My 06 bmw 330i came with some used snow tires, but they're not mounted. The trouble is, they're a staggered setup. The OEM wheels are 18x8et34 front, 18x8.5et37 rear, wearing 225 width tires in the front and 255's in the back. I can get Drag wheels from discount tire that are 18x8, with offsets of 20 or 40 - I guess I'd pick 40 - but not 18x8.5 in any kind of matching style. Can 255's fit on 18x8's? Will they drive differently, in a noticeable way? Plan B, for about $100 more, is to pick up some refurbished OEM wheels from rockauto.
Ian F
MegaDork
10/29/19 7:10 a.m.
Random thoughts...
According to TireRack, a 330i with a sport package can down size to 17" wheels. In my experience, snow/slush driving often means hitting hidden potholes. I like to have as much tire side wall as I can get.
Unless you have a buddy willing to mount and balance tires for a 6-pack, be sure to add that service into your cost-benefit analysis.
Do you live somewhere that actually gets significant snow? Often used snow tires can "look" good, but be worn past the point where they are effective snow tires.
Sometimes it's not much more money (and a lot easier) to just buy a new tire/wheel package from Tire Rack and sell off those snow tires for whatever you can get for them.
