[jdg54]

I recently grabbed a 340xi (m sport suspension not adaptive). Long story short, I absolute despise my 225 square set of continental all season runflats. I feel incredibly disconnected from the road and would like to put on a summer tire. This current set up has a ton of gap and looks super narrow. I'd love some width in the back while maintaining that "1% rule" AND want to reduce fender gap. I've read multiple threads on this, many with conflicting answers. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Please excuse my ignorance but roast me if you feel the need.

[alohasurftoad]

on F-series cars with x-drive, regardless if m-sport package, you either have base suspension or adaptive. since you don't have adaptive it means you have the base suspension. straight up... the base suspension is not very good.

assuming you are just changing tires on the oem 18x8 ET34 wheels you could do one of these three options.

245/40/18 would provide much better grip and handling however the wheel gap will increase since the tire diameter is smaller. looks much better if you're lowered.

245/45/18 will do almost as good as the 245/40/18 however since the tire is taller the turn in will be slower and it will accelerate slower due to taller gearing. it will fill the wheel gap but will also look very "beefy" and make the 18" wheels look like small due to it's large sidewalls.

personally, what i'd choose is the happy medium, 235/45/18. a little wider for better handling, little taller for better ride, impact protection and wheel gap fill.

[jdg54]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

on F-series cars with x-drive, regardless if m-sport package, you either have base suspension or adaptive. since you don't have adaptive it means you have the base suspension. straight up... the base suspension is not very good.

assuming you are just changing tires on the oem 18x8 ET34 wheels you could do one of these three options.

245/40/18 would provide much better grip and handling however the wheel gap will increase since the tire diameter is smaller. looks much better if you're lowered.

245/45/18 will do almost as good as the 245/40/18 however since the tire is taller the turn in will be slower and it will accelerate slower due to taller gearing. it will fill the wheel gap but will also look very "beefy" and make the 18" wheels look like small due to it's large sidewalls.

personally, what i'd choose is the happy medium, 235/45/18. a little wider for better handling, little taller for better ride, impact protection and wheel gap fill.

I really genuinely appreciate your response and yes, I agree that the base suspension isn't great. Its a lease and I'm not tracking it so I don't necessarily NEED a great suspension or coilovers. I enjoy my early Sunday morning spirited drives on some quiet roads- that's about it. Perhaps h&r/eibach down the road. Do you believe that 235 square is my best route or that possibly going for a staggered set up is preferable? Especially given that I'm not AutoXing this car.

[cfm56d7b]

@alohasurftoad shared terrific advice - as always.

Just to confirm: are your wheels 18" or 19"?

If your budget can accommodate 19" wheels, more AWD friendly tire options are available, including staggered tires.

[alohasurftoad]

To me 235/45/18 square is best on the OEM 18x8 if x-drive and unlowered. If you're obtaining new staggered wheels then there'd be different size combos based on wheel diameter, widths, offsets, tire category, brand and model.

[jdg54]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

@alohasurftoad shared terrific advice - as always.

Just to confirm: are your wheels 18" or 19"?

If your budget can accommodate 19" wheels, more AWD friendly tire options are available, including staggered tires.

18s. I was hoping to keep this ordeal under 1500 so I suppose I technically could be open to 19s.

[jdg54]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

To me 235/45/18 square is best on the OEM 18x8 if x-drive and unlowered. If you're obtaining new staggered wheels then there'd be different size combos based on wheel diameter, widths, offsets, tire category, brand and model.

I appreciate it and I may stick with that. So it'll fill my fender gap a little more, correct?

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by jdg54

I appreciate it and I may stick with that. So it'll fill my fender gap a little more, correct?

Yes, by 0.15". not much but enough to notice visually. The tire shoulder will also be 5mm closer to the lip of fenderwell, which reduces gap.

FWIW, a $1500 budget for decent aftermarket 19s or 18s and tires will be a bit of a challenge.

[wdeerfield]

Do the 235/45/18 route. I run that on my stock height xdrive 335 for the winter but im on 18x8.5 wheels. It will fill the wheel well gap, provide a wider contact patch (even if its just 10mm) and look better. It really comes down to compound of the tire for handling as well. Get a good go flat max performance summer tire and you'll improve the handling. With the base suspension (given its a lease) it may be worth it to you to get dinan springs to lower it .75" and stiffen it up some to reduce the body roll.

Sticking with the stock rims, get spacers as well.

[KeegMac5621]

alohasurftoad Thank you for the extremely helpful information here and in other threads! I've been researching what tires I should buy next and keep seeing your name everywhere in threads about RFT's, tire fitment, etc.

I don't mean to hijack the convo, but I felt this might be the right thread for this discussion:

I've got a 340i X-Drive with the track pack so my wheels are staggered (Front = 18x8 +34 / Rear = 18x8.5 +47) with 225/45/ZR18 MPSS tires in the front and 255/40/ZR18 in the rear. I'm looking to switch to all-season since I live in the Northeast and leaning towards Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 based on your recommendation elsewhere, but I'm still unsure of what size to go with.

• Should I keep my tire sizes the same for all season?
  I feel the 255 might be a bit too wide for winter conditions.
  
  
• Would a squared tire size cause any issues with the staggered wheels?
  If not, it sounds like you and wdeerfield would both suggest 235/45/18.
  
  
• Would the benefits increased width/grip (10mm) of squared 245/45/18 tires outweigh the cons slight height increase (approx. 5mm)?
  Again being in the Northeast, potholes are everywhere so a little extra rubber may be more beneficial for me and also fill more gap.
  
  
• Would the 245/45/18 tires have fitment concerns in the front?

[SoCalCarGuy]

Originally Posted by jdg54

I recently grabbed a 340xi (m sport suspension not adaptive). Long story short, I absolute despise my 225 square set of continental all season runflats. I feel incredibly disconnected from the road and would like to put on a summer tire. This current set up has a ton of gap and looks super narrow. I'd love some width in the back while maintaining that "1% rule" AND want to reduce fender gap. I've read multiple threads on this, many with conflicting answers. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Please excuse my ignorance but roast me if you feel the need.

Any premium summer tire in any size is going to make a huge difference.

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by KeegMac5621

[*]Should I keep my tire sizes the same for all season?
I feel the 255 might be a bit too wide for winter conditions.
[*]Would a squared tire size cause any issues with the staggered wheels?
If not, it sounds like you and wdeerfield would both suggest 235/45/18.
[*]Would the benefits increased width/grip (10mm) of squared 245/45/18 tires outweigh the cons slight height increase (approx. 5mm)?
Again being in the Northeast, potholes are everywhere so a little extra rubber may be more beneficial for me and also fill more gap.
[*]Would the 245/45/18 tires have fitment concerns in the front?[/LIST]

Personally, i'd stay with OEM size DWS06 all seasons. I'm sure you already know that a dedicated 18x8(or8.5") +35ish with 225(or235)/45/18 snow tires is best in that environment.

235/45/18 square is fine as well, however under normal conditions. a lot less rear traction than with 255 in the rear with inline 6 torque.

245/45/18 square is my least favorite option because it makes the wheel look small and worsens overall handling and performance. however i respect why you want "beefiness" for poor road conditons.

on OEM offsets you will not have any rubbing issues with 245/40/18 up front.

[KeegMac5621]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

Personally, i'd stay with OEM size DWS06 all seasons. I'm sure you already know that a dedicated 18x8(or8.5") +35ish with 225(or235)/45/18 snow tires is best in that environment.

235/45/18 square is fine as well, however under normal conditions. a lot less rear traction than with 255 in the rear with inline 6 torque.

245/45/18 square is my least favorite option because it makes the wheel look small and worsens overall handling and performance. however i respect why you want "beefiness" for poor road conditons.

on OEM offsets you will not have any rubbing issues with 245/40/18 up front.

Thanks again for your advice!

I'm gonna plan on the OEM sized tires for now. I know a dedicated set of squared wheels & tires for the winter would be ideal but I am hoping to eventually (2yrs?) make these wheels my winter setup (switching to 235s winter tires) and pick up 19" 403ms with MPSS/MPS4S for summer performance/style.

[ntailor]

Originally Posted by KeegMac5621

Thanks again for your advice!

I'm gonna plan on the OEM sized tires for now. I know a dedicated set of squared wheels & tires for the winter would be ideal but I am hoping to eventually (2yrs?) make these wheels my winter setup (switching to 235s winter tires) and pick up 19" 403ms with MPSS/MPS4S for summer performance/style.

Im in the same dilemma as you. I picked up a 340 with track package a couple months ago. Im in PA but winter beats up our roads.

For winter, I am leaning towards buying 18x8.5 wheels with 235/45/18. Hoping I do not give up a ton of dry grip with our power.

For summer, the oem s001 tires suck but dealer put new ones on when I bought the car. I'm keeping the oem set up until I wear the tires out. I'll move to new wheels with MPS4 in a 235/265 set up.

[jdg54]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

Sticking with the stock rims, get spacers as well.

Why spacers?

[jdg54]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

Yes, by 0.15". not much but enough to notice visually. The tire shoulder will also be 5mm closer to the lip of fenderwell, which reduces gap.

FWIW, a $1500 budget for decent aftermarket 19s or 18s and tires will be a bit of a challenge.

I appreciate all of your info. I understand it's a difficult budget to work with, I'm fresh out of college so funds aren't exactly unlimited- lol.

Probably going to go 235 square but just curious- why not go staggered? As you mentioned in this thread, aren't those wider rears better for B58 torque? Or is my 18x8 rim limiting that anyway? Last question (I hope).

[alohasurftoad]

Yes 255/40 is too wide for 18x8 and would bulge a lot.

[jdg54]

alohasurftoad Got it. Alright based on your advice, I think I'm going to spring for MPS4S or Firestone Indys. Going to read up on the reviews.

wdeerfield Pending your advice, I'll grab some spacers.

Throw some springs on and boom, I'm at roughly $1200 parts + a couple hundred labor. 1500 goal is a success.

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by jdg54

Throw some springs on and boom, I'm at roughly $1200 parts + a couple hundred labor. 1500 goal is a success.

okay, the 235/45/18 square recommendation is for OEM x-drive height

if you're absolutely certain you're going to lower your car then you can get 245/40/18 square on the 18x8. here's what it looks like on a stock non x-drive F30, 704 suspension with OEM 397, 18x8 +34.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...46&postcount=7

another F30 on 397 with 245/40/18. i'm not sure if Jungatron is lowered but it looks to be slightly.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...5&postcount=48

EDIT...here is FaRKle! F31, 235/45/18 oem and aftermarket...

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...3&postcount=29

each size has it's pros and cons but you'll be fine with whatever you choose.

[jdg54]

alohasurftoad You've been awesome with all of this. Decided not to lower. I am going 235/45/18

Question for all: Fairly sold on the Firehawk Indy 500 as I am just driving street. Comes to ~650 for a set... should I consider Yokohama Advan Sport V105s for ~550 or possibly go up to Bridgestone S-04 PPs for $675?

Any advice/experience appreciated.

[alohasurftoad]

I had Bridgestone S-04. Did care for them and would not recommend. Advans look good but I havent seen much feedback. I've read just a few that were unhappy with Firestone's but it's mostly excellent feedback and they're rated #1 for UHPS.

[jdg54]

Well I guess I'll be giving my feedback. Watching tirerack's review and reading around plus the price, I said why not?