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[iamhedgecore]

Hey guys,
just wondering if anyone has run 17" wheels on their e9x m3'S and what their impressions were... I see that Apex sells arc-8's in 17's and even Turner has them listed on their site as fitting, but i don't see anyone actually running them. I kind of like that super tall sidewall/ tight brake look... so Looks aside, what do y'all think?

[iamhedgecore]

Or does anyone have ANY experience with 17's on an e9x m3? if so are they a better ride, or about the same? do you lose turn in feel? how do they feel on crappy roads or track? ANY EXPERIENCE is appreciated, THANKS!!!

[ApexWheels]

We appreciate you thinking of us! There are two 17" fitments for the e9X M3 depending on if you want to go staggered or square:

Square:
ARC-8 17x10 et25

Staggered:
Front: ARC-8 17x10 et25
Rear: ARC-8 17x10.5 et27

Here are some images of the square fitment which is best for track applications. Just like our very popular 18x10 et25 application, this setup is a direct fit with OEM brakes, and allows enthusiasts to rotate wheels and tires effectively, maximizing tread life. Furthermore, 17's are a very good solution for those looking to cut seasonal expenses (we all know how those can add up fast), as tires are much cheaper. We think the setup looks pretty bada$$ as well!









If that does not look meaty and purposeful, then I do not know what does!

The catch: We have not discontinued the ARC-8 17x10 et25 and 17x10.5 et27 applications, and we love that we are are able to support the community with one of the only offerings in this size at a reasonable cost - however it's hard to keep this lower demand size in stock due to a myriad of "boring" business related concerns. To be clear, there are production minimums for each wheel we make, and rarely do we even have enough demand for 17x10 or 17x10.5 size over a whole sales year to warrant running production. There are very few chassis that will utilize these applications, and the majority of e46 & e9X M3 owners choose 18" wheels.

With over 500 SKUs currently in regular production, we continuously produce the sku's that are in high demand. For sku's that are considered rare or niche, we utilize our Group Buy platform which allow us to build demand, pooling all owners together to warrant a new production run. The good news is that these sku's will always be on discount when they are offered through the Group Buy platform. There is no official date set for the next 17" Group Buy, but we will release details as soon as we have them for the community. Stay tuned in 2016!

We greatly appreciate your interest.

- Ryan

[z3papa]

My issue is the tire choices of really good tires is pretty limited for over 255/40-17 which would be stretched on 10" or 10.5" and would under tire the car bit, IMO. 18" wheel sizes offer many more larger tire size options.

[ApexWheels]

Originally Posted by z3papa

My issue is the tire choices of really good tires is pretty limited for over 255/40-17 which would be stretched on 10" or 10.5" and would under tire the car bit, IMO. 18" wheel sizes offer many more larger tire size options.

Agreed. Our 18" wheels are the most popular for e46 and e9X chassis due to there effectiveness across the board. Great BBK clearance, large selection on tires, light weight, cost effective etc. The 17" applications in question simply provide enthusiasts with another choice, as everyone brings a different priority list to the table. If you are able to find a 17" tire that works for you, one could reduce rotational mass and the repetitive cost of of consumables over 18's. There biggest issue appears to be finding extreme summer tire options...

Known track oriented compounds that work well in 275/40/17:

Slicks:
Hoosier R7
BFG R1

R-Comps:
Nitto NT01
Toyo R888

Extreme Summer:
Toyo R1R

- Ryan

[OmairK]

Can you PM me as I've tried to call multiple times regarding a tire and wheel package.

Omair

[ApexWheels]

Originally Posted by OmairK

Can you PM me as I've tried to call multiple times regarding a tire and wheel package.

Omair

Sorry we missed you, Omair. I'll send you a PM now.

- Ryan

[Richbot]

The 255/40-17 Yokohama A052R is almost as wide as the 275/40-17 Continental

I have falkens in 275/40-17 coming to replace my 285/40-17 Contis. Will post an updated shot here. Not lots of choices but you have a really good pure street tire (Conti ExtremeContact sport) trackable 200tw street tire (Falken RT615k+) and about half a dozen r compound choices available in wide 17’s. Hell the Hoosier goes all the Way up to 315’s if you want it

And once you’re accustomed to 17” tire prices it’s hard to go back

[OmairK]

Richbot, can you comment on the comfortability factor? I want to make sure the ride is extremely smooth. Right now with the 19" comp. wheels and the Dinan S3R suspension, I literally loathe the ride quality. Very unrefined. I'm hoping the crazy 40 series sidewall helps with the ride.

[Richbot]

With the Continentals the ride is exceptionally good. I had the 285/40-17 Conti on mine for the first set on these wheels and the ride was just amazingly good. If I were you I'd do the 275/40-17's which what I almost did when ordered more tires for these wheels, just for a bit better fit with coilovers, but I decided to go full-special with a track-ish tire this time since I've never tried the Falken before. With the Falkens, which are a very aggressive almost track-focused tire, ride feels eerily similar as my 19's with PS4S in 275/30-19. Very tire dependent. The good news is, turn-in response and steering sharpness are every bit as good with the Falkens as with the 19" PS4S, so if you want to track on these, you need not fear about a loss of performance assuming you choose the tire appropriately

Also, fun fact, the Falkens are noticeably less grippy cold below 60 degrees than the Conti or PS4S. Wheeeeee

I found myself using 36-37psi cold with the contis to get the steering where I wanted it. The falkens feel like they have too much air in them at 32psi, if that's any help

Also, and this is nowhere near relevant to anyone, Hoosier makes a nice short 275/35-17 and 295/35-17. That'd be a pretty cool setup with the 10.5's if you could track down a set or pinch them on the 10's why not. Instantly drop another 15lb of weight and lower the car's CG another half an inch just by bolting them on

[Richbot]

Here are the 275/40-17 Falkens on anthracite 17x10 ET25 Arc-8's. 5mm spacer in back, stock ZCP springs with Sachs shocks in back, front is about 8mm lower than stock ZCP height on Sachs coilover struts

[Richbot]

Here's a much better but still potatophone photo of the car on the Falkens

Now that I have the falkens worn in a bit and the mold release is gone, wowza

[tdott]

Originally Posted by OmairK

Richbot, can you comment on the comfortability factor? I want to make sure the ride is extremely smooth. Right now with the 19" comp. wheels and the Dinan S3R suspension, I literally loathe the ride quality. Very unrefined. I'm hoping the crazy 40 series sidewall helps with the ride.

Sounds like you bought the wrong car if stock ride quality is that much of a concern. imo the stock edc rode extremely well while being pretty dam capable.

[Richbot]

S3R suspension is pretty far from stock. He also may not be on a tame tire, super-200 tires are a different game than the PSS or PZeros these came with stock

One other thing I'll note on the 17's - The E46M guys seem to really like them and it's relatively easy to sell the to those guys used since they're not in production. I was worried about that when I bought two sets but then I dug around

[tdott]

Originally Posted by Richbot

S3R suspension is pretty far from stock.

True sorry, I forgot how different it was compare to the normal dinan suspension setup.

Perhaps moving back to a more stock setup would be better for him, getting rid of the camber plates should improve ride quality.

[Richbot]

Obviously he needs a supercharger to weigh down the frontend and settle the ride down