Fitment guide

BMW E85 E86 Z4 Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide

Originally published | 05/20/2020
Updated | 06/15/2024

Are you looking to improve the performance of your 2002-2008 BMW E85 E86 Z4? Our Z4 fitment guide lays out all the wheel and tire options along with modifications needed to run wide tires and flush fitments on a non-M Z4. A wide range of performance wheels are available for these cars including our Forged VS-5RS, SM-10RS, and EC-7RS which are focused on weight reduction alongside increased stiffness. Our Flow Formed ARC-8, EC-7, and SM-10 designs bring Apex wheel quality to an affordable price point and have been staple wheels on Z4s for years. The fitments in this guide apply to all models including 2.0i, 2.2i, 2.5i, 2.5si, 3.0i, 3.0si. If you’re looking for Z4M wheels, be sure to review our BMW E85 E86 Z4 M Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide.

Available Wheel Designs

Forged Designs

Flow Formed Designs

Bolt Pattern

5x120mm

Centerbore

72.56mm

Lug Seat

60° Conical

Lug Thread Pitch

M12x1.5mm

OEM+ Wheel Fitment

Easy upgrades for street-driven cars

  • Grey BMW Z4 - SM-10 in Satin Black

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

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-17
    • Rear Tire Size: 235/40-17
    • Direct fit.
    • 235/45-17 tires can also be used as a direct fit.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35, ET38 (ARC-8) or ET40
  • Rear Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35, ET38 (ARC-8) or ET40
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, SM-10, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Rear Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Direct fit.

Staggered Setups

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

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 17x8.5" ET40
  • Rear Wheel Size: 17x9" ET42
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-17
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/40-17
    • Direct fit.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35, ET38 (ARC-8), or ET40
  • Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, SM-10, VS-5RS
    • Popular fitment.

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/35-18
    • Direct fit.
    • 265/35-18 rear tires can be used, but may require rolled fenders to prevent rubbing.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 18x8.5" ET35
  • Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET43
    • Available in: EC-7

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Rear Tire Size: 265/35-18
    • Direct fit.
    • 275/35-18 rear tires can be used, but may require rolled fenders to prevent rubbing.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 19x8.5" ET35
  • Rear Wheel Size: 19x9.5" ET33
    • Available in: ARC-8 and EC-7

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/35-19
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/30-19
    • Direct fit.
    • Rear 275/30-19 tires may also be used with rolled fenders and/or negative camber.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 19x8.5" ET35
  • Rear Wheel Size: 19x9.5" ET43
    • Available in: EC-7

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/35-19
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/30-19
    • Direct fit.
    • Rear 275/30-19 tires may also be used with rolled fenders and/or negative camber.

Performance Street and Track Wheel Fitment

Wider fitments for enhanced performance

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: 17x9" ET30
  • Rear Wheel Size: 17x9" ET30
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-17
    • Rear Tire Size: 235/40-17
    • Front negative camber required.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7)
  • Rear Wheel Size: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7)
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, EC-7RS, SM-10, SM-10RS, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Rear Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Front negative camber required.

Staggered Setups

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

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 17x8.5" ET40
  • Rear Wheel Size: 17x9.5" ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-17
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/40-17
    • Direct fit.
    • 275/40-17 rear tires may also be used with rolled fenders and/or negative camber.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 18x9" ET30 or ET31 (EC-7)
  • Rear Wheel Size: 18x9.5" ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, ARC-8RT, EC-7, EC-7RS, SM-10, VS-5RS
    • Popular fitment.

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 235/40-18
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/35-18
    • Front negative camber required.
    • Rear 265/35-18 or 275/35-18 tires may also be used with rolled fenders and/or negative camber.

Wheels

  • Front Wheel Size: 19x9" ET28 (ARC-8) or ET30
  • Rear Wheel Size: 19x9.5" ET33 or ET35
    • Available in: ARC-8, EC-7, SM-10, VS-5RS

Tires

  • APEX Staff Pick:
    • Front Tire Size: 245/35-19
    • Rear Tire Size: 255/30-19
    • Front negative camber required.

Additional Resources

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 Z4 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

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.

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