BMW E36/7 E36/8 Z3 M Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide

Vehicle Covered in this Guide 1997-2002 E36/7 and E36/8 Z3 M coupe and roadster.

These fitments prioritize (in order): 1. Ease of fitment 2. Aesthetics 3. Performance

Ideal for the driver who wants a no-nonsense direct bolt-on fitment. These fitments are a small step up from stock wheels and tires, and offer a small but noticeable performance improvement.

Staggered Setups Maintains stock-like handling characteristics, tires can only be rotated left to right. Maximizes both front and rear tire width.

• Front: 17x8.5" ET40 with 235/40-17 tires // Rear: 17x10" ET25 with 275/40-17 tires
• Popular fitment.
• Available in ARC-8 design only.
• Direct fit.

• Front: 18x8.5" ET35 or ET38 (ARC-8) with 235/40-18 tires // Rear: 18x10" ET25 with 275/35-18 tires
• Available in ARC-8, EC-7, FL-5, SM-10
• Alternative rear fitment: 18x9.5" ET22 with 265/35-18 tires.
• Additional negative camber may be required up front with tire models that run wide.

These fitments prioritize (in order): 1. Aesthetics 2. Performance 3. Ease of fitment

Ideal for the driver who wants to fill out the wheel wells with the widest possible rubber and perfectly flush offsets. Sometimes these fitments are a direct bolt-on, but often times require small spacers, negative camber, or rolled fenders for the sake of dialing in the perfect blend of function and form.

Staggered Setups Maintains stock-like handling characteristics, tires can only be rotated left to right. Maximizes both front and rear tire width.

• Front: 17x9" ET30 with 235/40-17 tires // Rear: 17x10" ET25 with 275/40-17 tires
• Available in: ARC-8, VS-5RS
• Front negative camber required.

• Front: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7) with 245/35-18 tires // Rear: 18x10.5" ET22 with 275/35-18 tires
• Popular fitment.
• Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, EC-7RS, SM-10, SM-10RS, VS-5RS
• Front negative camber required.

These fitments prioritize (in order): 1. Performance 2. Ease of fitment 3. Aesthetics

These fitments are effective for both performance-oriented street cars and weekend track warriors. The suspension type, alignment settings, and tire brand/size can be changed accordingly to work for either scenario.

Staggered Setups Maintains stock-like handling characteristics, tires can only be rotated left to right. Maximizes both front and rear tire width.

• Front: 17x9" ET30 with 235/40-17 tires // Rear: 17x10" ET25 with 275/40-17 tires
• Popular fitment.
• Available in: ARC-8, VS-5RS
• Front negative camber required.
• Front: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 with 235/40-18 tires // Rear: 18x10.5" ET22 with 275/35-18 tires
• Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, EC-7RS, SM-10, SM-10RS, VS-5RS
• Front negative camber required.
• Rear 285/35 tires may also be used.
• Front: 18x9" ET30 (VS-5RS) or ET31 (EC-7) with 255/35-18 tires // Rear: 18x11" ET25 with 295/30-18 tires
• Available in: EC-7, VS-5RS
• Front negative camber required.
• Rear rolled fenders may be required.

Aftermarket Suspensions Known To Reduce Inner Clearance (includes but not limited to):

• Bilstein PSS9 & PSS10
• KW Height-Adjustable Spring (HAS) kit
• KW Variants
• KW Clubsports
• Öhlins Road & Track

About Camber Plates

Adjustable camber plates do more than just aid in wide wheel and tire fitment. They provide increased grip and reduced tire wear by spreading the load evenly during cornering. Learn more in our blog article, The Positives of Negative Camber.