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Wheels

Author : Stewart E, Sean Horton and Drew Z. Posted on : 09/12/2004
Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E34) 1989-96 Category : Wheels and Tires
Source : http://www.bmwe34.net
 

It is time for you to break your piggy bank and buy your car a new set of wheels. Larger wheel with low profile tire make the steering response quicker and lateral stability better. Tire choice is crutial to keep odometer and speedometer changes negligible.
There are two ways to do it: buying a brand new set of wheel at Discount tires or Tire rack or buying a set of larger wheels from another BMW.

What fits my E34 :

None of the 3 series wheels fit, nor the Z3.
If you want to use E39 wheels (hub center = 74mm) you will need hubcentric rings (parts# A670 from tirerack @$4.00 ea).

Hubcentric rings

Any E23, E24, E28, E31, E32 and E38 will fit your E34 without any modification.

You need to be careful with E31 wheels... the fronts are generally et10-et13, putting the wheels further outward. They will work but will alter the suspension geometry and widths 235mm or greater may rub at full steering wheel lock.

3-series wheels can be used on the E34 with 20mm hubcentric spacers and longer bolts. I have seen it done although I would not use such large spacers on my own car. (Thank you Rob L.)

16" E38 wheels. By Drew Z.:
16" rims from an E38 ('95-01) 7 series will fit the E34 but may require spacers in the front. A BBS-style cross-spoke wheel is available (from the 740) and a forged alpina-like "multi-spoke" wheel (from the 750). Both wheels are 16x8 with 23mm offset.

These wheels fit fine a stock 530iT with 225/55/16 Dunlop SP5000's but rubbed the front on the lowered '90 535i (enough to remove the dirt, not the paint from the strut towers).
Micah O'C. used the same size wheels and tires Brigestone KDWS's. They rubbed the front strut towers enough to remove some paint and some of the lettering from the tires.

A small spacer might be required depending on E34 model and tire choice. 5 mm spacers are not hubcentric and may cause some shimmy. A 10mm hubcentric spacer will probably work and will reduce the likelihood of shimmy. A 3mm spacer may work without shimmy because it will provide more room on the hub for the of the wheel to mount on. 5mm spacers milled down to 3mm might do the work if you can't find a 3mm spacer for sale. When using spacers don't forget to use longer lug bolts.

Will E34 M5 18" rims fit my E34?



Those are the BMW M Parallel (Styling 37 M).These are an e34 1995 M5 specific fit, and the parts # ‘s from BMW are the following:

Front: 36 11 2 227 931 (8X18) 20mm offset
Rear: 36 11 2 227 933 (9X18) 22mm offset

You can use 245-40-18 tire for the front and 265-35-18 for the rear.

Wheel specifications:

Hub center diametre: 72.5 mm
Number of bolts: 5
Pattern: 120 mm (See picture)
Offset (ET): 20mm
The offset is the distance from the hub mounting surface to the centerline of the wheel. Wrong offset = bad handling

An ET22 wheel is further in toward the centerline of the car than an ET20 by 2mm. ET13 wheels are 7mm further out than the OE E34 wheels.


Wheel/tire combination
15x7" Wheels (OEM)
205/65-15
225/60-15

16x7.5" Wheels:
215/55-16
225/55-16

17x7 - 7.5 - 8 - 8.5" Wheels:
235/45-17
255/40-17
18x8.5" Wheels:
235/40-18
245/40-18
265/35-18

19x9" Wheels:
245/35-19
275/30-19

Popular upgrades in blue

Always tighten the bolts following this diagram

You have to maintains the overall diameter of the tire within -3 to +2 percent. It is crucial to preserving the speedometer reading and ear ratio. Check this website for speedometor error with different tire sizes. (Thanks to Dave Walker)

(Thanks to Stewart E, Sean Horton and Drew Z.).
 

Pictures

Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 6
Picture 7
Picture 8

Click on the thumbnails to see larger images.

 

References

  • http://www.bmwe34.net
    •  


    Front Wheel Bearing
    Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E34) 1989-96 Category : Wheels and Tires - Wheel Bearings
    ... lift the car on the side you want to work on. Install jackstands. Remove the wheel then the dust cap with pliers. If you have 850i brakes, you won't be able to use your spare 15" rim for more leverage so remove the brakes now... 2. Bend the staked part of the collar nut back. 3. Install the wheel back and lower the car to the ground. 4.Use your 46mm socket, T bar and a 1 meter bar if you ... (more)
    Posted : 3 December 2004 Author : Alex Lynch, Bryan B., Bobby, Eddie Woo, Micah O'C
     
    Winter Tires
    Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E34) 1989-96 Category : Wheels and Tires - Tires
    ... don't expect miracles... Tires rated excellent in snow: - Bridgestone Blizzak - Michelin Pilot Alpin - Pirelli Asimmetrico Ice - Nokia NR09/NR10 - Pirelli Winter S2 - Continental Contact TS-740 - Goodyear F32S Don't forget to check your tire pressure. Optimum Winter Tire/Wheel Size: 215/60-15 225/60-15 205/65-15 215/55-16 225/55-16 Basically, this means you’re equipped with a narrower, higher ... (more)
    Posted : 10 December 2004 Author : bmwe34.net
     
    Wheel Curb Rash removal
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Wheels and Tires
    ... I feathered the edges to get a good blend. At first I used the paint thinner to clean some of the feathering (on the wheels, not the sparrow) but ultimately it was far superior to leave it feathered. So I left it to dry for a good cople of hours heeding NASA'a warning about the clear coat lifting the silver. (I chose to go sailing for a few hours, use this time wisely) I applied numerous ... (more)
    Posted : 18 May 2005  
     
    Polishing Alloy Wheels
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Wheels and Tires
    ... there is a way to do them yourself if you have a strong constitution. Take 1500 grit sandpaper and wet it down with water. You are going to use the same technique as color sanding – only you are doing it on aluminum instead of paint. Keep the water nearby as you are going to dunk the sandpaper into the water frequently. Using an even motion, sand the area that is scratched, plus some of ... (more)
    Posted : 18 May 2005  
     
    Polishing Alloy Wheels
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Wheels and Tires
    ... there is a way to do them yourself if you have a strong constitution. Take 1500 grit sandpaper and wet it down with water. You are going to use the same technique as color sanding – only you are doing it on aluminum instead of paint. Keep the water nearby as you are going to dunk the sandpaper into the water frequently. Using an even motion, sand the area that is scratched, plus some of ... (more)
    Posted : 18 May 2005  
     
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