The Perfect, Square EC-7 Fitment, Made for the E46 M3

EC-7, 18X9.5” ET35 SQUARE

An easy fitment, this is one of our preferred and most popular choices for the E46 M3. For those of you seeking a more balanced street setup to track day drivers and racers, this square fitment is a great choice. With the square setup, you can rotate wheels front to back to increase tire longevity. Additionally, it doesn’t require any fender or body modifications and spacers are not mandatory. If you have stock suspension, a lowered M3, or a dedicated racecar, this is a perfect fitment that is practically plug and play.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Car/chassis: E46 M3
• Wheel model: EC-7, Race Silver
• Wheel size: 18X9.5” ET35 Front and Rear
• Spacers: 12mm rear. Spacers are not required in the rear but we recommend them for aesthetics and a small handling boost from a wider track.
• Tires: 265/35/18 Hankook RS-3
• Suspension: Ground Control Coilovers
• Camber plates: Vorshlag
• Alignment: -1.5 to -2.0 degrees of camber required for a 265/35/18. The -1.5 degrees of camber can be achieved by pulling the alignment pins, which is very easy to do.
• Fenders: No modifications
• Other body modifications: None
• Brakes: OEM. This fitment can fit brakes as large as the Brembo 380s with 6 piston calipers by adding a 5mm spacer in the front.

ADVICE: TIRES, CAMBER PLATES, AND SUSPENSION

This is one of our most aggressive fitments and it requires little or no work depending on the tire used. On a stock suspension car with no added negative camber, a traditional street tire in the 265/35/18 size will be aggressive. It would be completely flush with the fender, so only tires known to run narrow compared to other brands could be used. A meaty, extreme summer or r-compound tire will rub on the fender if no additional negative camber is dialed into the suspension. This is why camber plates are almost always recommended to customers looking to run a meaty tire. If a 275/35/18 is used then camber plates are a must for a proper front fitment. The stock E46 M3 suspension can be adjusted to negative 1.5 degrees camber simply by removing pins and pushing the strut in. We always recommend running stock suspensions as negative as they can go within the factory limits when running a 265/35/18 front tire.

There are some coilovers that may run into fitment issues with the tire hitting either the spring perch or even the spring itself. This can happen with coilovers that have V shaped, progressive springs, or coilover kits that use a long main spring, and/or an additional helper spring. Excessively low ride height can also cause interference with coilovers that would normally work. If you run into this, you can add a narrow wheel spacer, usually as thin as 5mm to push the tire away from the spring perch or spring.

The combination of conical springs and some tires can either solve or create clearance issues. A 255/35/18 street tire size with this suspension style should be able to clear the front suspension with no clearance issues and without the need for a spacer. If you were to use a 255/35/18 r-compound tire, you would likely have clearance issues, which could be solved with a spacer. The best solution for meaty tires and conical springs is to replace the spring with a straight-wound, linear 6” spring. We can provide detailed advice to individuals regarding a spring swap based on their specific application. Removing the helper spring from coilover kits that use them will always create additional clearance. Simply turn the lower spring perch up higher to compensate for the space gained by its removal, and there will be no change in ride height or spring rate when the car is on the ground. Helper/Tender springs are simply provide a small amount of pre-load when the suspension is completely uncompressed. Many coilover kits come configured this way due to TUV regulations that require pre-loaded springs similar to an OEM spring. This is not a requirement in the US.

ADVICE: SPACERS AND BRAKES

With the 35mm offset, the 9.5” rear wheel is a fairly conservative fitment. Most customers use 12mm spacers in the rear to push the 9.5” ET35 wheel out towards the fender. The 12mm rear spacers adjust the offset to ET23, which is in the ideal range for a 9.5” wheel on the E46 M3. A rear spacer is not required, and is mostly an aesthetic modification.

Many run this setup square without spacers if they are on a budget and are not concerned with looks. If a square and spacerless fitment was important to you but you wanted the rear wheel to sit further out, you could order the 18×9.5” ET22 EC-7 for the rear. Unfortunately, this would not allow you to rotate your wheels front to rear, as the ET22 offset is too aggressive for most owners in the front. Since square fitments are often for track use, this is an important consideration as rotating wheels can extend tire life.

With the EC-7, APEX has created one of a few 18” wheels available that can clear 380mm Big Brake Kits properly. The 18×9.5” ET35 EC-7 can clear all 355mm BBK’s on the market without any spacers, in addition to Brembo’s 365mm kit, and Stoptech’s 380mm kit. Only the Brembo 380mm kit requires a thin 5mm.

Tom M.

Tom is a BMW Fitment Expert at APEX Wheels. Prior to joining the company in 2019, he worked for BMW of North America as Fleet Manager: Portland (OR) for the ReachNow car-sharing program, and as Warranty Administrator/Loaner Fleet Manager at BMW Portland. In addition, Tom has extensive training in BMW TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) as well as in-depth knowledge of all BMW chassis and their wheel fitment options, with and without aftermarket brake and suspension upgrades. His high-performance driving experience includes autocross events in southern Oregon and track days at PIR in his 2004 E46 330i with 17x9 ET42 APEX ARC-8 wheels. Vehicles he owned prior to indulging his passion for BMWs include a 1989 Jaguar XJ6 and a 2006 S197 Ford Mustang. Fun Fact: Tom is a huge Formula 1 fan. Have questions about wheels for your BMW? Use our contact form and ask for Tom.