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[baron]

I just got a 335i sedan and when my wife drove it, the steering was too heavy for her since she has tendonities in her wrists. I should've ordered active steering but it's too late now.

1) I heard that changing to lighter wheels/tires may help lighten the steering. Does anyone have similar experience, and if lighter wheels will help lighting the steering weight significantly?

2) I have the 18" wheels for the sport package (ZSP). How much will I fetch if I sell both the wheels and tires? They are still very new (<100miles now).

3) How much do the stock wheels and tires weigh?

4) Which 18" wheels are signficantly ligther and still are still reasonably priced and matches the style of the sedan? I don't want to spend like $4k on a set of wheels.


Thanks in advance.

Baron

[ironic]

hmm, i'd think if anything thinner wheels and tires would be the best, less friction? but that's just conjecture. I would think contact area has more of an effect than wheel weight though.

[HRC]

Lighter rims allow the suspension and steering to perform better. You will notice a slightly "lighter" steering feel with very light rims.

Danny

[bavarian19]

you will get marginally lighter steering with extremely lightweight wheels. THe problem is that these wheels tend to be rediculously expensive.

IMO, your not going to find a cheap, lightweight wheel (atleast one that is durable), and you wont notice much of a change in steering feel. Your wife will probably get used to the heavier steering feel that most BMW's have...

[sdiver68]

I would say that my lightweight BBS forged RG-R's made a huge difference in steering feel. Defintely went from heavy to medium.

Perhaps active steer would help even more?

[baron]

How about the OZ superlegera or ultralegera wheels? They are also quite light like 19lbs each and quite cheap. Are they of decent quality and a match for the 335?

Thanks,
Baron

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by baron

How about the OZ superlegera or ultralegera wheels? They are also quite light like 19lbs each and quite cheap. Are they of decent quality and a match for the 335?

Thanks,
Baron

There is a general rule of thumb when it comes to wheels. Its called the 2 of 3 rule (I think)...

You can have any 2 of three characteristics of a wheel, but not all three. They are: Strong, Light, Cheap.



You can have a strong, light wheel, but its expensive.

You can have a strong, cheap wheel, but it will be heavy.

You can have a cheap, light wheel, but it will be weak.

[BMW0]

If you think about the whole package its gotta feel dramaticly different. For instance: ZSP 18" style 162 w/ Rflats swap for lightest BBS wheels same size everything w/o Rflats. Now thats gotta be a noticeable difference.

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by BMW0

If you think about the whole package its gotta feel dramaticly different. For instance: ZSP 18" style 162 w/ Rflats swap for lightest BBS wheels same size everything w/o Rflats. Now thats gotta be a noticeable difference.

Theres a difference, but its only going to be a small one. Its not that the steering will now feel light because of that swap. Just lighter than it currently is...

[smokin]

cant imagine weight of the wheel having hardly any effect at all.

[BMW0]

Hm... I guess the "Active Steering" option would be the way to go. Too bad he already ordered the car.

[sdiver68]

Originally Posted by baron

How about the OZ superlegera or ultralegera wheels? They are also quite light like 19lbs each and quite cheap. Are they of decent quality and a match for the 335?
Thanks,
Baron

Search OZ but I'm pretty sure they have a very good rep and are lightweight (forged).

[HRC]

Originally Posted by sdiver68

Search OZ but I'm pretty sure they have a very good rep and are lightweight (forged).

The OZ's he is talking about are not forged, hence the price.

Danny

[sdiver68]

Originally Posted by HRC

The OZ's he is talking about are not forged, hence the price.

Danny

Thanks for the correction! I was thinking of the Superleg III's which are forged but not cheap and not super light. Just to clarify, expect to spend at least $3000 for quality lightweight forged wheels.

[dawgdog]

I went from 18" 162 to 19" RS-GTs with 245 front and 275 rear. The tire/wheel combination is much lighter, but the steering feel is actually heavier. I do have active steering. I do have to admit that the change from runflats to non-runflats was not as satisfying as it was in the 5 series. These runflats are pretty good.

[baron]

Originally Posted by dawgdog

I went from 18" 162 to 19" RS-GTs with 245 front and 275 rear. The tire/wheel combination is much lighter, but the steering feel is actually heavier. I do have active steering. I do have to admit that the change from runflats to non-runflats was not as satisfying as it was in the 5 series. These runflats are pretty good.

I guess changing from 225 to 245 for the front also made an impact.

[baron]

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I have decided to increase my budget on wheels and narrowed down to the following:

1) Volks RE30, only 15lbs for 18" in the front, and 16-17lbs in the rear.
2) BBS RGR

I hope it will marginally lighten the steering weight.

Baron

[ALPINE6SPD]

when she drives the car more she will get used to it. Try it for a while and see how it is then look at wheels if you have too.

[stressdoc]

If you want to lighten up the steering then downsize to 17" rims with higher profile tires.

[baron]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

If you want to lighten up the steering then downsize to 17" rims with higher profile tires.

What is the reason behind this? Is it because the wheels/tires will be lighter, or is the contact area between the tire and road smaller?

I did drive a 325 loaner with 16" wheels and the steering is lighter. I assume that the power steering mechanism between the 325 and 335 sport are the same, and the difference was in the tires/steering.

Thanks,
Baron

[Driver72]

I'd get the OZ Ultraleggera's if I were you.

They are like 19 pounds front and 21 rear.
They are around $325 each from Tirerack.

Just a note too.
With the lighter wheels and tires comes more wheelspin.

The stock 162 wheels weigh 31 pounds for the front and 32 pounds for the rear.
You will be dropping 10-11 pounds of rotational mass at each corner.
This will surely lighten up the steering, but even with the heavy stock
wheels/tires, this car will easily spin the tires and activate the traction control.
Lightening up the rotational mass by getting 10+ pound lighter wheels will make the rear tires spin much easier therefore activating the traction control much more. This could easily be the case even when you just want a "quick" getaway or passing situation at lower speeds.

I agree though, I think the 335i's steering is too heavy at low speeds (such as parking or backing up).
The "active steering" is a rip off in my book.
BMW should of just lightened up the steering at speeds below 15 mph and all would be perfect.

Good luck

[sdiver68]

Originally Posted by baron

What is the reason behind this? Is it because the wheels/tires will be lighter, or is the contact area between the tire and road smaller?

I did drive a 325 loaner with 16" wheels and the steering is lighter. I assume that the power steering mechanism between the 325 and 335 sport are the same, and the difference was in the tires/steering.

Thanks,
Baron

I have the BBS RG-R in stock sport sizes (18x8.5, 18x8). You will notice an immediate and more than "marginal" lightness to the steering going to something similar. I also had a 328i loaner with 16" Turanzas last week, and when I got my car back it was lighter even then that.

The reason is due to the large drop in unsprung mass. The ~45 lbs you save will feel like at least 100! You will give up a little directional stability in a straight line.