Wheel Spacers on an E86

[Fred Smith]

I know, I know, done before plenty of times...

On the face of it

Front - 0mm to 12mm is the range, with 10mm or 12mm being the two main options if you don't want stock.

Rear - 0mm to 20mm is the range, with 15mm or 20mm being the two main options if you don't want stock.

I am minded to go 12/15 I think, but will do some more research. Anyone want to give some thoughts on upper limits of spacer size if running 18" MV2 or 19" Veeman wheels on SE suspension (and if I lower using Eibach?)

Also, what is the best wood to use if I want to try my hand at making my own?

 

[Pondrew]

Also, what is the best wood to use if I want to try my hand at making my own?

That IS a joke, right?

 

[Usel]

Plywood

 

[Fred Smith]

Also, what is the best wood to use if I want to try my hand at making my own?

That IS a joke, right?

I'd love any opinions on the rest of my post, not least the chances of bigger spacers leading to problems given my wheels (both now and in future).

I was thinking about starting a "best stupid questions" thread in the Lounge but thought I'd just chuck one here instead.

"I know with cars that gear boxes need to have the same number of gears as the engine has cylinders, but why?"

 

[Pondrew]

"I know with cars that gear boxes need to have the same number of gears as the engine has cylinders, but why?"

Maybe change the dosage of the tablets? :?

 

[Fred Smith]

Maybe change the dosage of the tablets? :?

Nah, if I take any less I'll be dangerous, and I'm not taking more.

 

[jacobpt]

I know, I know, done before plenty of times...

On the face of it

Front - 0mm to 12mm is the range, with 10mm or 12mm being the two main options if you don't want stock.

Rear - 0mm to 20mm is the range, with 15mm or 20mm being the two main options if you don't want stock.

I am minded to go 12/15 I think, but will do some more research. Anyone want to give some thoughts on upper limits of spacer size if running 18" MV2 or 19" Veeman wheels on SE suspension (and if I lower using Eibach?)

Also, what is the best wood to use if I want to try my hand at making my own?

I’ve just installed 15mm front and 20mm rear, also running MV2s. Really happy with the fitment, pretty close to the limit thought I’d say - I’m also on slightly lowered Eibach Pro Kit springs (30-40mm lower I believe) for reference

 

[coldel]

15 and 20 is perfect for lining the wheels up against the arches, I had standard sport suspension on my E85 with MV2s though. I got no rubbing or anything like that.

I had 12 and 15 on my E86 prior to that with 108s on and it looked good, but prefer the stance of the 15 20 setup.

 

[Fred Smith]

That IS a joke, right?

You know what... maybe it isn't.

I might knock up a couple of wooden spacers purely to test sizes... I wouldn't lower the car to the ground with wooden spacers on, let alone drive it, but they might help get a sense of how they'd look and fit with my wheels.

I would never have thought of doing that without making a joke first!

 

[coldel]

But surely with the car in the air you wont get a proper view of the wheels in the arches as there will be a massive gap between the arch and where the wheel hangs. And I certainly wouldn't want to risk dropping the car 'almost' to the full weight bearing without the wheels on properly.

Let me dig out a couple of pics of my two cars with both the 12/15 and 15/20 set up....

 

[Fred Smith]

But surely with the car in the air you wont get a proper view of the wheels in the arches as there will be a massive gap between the arch and where the wheel hangs. And I certainly wouldn't want to risk dropping the car 'almost' to the full weight bearing without the wheels on properly.

Let me dig out a couple of pics of my two cars with both the 12/15 and 15/20 set up....

Very good point! (Doh!!!) I like to think that somewhere between posting on the net and actually doing it that incredibly obvious point might have occurred to me! I hope so at any rate.

I've actually been looking and I think I might go 15/20... and on ebay it looks like you can get a pack of 4 no 12/15s plus a pair of 20s for not much more than a set of 15/20s... I might just buy 6 spacers and experiment.

 

[Mr Tidy]

FWIW if you do experiment and they are hub-centric spacers if you leave them on for any length of time you'll probably find you have to be pretty brutal to get them off! Based on my car that came with spacers fitted.

I'm not really a fan of spacers, but found a different solution by accident on my previous car when I bought a set of 18" E89 wheels that have different offsets to E85/86 wheels. The fronts sat 19mm further out and the rears 10mm which was enough for me.

 

[coldel]

Stick a bit of copper grease on the inside of the spacers to make them easier to remove, they do stick but nothing a rubber mallet doesn't sort out

 

[coldel]

My E86 with 108 wheels and a 12/15 setup

Before

After

Here is 15/20 on my E85 with MV2s (closest to your set up)

The 20s on the back definitely sit better in my view, right in line with the arches.

 

[Special Kay]

I know, I know, done before plenty of times...

On the face of it

Front - 0mm to 12mm is the range, with 10mm or 12mm being the two main options if you don't want stock.

Rear - 0mm to 20mm is the range, with 15mm or 20mm being the two main options if you don't want stock.

I am minded to go 12/15 I think, but will do some more research. Anyone want to give some thoughts on upper limits of spacer size if running 18" MV2 or 19" Veeman wheels on SE suspension (and if I lower using Eibach?)

Also, what is the best wood to use if I want to try my hand at making my own?

I’ve just installed 15mm front and 20mm rear, also running MV2s. Really happy with the fitment, pretty close to the limit thought I’d say - I’m also on slightly lowered Eibach Pro Kit springs (30-40mm lower I believe) for reference

I'd have to agree, those mv2s sit perfectly. They look great

 

[damocell]

It will depend on a few factors including your camber. Lowered on Eibach springs I found 20mm all round to be perfect on wheels with the exact specs of MV2's

Untitled by Damien Bower, on Flickr

 

[Fred Smith]

Can I just double check I have something right?

MV2s are ET47 / ET50. People often use 15mm spacers all round. With 15mm all round ET47 / ET50 becomes ET32 and ET35.

Wheels for the E9* series of cars (eg 189s or MV3s) come as ET34 and ET37 as standard. A couple of mm either way is trivial, and if you own an E86 and want to try 18s to see how different the car feels compared to 19s then sticking on a set of wheels from an E9* makes perfect sense (and you also get to see the stance with 15mm spacers all round, give or take a mm or two.)

I think my wheel plan is firming up...

Try MV3s that I have lying around on my Z4. If I decide I prefer 18s then I will get tyres fitted to my MV2s and fit them to the Z4, possibly with spacers. Then I will put the MV3s on the E91 in preference to the Style 189s that are on there now.

If I decide I prefer the 19s on the Z4 then I will need to decide whether to stick the MV2s (with spacers) on the E91, or whether to put the MV3s on there instead.

The final question will be whether to sell the 189s or keep them as spares.

 

[Mr Tidy]

MV3s those sizes should work fine on your E86.

I fitted a set of Style 295 wheels from an E89 to my previous E86. They were staggered 8J x 18 ET29 fronts and 8.5J x 18 ET40 rears and didn't have any rubbing.

 

[Fred Smith]

I'm not really a fan of spacers, but found a different solution by accident on my previous car when I bought a set of 18" E89 wheels that have different offsets to E85/86 wheels. The fronts sat 19mm further out and the rears 10mm which was enough for me.

Funnily enough, being the brains of this operation, something's just occurred to me. I've been thinking about spacers for my MV2s and / or my Veemans, without remembering that the Veemans aren't standard ETs to begin with. And the MV2s I own have never been fitted.

Option one - Standard wheels (eg my refurbed MV2s) ET47 / ET50 => 12/15 spacers => ET35 / ET35. These are getting all seasons or getting sold, not 100% sure yet.

Option two - 19" Veeman ET35 / ET45 => 0/10 spacers => ET35 / ET35.

Option three - MV3s ET34 / ET37 => 0/0 (no spacers) => ET34 / ET37

My 330i came with all-seasons fitted, and a spare set of wheels with summer tyres. Those spare are MV3s, and they are currently on the Z4 whilst I do a DIY touch up refurb on the Veemans. Stance looks pretty good, but I'd have 'em out a touch more if I could without rubbing. The MV3s are going to get a pro refurb and go on the 330i for the summer.

Now I need to buy a pair of 10 mm spacers for the rear Veemans. Edit - or use 12mm in their place. Or even 15mm. Both of which I have already.

Stick a bit of copper grease on the inside of the spacers to make them easier to remove, they do stick but nothing a rubber mallet doesn't sort out

Noted. Thanks

I’ve just installed 15mm front and 20mm rear, also running MV2s. Really happy with the fitment, pretty close to the limit thought I’d say - I’m also on slightly lowered Eibach Pro Kit springs (30-40mm lower I believe) for reference

Eibachs are on my list of future upgrades too.