Changing my car’s wheels

[Socrates]

Hi

I have a 1997 528i and the wheels on this car are P225/60R15. I would like to change them with P225/60R16. My friend advised me against that and he claims that it will harm the engine somehow! Please let me know if this is right or not?

Thanks

[Presley348]

Originally Posted by Socrates

Hi

I have a 1997 528i and the wheels on this car are P225/60R15. I would like to change them with P225/60R16. My friend advised me against that and he claims that it will harm the engine somehow! Please let me know if this is right or not?

Thanks

================================================== ===========
Hi Socrates:

I do not see how running the 16 inch wheel on your 97 BMW 528i can harm your Bimmers engine.

What I would be more concerned about will the extra inch clear your fender like your 15 inch wheel did, or will the 16 inch rub into your fender well when hit a bump in the road and also check turning radius for your steering clearance, and I would want to know will the added size change the speedometer calibration?

If I was you by all means I would keep looking for other member comments on this problem, but also check with you local BMW dealer service Manager and take his advice.

I wish you the best in finding the right answer.

Sincerely,

Presley348

[91HO305TPI]

by going up in tire size will not hurt your engine your speedo will be off and as long as all four tires are the same size they shouldnd hurnt anything tire clearance should be fine im suppriesd that your car has 15 in wheels stock anyways it should have 16 stock

[csieminski]

Socrates;

do you have the Premium Package (leather and wood, sunroof, etc.) on your car? If so, it should have 10-cross-spoke wheels that I believe are 16 in. in diameter (95%+ of all 528i's I see have this package and are so equipped). If you have a base 528i, and I'm assuming you do, your wheels should be of a 12-spoke polished alloy variety and are definitely 15 in. diameter.

528i Premiums and base 540i automatics have 16-inch wheels, and 17-inchers come standard with the respective Sport packages.

Therefore, I can't see any way that wheels up to 17 inches in diameter wouldn't simply bolt right on. You might even be able to make 18's work without problem, but I'd start getting concerned here (although the M5 has 18's).

No way is any wheel diameter going to hurt your engine (as already stated), but larger diameters that 16 inches are going to make the ride a bit harsher--that's the only problem I see.

[Socrates]

Hi,
Yes I do have the Premium Package, this is my wheels




And this is what I want to have





What do you mean by making the ride harsher?

thanks a million

[csieminski]

That's interesting. I was under the impression (based on my 1998 5-Series brochure) that the wheels you have are not associated with the Premium package. Either the brochure doesn't reflect what actually ocurred in the market, or 1997 was different. I see those 12-spoke wheels on a very small number of 5-Series (maybe it's a regional thing too). Anyway, you're right, they are 15 inches.

The wheels you want to get are definitely 17 inches (not 16) and from the 528i Sport package. They will look FANTASTIC on your car, and should have no problem whatsoever bolting right on. I also doubt they will affect your speedometer, because, first, they are designed for your generation 5-Series and second, as long as the OVERALL diameter of the wheel/tire is not affected, neither is the speedometer. (Larger diameter wheel/tire will read a slightly slower speed because it'll turn fewer revolutions per given distance than a smaller one.)

The ride will be a little bit harsher because the tires are lower profile--there is not as much sidewall to absorb impacts. Even so, the tire was deemed acceptable by BMW for sale on new cars, so I'm sure it'll still be comfortable. Of course, your handling will improve dramatically.

By the way, I'm curious where you're getting the wheels, because that style would be my first choice on my car as well (currently have 15's).

[Socrates]

Hi,
Thank you for your reply, and I’m happy to know that such wonderful wheels will fit in my car without any problems. I gut the wheels from a friend who had them for some time and he wants to get the new ones:





Thanks again.

[hurley9192]

I have the 97 528 as well and had some issues with my wheels. I had the 15 inch rims originally as well and went from 225/60/15 to 225/55/16 and it was practically the same. I have the premium 528 as well and it came with the 15 inch rims, but they weren't like the ones you have...they were similar to the sport rims, but without the deep dish effect.