | After a while, you pretty much memorize all the bad roads and plan your route accordingly. If scientists ever did a study on DC drivers, they would find the region of the brain responsible for spatial memory is more developed than in non DC drivers. True story. | | | 11-14-2009, 08:19 PM | #15 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: MD/PA/DC Posts: 1,629 | Quote: Originally Posted by WashDC318ti After a while, you pretty much memorize all the bad roads and plan your route accordingly. If scientists ever did a study on DC drivers, they would find the region of the brain responsible for spatial memory is more developed than in non DC drivers. True story. | I know, been driving down there for over a decade. Still have surprises though. And that's why I have 16" wheels with big fat sidewalls. (on my daily driver) __________________ No more ti. | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |