[Getzinem]

Hi everyone,

I know most of us are stuck at home right now and I think that it’s a great time for us to rotate those tires. Also what is your favorite square setup?

Tire rotation, m235i, bmw, f22, tires, rims, wheels, square setup, staggered wheels, 2 series

[Maynard]

Good incentive, I'm planning to put on the summer tires this weekend. But I'm also twitchin to reach thru the screen and clean those wheels - OMG - like he cleans them every second tire rotation?

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Getzinem

I think that it’s a great time for us to rotate those tires. Also what is your favorite square setup?

The only square set I have is BBS SR 17X7½ ET35 for 225/40-17 winter tires. I have two OEM staggered sets and an Apex staggered set, too. I wish they were all square, but there's not a lot of choice when it comes to square offsets that look good (to the owner) once they're on the car.

I think I've seen in other threads that something like 18X8 or 8½ ~ET45 work and that a number of owners bought them. You might look to see if they had to do anything to make them fit - e.g., spacers, camber, or fender roll.

That's a good video. I like that he does it all without any power tools, pretty much eliminating the possibility of cross-threading. The race shops I've used have all done it that way.

In addition to staggered wheels sizes ruling out a traditional four-wheel rotation, directional tires will do the same. And if you've got staggered wheels with directional tires, you won't rotate at all.

If for any reason someone has difficulty lining up their wheels when re-installing wheel bolts, using two wheel hangers/alignment bolts instead of one may save a bit of time.

Blooper Alert: At 7:17 in the video, he loses track of his star pattern and torques two adjacent bolts one after the other.

I'm with Maynard on the need for those wheels to be cleaned before the brake dust in the crevices is in there for good. It's not a fun task, but done frequently enough it keeps the wheels looking new.

BMW offers a non-adjustable 140 nm torque wrench so that you don't have to fool with setting the torque like you do with an adjustable wrench. The part number is 71126769683; ECS Tuning has it for $33.35. For BMW, that's virtually free.

[PDM5]

Originally Posted by dradernh

The only square set I have is BBS SR 17X7½ ET35 for 225/40-17 winter tires. I have two OEM staggered sets and an Apex staggered set, too. I wish they were all square, but there's not a lot of choice when it comes to square offsets that look good (to the owner) once they're on the car.

I think I've seen in other threads that something like 18X8 or 8½ ~ET45 work and that a number of owners bought them. You might look to see if they had to do anything to make them fit - e.g., spacers, camber, or fender roll.

That's a good video. I like that he does it all without any power tools, pretty much eliminating the possibility of cross-threading. The race shops I've used have all done it that way.

In addition to staggered wheels sizes ruling out a traditional four-wheel rotation, directional tires will do the same. And if you've got staggered wheels with directional tires, you won't rotate at all.

If for any reason someone has difficulty lining up their wheels when re-installing wheel bolts, using two wheel hangers/alignment bolts instead of one may save a bit of time.

Blooper Alert: At 7:17 in the video, he loses track of his star pattern and torques two adjacent bolts one after the other.

I'm with Maynard on the need for those wheels to be cleaned before the brake dust in the crevices is in there for good. It's not a fun task, but done frequently enough it keeps the wheels looking new.

BMW offers a non-adjustable 140 nm torque wrench so that you don't have to fool with setting the torque like you do with an adjustable wrench. The part number is 71126769683; ECS Tuning has it for $33.35. For BMW, that's virtually free.
[IMG]http://u.cubeupload.com/EdWinter377/...rqueWrench.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks for the heads up on that torque wrench. You're right, that's practically free lol. I got a staggered setup of Arc 8s to make use of the brand new PSS's I pulled off to put winter tires on the stock wheels, but I wish I would have gone with a square 17" setup. Oh well maybe for the future.

[Getzinem]

That's awesome. I wish I knew that before hand, thanks!

Originally Posted by dradernh

The only square set I have is BBS SR 17X7½ ET35 for 225/40-17 winter tires. I have two OEM staggered sets and an Apex staggered set, too. I wish they were all square, but there's not a lot of choice when it comes to square offsets that look good (to the owner) once they're on the car.

I think I've seen in other threads that something like 18X8 or 8½ ~ET45 work and that a number of owners bought them. You might look to see if they had to do anything to make them fit - e.g., spacers, camber, or fender roll.

That's a good video. I like that he does it all without any power tools, pretty much eliminating the possibility of cross-threading. The race shops I've used have all done it that way.

In addition to staggered wheels sizes ruling out a traditional four-wheel rotation, directional tires will do the same. And if you've got staggered wheels with directional tires, you won't rotate at all.

If for any reason someone has difficulty lining up their wheels when re-installing wheel bolts, using two wheel hangers/alignment bolts instead of one may save a bit of time.

Blooper Alert: At 7:17 in the video, he loses track of his star pattern and torques two adjacent bolts one after the other.

I'm with Maynard on the need for those wheels to be cleaned before the brake dust in the crevices is in there for good. It's not a fun task, but done frequently enough it keeps the wheels looking new.

BMW offers a non-adjustable 140 nm torque wrench so that you don't have to fool with setting the torque like you do with an adjustable wrench. The part number is 71126769683; ECS Tuning has it for $33.35. For BMW, that's virtually free.

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by PDM5

Thanks for the heads up on that torque wrench. You're right, that's practically free lol. I got a staggered setup of Arc 8s to make use of the brand new PSS's I pulled off to put winter tires on the stock wheels, but I wish I would have gone with a square 17" setup. Oh well maybe for the future.

Why would you wan's 17?

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Good incentive, I'm planning to put on the summer tires this weekend. But I'm also twitchin to reach thru the screen and clean those wheels - OMG - like he cleans them every second tire rotation?

I would appreciate that lol. You're right though, I do need to clean them more often.

[PDM5]

Originally Posted by Getzinem

Why would you wan's 17?

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I really like a meaty tire look. The first post in the Apex wheel thread has a 17x8.5 setup with 40 series all around on a 245 square setup that to me looks fantastic. This is the first car in a long time that I haven't ditched the staggered setup for a square one. I'd have to do way too many modifications to get an 18 square setup with the tire widths and sidewall I'd want. I've modded every car I've had before and the whole reason for me getting the 240 was I was over modding and wanted to be completely content with the car, minus a different set of wheels.

[Maynard]

17" setups are lighter and have more sidewall to absorb impacts, both a plus. The push for largest diameter wheels is almost entirely a marketing thing, driven by the people wanting 'bigger is better'. Lower aspect ratio with the 18s does give a bit tauter feel, but you can remedy that with wider 17 rims (7.5/8 is the narrowest permissible for these tire sizes; wider wheels seat the tire better, and tighten up steering/handling).

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Maynard

17" setups are lighter and have more sidewall to absorb impacts, both a plus. The push for largest diameter wheels is almost entirely a marketing thing, driven by the people wanting 'bigger is better'. Lower aspect ratio with the 18s does give a bit tauter feel, but you can remedy that with wider 17 rims (7.5/8 is the narrowest permissible for these tire sizes; wider wheels seat the tire better, and tighten up steering/handling).

The only reason bigger is better would be for BBK otherwise for daily drivability especially if roads aren't pristine 17" is where it's at.

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by PDM5

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I really like a meaty tire look. The first post in the Apex wheel thread has a 17x8.5 setup with 40 series all around on a 245 square setup that to me looks fantastic. This is the first car in a long time that I haven't ditched the staggered setup for a square one. I'd have to do way too many modifications to get an 18 square setup with the tire widths and sidewall I'd want. I've modded every car I've had before and the whole reason for me getting the 240 was I was over modding and wanted to be completely content with the car, minus a different set of wheels.

17's interesting. YOu are definitely more detailed than me. I just want to be able to rotate them evenly. I don't think that the handling differences would be felt during the daily driving in traffic plagued California lol.

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by Maynard

17" setups are lighter and have more sidewall to absorb impacts, both a plus. The push for largest diameter wheels is almost entirely a marketing thing, driven by the people wanting 'bigger is better'. Lower aspect ratio with the 18s does give a bit tauter feel, but you can remedy that with wider 17 rims (7.5/8 is the narrowest permissible for these tire sizes; wider wheels seat the tire better, and tighten up steering/handling).

Great explanation!

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

The only reason bigger is better would be for BBK otherwise for daily drivability especially if roads aren't pristine 17" is where it's at.

It sounds like the roads need to be paved where you're at. Where is that? If you don't mind me asking

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Getzinem

It sounds like the roads need to be paved where you're at. Where is that? If you don't mind me asking

A good deal of the roads in America are in need of re-paving. It's a constant topic of discussion on car forums. Ironically, there are any number of SoCal drivers who appear to be convinced that they're driving on some of the worst roads in the country.

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by dradernh

A good deal of the roads in America are in need of re-paving. It's a constant topic of discussion on car forums. Ironically, there are any number of SoCal drivers who appear to be convinced that they're driving on some of the worst roads in the country.

I can see that. I grew up in Oakland where there are some of the worst potholes. That being said, when I moved out of the area most roads aren't as bad, so I'm more or less happy lol.

[230iZTR]

I've got 17x9et42 Apex ARC8-R with square 255/40 RE71R's. It required camber plates and a front fender roll. I think its the sweet spot for these cars because you definitely want more camber if you're going to the track, and if you've got the camber, you might as well go bigger on the width. The wheels are awesome, and APEX is 100% behind the BMW community.

I'm eyeing 17x8.5et40 Bimmerworld TA5s with square 245/40 PS4S as my next daily set for when my stock set of PSS wear out, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet with all the financial uncertainty of furloughs in the air. They're relatively affordable, just as light as the Apex's but have a very different look about them that reminds me of the BBS RI-D split 5-spokes.

[Expert@ApexWheels]

17s are a great setup for all of the reasons listed above and personally I hope to see more of these setups on 2 series in the future. The benefits of the additional sidewall, lower weight and reduced tire cost are hard to ignore.

I did want to echo the following point though:

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

The only reason bigger is better would be for BBK otherwise for daily drivability especially if roads aren't pristine 17" is where it's at.

If you are thinking about upgrading to a BBK in the future, 18s might be the better option.

-Tom

[MerlinMc]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

The only reason bigger is better would be for BBK otherwise for daily drivability especially if roads aren't pristine 17" is where it's at.

My experience exactly. I switched from staggered 18s to square 17s on my 135i, my M235i and now my M240i. No discernible loss in performance and the square set up seems more balanced. Ride is more comfortable and quieter.

[ceelogreen]

Originally Posted by MerlinMc

My experience exactly. I switched from staggered 18s to square 17s on my 135i, my M235i and now my M240i. No discernible loss in performance and the square set up seems more balanced. Ride is more comfortable and quieter.

Hi I am also planning to switch from staggered to squared on 2018 230i with M Perf pckg. do you know if I can put 17" tires on existing OEM wheels? thanks

[Getzinem]

Originally Posted by 230iZTR

I've got 17x9et42 Apex ARC8-R with square 255/40 RE71R's. It required camber plates and a front fender roll. I think its the sweet spot for these cars because you definitely want more camber if you're going to the track, and if you've got the camber, you might as well go bigger on the width. The wheels are awesome, and APEX is 100% behind the BMW community.

I'm eyeing 17x8.5et40 Bimmerworld TA5s with square 245/40 PS4S as my next daily set for when my stock set of PSS wear out, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet with all the financial uncertainty of furloughs in the air. They're relatively affordable, just as light as the Apex's but have a very different look about them that reminds me of the BBS RI-D split 5-spokes.

That's a grown up decision right there. Hope you bounce back from this situation fast and in a better position than you were in when it started.

[SkyeC]

I just installed a set of 18x8.5 45 Arc8s w/ 245/35 Conti ExtremeContacts, 5mm spacers and extended stud conversion.

No rubbing or clearance issues at stock height on my M240i.

Have a set of Millway street camber plates I plan to install at the end of the week to get some camber in front. Other than that I think I will leave the car at stock height w/ the adaptive suspension. It's nice having a car that doesn't scrape or bottom out for once. Maybe coilovers later one when the shocks die.

Handling is great, love the bump from 225 to 245 in front!