E36 328 coupe and wheel rubbing

[GTS turbo]

Got my BMW 328 coupe and it has the later wheels fitted (E46 17's i think) the 7spoke jobbie as shown in the bad pic taken of my car here




anyone got any advice on how to stop the rubbing without going for smaller crappier wheels? really like the wheels is there a way to limit the lock to lock on the steering?

thanks people for any help!

[GTS turbo]

anybody help?

[darth dave]

ABout the best I can do to help is tell you that BMW told me the largest you should go for on an E36 is a 17" wheel. Better make sure they are 17's.

Perhaps a different profile tyre? Tyre specialists might help.

[dimsum]

Nice Wheels... Nice looking car..

Maybe E46 wheels are not strictly compatible with the E36?? Wrong offset? I have seen plenty about so there must be a solution..

Friend of mine has the E46 MV wheels on his E36 saloon.. He suffers the same problem.. Although I am not sure if they are 18's or 17's??!!

Dimsum

[GTS turbo]

cheers for the help, a small spacer might be my answer then maybe? anyone know if the wheel widths on the front and rear of BMW's wheels are the same? they wasn't on my old MR2 turbo so that's a thought.

i'll ask a BMW knowing mate of mine but thanks people!

[baz1985]

simple wheel arch-roll at R-Tec, St Albans should ease the issue

[bennyboysvuk]

The wheels should have an offset of 41 if I remember correctly. Also, due to the bodywork changing shape over time I've found that the tyres can foul the arches even if they're supposed to fit.

The maximum size for the coupe is 245/40-17s on the back and 225/45-17 on the front. That said, the 245s rubbed on mine and I ended up changing them for 235's since I hate messing about with bodywork. If your tyres are narrower than 235's I think it would be wise to start checking the offset.

[GTS turbo]

cheers will have a closer looks when all the festive stuff is over and done

[allnighter]

If I recall correctly the offset on E36 and £46 models is the same.
Stick a narrower tyre than the one you have , and that would solve your prob.Maybe some 215s all around would be better, and handle better.Wider tyres do cause front wheels to follow the camber of the road, and consequently have a mind of their own where to go .

Hope this help

[eliot]

the missus has got an e36 325 with 225 17's on it with cheesy tsw stealth's, I think the rear arches have been rolled slightly - doesn't rub, but very close.

[Pat H]

My E36 coupe runs 17" BBS wheels with 235/40/17s. No problems at all.

I'll measure the offset if you want, cos the wheels are off as I'm running a set of skinny tyres on steel rims over the winter.

Ironically, on the skinny tyres the car is quieter, smoother, doesn't tramline and slides more progressively than on the big wheels.

Apart from the appearance and the ultimate level of grip, less really is more.

[RobM77]

Not sure if this helps but both my E36 325i (sold last Spring) and my friend's E36 316i rub their standard 15" wheels through dips in the road and round some corners. The solution on mine was to fit new suspension - it not only stopped the wheel rubbing, it completely transformed the handling of the car. I went for original spec, but by Bilstein.