wheel question

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psychrunner

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I am new to the e9, and truth be told, not very knowledgable re: mechanical issues, etc. Wondering, would not any 16" wheel "fit" the e9 csi? Are Alpinas the only wheels that will work? Do later year (e-30 or e-36) wheels work on the e9? I am attempting to place 16" (or perhaps 15") wheels on my e9 after some restoration (or would it be better to stay with the original 14" wheels?) as I think the larger wheels provide a better look.
Thanks
Randy
 
They don't all fit

You need to learn about "offset" which is, how close to the car the wheel sits, or more precisely how close the center plane of the wheel is to the mounting face.

This distance varies from brand to brand and wheel model to wheel model, and is critical to getting wheels that fit within the fenders. You don't want 'em sticking out well beyond the fenders like some, um, ***** (we don't further specify).
 
I agree with Honolulu, the problem theat you have with the E9 is that it uses 4 piston brake calipers at the front as opposed to most modern cars using a single piston sliding caliper. This means that some wheels (depending on design) will foul the brakes. Couple this to having to get the offset correct I'm sure that you can see it could be quite tricky. If you're buying new one option is to save your pennies and take the car down to a wheel specialist that way you could choose the design you like and make sure it'll fit ok. As for what will definately fit, Wheels from the very early 6 series (pre 1981 (I think)), BBS wheels from the E12 M535i. E30 wheels won't fit as they are 4 stud unless you find some M3 wheels but you'd have to check offset and brake clearance.
 
Agree with what's been said. Another possible source is E28 5-series. Take care though as some wheels were metric thus you can only fit Michelin metric tyres.
While these tyres are pretty good they are expensive and hard to find. In addition tyre technology has moved on since they first came out.

That said I know somebody running a set on a 7 series and they think they are wonderful. good in both the wet and dry, very predictable.
In addition they hardly seem to wear, it's the side walls that start to go
Malc
 
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