Decision Time! Seeking Feedback on Proposed 18x9 Square Setup

ghost chili · 08-31-2011, 06:05 PM

Bent wheels and worn tires have forced my hand. So this is what I came up with. These will be the first mods to my E92 335i:

- 18x9 ET35 TR Motorsports MT1
- 255/35 Michelin PSS
- M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set
- Alignment pins punched out

From searching, I concluded that 9in is about as wide as you can go in front without resorting to tricks that don't interest me (stretching tires and/or cutting, grinding). I also determined that ET30-35 is approximately what would be needed to make this work, depending on the tire of course.

So I found the MT1s, which meet my criteria and are on sale for $149ea at Tirerack. And the fact that they're just 18.x lbs is a nice bonus.

My theory is that the extra track width from the control arms will help ensure front strut clearance, while the additional camber from the control arms and punched alignment pins should be enough to tuck the front fenders.

The M3 bits will also provide other benefits, which hopefully I'll be able to appreciate as well.

What do you think? Can this work?

Some tech notes -

I compared the track widths of the e92 335i and M3 and did some math. If the M3 control alarms are indeed responsible for the entire difference in track width (adjusting for difference in wheel offset), the retrofitting of the control arms should add just over half an inch on each side, or around 13mm. This seems like a lot, I wonder if it's too much.

I found it interesting that if you ran wheels with identical offset all around, the front track would be wider than the rear on the M3, while it would be opposite on the 335i. FYI, the M3 has identical front and rear tracks, with stock wheel offsets.

It seems counter productive to have a rear track that's considerably wider than the front track, if your goal is to acheive neutral handling. I will probably use spacers, if necessary, to equate the front and rear track widths.

ghost chili · 09-02-2011, 10:38 AM

Thoughts anyone?

I think I may place the order tomorrow, and just bite the bullet if it doesn't work out.

mjm22 · 09-02-2011, 11:45 AM

LOve the idea ... unfortunately I dont have constructive comments. I am thinking about doing a similar thing (minus the suspension work) keep us posted on results.

joro2077 · 10-01-2011, 06:16 PM

Any news on your new setup? Pics?

WDBi · 10-02-2011, 12:21 AM

any updates?

vasillalov · 10-02-2011, 08:35 AM

Tirerack no longer sells MT1s at the price you've listed above. A set of 4 will run you about $1300. At this point, you are better off with Apex Arc8 wheels which are known to be super strong and light.

dbjb · 10-02-2011, 02:14 PM

What's your alignment settings? Camber?

Btw, that was a great price.

ghost chili · 10-03-2011, 04:07 PM

Happy to report that this was a success!

Got the TR MT1's before the price hike (probably would've got ARC8s otherwise). Install was done by Milwaukee Motorsports at their Madison, WI location. Good people.

Final Setup:
- TR Motorsports MT1 (18x9 ET35 all around)
- Macht Schnell wheel spacers (5mm front, 12mm rear)
- Macht Schnell wheel stud conversion (75mm)
- Alignment pins punched out
- Michelin PSS (255/35 all around)

* Decided to skip the M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set - for now.

Ended up with -1deg / front left, -1.1deg / front right. Stock specs otherwise.

Fit:
Looking very flush. I think I got the spacers sized just right. Absolutely no rubbing on the front left. Front right rubs at full lock (oil cooler vent), but I think this is due to a recent encounter with a raccoon, which pushed that area back. That should get resolved when my bumper is replaced in a couple weeks. I think I'm rubbing in the rear (low pitched creaking sound over bumps at highway speeds), but it's minor. I might see about getting a mild roll back there. Maybe a little camber would help.

I'll try to snap some phone pics after work and hopefully post them tonight.

ghost chili · 10-03-2011, 04:15 PM

By the way, props to Jim at Tirerack for his help (not sure if he's on here or not). My wheels and tires mounted and balanced with TPMS arrived at my door the very next day.

Just as an FYI, in regards to my tech note above, I forgot to consider back spacing.

WDBi · 10-03-2011, 04:17 PM

do you have clearance on the strut side and if so how much?

ghost chili · 10-03-2011, 04:21 PM

There's definitely sufficient clearance on the strut side, but I'll see if I can measure it when I get home.

WDBi · 10-03-2011, 04:28 PM

ok thanks man im interested if i can run 18x9.5 square

dbjb · 10-03-2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghost chili

Happy to report that this was a success!

Got the TR MT1's before the price hike (probably would've got ARC8s otherwise). Install was done by Milwaukee Motorsports at their Madison, WI location. Good people.

Final Setup:
- TR Motorsports MT1 (18x9 ET35 all around)
- Macht Schnell wheel spacers (5mm front, 12mm rear)
- Macht Schnell wheel stud conversion (75mm)
- Alignment pins punched out
- Michelin PSS (255/35 all around)

* Decided to skip the M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set - for now.

Ended up with -1deg / front left, -1.1deg / front right. Stock specs otherwise.

Fit:
Looking very flush. I think I got the spacers sized just right. Absolutely no rubbing on the front left. Front right rubs at full lock (oil cooler vent), but I think this is due to a recent encounter with a raccoon, which pushed that area back. That should get resolved when my bumper is replaced in a couple weeks. I think I'm rubbing in the rear (low pitched creaking sound over bumps at highway speeds), but it's minor. I might see about getting a mild roll back there. Maybe a little camber would help.

I'll try to snap some phone pics after work and hopefully post them tonight.

Great price and really like the look of this setup. Interested to see those pics. Subscribed.

nekky · 10-04-2011, 10:24 AM

Very interested... Love to run 18x9.5 +22 TE-37s all around..

WDBi · 10-05-2011, 12:57 AM

update?

FrankiE90 · 10-05-2011, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghost chili

Thoughts anyone?

I think I may place the order tomorrow, and just bite the bullet if it doesn't work out.

18x9 et35 on a 255/35
plenty of space front and back.
consider 10mm in front and rear.
maybe 5mm or 7mm if ur rears arn't rolled.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will@StageX

ok thanks man im interested if i can run 18x9.5 square

yes u can.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekky

Very interested... Love to run 18x9.5 +22 TE-37s all around..

that's a beautiful setup.
concave face all around -
dew it.

WDBi · 10-05-2011, 11:34 AM

frankiE90 i know you can run 9.5 square but can you run 9.5 square with 255/35 18 hankook rs3's on an e92 which have less clearance than an e90

ghost chili · 10-05-2011, 01:00 PM

ghost chili · 10-05-2011, 01:09 PM

So I took some smartphone pics for now. Once I get everything cleaned up, I'll take some better pics. Probably in another thread.

And yes, that's packaging tape holding my left fender together. Thanks deer (insurance is paying for a portion of my M Sport aero).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will@StageX

do you have clearance on the strut side and if so how much?

I tried to get an indication of the clearance by jamming my index finger between the inside edge of the wheel and the strut. I would estimate that there is around 2-3mm of clearance. I expected more clearance. I wasn't able to judge the gap between the tire sidewalls and the strut, but I believe there's ample clearance there.

Not sure if there is a more precise way to check this, since ground clearance makes it pretty much impossible to get under the car without first raising it (which would throw off the measurements).

ghost chili · 10-05-2011, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankiE90

18x9 et35 on a 255/35
plenty of space front and back.
consider 10mm in front and rear.
maybe 5mm or 7mm if ur rears arn't rolled.

I went with 5mm front, 12mm rear (setup in post #8).

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekky

Very interested... Love to run 18x9.5 +22 TE-37s all around..

I think you should fine with strut clearance in the front. If you have an E92, you may run into issues clearing the plastic fenders. You'll probably need some combination of a lot of camber and stretched tires.

Don't forget backspacing. Backspacing on the 18x9 TR MT1s is 6.5". Not sure what that figure is for those TE37s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will@StageX

frankiE90 i know you can run 9.5 square but can you run 9.5 square with 255/35 18 hankook rs3's on an e92 which have less clearance than an e90

From the research I did, I think that's going to be pretty tough. Camber plates?

I believe VMR installed 9.5 ET35 fronts with 235s on an E92 in some thread I came across. I've also seen 9.5 ET19 with 225s.

I really wanted to go 9.5 all around but decided the risk was too great (of ending up with wheels and tires I couldn't use because they wouldn't fit). And I didn't want to stretch so...

Island Road · 03-13-2012, 02:40 PM

Sorry to bring up such an old thread but i have the exact same wheels as you and looking to get 255 all around but wondering if i could go 265/35 square.

- Did you take out the alignment pins?

- If you installed the M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set would this allow for more room?

3002 tii · 03-13-2012, 03:44 PM

With all that rubber up front, you're better off dialing in more negative camber

08-31-2011, 06:05 PM	#1
ghost chili Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston Area iTrader: (0)	Decision Time: 18x9 Square Setup + Alignment. Feedback? Bent wheels and worn tires have forced my hand. So this is what I came up with. These will be the first mods to my E92 335i: - 18x9 ET35 TR Motorsports MT1 - 255/35 Michelin PSS - M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set - Alignment pins punched out From searching, I concluded that 9in is about as wide as you can go in front without resorting to tricks that don't interest me (stretching tires and/or cutting, grinding). I also determined that ET30-35 is approximately what would be needed to make this work, depending on the tire of course. So I found the MT1s, which meet my criteria and are on sale for $149ea at Tirerack. And the fact that they're just 18.x lbs is a nice bonus. My theory is that the extra track width from the control arms will help ensure front strut clearance, while the additional camber from the control arms and punched alignment pins should be enough to tuck the front fenders. The M3 bits will also provide other benefits, which hopefully I'll be able to appreciate as well. What do you think? Can this work? Some tech notes - I compared the track widths of the e92 335i and M3 and did some math. If the M3 control alarms are indeed responsible for the entire difference in track width (adjusting for difference in wheel offset), the retrofitting of the control arms should add just over half an inch on each side, or around 13mm. This seems like a lot, I wonder if it's too much. I found it interesting that if you ran wheels with identical offset all around, the front track would be wider than the rear on the M3, while it would be opposite on the 335i. FYI, the M3 has identical front and rear tracks, with stock wheel offsets. It seems counter productive to have a rear track that's considerably wider than the front track, if your goal is to acheive neutral handling. I will probably use spacers, if necessary, to equate the front and rear track widths. Last edited by ghost chili; 09-02-2011 at 10:43 AM..
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09-02-2011, 10:38 AM	#2
ghost chili Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston Area iTrader: (0)	Thoughts anyone? I think I may place the order tomorrow, and just bite the bullet if it doesn't work out.
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09-02-2011, 11:45 AM	#3
mjm22 Enlisted Member 0 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (0)	LOve the idea ... unfortunately I dont have constructive comments. I am thinking about doing a similar thing (minus the suspension work) keep us posted on results.
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10-01-2011, 06:16 PM	#4
joro2077 ..... 25 Rep 152 Posts Drives: 335i E93 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: South Jersey iTrader: (3)	Any news on your new setup? Pics?
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10-02-2011, 12:21 AM	#5
WDBi Captain 113 Rep 739 Posts Drives: a car Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: over there iTrader: (2)	any updates?
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10-02-2011, 08:35 AM	#6
vasillalov Mad Linux Guru On The Loose 1121 Rep 5,396 Posts Drives: 2008 335i Sedan, 2023 M3 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (5) Garage List 2023 BMW M3 [0.00] 2008 335i E90 [8.00]	Tirerack no longer sells MT1s at the price you've listed above. A set of 4 will run you about $1300. At this point, you are better off with Apex Arc8 wheels which are known to be super strong and light. __________________ 6MT \| COBB \| AR \| AE \| Forge DV \| HPF \| P3 Gauge \| Hybrid Intake \| O.S.Giken TCD \| All M3 bits \| TCKLine \| StopTech \| UUC \| ER \| SPEC
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10-02-2011, 02:14 PM	#7
dbjb I sweat pheromones 203 Rep 2,103 Posts Drives: e92 335i, retired SLK55 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NorCal iTrader: (25)	What's your alignment settings? Camber? Btw, that was a great price. Last edited by dbjb; 10-02-2011 at 03:47 PM..
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10-03-2011, 04:07 PM	#8
ghost chili Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston Area iTrader: (0)	Happy to report that this was a success! Got the TR MT1's before the price hike (probably would've got ARC8s otherwise). Install was done by Milwaukee Motorsports at their Madison, WI location. Good people. Final Setup: - TR Motorsports MT1 (18x9 ET35 all around) - Macht Schnell wheel spacers (5mm front, 12mm rear) - Macht Schnell wheel stud conversion (75mm) - Alignment pins punched out - Michelin PSS (255/35 all around) * Decided to skip the M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set - for now. Ended up with -1deg / front left, -1.1deg / front right. Stock specs otherwise. Fit: Looking very flush. I think I got the spacers sized just right. Absolutely no rubbing on the front left. Front right rubs at full lock (oil cooler vent), but I think this is due to a recent encounter with a raccoon, which pushed that area back. That should get resolved when my bumper is replaced in a couple weeks. I think I'm rubbing in the rear (low pitched creaking sound over bumps at highway speeds), but it's minor. I might see about getting a mild roll back there. Maybe a little camber would help. I'll try to snap some phone pics after work and hopefully post them tonight. Last edited by ghost chili; 10-03-2011 at 04:16 PM..
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10-03-2011, 04:15 PM	#9
ghost chili Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston Area iTrader: (0)	By the way, props to Jim at Tirerack for his help (not sure if he's on here or not). My wheels and tires mounted and balanced with TPMS arrived at my door the very next day. Just as an FYI, in regards to my tech note above, I forgot to consider back spacing.
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10-03-2011, 04:17 PM	#10
WDBi Captain 113 Rep 739 Posts Drives: a car Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: over there iTrader: (2)	do you have clearance on the strut side and if so how much?
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10-03-2011, 04:21 PM	#11
ghost chili Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston Area iTrader: (0)	There's definitely sufficient clearance on the strut side, but I'll see if I can measure it when I get home.
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10-03-2011, 04:28 PM	#12
WDBi Captain 113 Rep 739 Posts Drives: a car Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: over there iTrader: (2)	ok thanks man im interested if i can run 18x9.5 square
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10-04-2011, 10:24 AM	#14
nekky Wagon life 39 Rep 991 Posts Drives: '16 328d M Sport Touring Join Date: May 2011 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (2)	Very interested... Love to run 18x9.5 +22 TE-37s all around..
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10-05-2011, 12:57 AM	#15
WDBi Captain 113 Rep 739 Posts Drives: a car Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: over there iTrader: (2)	update?
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10-05-2011, 11:34 AM	#17
WDBi Captain 113 Rep 739 Posts Drives: a car Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: over there iTrader: (2)	frankiE90 i know you can run 9.5 square but can you run 9.5 square with 255/35 18 hankook rs3's on an e92 which have less clearance than an e90
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10-05-2011, 01:00 PM	#18
ghost chili Private 8 Rep 71 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston Area iTrader: (0)
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03-13-2012, 02:40 PM	#21
Island Road Major 167 Rep 1,261 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Boston iTrader: (5) Garage List 2008 335i [10.00]	Sorry to bring up such an old thread but i have the exact same wheels as you and looking to get 255 all around but wondering if i could go 265/35 square. - Did you take out the alignment pins? - If you installed the M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set would this allow for more room?
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03-13-2012, 03:44 PM	#22
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2285 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.24]	With all that rubber up front, you're better off dialing in more negative camber __________________ Follow for latest mods
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