BMW E46 3 Series Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide

Looking to achieve the perfect wheel & tire fitment for your BMW E46? Our E46 Fitment Guide is your go-to resource for navigating the world of wheel and tire setups, suspension adjustments, and body modifications tailored specifically to the iconic E46 chassis including 318i, 323i, 325i, 325iT, 328i, 330i including xi models. Whether you're aiming for a sleek and aggressive stance or optimizing performance on the track, our guide provides expert insights, recommended sizes, and tips for achieving the ideal fitment. Unlock the full potential of your E46 with our comprehensive Fitment Guide, ensuring a head-turning appearance and enhanced driving experience. We offer Forged wheels such as the ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS, SM-10RS, EC-7RS as well as Flow Formed models such as the ARC-8, SM-10, EC-7 and FL-5. If you’re looking for fitment information for the E46 M3, head over to our E46 M3 fitment guide.

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.

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.

• Front & Rear: 17x8.5” ET40 with 235/40-17 tires
• • Direct fit.
  • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT
  • 235/45-17 tires can also be used as a direct fit.
  • 245/40-17 tires are often a direct fit, but may require a small front spacer depending on tire brand and suspension setup.
• Front & Rear: 18x8.5" ET35, ET38 (ARC-8) and ET40 with 235/40-18 tires
• • Direct fit.
  • Popular fitment.
  • Available in ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, SM-10, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
  • 245/35-18 tires may also be used, but may require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below. VS-5RS requires 5mm spacers with aftermarket suspension that limits inner clearance.

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: 17x9" ET42 with 255/40-17 tires
• • Direct fit.
  • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT
  • xDrive models must use 225/45-17 front and 255/40-17 rear.
• Front: 18x8.5" ET38 with 225/40-18 tires // Rear: 18x9" ET42 with 245/35-18 tires
• • Direct fit.
  • Popular fitment.
  • Available in: ARC-8
  • 235/40-18 front and 255/35-18 rear tires can also be used as a direct fit.
  • xDrive models must use 225/40-18 front and 255/35-18 rear.

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. The fitment below is very aggressive and can require extensive modification to make it work without rubbing. Be prepared to trim or cut areas of interference.

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.

• Front & Rear: 17x9” ET30 with 245/40-17 tires
• • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
  • Requires at least 2 degrees of front negative camber.
  • May require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
  • May require front bumper trimming to prevent rubbing.
  • Requires rolled rear fenders to prevent rubbing.
• Front & Rear 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7) with 245/35-18 tires
• • Available in ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, ML-10RT, SM-10, SM-10RS, VS-5RS
  • Requires at least 2 degrees of front negative camber.
  • May require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
  • May require front bumper trimming to prevent rubbing.
  • Requires rolled rear fenders to prevent rubbing.

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.

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.

• Front & Rear: 17x9" ET42 with 245/40-17 tires
• • Direct fit.
  • Popular fitment.
  • Available in ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
  • May require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
  • 255/40-17 tires can be used, but will require front negative camber.
• Front & Rear: 17x9.5" ET35 with 255/40-17 tires
• • Available in ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
  • Requires at least -3 degrees of front negative camber.
  • May require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
  • Front fender roll recommended.
  • Requires rear fender roll.

• Front & Rear: 18x9" ET42 with 245/35-18 tires
• • Direct fit.
  • Available in: ARC-8
  • May require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
  • 255/35-18 tires can be used, but will require front negative camber.
• Front & Rear: 18x9.5" ET35 with 255/35-18 tires
• • Available in ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, ML-10RT, SM-10, VS-5RS
  • Requires at least -3 degrees of front negative camber.
  • May require front spacers with certain aftermarket suspensions, see below.
  • Front fender roll recommended.
  • Requires rear fender roll.

The ideal SPEC E46 wheel setup

Staff Pick:

• Front & Rear: 17x9" ET42 with 255/40-17 Toyo RR Tires
• • Popular fitment.
  • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
  • 12mm Front Spacer recommended for Spec class suspension
  • 255/40-17 tires will require front negative camber.

Narrower Option:

• Front & Rear: 17x9" ET42 with 235/40-17 Toyo RA1 Rain Tires
• • Popular fitment.
  • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, ML-10RT, VS-5RS
  • 12mm Front Spacer recommended for Spec class suspension

Our wheels are popular for winter use because of their unmatched caliper clearance. We recommend a square fitment in order to allow front-to-rear tire rotation, although staggered fitments can also be used.

Square setups

Front & Rear: 18x8.5" ET35, ET38, ET40 with 225/40-18 winter tires

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.

Aftermarket E46 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.

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.

Still have questions?

Fill out our Fitment Recommendation form Call us: 925-245-0773 Email us: support@apexraceparts.com