Performance 18s; or 19s;

[s70diablo]

Hello Everyone!
I am new to this forum. And I am glad to be a part of this site; you have some very helpful information.
This is my first BMW and it’s definitely not my last!
It is a 91 525i with 98k and she runs and looks great. I am glad to say that I am the second owner. Just looking to do some mild upgrades nothing major yet!!
For now I am looking for some rims & tires preferable 18s staggered.
My friend has the 01 M3 with the (SMG) and he’s sitting on 19s; and they look great and handles like it’s on rails. He said go with 19s; I don’t think that it will handle well! Any stagnation will help cheers Mike.
PS. I am into more of performance & satiability than flashy looks.

[uscharalph]

17's

[repenttokyo]

19's will be much heavier than 18's and will slow you down. if you are more into performance, the smaller the wheel the lighter it is, in general, so go with 18's or 17's.

[bsell]

17's

I second that and I have 18's on the car now. Wish the previous owner would have bought 17's instead.

The suspension really doesn't like having wider or larger than stock rims so anything over 17" misbehaves (tramlines and the like).

Brian

[CharlesAFerg]

I've wanted 18s, but for practicality, I've hit bumps that I KNOW 18" wheels wouldn't survive but my 17s hacked it.
So I'm very thankful. Besides, they are BBS Style-5 2-piece wheels, nice and lightweight.

[Qube]

17". If I had an M3, I'd ride 19"s too and be on rails. A 525 wont like pulling 19"s along.

[BigKriss]

17's also :) or 18"s m-parallels only

[s70diablo]

Thanks guys, that’s the info I was looking for.
Now on to bigger & better things, what about tires I am a moderate to aggressive.
…………Aggressive to me means pushing the envelope any where from 95 to 130 mph and better, and I also like stuffing my car into corners. So I want the right tires that could handle what I put out. I know pushing tires the way I do they won’t last for long, my biggest and main concern also is tread wear & hydroplaning and good old fashion traction.
I know nothing about tiers, I here a lot about Kumho & falkens what are your toughs about them and others Tires Company like Pirelli, Michelin & Yokohama how do they stand up.
Thanks in advance Mike

[NovceGuru]

Pushin an m20 to 95 to 130 routinely?

[uscharalph]

Thanks guys, that’s the info I was looking for.
Now on to bigger & better things, what about tires I am a moderate to aggressive.
…………Aggressive to me means pushing the envelope any where from 95 to 130 mph and better, and I also like stuffing my car into corners. So I want the right tires that could handle what I put out. I know pushing tires the way I do they won’t last for long, my biggest and main concern also is tread wear & hydroplaning and good old fashion traction.
I know nothing about tiers, I here a lot about Kumho & falkens what are your toughs about them and others Tires Company like Pirelli, Michelin & Yokohama how do they stand up.
Thanks in advance Mike
Do you get a lot of tickets?

[Nick.Hay]

If you want performance, ability to traverse rough roads quickly, potholes etc... Go for 17s.

I have Lenso 18s on m E34, and they are a bit of a headache when it comes to potholes and the like!! I have buckled them before, and they AREN'T cheap wheels, so they are not soft...

19s will look flashy, and will be even bigger headache than 18s.

E34s came out with 17s standard (M5 and 540), and this is the biggest 'reliable' wheel size you should consider.


Get some nice M5 wheels for your car, she'll look awesome mate!!

[Paul in NZ]

if you drive like you say,any reputable brand but get the "performance" end of the spectrum rather than the "touring" or "mileage type

[Dr. evil]

16s

[AngryPopTart]

a 91 525i... pushing the envelope any where from 95 to 130 mph and better

no

[BMWCCA1]

Another vote for 17" here, too.

[s70diablo]

Thanks for all the info well appreciated.
No there are no potholes where I live in FL, and going to & from work there’s a long stretch of road about 4 miles long & empty early in the morning.
No I don’t get tickets I try not to, we know where they are at that time in the morning.
Pics are on the way soon.
Thanks again Mike.