New set of 108s ... help please!

[davidpfitz]

Hi folks - a little help would be much appreciated!

I'm being offered a set of new 108 alloys. I have them already on my Z4, but they're totally corroded and I'm being offered a good price on a mint set - £350. I think that's good, anyway.

However, the guy says they're all 8.5J size - but unless I'm mistaken, don't I need 8.0J on the front as they're a 225/40/R18 tyre, whereas the rears are 255/35R18?

Has he somehow ended up with 4 rear alloys?

I actually prefer the 107 style - but can't find them at a reasonable price anywhere :-(

Thanks,
David.

 

[a11y]

Correct, they should be 18x8.0 on the front and 18x8.5 on the rear.

I do believe a 225 tyre should still fit on a 8.5 width rim though, so it might still be OK. You'll have to look at an online offset calculator though to see what difference that'd make fitting 8.5s on the front. I wouldn't want 255s on the front though, knacker the balance of the car!

 

[a11y]

Just checked:

http://www.1010tires.com/WheelOffsetCalculator.asp

8.5J wheels will have 9mm less inner clearance and extend on the outside by an extra 3mm. Hopefully someone can interpret that and say if there's enough clearance but I'm not sure on that

 

[Rudd]

that is cheap...very cheap, if they are infact mint condition.

i would buy them, sell 2 and with the money get your existing fronts refurbed :wink:

 

[lacroupade]

I'd get him to check the numbering or measure the wheels...half a centimetre isn't much to miss on a visual inspection, you need to stand them side by side....

 

[Rudd]

it has it written on the inside of the spokes

 

[davidpfitz]

that is cheap...very cheap, if they are infact mint condition.

i would buy them, sell 2 and with the money get your existing fronts refurbed :wink:

They're just newly refurbed - so look great. Absolutely perfect - they've not been in a car since the refurb. I will ask him to take a look inside the spoke to double-check the size.

Good idea about selling 2, and using the proceeds to refurb mine! Any takers for 2x wheels at £175

Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated.

d.

 

[davidpfitz]

He's checked ... They're definitely all 8.5J.

I'll have to do a bit of research to see if I could use them on the front. But it can't be a good idea, can it?

D.

 

[cj10jeeper]

I can categorically tell you that if you fit an 8.5J rim on the front it will foul on the shock upright. My tyre fitter got them mixed up and did just that. It damaged the inner edge and he had to provide me a new rim FOC. That's 3.0 on standard ///M sport suspension.

What I would say is double check what size they actually are as once dismantled to refurbish it's easy to mix up the identical stars and have a mixed set, etc. I know - I've seen it

Caveat emptor - only cheap if they fit....

 

[AlanJ]

Hi folks - a little help would be much appreciated!

I'm being offered a set of new 108 alloys. I have them already on my Z4, but they're totally corroded and I'm being offered a good price on a mint set - £350. I think that's good, anyway.

However, the guy says they're all 8.5J size - but unless I'm mistaken, don't I need 8.0J on the front as they're a 225/40/R18 tyre, whereas the rears are 255/35R18?

Has he somehow ended up with 4 rear alloys?

I actually prefer the 107 style - but can't find them at a reasonable price anywhere :-(

Thanks,
David.

Like all things that dont sount right or a just to good to be true (not always) WALK AWAY and save your money. Alternatively just ask the seller how he/she has ended up with 4 8.5s... easy!

 

[cj10jeeper]

He's ended up with 4 8.5's as they are more common. It's the fronts that get wrecked.

I have 2 rears as spares in my garage as it happens. Pair of fronts for a set

 

[lacroupade]

I can categorically tell you that if you fit an 8.5J rim on the front it will foul on the shock upright. My tyre fitter got them mixed up and did just that. It damaged the inner edge and he had to provide me a new rim FOC. That's 3.0 on standard ///M sport suspension.

What I would say is double check what size they actually are as once dismantled to refurbish it's easy to mix up the identical stars and have a mixed set, etc. I know - I've seen it

Caveat emptor - only cheap if they fit....

Ah I realise what Rudd was saying now - so the wheel width is stamped on the stars not the rim?

In that case David, its possible as CJ says that someone has refurbed a job lot of these and either your man has ended up with four x 8.5js from that source (instead of two of each size), or its always possible that the stars from an 8.5J could have been fitted to an 8.0J in a couple of cases....? So the tape measure across the width on every wheel would be the final confirmation (explain the problem to him and he shouldn't baulk if he's kosher).