New i3s (with pics) now what winter wheels/tires?

[rougeetnoir]

Could anyone clarify this statement about winter snow tire packages
"[Option #2]: ~$1.5k from Tiretrack mounted and shipped: RIAL X10-I wheels (19x5 Finish: Black Painted Offset: 43mm, TPMS Kit) and BRIDGESTONE BLIZZAK LM-500 tires. But you'll also need a 10mm spacer in the front and a 15mm spacer in the rear from ECS here, which seem to add ~$150?"

I just got off the phone with TireRack and they assure me that the wheel set--the only one they sell--of Riall wheels with the Blizzaks will be OK as to inner and outer clearance without any spacers. Logically this would seem likely since the Blizzaks are basically front tire width used at the rear of the car where there is space for a much wider tire.

Does anyone have the evidence for this concern about the TireRack set which I now have? I don't want to put them on in December and discover there is trouble. So can anyone speak from personal experience with an i3S about the incorrect offset and need for spacers with the Tirerack package? Thanks very much for your help.

 

[SSi3]

Could anyone clarify this statement about winter snow tire packages
"[Option #2]: ~$1.5k from Tiretrack mounted and shipped: RIAL X10-I wheels (19x5 Finish: Black Painted Offset: 43mm, TPMS Kit) and BRIDGESTONE BLIZZAK LM-500 tires. But you'll also need a 10mm spacer in the front and a 15mm spacer in the rear from ECS here, which seem to add ~$150?"

I just got off the phone with TireRack and they assure me that the wheel set--the only one they sell--of Riall wheels with the Blizzaks will be OK as to inner and outer clearance without any spacers. Logically this would seem likely since the Blizzaks are basically front tire width used at the rear of the car where there is space for a much wider tire.

Does anyone have the evidence for this concern about the TireRack set which I now have? I don't want to put them on in December and discover there is trouble. So can anyone speak from personal experience with an i3S about the incorrect offset and need for spacers with the Tirerack package? Thanks very much for your help.

There is no need for spacers on an i3s to run the 19x5 wheels at all 4 corners. I have a 2019 i3s and previously had a 2015 Rex, i just carried on using the same Style 427 (pizza) wheels and 155 Blizzaks when I got the 2019 car. The only reason people suggest spacers is to push the 19x5 wheels out to line up nicer with the flares on the s. In my opinion its better to have the winters tucked into the wheel wells, keeps all the road crud off the sides of the car.

I'll try adding pics of my car, if they don't show up, OneDrive doesn't like sharing into forums for some reason...

 

[Spamouflage]

I’ve pretty much already decided to buy the BMW winter wheel and tire kit in the fall. I had no idea (my bad - should have researched more) that tires would be such a to-do.

 

[CanisLupus]

The different suspension specs call for the different offset of the wheels . The engineering sets the pivot point of the front wheels in the center of the contact tread (described as scrub radius) . Using the correct offset wheels is the only recommended setup .

 

[alohart]

The different suspension specs call for the different offset of the wheels . The engineering sets the pivot point of the front wheels in the center of the contact tread (described as scrub radius) . Using the correct offset wheels is the only recommended setup .

While I agree with this, it seems that BMW might not. I've read that the suspension geometries for the i3 and i3S are identical yet the wheel offsets aren't. The i3S wheels would be like i3 wheels with wheel spacers to push the wheels and tires more to the outside increasing the track. This would change the scrub radius, yet apparently this is OK with BMW.

 

[OregonI3S]

Apologies for reviving an old thread. First time EV owner with a ‘18 i3s. Temps in the Pacific Northwest have dropped to the 20’s and 30’s F this week and not allowing me to drive on the stock 20 inch summer tires.

Can someone clarify which BMW wheel/tire set is compatible with the ‘s’ trim. I realize it will be a 19 inch set but unsure about which part number is correct:

BMW site says these fit 2019 i3s but not a 2018 i3s which is odd since I’m not aware of any changes between the two years: 36110047999

These apparently don’t fit any i3 or i3s but I think some forum members suggest these for the i3s: 36112455050

What’s the difference other than price? Thanks for the help in sorting this out!

 

[johnheddy]

I just ordered the Blizzak LM500 snow tires from tire rack to have them installed on my 2017 i3 REX. They called me back after the order was placed and said they would not fit my rear factory wheels which now have 175 60R19 tires. But it seems like what I am reading here says they will fit just fine, I just need to make sure the rear wheels don't go on the front of the car or they will rub, due to the offset difference. Is that right, or do I need to call them back and order new wheels for rear? It sounds like a scam to get another $422 out of me. I would consider getting the wheel/tire package if my existing tires were in good shape, but they are NOT. The alignment must have been off when I bought the car used in July. The outside is down to the belts on the front, but inside looks ok. I need to get new tires mounted and an alignment.

 

[OregonI3S]

I just ordered the Blizzak LM500 snow tires from tire rack to have them installed on my 2017 i3 REX. They called me back after the order was placed and said they would not fit my rear factory wheels which now have 175 60R19 tires. But it seems like what I am reading here says they will fit just fine, I just need to make sure the rear wheels don't go on the front of the car or they will rub, due to the offset difference. Is that right, or do I need to call them back and order new wheels for rear? It sounds like a scam to get another $422 out of me. I would consider getting the wheel/tire package if my existing tires were in good shape, but they are NOT. The alignment must have been off when I bought the car used in July. The outside is down to the belts on the front, but inside looks ok. I need to get new tires mounted and an alignment.

Check out this thread: https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17393

Sounds like the Tire Rack folks confirmed it would work without spacers.

 

[johnheddy]

Ok, so no spacers needed, but they claimed the LM500 would not fit the 19x5.5 stock rear rims, only the 19x5 stock front rim... so I needed to buy at least two of their $211 19x5 rims to mount the rear LM500s, plus two TPMS units.

 

[OregonI3S]

Ended up going with the black rial x10-I and blizzard lm500 set for the i3s.

After speaking with a few bmw parts centers it sounds like the winter wheel and tire combo are all sold out until this fall. One rep said they made 20% of the typical annual volume due to supply chain shortages.

At the end of the day, saved a few hundred bucks going non OEM but should still work and look great!

 

[OregonI3S]

Ok, so no spacers needed, but they claimed the LM500 would not fit the 19x5.5 stock rear rims, only the 19x5 stock front rim... so I needed to buy at least two of their $211 19x5 rims to mount the rear LM500s, plus two TPMS units.

I would advise getting a second set of wheels vs mounting tires on the same set of wheels. From what I gather you can only do that so many times.

 

[Bluei3s]

I just stumbled upon this thread again without realizing it was the one I started! In case you're still looking, I found my original order of winter wheels/tires for my 2018 i3s from my local BMW dealer. I've been using them since winter of 2018 and they're still working great. Below is the part number. If you have any questions about them let me know, but there were no spacers or changes necessary and I swap them on and off myself every year with no fuss at all.


3611245505036112455050

 

[kd7iwp]

I wanted to avoid spacers so I finally went with the BMW wheels/tires. They actually ended up being cheaper than all the aftermarket options, and they're also lighter weight. I think this is the best option if you want to get winter tires on your i3s. Just be prepared to wait, it took over 2 months to get mine, and I know there were about 100 other people in the US in the same situation.

In case anyone's wondering, they are 19" wheels that are the same size all around, however they are directional so just be careful about mounting. Mounting is also supposed to be done at 101ft lb of torque according to the manual.

To confirm, these are 155's at all 4 corners? That just seems so narrow for the rear of an i3s... I'm looking at buying a 2019 i3s rex this week and want to see if the dealer will give me a deal on the OEM winter wheels, that's just so narrow.

 

[alohart]

To confirm, these are 155's at all 4 corners? That just seems so narrow for the rear of an i3s... I'm looking at buying a 2019 i3s rex this week and want to see if the dealer will give me a deal on the OEM winter wheels, that's just so narrow.

155 mm all around has been the BMW-approved winter tire size for all i3's. Yes, it's narrow in the rear, but narrow can be better in some winter driving conditions.