Looking for the best wheel and tire fitment for your 2004-2013 BMW E82 E83 1 series? Our 1 series fitment guide is the best resource for finding performance wheel and tire fitments for your BMW. We produce purpose-built offsets that fit these unique cars in square and staggered fitments that maximize the limited space under the stock fenders. We launched fitments for these models in our ARC-8 design and added EC-7s later on alongside the SM-10 in Flow Formed fitments. Our Forged ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, and VS-5RS wheels were also specifically optimized for this chassis with more concavity than any prior equivalent 18” 1 series wheels. The wheel fitments in this guide apply to all models of 1 series including 128i, 135i, and 135is coupes and convertibles. If you’re looking for wheels for your E82 1M or widebody converted 1 series, head over to our BMW E82 1M Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide.
Available Wheel Designs
Performance Street and Track Wheel Fitment
Wider fitments for enhanced performance
BMW 1 Series E82 E88
BMW 1 Series E82 E88
BMW 1 Series E82 E88
BMW 1 Series E82 E88
BMW 1 Series E82 E88
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These fitments prioritize (in order): 1. Performance 2. Ease of fitment 3. Aesthetics - this comes naturally as a result of a perfectly flush fitment.
Square Setups Recommended for most types of street and performance driving. Allows proper front-to-rear tire rotation to extend tire life & improve handling balance.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 17x8.5" ET40
- Rear Wheel Size: 17x8.5" ET40
- Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5
- Popular fitment.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 235/40-17
- Rear Tire Size: 235/40-17
- May require minimal front negative camber.
- 235/45-17 tires can also be used for better tire availability but are more likely to rub with compounds that run wide or cars that are lowered.
- 245/40-17 tires can fit, but will require approximately -1.5 degrees or more of front camber. Rear rolled fenders and/or rear negative camber may also be required.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 17x9" ET52
- Rear Wheel Size: 17x9" ET52
- Available in: ARC-8
- Not recommended for cars with OE suspension or aftermarket coilovers that reduce inner clearance.
- Aggressive front negative camber required. Approx. -3° to -4°. Rear camber recommended for on-track performance.
- Read our technical article on the nuances of this fitment here.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 255/40-17
- Rear Tire Size: 255/40-17
- Front 12-18mm spacers required for suspension clearance. Exact spacer requirement will depend on suspension configuration.
- 245/40-17 tires may also be used to reduce the camber and spacer width requirements.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET45
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET45
- Available in: ARC-8, EC-7
- Popular fitment.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 235/40-18
- Direct fit with stock suspension, lowering springs, and a variety of aftermarket coilovers. 5mm front spacers required for certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
- 245/35-18 tires can fit with 5mm front spacers and approximately -1.5 degrees of camber or more. Larger front spacers may be required for certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
- 255/35-18 tires can fit with 5mm front spacers and approximately -2.5 degrees of camber or more. Larger front spacers may be required for certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
- For a spacer-free fitment, see alternate fitments below.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35 or ET38 (ARC-8)
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35 or ET38 (ARC-8)
- Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, SM-10
- Alternate fitment.
- Requires at least -2 degrees of front camber.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 235/40-18
- Rear fender roll and/or negative camber may be required.
- 245/35-18 tires can fit with additional front negative camber
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET40
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET40
- Available in: ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5, VS-5RS
- Alternate fitment.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 225/40-18
- Direct Fit in most street tire compounds
- Wider 225 section tires or 235/40-18 tires can fit with -2° of front camber
- 245/35-18 tires can fit with additional front negative camber.
- Rear fender roll and/or negative camber may be required with tires that run wide.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x9" ET42
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x9" ET42
- Available in: ARC-8
- Front 5mm or larger spacers required for suspension clearance required.
- Front negative camber required.
- Rear rolled fenders and negative camber required.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 245/35-18
- Rear Tire Size: 245/35-18
- 255/35-18 tires may also be used with additional negative camber.
Staggered Setups Maintains stock-like handling characteristics, tires can only be rotated left to right. Maximizes both front and rear tire width. Staggered setups are recommended for highly tuned cars that need extra rear tire width in order to control their increased power output.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET45
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET58
- Available in: ARC-8, EC-7
- Popular fitment.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 265/35-18
- Direct fit with stock suspension, lowering springs, and a variety of aftermarket coilovers. 5mm front spacers required for certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
- 245/35-18 front tires can fit with 5mm front spacers and approximately -1.5 degrees of camber or more. Larger front spacers may be required for certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
- 255/35-18 front tires can fit with 5mm front spacers and approximately -2.5 degrees of camber or more. Larger front spacers may be required for certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
- 275/35-18 rear tires can be used with negative camber and/or rolled fenders. Aggressive tire compounds that run wide often rub with this fitment and the passenger side rear wheelwell liner must be periodically checked to ensure the fuel filler neck area is not rubbing.
Wheels
- Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35, ET38, ET40
- Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET58
- Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, ML-10RT, VS-5, VS-5RS
- Requires at least -2 degrees of front camber. ET40 ML-10RT, VS-5, and VS-5RS requires less camber depending on the tire.
Tires
- APEX Staff Pick:
- Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
- Rear Tire Size: 265/35-18
- 245/35-18 front tires can fit with additional negative camber.
- 275/35-18 rear tires can be used with negative camber and/or rolled fenders. Aggressive tire compounds that run wide often rub with this fitment and the passenger side rear wheelwell liner must be periodically checked to ensure the fuel filler neck area is not rubbing.
Additional Resources
The clearances within the wheel wells both front and rear on the E8X 1 series are extremely tight when using wheels that are wider than stock. Our wheels are specifically made for this application and as long as the notes on this guide are followed will work well, BUT the clearances between the wheels and tires and suspension are always tight.
We regularly receive calls from tire shops or customers having these wheels installed at shops that these wheels won’t fit. Typically this is the result of an overly cautious shop wanting to see large amounts of clearance between the wheels/tires and the suspension or fenders rather than an actual fitment or rubbing issue. That level of clearance simply isn’t possible if you want to run wider wheels on this chassis. We have sold thousands of 1 series wheels and seen them work well on these cars for over 10 years.
If the installer is certain that a setup is rubbing, we would ask them to take photos of the clearance issue that show the wheel and tire touching the suspension or fenders/fender liners and email them to expert@apexwheels.com.
Concavity & Face Profiles
Each of our wheel designs is available in two or three different levels of concavity, which we call Profiles. The Profile is dictated by the width and offset, meaning wide lower-offset wheels will have more concavity, while narrow higher-offset wheels will have less concavity.
Identifying Suspension Types
If you’re using coilovers, see the image below to identify which type of coilover spring you have, as it may effect your wheel fitment.
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. The photo above shows what happens without negative camber dialed in. Learn more in our blog article, The Positives of Negative Camber.
Big Brake Kit Clearances
We have tested many brake kits with the wheels listed in this guide. Please email us with any questions related to brake clearance, we’ll be happy to help.
18x8.5 ET35, 38, & 45 ARC-8 and EC-7 brake clearance notes
| Brake kits known to clear | Brake kits known not to clear |
|---|---|
| Stock 135i M-Sport Brakes | Brembo/Dinan 6-Piston 355mm |
| Brembo 6-Piston 355mm | Brembo 6-Piston 380mm |
FAQ:
What about the 18x9.5” ET43? The 18x9.5” ET43 is too aggressive to fit on a stock-body 1-Series. It would require fender flares or heavily rolled and pulled rear fenders in order to clear without rubbing.
What if I have 1M front fenders and stock rears? In this case, you can use the 18x9.5” ET22 front wheel (may require negative camber depending on tire brand/compound) paired with the 18x9.5” ET58 rear. This results in a deeper concavity up front than the rear due to the lower offset. While you still can’t properly rotate tires, it’s a great way to run a 9.5” square setup.
Still have questions?
Fill out our Fitment Recommendation form Call us: 925-245-0773 Email us: support@apexraceparts.com