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      05-15-2010, 08:45 PM   #3
JCz04Bimmer
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Drives: 06 Z4MC
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: New York City

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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluetree211 View Post
Im deciding between those and the MT1 from Tirerack for track wheels (and daily use for the time being)

Sizes for LTW5 are:
18x9 : 41et (front)
18x9.5 : 35et (rear option 1)
18x10 : 43et (rear option 2)

Im a bit skeptical because most people seem to be running an 8.5" front wheel with a 245 tire and a 9.5" or 10" rear with a 275 tire. Im not sure if Id have trouble with a 9" front, and the 18x10" offset doesnt seem aggressive enough...

Leaning towards the MT1 for convenience sake but just trying to weigh the options.
I went with the MT1's myself since I like having the ability in a pinch to order up a wheel and/or tire and have it delivered in a day or two without any issue. They've been VERY strong as I street drive in both Boston and New York City. I've been impressed.

So, I'm lowered quite a bit. No tuck. No gap. It is lower than most. Note that coilovers free up quite a bit of strut-side room up front. I run about 1.8deg camber in the front (on the street) and 1.7deg camber in the rear. So here are my findings...
  • An 18x8.5 or 18x9 wheel will work fine in the front with the correct offset.
  • An 18x9.5 or 18x10 wheel will work fine in the rear with the correct offset.
  • For the front, a 245 tire works for offsets in the range of +38-45.
  • For the front, a 255 tire works for offsets in the range of +38-41. The higher the number, the greater the chance is you will need to run a spacer to clear the strut. The lower the number, the greater the chance is you will need to dial in more negative camber to clear the fenders.
  • For the front, a 265 tire MAY work for offsets in the range of +38-39. I may try this out when it comes time to get new tires but it'd be done with a wheel change to 18x9 which I don't believe the MT1s are available in.
  • For the rear, a 275 tire works for offsets in the range of 25-30. The lower the number, the closer you'll need to be to stock ride height and/or you'll need to dial in more negative camber. The higher the number, the greater the chance is you will need to run a spacer to clear the inboard lining.
  • For the rear, a 285 tire MAY work for offsets closer to to 25. Again, the lower the number, the closer you'll need to be to stock ride height and/or you'll need to dial in more negative camber.
This is based on the following personal experience...
  • I run 18x8.5's +44 up front with a 255 tire. The inboard side of the tires rubbed a bit with this more-than-usual upsizing so I installed a 3mm spacer and it fits perfectly. The spacer makes the offset effectively 41mm (same as the LTW5 you note above).
  • I run 18x9.5 +35 out back with a 275 tire. It rubbed quite a bit on the inboard side so I installed a 5mm spacer to give me an effective offset of 30mm. Now it rubs extremely rarely on the inboard side and since cutting out a bit of the plastic liner (very minimal amount has been cut) it doesn't rub at all. I ran a 10mm spacer just to experiment to give me a +25 offset and it rubbed on the fender when the suspension was very compressed (i.e. on track with full lateral loading). I believe my ride height factored in heavily here.
For the options you mention, the front should work perfectly with a 245 tire. Both rear options will require spacers of varying sizes regardless of chosen tire size.

Hope this helps!!
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Last edited by JCz04Bimmer; 05-15-2010 at 08:55 PM..
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