BBS RC Rims and Toyo Proxes T1S Tires

When I bought my car, it came with a set of four Dunlop SP8080 tires in the stock staggered configuration of 245/40/17 (R) and 225/45/18 (F). Nearly 30,000 miles later, these tires are getting quite bald. One of them managed to pick up a chunk of metal and has been holding it for a few months. Another had a puncture fixed with a plug. Overall the Dunlop's were a nice set of tires that were more daily driver oriented than performance oriented.

Seeing as I needed new tires, the only logical decision was to get new rims for the tires to be mounted on. I live in Massachusetts where the roads are not great. There are lots of potholes and frost heaves and a plethora of ancient roads that are literally falling apart. I really wanted to go 18" in rim size, but am scared that the roads will end up bashing up an 18" rim. In order to keep the speedometer accurate, the gearing the same, and all the suspension geometry similar to stock, it is best to keep the rolling diameter of the wheel the same size as stock. So if I increase from the stock 17" rim to an 18" rim, the sidewalls of the 18" tires are obviously smaller. Smaller sidewalls mean less protection for the rims.

I overcame my fears and decided to go for the 18" rim. 18" rims look great on an E36 M3 and I decided to just go for it despite the fact that 17" rims would be my best bet for performance. Compromises...

Originally I decided on 18x8.5" ADR M-Classic rims. They weight about the same (or a pound heavier) than the stock rims on my M3. I decided on these rims because I like that factory look and they are inexpensive. Through reasons beyond my control, the vendor I went through had some issues getting the rims from ADR. There was week after week of delay and I eventually decided to change my order. I always liked the BBS RC rims and hadn't chosen them because of their cost. The 18x8.5" BBS RC rims are very light (18.7lbs) and very strong. They also have a great styling that seems to match the lines of the M3. So about 5 or 6 weeks after the initial order, my rims were at my door.

As for tires, after lots of research and hearing first hand opinions from members of web forums, I choose 245/35/18 Toyo Tires. Oddly enough, there is gap in the tire market around this size. Many places make 255/35/18 and 225/40/18, but beyond just a couple of vendors, no one makes a 235/35/18.

Toyo makes a great tire in the Proxes T1S and I went with 245/35/18 all around. This is a great size, because it is nearly identical to stock diameter in back. In front, the wide, low tire has great turn-in grip. This configuration will make the handling of the car much more neutral. I decided against going 225/40/18 in front as many people do because the sidewall height will make the turn-in worse than stock. I also decided against 255/35/18 in the back because this tire may require me to roll my fenders. Why bother because 245 are really plenty wide for the power of the M3.

Pictures (Click Thumbnails for Larger Version):

Rims and tires came in two boxes with two in each box	Cardboard was placed on the sides and inbetween the rims.	Overall they were protected nicely.
The BBC RC dwarfs my cat, Chloe.	Sure enough, Toyo T1S, 245/35/18	Drool....
	The center caps come off to reveal the lug holes. I'll miss roundels.	An 18x8.5 BBS RC with Toyo 245/35/18 Tire is about 37lbs each.
	The before pictures!
		Side by side with my stock front rim.
The 18" rims look so much bigger.	Standing next to eachother, you can see the height is about the same. Notice the nice tread of the Toyos.	One rim on... Suspension hasn't settled yet.
Some pics at my friend Keith's place picking up a torque wrench. Don't even ask me about the POS red car.... =)	I love these rims!
		Funny how clear corners look orange with a flash?
Stock rear rim and tire weight about 44lbs.	Stock front rim and tire weight about 41lbs.

Overall, I'm very happy with these rims so far. They look great, are strong, and weigh less than my stock rims.