17" vs 18" wheel weight and acceleration E46
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Pitting 17" vs 18" and square vs staggered. Does wheel weight matter?
Results from testing:
drive.google.c...
Wheel bolts bought here
www.acerracing...
00:17 - LOL
02:30 - 17" Wheels
06:29 - 18" Wheels
13:34 - Titanium Wheelbolts
17:17 - Square Setup
18:48 - Conclusion
21:17 - pls like (titanic version)
You do stuff on this channel that no other channel thinks about doing, The time and effort on these videos are so commendable. Cheers from Detroit.
Thank you. Happy you feel that way🙏
Very interesting and detailed.
Weight is so important
Lets boost algorithm for our man here, this channel should be a lot bigger. Only useful real life tests
Thank you😃
Amazing job, as always. I remember discussing with you about this same matter in your last video about wheel weight. I really think 18” wheels are slightly slower, but from my experience they handle better and give you more precise turning and less traction loss at corner exits.
I think we will need to keep testing these things, so keep coming the content mate!
Thanks again!
Thank you. I complete agree😎
Love these test videos, keep them coming please
Once you get a e46 is really hard to let it go even when you know the maintenance could be too expensive, I love these cars , no matter if it's a coupe, convertible, 4 doors or touring they a very fun cars to drive , i have never drive a e46 m3 but I'm sure is a dream car
Just such a nice informative and funny video ! I love the cuts that you do, found out something new and also had a laugh ! Keep it up.
Im happy you liked it
13:39 Thanks for all the hard work you perform in making your videos. This one proves once again that larger is not always better
Thank you for watching🙏
I watched a couple videos of yours now. Once you weighted the wheel lugs is when I knew I needed to subscribe.
Thank you. Hope youll like the next one as well🤞
a lighter wheel configuration will reduce fuel consumption, which is also important for those who want to save a little and for those with weaker motors, this option will reduce the load on the motor.
On ya mate! Every vid you do is gold. As a long time e46 guy, those little differences you dig into tend to be things I wondered about, also. Thank you for making such a stellar effort, and sharing it with us...
Thank you for the kind words. Sounds like we have the same interests💪
If I remember correctly the styling 32 are among the lightest original wheels. By the way unsprung mass = four times sprung mass. Saving 1kg on a wheel equals saving 4kg on the (for example) cars body...
Thank you for the information man❤️
alusteelies are lightest whit tire they weight 14-15kg but they wont fit b30 that has bigger brakes.
If you are looking fo a light and square OEM setup in 18 inch, then you should check out the Style M164 wheels. These are the "winter wheels" of the E46 M3 and they are around 10kg each.
The sizes are 18x7,5 ET41 front and 18x7,5 ET25 rear. With tyres they are around 20kg. Due to the low ET at the rear they fit quite nice too :)
Interesting. Thanks for the tip👌
it's amazing all the work that you put in your videos just to do scientific tests, and i really enjoy it. It is very interesting to watch and gives me many answers to many questions. Thank you !
I can't understand why this video hasn't had way more views. Maybe it's just too honest for UA-cam.
Thats very kind of you.
Great video. I purchased some 18x9.5 TE37 and put some 265 35 tires. They weight 5 lbs, which I think is just over 2kg per corner less than my style 68s. My 330 didn't feel quicker but I can take turns way faster. I didn't realize the difference until I put my style 68s back on and the car felt sluggish on acceleration. I didn't test into great detail like you did though. Great video.
Wauw thats light for 18”.. the style 68 are already very light. Thanks for the input
Shaving grams is important when you are doing time attack or autocross it is easily negated by how much fuel you have on board or if you have your phone in your pocket or the kind of shoes you wear not to mention the driver themselves but you won’t benefit on the street it is more likely to notice lbs especially when you are trying to spin that weight (or slow it) I really enjoyed watching the real world testing
Great effort gone into sharing these tests, thank you!
I also have large stacks of wheels, it's a problem 😄. I believe the gearing change is having a big influence, as the indicated speeds will be higher for your tests with larger diameter. I recently got a 120d with 16" 205 tyres, quit nippy and very light handling make for alot of fun.
We will soon find out. The next video will put it to end once and for all:)
Always a good day when Tim posts a video! Happy to have something interesting to watch while eating dinner
My man!! Happy you liked it. Hope the food was good💪
this is fantastic, i have a set of these in my storage unit next to the e36 & finding stuff like this gets me foaming at the mouth to get back to it. Sick stuff here!
I’ve been waiting for this!!
Tak for endnu en fed video Tim!!🙌🏼
Tak Oscar
@@OEMplusRESTO måske du skulle prøve mine letvægts bbs’er med squared 245/40 hele vejen rundt.
I love the honest and semi-funny style of your videos. The partial scientific content is great, exactly what E46 owners want to see! I´m sure your channel is going to blow up sooner or later, will you sign my fuel cap before you get famous? :D
Thank you. I love your feedback. I dont take my self too seriously and it seems like you noticed. I’ll sign whatever you throw at me lol
You put alot of work into these videos such an underrated channel 👍the style 68s are so light and more comfortable ride but 18s look better it's just a matter of preference I suppose
Damn very nice Video, thanks a lot for all the work you put into this!
would be interesting to see a squared setup with the 245 17s
Agree. Should have done it at the time now that i think of it
The 8,5 on the front would look great.. I'd be very interested in hearing your opinion on how the car handles, that's if you notice any improvement. Keep up the great work though, I thoroughly enjoy your channel.
Really enjoy watching your videos. Nice work. Style 68 for me.
Thank you. Me too. 68’s suit them well
Thank you for these videos, very helpful with real test for the E46 community (and also E85 ;))
Tim I just found your channel. Excellent content! As good as the 50's Kid E46 videos or better! I've had 6 E46'S and I'm waiting for a good youtube video on rerbuilding steering racks. I also have a yellow tag on my 03 330xi (6 speed). I'd like to keep it instead of exchanging it for "whatever". I hope your still doing E46 videos...??. Anyway good job. Quick question: Are you from Norway? You sound just like my extended family back in Oslo
Im from denmark. Im not sure if i will keep making e46 videos yet. Maybe it will be e30 or e36 once i get started up again. Thanks for the comments bro. I can hear you like your e46’s as much as i do.
My thoughts on the slower acceleration with a square setup is that the smaller width of the tyres gives less grip therefore less power is put down on the road, don’t know what the fuel levels where on the other runs but saw you fuel the car up full which could be another explanation. It’s probably not as simple as that though and everything I mentioned and you mention in the video ads up together to the slower time.
When I changed from square Style 135 wheels to 18x9.5/10.5 Enkei NT03+M's the handling and ride increased 10x fold!
The style 135 is also super heavy too. Those enkei i would think are lighter no?
@@OEMplusRESTO Yes the 135 with a 245/40/18 weighs MUCH more than a 18x10.5 Enkei with a 285/35 tire. I didn't actually weigh them but you can really feel the difference so it must be at least 5-7kg if not more.
I saved around 14kg in 2014 going from square 8,5x19" replica AC Schnitzer wheels (with Kumho SPT-tires or something, 235/35R19 front, 265/30R19 rear) to square cheapo Ocean Caribien ("Alufelgen SF-71") 8,5x19" with 4x Michelin Pilot Super Sport (each complete wheel 23,58kg), pretty huge gain still having about the same dimensions.
That's a huge weight save. Can you feel it when driving?
@@dariorseventyeighti remember that the car felt more nimble but that might have been better tires as well.
did you roll your fenders my e46 touring 330d is somehow to low even for my 17 inches im running stagared 17 inch style 137 but was thinking of swaping for style 304 17 inch
@@marioshondrov8646 no sorry those wheels were for my 325i E90 (they accept a little wider wheels than E46s in general)
Loved the intro, Laughed like hell!
I haven't seen you upload new videos in a while, hope all is well!!
Thank you. I will be back again, but have a few things to sort out first. Thank you for the warm thoughts
Very easy, no complications:
Top speed german autobahn ( better stability and brake ): 18" Continental SportContact 7 or Goodyear F1 Super Sport ( Summer )
Other use ( better feedback power steering ): 17" Michelin Sport 4 or Bridgestone Potenza Sport ( Summer ).
The 18 inch are currently being refurbished completly
Shiftstick is new
Wheel is completly refurbished.
Will post a video of my 325 in march / april when it is all done.
Let me know when you do and i’ll watch it:)
Cool... Okay - would you consider......increasing the pressure of your 17'' tyres to combat the sidewall flex & improve handling? To combat rim damage from potholes, I started running my wheels at MAX listed pressure whilst maintaining the manufacturer recommended ratio(as in, the front wheels are 3PSI more than the rears - I own a Clio II)... If you are willing you can straight try max pressure, or at least increase your tyre pressures gradually until the handling improves to a satisfactory level... 🤔
Great tests as always!
Thank you🙏
Probier mal die "Vierliter Pedalhülsen",sehr günstig,hab ich verbaut,ist eine arbeit unter dem Lenker...Pedalerie abnehmen und die Hülsen einpressen.Mit plastikhammer.Und nachher der Vergleich mit den originalen plastichülsen die mich beim Ausbau und dem bestaunen von der Stabilität nicht überzeugt haben.Ergibt ein festeres und gleichzeitig gut dosierendes Bremsgefühl.Burkhart Engineering
I did swith to new oe bushings as part of the budget upgradrs video but yes solid ones would be better
This guy makes really stellar videos for the E46 community. I still havent gotten round to putting on my bbs rc 303s in combination with the compounds discs to save weight, but will do so soon, motivated by this vid. I hear you can replace the battery with the one from the mini cooper s r53 or r56 to save about 10 kg ish (what the csl has). Wonder how resilient that battery is in daily use (try it out ;) )...
I run a DIN55 in a 325 and a 330 as I am in a warm climate and they are used daily by the family. This works flawlesly- but don't expect it to last like a DIN65/75 turning over 6 cylinders.
Except that mine are DIN55L (low height, 172mm, a tad lower than the 175-190 height the bracket accommodates, and requires an adhesive packer to secure it). If you can find it, there is another size, DIN55LH, which should fit perfectly.
These are 14.5kg, 4kg less than a DIN75. A standard DIN55 is 13kg, but its terminals are around the wrong way, so won't work.
DIN65 sizes are also possible so stepping up to 16.5kg might be better if you have a colder/wetter climate
@@oncall3570 excellent reply. Many thanks.
I prefer the style 68 wheels.. Sits nice.
Thank you very much for all the test 👍👍
Great video
Thanks for the visit
I think that weight distribution will have greater effect than total weight of the wheel... 17" wheels = heavier tires, more weight at the outside, so the wheel has actually bigger momentum than 18" with lighter slimmer tire ?
I guess the next step are the lighter brakes. Interesting. On my car I have 2 sets, one for winter (15 inch) and one for summer (18 inch). 15 are 195/65 R15 and the 18 are 225/40 R18. The difference is huge when changing them. With the 15 it's very nimble.
Thats not a bad idea in terms of testing. Thank you. I also have a final trick up the sleeve for the next video so we can find out exactly what wheel weight does to the car:)
I love the video editing on this one. 👍
You should use oz ultraleggera 17" and see if there are
On the wheel/tire calculator website, you measured the new setup as 19” instead of 18” so your values are off more because of this error
Damn.. youre right
Just checked. The math is the same when you input the right figures.. luckily
Nurburgring's drivers run with 18 " tires...
Man I was waiting for this video, I have a 316i and I wanted to change the wheels from 16" to 17" or 18", but I was afraid of it running even slower XD
Just do 18“, the car looks so much better in 17/18“ wheels! I got myself a 325i and i have 16“ wheels, I bought 18“ wheels and im going to install them probably next week, but first I have to change the suspension lol
leave the 16, look for a cooler style of wheels, put on 225 / 50 and you will be happy. do not load the car with extra kilograms, choosing larger wheels you will lose a lot of the power of your engine and it will be harder for it.
Update: I installed the rims, Avus RACING AC-MB4s (BMW M3 E46 CSL replicas) they look phenomenal
For your car the BEST option is 17 ''.
good info, i always wonder if i upgrade to a larger rim, will it impact performance. logical thinking for sure it will but by how much is the question. now u proved it
How are you recording the acceleration test? If you have larger circumference wheel than another, this means the wheel speed sensor records less often than the smaller wheel, so the speedometer itself is not a fair test. This is also true comparing a worn tyre to a new one. The worn tyre will register a higher speed than the new tyre
Youre right.
Im using dragy. There is a link in the description will all recorded times
The compound is very different from the first 17inch tyres
I prefer 18 inch myself cause my 118i is like a go cart to drive now
Next this you could do is try the pu bushes on the swaybars 👌🏾
I did mine with the red one it's 10 times better than the stock ones
Now when I turn the wheel it reacts right away no delay no spungy feeling
I like it
Thanks for the suggestion. It would appear you are right about the 18” too💪
I have 17 inch steel wheels with Michelin pilot sport 4 tires.225/45 zr17.Weight of one wheel is 18.2 kg.Before that I had oem style 44 wheels with same size tires They weighted 20.3 kg per wheel.Lighter is better in every way.Porche did resarch about wheel weight.They say that 1 kg in rotation=6 kg in dead weight.So.....if you want better preformance and agility for your car,you know what to do.I have e46 coupe,m54b22 engine,manual gearbox.
I'm not going to contradict Porsche...However, others have said that a 1 KG decrease in rotating mass was only equivalent to a 2 to 3 KG loss in kerb weight?
@@lachlanbrown409 Our friend Ferdinand is probably right. More than unsprung mass increases when wheel weight is increased. Look at how much effort they put into driveline engineering, every different engine has a driveline with component weights specific to the torques they are expected to transfer. So a 318i has puny prop shaft, diff, and driveshafts, whereas an M3 has immensely heavier kit that can take >3x the torque. Even just the extra 4kg or so that a dual mass flywheel weighs over a solid one, makes a big difference to the perception of speed/performance.
Whereas lower unsprung weight makes the car handle better, quieter, stop faster, and comsume less fuel. Every wheel I fit gets weighed and compared to the lighter options, and as a result I can never get beyond and extra inch in diameter over factory size, and prefer expensive forged rims that have had their weights carefully optimised. For that reason, for most of us, Style 68s are perfect. But I'm yet to try one with 7.5" S68s all round. I'm pretty sure that would excel in most cases over a staggered set (7.5" ET42 +8.5"ET50), other than exiting high speed corners
i have set 15" alu steelies 14.3kg, light dance shoes make difference for sure, thats pretty light set for 17" you have there i remember my set being 20.3kg.
@winha1435 interesting. Is there a style number for the alu steelies? I have searched for them before but havent been able fo find much info online
@@OEMplusRESTO What are 'alu steelies'? All I can find are alu repros for classic racers, like www.imagewheels.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/15IN-BILLET-246-CLASSIC-BUILD-SILVER-CENTRE-AND-OUTER-RIM.jpg
Another banger video, thank you!
Thanks for watching🙏
PS I'm a huge fan of the 17' style 68's that you have on your Ci. I have 3 sets: winter, spring and summer lol. Yup I'm plum crazy about E46's..Anyway they are so lite compared to my ZHP wheels and those rubber band 18's. Every ounce counts when your talking unsprung weight and rotational resistance
The style 68’s really do helt with eveything but cornering compared to the 18”s. I envy your zhp
which air pressure did you use? maybe that affected in the first test
2.2 all arpund:)
Nice test. I noticed you filled the tank with 95 octane. Maybe the acceleration improves when you put 98 octane or V-power in the car.
The throttle response is better when I use V-power in my 530i. I didn't measure the acceleration so it is perhaps more psychological than actual increase. Btw I think the grey rims look better on your car. But that is just my personal opinion.
You should check out my “Update your dme vid” because there i test fuel too. And i had the same conclusion btw
Shell V-Power ( 98 octane ) is an excellent fuel.
@@OEMplusRESTO Thanks, that video shows an extensive test. I am new to your channel and I am amazed of the good videos. Your E46 looks great, inside and outside. Regards
you mentioned the 18s feeling much tighter and precise in the corners, "on rails", would you say the handling benefits are worth the acceleration sacrifices?
Yes. I used to be a big opponent to 18” wheels on e46’s but this tire/wheel combo has changed my mind. If you can find some lighter 18” to me its a no brainer. Maybe these tires are just alot better in the 18”’version than 17” version because the 17” didnt impress me
Very nice video! Maybe someone lets you borrow some racing lightweight wheels, l wonder if those can be felt
Thanks for this work dude! But the other question is, or should be? In my case choosed to go bigger, from 16 to 17", but about 2KG each rim lighter, how does it effect? (because I heard that even lighter rims will be a bad choise because of the lever arm and diameter), did this do fit a bigger Brake.
But all in all I would suggest, that you would not notice a big real deal between this, 0,1-0,2 sec "faster" is nothing saying about the conditions at all, like you said, 3 ° Celsius can make a small difference, the road condition, the measurements can have tolerance, and so on. So people have to take a look on the weight of their rims, but not but it because only of the weight... thank you, maybe I will "rethink" and stay with good OEM wheels, should also fit more to the sleeper build than crying for attention
Youre welcome. And nice observations💪
Better 17 " Sport tires. For example, Michelin Sport 5.
So from the other video it means you increased your ability making video! Good!
Id like to think this video is better than the first😅
Hi there do you struggle with oil consumption as well? How many Kilometers does your car have?
None that i have noticed so far. 214.000
Im saving up for a set of aftermarket flowform 18" wheels that weight 7.8~8.5kg without tyre and as comparison and style front wheel is 11.23 kg rear 11.93
I dont think it affect much bcoz of the power the car made, but still lighter for my placebo effect
Im most certain you will feel it! And super nice set of wheels💪
I've found that semi slicks are lighter than the street tyres as well. Semi slicks and lightweight 17s are the way to go for a 330Ci
Interesting.. semi slicks would be fun too
With 200 treadwear.
@@OEMplusRESTO Yes, with dry weather, but no with wet and heavy rain weather.
Good work
Finally the video dropped❤️💪🏻
Style 68 ftw!
Y mounted style 94 on my E39 with bridgestone potenza 245/35/18 , 22kg wheel and tire , before the ugly style 48 with 225/55/16 ; the ride its a total difference , much better in corner and those tires a just perfect , y live in the french Pyrénées (border with spain) with a lot of cornering , much safer , with 4 sachs and springs for option S227A M sport
Oh one more thing: link to the titanium bolts?
Its in the description:)
Funny guy 🤣
La differenza e schiacciante con cerchi superleggeri R17(14kg) rispetto ai 18 "originali" (23kg)
Id love to find out
I tried to talk to wheel to spec but the wheel gave me a silent treatment what should I do?
Only option left is you ignore them. At some point they will soften up and will want to talk🤣
Any more videos xoming?
Yes. Im simply taking a small break! But in a week or so i’ll have a video out again about lsd conversions
I think 18 looks better, but not to sure about the wheel choice, don't really fit the car
Were you flooring it?
Yes
Top Video. Love E46
Your fuel tank was full on the last test too if that weight sways your conclusion at all I would believe it
Its full on all tests:)
lighter wheels should improve handling more than performance, haven't watched the whole video yet maybe you tested handling too, if not you should make another video where you test handling 👍
I do:)
@@OEMplusRESTO the 18 inch wheels look alot sicker tho, the metallic silver really suits the car
If you must wonder about smaller rims and tyres, your car is definitly to wake😂
And now please test the maximum speed in curves with this shit small tires against the 255ers😜
German Rory from auto Alex
never heard of her
your video is all over the place... and boring production, but the idea is good 😢
that is so not true legitimately informative and something that pretty much no one considers. really good test
Really got that pin of shame😂
ok, that is my opinion 👍 I repeat myself... the idea is good, the production is bad 🫡
What would you have done differently?
@laza Could you direct us to your videos please?
im still wait for u to comparing oem brake line vs braided brake line for the e46, btw nice video 👍🏻
Thank you. Check the cheap mods video. I have compared Them in that
colder air has more air per volume... and thus more combustion maybe... idk.
My thoughts on the slower acceleration with a square setup is that the smaller width of the tyres gives less grip therefore less power is put down on the road, don’t know what the fuel levels where on the other runs but saw you fuel the car up full which could be another explanation. It’s probably not as simple as that though and everything I mentioned and you mention in the video ads up together to the slower time.
My thoughts on the slower acceleration with a square setup is that the smaller width of the tyres gives less grip therefore less power is put down on the road, don’t know what the fuel levels where on the other runs but saw you fuel the car up full which could be another explanation. It’s probably not as simple as that though and everything I mentioned and you mention in the video ads up together to the slower time.
My thoughts on the slower acceleration with a square setup is that the smaller width of the tyres gives less grip therefore less power is put down on the road, don’t know what the fuel levels where on the other runs but saw you fuel the car up full which could be another explanation. It’s probably not as simple as that though and everything I mentioned and you mention in the video ads up together to the slower time.