E36 Offset Help Needed

[95RogueM3]

First post on the forum as while I've never really subscribed to the "low is a lifestyle" movement, I've come to respect the wheel knowledge possessed by everyone here and the willingness to continually swap/modify/space wheels to achieve your ultimate goals.

I am debating going with a set of Klutch wheels on my 2JZ E36 m3 sedan (yes, they seem to be inexpensive, but I am liking their design and them being relatively unique in the BMW world) and was hoping you guys could help me spec the right offset.

I would ideally like to fit an 18x9.5 in the rear though am unsure of what offset to pick. I'd be opting for a 255/35/18 rear tire and while I am fine with rolling the fenders...I don't want to flare or pull them. Would an ET41 work alright with a 9.5 and give me inner as well as outer clearance with 255s?

Worst case I can go with an 18x9 and an ET40 or 41 like I have on my FM10s on the other M3....but something about the slightly bigger lip on the 18x9.5 is talking to me.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for offset given the above tire size and desire not to get crazy with my fenders.

Thanks!

[Zic]

Recognized the name from Bfc, love your avus e36 man.

I was running 255/40-17 on a 17x9et22. Fenders were not pulled, but they were as flat as they can get. I had no rubbing at all, under load. Camber has a lot to say as well, i was running around -3.
I can't remember what the ideal rear camber for E36 is, but i think it was around -2,4 or something like that. There is a complete thread on Bfc, that explains the best camber to run etc. So i figure you should aim for that. Since the car will be about handling.

Here are two pictures of the 255. You can check out my e36build v3, first page i think it was, showing how flat the fenders are.



So the question is if your wheel will fit. The 18x9.5 et41 will have 12.7mm less poke than my setup. And have 25.4mm less inner clearance.
Fender wise, you should be good to go with a fender roll and -2.4 degrees of negative camber.
Inner clearance should not be a problem at all, i cant really remember what was the lowest offset the e36 can take. You may need to run a little spacer 5-10mm, fender wise that should not be a problem, if the fender is properly done.

[95RogueM3]

Recognized the name from Bfc, love your avus e36 man.

Thanks. I've been around for 10 years now with my Avus M3 and am now on my 2nd Turbo E36 sedan. I put some pics below of the BMWs in addition to the 996TT:

'95 M3 (fully worked over NA 3.2L):



Old Turbo 332 (545whp) -- built in 2007 and sold in 2008:



Recently Sold DD (couldn't lower due to m driveway):


New DD ('98 M3 with 2JZ Swap making 450whp...soon to be a ton more on E85). This thread is designed to give me some input on wheels for this new DD.

Here are two pictures of the 255. You can check out my e36build v3, first page i think it was, showing how flat the fenders are.

Those look beefy. Nice!

So the question is if your wheel will fit. The 18x9.5 et41 will have 12.7mm less poke than my setup. And have 25.4mm less inner clearance.
Fender wise, you should be good to go with a fender roll and -2.4 degrees of negative camber.
Inner clearance should not be a problem at all, i cant really remember what was the lowest offset the e36 can take. You may need to run a little spacer 5-10mm, fender wise that should not be a problem, if the fender is properly done.

For some reason I am not seeing that thread on BF.C in the wheel and tire section, but I will take a deeper look.

I'd like to minimize excessive rear camber as A) planting 700whp will be hard enough on a fully contacted 255...let alone one with -3 camber and B) Id like to ideally maximize the tire life driving everyday.

Thanks again for posting with the pics and advice! Anyone else feel free to chime in with your experience.

[Zic]

Running rear camber, will not decrees the life of the tire. It will wear at the same speed, you just wear it down faster on the inside in relation to the out side.
It's toe that will get you, toe will rip the tires apart in no time. I was running some whacked out toe and killed my perfectly fine tires out in 10days.

Here is one thread with specs. There should be at least one or two more. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...or-your-E36-M3
Seems like -2.5 is for track and auto-x duties. And he recommends -1.5. You might run into troubles with that small amount of camber, if you have to space out your wheels for inner clearance. Should not be a problem if you don't have to space them out. At best you might need a smaaaall pull on the fenders

*edit, here is the alignment guide i was looking for, its linked in the other thread i posted. This is what i would aim for if i did a e36 that would be all about handling, and then fit the lowest offset and widest tire that i could cram in the stock e36 wheel wells. It would look titties. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...or-your-E36-M3

[95RogueM3]

Running rear camber, will not decrees the life of the tire. It will wear at the same speed, you just wear it down faster on the inside in relation to the out side.

...but wearing down on the inside faster than the outside would decrease the life of the tire as the inside would cord before the outer portion of the tread were fully worn.

Not a huge deal, but anything over -1.75 or -2 would be too much for my liking both aesthetically and functionally.