My z4
- Thread starter Marius
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Bradders75
Senior member
sars said:Are you all blind, that's just a lot to low on the rear and with the camber it looks something from pimp my ride, sorry
Looks spot on to me Grandma.
Bradders75 said:sars said:Are you all blind, that's just a lot to low on the rear and with the camber it looks something from pimp my ride, sorry
Looks spot on to me Grandma.
No I think Bing's looks spot on, just the right amount of lowering, however if Chris Bangle had wanted it to look like the OP's then......
Bradders75
Senior member
sars said:Bradders75 said:sars said:Are you all blind, that's just a lot to low on the rear and with the camber it looks something from pimp my ride, sorry
Looks spot on to me Grandma.
No I think Bing's looks spot on, just the right amount of lowering, however if Chris Bangle had wanted it to look like the OP's then......
Why do so many design concept drawings of sports cars have large wheels, ultra low profile tyres and next to no arch gap? Because it's very pleasing to the eye. However, is it wise (or even possible) to engineer such a stance into a mass market production car? Of course not but at least consumers have the choice if they can put up with the compromise.
Look at most sketches and artists impressions of cars, you will also notice that the centres of the arch and wheel are concentric. This is probably the crunch for me, as the car is lowered my eyes tell my brain to scream because it looks wrong, I spend my life placing concentric tolerances on the things I design because they don't work without them.
Bradders75
Senior member
I guess that could be why (so far) you're the only dissenting voice on the discussion.
Bradders75 said:
Looking back, I am going to dissent, just a little... Looks are looks and individual to everyone, so if the OP is happy then that's fine with me. However I am personally not keen on the rear camber - it looks cosmetic rather than engineered, if that makes sense. I don't know, but it doesn't look like the alignment is mechanically optimal - which would bother me personally, however it's an individual choice.
But.
I have spacers 5mm smaller front and back, and Eibach springs that have dropped the car about 15mm over and above the drop that is standard with Sport springs, so less than the OP. On a perfectly level surface I can just about get my hand in flat (parallel to the ground) between the top of the arch and the top of the tyres, though there is slightly more of a drop on the front. On any surface that is not perfectly level I cannot get my hand in easily, on whichever side is sitting lower. I have rubbing on the rear of the drivers side rear arch liner, the front of the passenger side arch liner, and I have actually worn through the arch liner on the front of the driver side as a result of our hoon last weekend. Driving normally this will still happen but not be pronounced - driven the way the car should be driven, even just cornering causes a rub occassionally, never mind on less than perfect road surfaces. I would be concerned that with the OPs set up that I'd very quickly destroy the arch liners, and perhaps damage the tyres too, when I drive the car the way I like to. So mine suits me, but I understand the attractiveness of the lowered/spaced look
Be interested to hear how the OP gets on with this set up.
And thanks sars
Bradders75
Senior member
Bing said:Bradders75 said:
Looking back, I am going to dissent, just a little... Looks are looks and individual to everyone, so if the OP is happy then that's fine with me. However I am personally not keen on the rear camber - it looks cosmetic rather than engineered, if that makes sense. I don't know, but it doesn't look like the alignment is mechanically optimal - which would bother me personally, however it's an individual choice.
But.
I have spacers 5mm smaller front and back, and Eibach springs that have dropped the car about 15mm over and above the drop that is standard with Sport springs, so less than the OP. On a perfectly level surface I can just about get my hand in flat (parallel to the ground) between the top of the arch and the top of the tyres, though there is slightly more of a drop on the front. On any surface that is not perfectly level I cannot get my hand in easily, on whichever side is sitting lower. I have rubbing on the rear of the drivers side rear arch liner, the front of the passenger side arch liner, and I have actually worn through the arch liner on the front of the driver side as a result of our hoon last weekend. Driving normally this will still happen but not be pronounced - driven the way the car should be driven, even just cornering causes a rub occassionally, never mind on less than perfect road surfaces. I would be concerned that with the OPs set up that I'd very quickly destroy the arch liners, and perhaps damage the tyres too, when I drive the car the way I like to. So mine suits me, but I understand the attractiveness of the lowered/spaced look
Be interested to hear how the OP gets on with this set up.
And thanks sars
My eyes must be painted on because the camber barely registers with me on the OP's car. Mine is OEM and has what looks like a similar amount following a Hunter alignment. I do remember telling a11y at a meet that the camber on his lowered Zed on Eibachs looked excessive though!
As for drivability, I don't doubt it'll rub but I was only giving my opinion on the looks. My OEM set up scrapes the front bumper so I sure as hell won't ever be lowering mine - even on Eibachs! Doesn't stop me admiring though. 8)
Could just be the angle, but in this shot the camber on the rear looks huge :
As for rubbing, strangely I got none on the standard set-up until I fitted spacers, and then only on the front. I am currently thinking about replacing the 15mm front ones on currently with 10mm, though my Indy tells me this will actually increase the rubbing on full lock inside the arch itself.
Scraping the front bumper... I go veeeery slooooow over speed humps and lumpy side roads with big pot holes. Still get caught occassionally
As for rubbing, strangely I got none on the standard set-up until I fitted spacers, and then only on the front. I am currently thinking about replacing the 15mm front ones on currently with 10mm, though my Indy tells me this will actually increase the rubbing on full lock inside the arch itself.
Scraping the front bumper... I go veeeery slooooow over speed humps and lumpy side roads with big pot holes. Still get caught occassionally
aquazi said:
This confuses me (though I am pleased for you
) - I really want to see your car and figure out why mine is rubbing and yours isn't :?Though you have added 10mm to the track and I have added 15mm so perhaps changing my spacers is the way to go.
Bradders75
Senior member
aquazi said:
That's two of us with crooked eyes then. :wink:
Bing said:Could just be the angle, but in this shot the camber on the rear looks huge :
There it does look extreme
but here it looks fine to me :?
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/10492_342583322497394_1686809107_n.jpg
Bing said:aquazi said:
This confuses me (though I am pleased for you
Though you have added 10mm to the track and I have added 15mm so perhaps changing my spacers is the way to go.
Richard G has the same wheels as mine with the same profile tyres, but with a 35 offset vs my 40 - so protrude out more, and he said he only gets very slight rubbing, on fast unever roads.
Also the strange thing is you have falkens which have a curved sidewall so i would have thought they are less likely to rub then the more squared vred sidewalls.
Bing said:I don't have Falkens - got Michelin Pilot Sport 3 on. Not sure how square they are vs the Vreds. Anyway, living with it for now. More important I get my roof fixed !
Ahh that may explain it then, side on the pilot sport offer more rim protection then the vreds.... are are a bit more square.
Maybe after 20K miles and the fronts wear down to under 5mm you will be ok
i REALLLLLY like this!! 
I have the same wheels and have had spacers on for a Year now (20mm at the rear and 12mm at the front).
The car is already really low but seeing these images makes me also want to reduce the gap above the tires.
Question is though..... is mine already lower? For example, its registered as a 2.0i Sport but the BMW paperwork says 2.0i M-Sport.
Would (For example) PI springs that lower 30MM only reduce 'my' cars ride highs by 15-20mm as i have read here / heard the Sport is lower. Do i have to allow for this as i would rather lower the car a fraction rather then alot (ideally just 20mm)
I have the same wheels and have had spacers on for a Year now (20mm at the rear and 12mm at the front).
The car is already really low but seeing these images makes me also want to reduce the gap above the tires.
Question is though..... is mine already lower? For example, its registered as a 2.0i Sport but the BMW paperwork says 2.0i M-Sport.
Would (For example) PI springs that lower 30MM only reduce 'my' cars ride highs by 15-20mm as i have read here / heard the Sport is lower. Do i have to allow for this as i would rather lower the car a fraction rather then alot (ideally just 20mm)
aquazi said:Bing said:I don't have Falkens - got Michelin Pilot Sport 3 on. Not sure how square they are vs the Vreds. Anyway, living with it for now. More important I get my roof fixed !
Ahh that may explain it then, side on the pilot sport offer more rim protection then the vreds.... are are a bit more square.
Maybe after 20K miles and the fronts wear down to under 5mm you will be ok
Or the front bumper will fall off and I'll have no worries
@ESP - mine is a 3.0Si sport, not sure if the springs are the same, but I *think* the Sport is already 15mm lower. You will be looking at a further 15mm drop on standard Eibachs. Like mine :
From this -
To this -
Sorry, no sun on the second day, and crap angles
ben g said:that looks absolutely amazing
i take it those are the bargain fk springs?
i've never really liked those wheels but on your's, they suit the car perfectly.
i'd love to go 20mm front 25mm rear spacers, but i'm scared it would rub too much
Absolutely no rubbing in the front and i've got only slight rubbing in the back, the problem is that 255/40 tyre are to wide for 8.5'' wheel, will leave as it is for now, because i'm looking for new wheels anyway