A Cars forum. AutoBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AutoBanter forum » Auto makers » BMW
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

E36 Wheels and Suspension questions



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old November 10th 04, 05:15 AM
Jim P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default E36 Wheels and Suspension questions

Hi All,
I have a '96 328i, all stock, with about 96,000 miles. I bought the car
in 2002 with 54,000 miles on it. I live in the New York city area.
Some questions on a couple of topics:
1- Would there be any suspension components/ bushings due for replacement
srtictly based on this mileage? If so, recommendations?
2- I'd like to switch from the original 15" wheel/tire setup to 16"or 17"
when I take off my snow tires next spring. I see a lot of aftermarket
wheels, at tirerack for example, that are said to fit the car, but have a
different offset than the stock BMW wheels. How important is it to maintain
the exact offset? Is there an allowable difference of a few mm? What about
the use of spacers? They don't seem like a suitable alternative seeing how
the stock wheel sits over the center hub.
TIA to all!


Ads
  #2  
Old November 10th 04, 01:37 PM
Richard Sperry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

There is nothing exact about trying to guess with mileage. I would suspect,
Front-
lower control arm bushings, and ball joints. a good time to replace the
whole lca. The lca from a 95 ///M3 has offset bushings that help steering
turn in a lot.
tie rods
If the shocks haven't been changes, I would bet they are very tired also.
along with the anti roll bar bushings

Rear-
Rear shock mounts
rear trailing arm bushings (RTABs)
shocks
rear subframe bushings.

All of this is subject to change based on actual inspection, but they are
wear items. All of it is really easy to DIY with the exception of the RTABs.

As for the offset. Stock for the E36 15x7 in wheel is 47mm for the ///M3
17x7.5 is 41mm. so... Just about any wheel 7" to 8.5" with an offset from 35
to 45 should work. It will really depend on what size tire you are trying to
use. my 95 ///M3 uses 17x 7.5" wheels with 235-40-17 tires on all 4 corners.
later models used 7.5" front and 8.5" rear wheels with 225-40 and 245-40
tires with 41mm offset. Whew!.. The guys at Tire Rack really know what works
on the E36, give them a call.

Rich

"Jim P." > wrote in message
...
> Hi All,
> I have a '96 328i, all stock, with about 96,000 miles. I bought the car
> in 2002 with 54,000 miles on it. I live in the New York city area.
> Some questions on a couple of topics:
> 1- Would there be any suspension components/ bushings due for replacement
> srtictly based on this mileage? If so, recommendations?
> 2- I'd like to switch from the original 15" wheel/tire setup to 16"or 17"
> when I take off my snow tires next spring. I see a lot of aftermarket
> wheels, at tirerack for example, that are said to fit the car, but have a
> different offset than the stock BMW wheels. How important is it to
> maintain
> the exact offset? Is there an allowable difference of a few mm? What
> about
> the use of spacers? They don't seem like a suitable alternative seeing
> how
> the stock wheel sits over the center hub.
> TIA to all!
>
>



  #3  
Old November 10th 04, 06:25 PM
Jeff Strickland
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Jim P." > wrote in message
...
> Hi All,
> I have a '96 328i, all stock, with about 96,000 miles. I bought the car
> in 2002 with 54,000 miles on it. I live in the New York city area.
> Some questions on a couple of topics:
> 1- Would there be any suspension components/ bushings due for replacement
> srtictly based on this mileage? If so, recommendations?


I have a '94 325i that is also stock, except I upgraded the wheels recently
to 17" from an M3. I bought my car at 100,000 in 2000, and now have 200,000.
I put an average of 25,000 miles per year over 4 years. I have no reason to
think I need any bushings or other suspension components.




> 2- I'd like to switch from the original 15" wheel/tire setup to 16"or 17"
> when I take off my snow tires next spring. I see a lot of aftermarket
> wheels, at tirerack for example, that are said to fit the car, but have a
> different offset than the stock BMW wheels. How important is it to

maintain
> the exact offset? Is there an allowable difference of a few mm? What

about
> the use of spacers? They don't seem like a suitable alternative seeing

how
> the stock wheel sits over the center hub.


Let me urge you to go to eBay and do a search on 'BMW OEM E36 17" WHEELS'.
You can modify the search string, drop OEM and/or E36, or change the size to
16", and get a different mix of results. If you leave the OEM in the string,
you will cut out the after market rims (for the most part) and get a listing
of factory original rims that are take-offs where somebody is changinf from
the size you are searching on to an even larger size.

I scored a set (all 5) of rims from an M3. The tires that go on these rims
are 225/45x17. They are within 1% of being the same size as the tires
(225/55x15) that came off, and are very colose to the 205/60s that you
probably have today. The 225/45s are nearly an inch wider than the 205/60s,
but they will fit without any modification to your car. The offset of the M3
rim is correct for your car. The wider tires will not allow chains, but you
have a set of snow tires already so this should be OK. Alternatively, you
can put on a 205/50x17 and then you can use chains if you need them before
the start of the official snow season and get caught out in the snow.

Check this link for the BMW offerings (I got the Style 22, M3 Double Spoke)
http://www.kalach.easynet.be/bmw_wheels.htm



> TIA to all!
>
>



  #4  
Old November 11th 04, 12:39 PM
Richard Sperry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Jeff, if you have 200K on your car and you don't think you need to inspect /
replace bushings, you are in for a surprise. RSMs are a replacement item by
at least 100K along with lcas and rtabs. I would have them checked out.


"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Jim P." > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi All,
>> I have a '96 328i, all stock, with about 96,000 miles. I bought the
>> car
>> in 2002 with 54,000 miles on it. I live in the New York city area.
>> Some questions on a couple of topics:
>> 1- Would there be any suspension components/ bushings due for replacement
>> srtictly based on this mileage? If so, recommendations?

>
> I have a '94 325i that is also stock, except I upgraded the wheels
> recently
> to 17" from an M3. I bought my car at 100,000 in 2000, and now have
> 200,000.
> I put an average of 25,000 miles per year over 4 years. I have no reason
> to
> think I need any bushings or other suspension components.
>
>
>
>
>> 2- I'd like to switch from the original 15" wheel/tire setup to 16"or 17"
>> when I take off my snow tires next spring. I see a lot of aftermarket
>> wheels, at tirerack for example, that are said to fit the car, but have a
>> different offset than the stock BMW wheels. How important is it to

> maintain
>> the exact offset? Is there an allowable difference of a few mm? What

> about
>> the use of spacers? They don't seem like a suitable alternative seeing

> how
>> the stock wheel sits over the center hub.

>
> Let me urge you to go to eBay and do a search on 'BMW OEM E36 17" WHEELS'.
> You can modify the search string, drop OEM and/or E36, or change the size
> to
> 16", and get a different mix of results. If you leave the OEM in the
> string,
> you will cut out the after market rims (for the most part) and get a
> listing
> of factory original rims that are take-offs where somebody is changinf
> from
> the size you are searching on to an even larger size.
>
> I scored a set (all 5) of rims from an M3. The tires that go on these rims
> are 225/45x17. They are within 1% of being the same size as the tires
> (225/55x15) that came off, and are very colose to the 205/60s that you
> probably have today. The 225/45s are nearly an inch wider than the
> 205/60s,
> but they will fit without any modification to your car. The offset of the
> M3
> rim is correct for your car. The wider tires will not allow chains, but
> you
> have a set of snow tires already so this should be OK. Alternatively, you
> can put on a 205/50x17 and then you can use chains if you need them before
> the start of the official snow season and get caught out in the snow.
>
> Check this link for the BMW offerings (I got the Style 22, M3 Double
> Spoke)
> http://www.kalach.easynet.be/bmw_wheels.htm
>
>
>
>> TIA to all!
>>
>>

>
>



  #5  
Old November 11th 04, 06:35 PM
Jeff Strickland
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I have inspected them, and they are fine.

It is possible that they are needing replacement since I last checked them,
but they look fine, I have no noises from suspension parts clanging against
one another and the tires wear evenly despite never, that's n-e-v-e-r,
getting a wheel alignment. If I needed bushings, at least one of those
things would not be a true statement, I ought to hear noises, have poor tire
wear, or rerquire alignments. Something would be amiss if the suspension
bushings were gone, however I completely agree that even in the best of
cases, I have to be close to needing new suspension parts even if I am
confident they are fine today. I can only assume that because I live in
southern CA., where it never rains - much less snows - there is very little
that will attack the rubber under my car. You guys that live where there is
actual weather will have a different experience than I have.





"Richard Sperry" > wrote in message
...
> Jeff, if you have 200K on your car and you don't think you need to inspect

/
> replace bushings, you are in for a surprise. RSMs are a replacement item

by
> at least 100K along with lcas and rtabs. I would have them checked out.
>
>
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Jim P." > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Hi All,
> >> I have a '96 328i, all stock, with about 96,000 miles. I bought the
> >> car
> >> in 2002 with 54,000 miles on it. I live in the New York city area.
> >> Some questions on a couple of topics:
> >> 1- Would there be any suspension components/ bushings due for

replacement
> >> srtictly based on this mileage? If so, recommendations?

> >
> > I have a '94 325i that is also stock, except I upgraded the wheels
> > recently
> > to 17" from an M3. I bought my car at 100,000 in 2000, and now have
> > 200,000.
> > I put an average of 25,000 miles per year over 4 years. I have no reason
> > to
> > think I need any bushings or other suspension components.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> 2- I'd like to switch from the original 15" wheel/tire setup to 16"or

17"
> >> when I take off my snow tires next spring. I see a lot of aftermarket
> >> wheels, at tirerack for example, that are said to fit the car, but have

a
> >> different offset than the stock BMW wheels. How important is it to

> > maintain
> >> the exact offset? Is there an allowable difference of a few mm? What

> > about
> >> the use of spacers? They don't seem like a suitable alternative seeing

> > how
> >> the stock wheel sits over the center hub.

> >
> > Let me urge you to go to eBay and do a search on 'BMW OEM E36 17"

WHEELS'.
> > You can modify the search string, drop OEM and/or E36, or change the

size
> > to
> > 16", and get a different mix of results. If you leave the OEM in the
> > string,
> > you will cut out the after market rims (for the most part) and get a
> > listing
> > of factory original rims that are take-offs where somebody is changinf
> > from
> > the size you are searching on to an even larger size.
> >
> > I scored a set (all 5) of rims from an M3. The tires that go on these

rims
> > are 225/45x17. They are within 1% of being the same size as the tires
> > (225/55x15) that came off, and are very colose to the 205/60s that you
> > probably have today. The 225/45s are nearly an inch wider than the
> > 205/60s,
> > but they will fit without any modification to your car. The offset of

the
> > M3
> > rim is correct for your car. The wider tires will not allow chains, but
> > you
> > have a set of snow tires already so this should be OK. Alternatively,

you
> > can put on a 205/50x17 and then you can use chains if you need them

before
> > the start of the official snow season and get caught out in the snow.
> >
> > Check this link for the BMW offerings (I got the Style 22, M3 Double
> > Spoke)
> > http://www.kalach.easynet.be/bmw_wheels.htm
> >
> >
> >
> >> TIA to all!
> >>
> >>

> >
> >

>
>



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
E28 - lowering suspension on M535i to M5 level - how much? bfd BMW 5 November 2nd 04 06:16 PM
Front suspension Clunk??? Chris Audi 3 October 29th 04 08:17 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:42 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AutoBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.