Jan 15th 2024
E9x BMW 3-Series Wheel Fitment Guide (E90 E91 E92 E93)
When choosing wheels for your 05-13 BMW 3-Series, just because something works doesn’t mean it ‘works’. In other words, just because it fits, doesn’t mean it looks right. BMW made four body styles during this gen, a sedan (E90), a wagon (E91), a coupe (E92) and a convertible (E93). All of these share nearly identical fender arches, wheel wells and basic fitment requirements - meaning wheels that fit a sedan will also fit a coupe, convertible, etc. But…the overall dimensions and body lines are a little different, meaning the same set of wheels may not look as good on each body style.
Each car needs special attention to get it looking right, especially when selecting the rim diameter. 18-inch wheels are the most common. We’ll take a look at some of these, but also other sizes so you can get inspired for your own build. First, here are some basic specs that are the same across the E9x platform.
Quick links
Basic fitment info
- Lug pattern: 5X120mm
- Bolt thread: M12x1.5
- Center bore: 72.6mm
- Lug torque: 88 ft/lbs
All models of 05-13 BMW 3-Series use a bolt pattern of 5x120mm . Typically, wheel diameters range from 17-20 inches. We’ve seen larger diameters (19 & 20”) used mostly on wagons and sedans, but there are outliers (see E93 examples below). Normal rim widths range from 8 to 9.5 in the front and 8 to 10.5 in the rear, and the best offsets are between +20 and +45.
Hold on, XDrive and LCI owners read this!
Ok, so not all wheels will work on all models. Vehicles equipped with XDrive, for example, need special attention before you mount just anything. In order to not blow out your transfer case, the rolling diameter of the wheels needs to be the same front to rear . Rolling diameter is the overall diameter of your wheel, rim & tire. This means that a staggered setup is fine, as long as the overall diameter is within a tight tolerance front/rear. This applies to all vehicles except the E93 convertible, where XDrive wasn’t an option.
The prescribed wisdom is that a max difference of 2% rolling diameter should be used front-to-rear . An easy way to calculate this is with this simple tool.
LCI sedan and wagon owners, your vehicles are also slightly different - but not by too much. The rear track width is +8mm, meaning you have slightly less tire-to-fender clearance. All vehicles we’ll cover in this post are non-LCI. To adjust for the track width, simply add +8 to the offset of the examples below. Easy enough.
E90 (Sedan)
The sedan version of the E9x has the same wheelbase and trackwidth as the others, however, it’s slightly shorter and wider than the coupe or the vert. In addition, at 55.9”, it’s about 2” taller than the coupe/vert. The effect is a preference for 18 or 19” wheels for this body style. Let’s look at both.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | Aodhan AH-X 18x9.5 +35 | Aodhan AH-X 18x9.5 +35 |
| Tires | 255/35R18 | 255/35R18 |
| Notes | Front spacer for strut clearance. No rubbing. | |
Here is an example of a nice 335i sedan on 18-inch Aodhan AH-X flow formed wheels. The specs are 18x9.5 +35 offset all around - a squared setup. Depending on the type of suspension, a small wheel spacer could be required to clear the front strut. At this ride height, no modification is necessary to the fender, even with a meaty 255/35 tire.
Really, 18s look good on every 3-Series of this generation. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if we said that 18-inch is the most common diameter of aftermarket wheels for the E9x chassis.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | Forgestar F14 19x10 +20 | Forgestar F14 19x11 +35 |
| Tires | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 265/35R19 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 295/35R19 |
| Notes | Rolled fenders | |
Now for 19-inch. This M3 is rocking a staggered set of Deep Concave Forgestar F14 wheels, 19x10 +20 front and 19x11 +35 rear . This setup is obviously much more aggressive than the previous. Rolling and pulling of the fenders was required to fit 265/35 and 305/35 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
E91 (Sports Wagon)
Also called the ‘Touring’ in European markets, the wagon is wide and tall, a lot like the E90. Because of this, you’ll see similar sized wheels to the E90. 18 and 19-inch diameter wheels are common, but some owners don’t shy away from 20s for the Touring body style. Here are some examples of 18 and 19s, again, but this time with different aesthetics.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | BBS LM 19x8.5 +30 | BBS LM 19x9.5 +30 |
| Tires | Pirelli PZero A/S Plus 3 235/35R19 | Pirelli PZero PZ4 265/35R19 |
| Notes | Coilovers | |
For those who like a more tucked look, this is for you. This 325xi is low, but not overly aggressive. Its BBS LM wheels measure 19x8.5 +30 in the front and 19x9.5 +30 in the rear, with 235/35 and 265/30 tires front and rear. The owner reports that the wheels clear with minimal rolling of the fenders, however, exhaust-to-ground clearance is another story.
Choosing a German wheel for a German car (or anything 5x120mm) means there are plenty of options available in the correct bolt pattern.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | SSR SP3 18x10 +11 | SSR SP3 18x10 +6 |
| Tires | Kumho KMH Crugen Hp71 225/40R18 | Kumho KMH Crugen Hp71 225/40R18 |
| Notes | Coilovers. No rubbing. Slight poke. | |
Not a fan of tucked wheels? Here is something a bit more flush. At 18x10J, this 335d doesn’t have the widest wheels on this list (that goes to the M3 above), but the low offsets make them the most aggressive. Front: 18x10 +11, rear: 18x10 +6, 225/40r18 Kumho KMH Crugen HP71 tires all around. To make this fit without destroying the fenders, a good amount of rolling and pulling was necessary. Combined with aggressively-sprung coilovers and enough negative camber, there is minimal scrubbing of the fenders. But keep in mind, this kind of fitment is a balancing act.
SSR Professor SP3 wheels are discontinued, but we occasionally have a set in our stock of vintage wheels. Re-drilling to custom bolt patterns is also available!
This Gorgeous 335d comes from our vehicle fitment gallery, a great place to get even more inspiration! Feel free to add your own ride!
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| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | Volk Racing TE37SL 18x9.5 +22 | Volk Racing TE37SL 18x10.5 +34 |
| Tires | Toyo Proxes R888R 265/35R18 | Toyo Proxes R888R 295/30R18 |
| Notes | Coilovers | |
No wheel list is complete without a set of Volk Racing TE37s, or two. Naturally, they look amazing on a 328i. This car has a lot going on, for starters, it has an S65 v8 swap out of an M3. But the mods don’t stop there - it has E90 M3 body panels to make it a full ‘M’ conversion. The M3 body panels allow it to fit 18x9.5 +22 front and 18x10.5 +34 rear TE37SL wheels. It is dropped on KW V3 coilovers, and required some rolling and pulling of the fenders to fit massive 265/35 and 295/35 Toyo R888R tires - but they are much needed with the extra power.
E92 (Coupe)
At first glance, the coupe might appear overall smaller than other body styles, but that’s not the case. Along with the convertible, both are overall about 3.5” longer than the sedan or wagon. There are some obvious differences. The doors are longer and also frameless. The coupe and vert share unique headlights and taillights. Altogether the body lines and panels are a bit different. So, what wheels look good on a coupe?
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | BBS CH-R 19x8.5 +35 | BBS CH-R 19x10 +20 |
| Tires | 235/40R19 | 275/35R19 |
| Notes | KW V1 coilovers. Rear fenders rolled | |
BBS CH-R work well on the E46 M3, but also the E92. In fact, this 335i is using E46 specs - 19x8.5 +35 with 235/40 tires in the front and 19x10 +20 275/35 tires in the rear. The rear fenders are rolled to fit the wide 275 tires. While the car is fairly low, it's not maxing out its KW V1 coilovers. On staggered 19-inch wheels this E92 has a great mix of looks and driveability.
There is also a 2-piece version of the CH-R, the CH-R II, if you prefer multi-piece wheels. Between the two, there are countless options for finishes, sizes and specs.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | Volk Racing Te37 Saga SL 18x8.5 +23 | Volk Racing Te37 Saga SL 18x8.5 +23 |
| Tires | 245/35R18 | 255/35R18 |
| Notes | Lowering springs. No rubbing | |
TE37s again, but squared… So we looked at a wagon stanced out on some staggered TEs - here is a squared setup of TE37 SAGAs on a coupe. No spacers. No fancy body work. Just a simple and clean setup - 18x8.5 +23, tires are 245/35 front and 255/35 rear .
TE37 SAGA wheels are heavier than the SL version, but only marginally. Both are still very lightweight, track-performing wheels. Plus, they look good on basically anything that rolls.
E93 (Convertible)
Other than the roof and trunk lines, the E93 convertible isn’t too much different than the coupe. The CH-R and TE37 options from above will also apply here (as they do in pretty much any application). Rather than show more of the same, we’ll suggest some more budget-friendly options here. Of course, these are perfectly usable on a coupe as well.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | Avant Garde M364 19x8.5 +35 | Avant Garde M364 19x9.5 +33 |
| Tires | 225/35R19 | 255/35R19 |
| Notes | Slight fender rolling in the front. | |
19-inch Avant Garde wheels start about $350 per wheel , quite a bit less than something such as a BBS or Volk. This E93 is fitted with a staggered set of Avant Garde M364. The front is 19x8.5 +35 with 225/35 tires , while the rear is 19x9.5 +33 with a 255/35. At this ride height there is no rubbing, only a slight fender roll is needed in the front.
This model of Avant Garde, the M364, is no longer produced. However new models, such as the M610, offer a similar look and dimensions.
| Fitment Facts | ||
| Front | Rear | |
| Wheels | Rotiform LAS-R 20x10 +40 | Rotiform LAS-R 20x10 +40 |
| Tires | 295/30R20 | 295/30R20 |
| Notes | M3. minimal fender rolling. No rubbing | |
Do 20-inch wheels fit the E9x chassis? Yes, here is an example of how they fit a E93 M3 with 20-inch Rotiform LAS-R rims. Starting at $257 a wheel (20” Rotiform 1pc), these are also the most budget friendly option on our list. The exact specs of the wheels are: 20x10 +40 with 295/30 tires. Having a fairly modest offset allows these 295 tires to clear with minimal rolling of the fenders. Different setups, such as non-M cars may require a combination of extra camber, smaller tires and or more fender work.
But yes, 20s do fit. Rotiforms are a budget-friendly option for whatever diameter you prefer - options are available from 17” and up.
Wrap up
Technically, fitment across the E9x platform is fairly consistent, however just because a wheel will bolt-on, doesn’t mean it is the best-looking option. Different diameters are preferred on different chassis. If you want to go something tried-and-true, get some 18s. If you want something a bit more unique, wheels up to 20” will work. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference.