19X9.5 ET22 or 19X10 ET25

[RElias21]

All,

I’ve had my sights set on the Apex VS-5RS wheels for my F80 for a while, and being November, I’m hoping that there may be sale coming up soon.

I’m set on going with 19” and I’m set on the 19X11 ET44 for the rear.

As for the front, I’m torn between the 19X9.5 ET 22 option and the 19X10 ET 25 option.
I’ve been reaching out to some of you here for advice, and I’m very appreciative of your input!
I figured I would open up this query to all, in case it will also help others.

A few points particular to my use/goals:
(1) This will be a street setup, and not a track setup.
(2) I’m on stock steel brakes (if that matters).
(3) I am lowered on MP-HAS, which I’m aware may need a spacer if I go with 19X10. I do plan on switching over to coilovers in the future, but my understanding is that MP-HAS is one of the fatter springs to fit with, so anything else should provide more clearance and not less.
(4) One of the main reasons I want wider wheels, is for an aggressive flush look. To provide some reference, I have been running an 18mm spacer up front and a 15mm spacer in the back with the 666s I had and with the 763s I had. I may even end up with a small spacer in the rear if I don’t feel that the 19X11s are flush enough. So, if my 19X9.5 or 19X10 in the front are not flush enough without spacers (assuming no other fitment issues), I would be adding a spacer regardless to make sure it’s perfectly flush.
(5) I love the concavity of the wheels.

I’m interested to hear opinions on why you would select the 9.5 or the 10.
Of course, if you also have photos of your setup, that would be great.

Of note, I was communicating with Apex about this, and was informed that “for modern BMWs you do not want to run any spacers in the 6mm-11mm range, this makes things a bit difficult if the 5mm spacer is not quite enough if you opted for the 10" wheel.”
I have never heard this before. Can anyone confirm/deny and/or explain why?


TIA!

[MineralWhiteF80]

Yo! Just adding a couple things in blue text to your questions/comments:

Also, I have to wrench on the cars today so maybe Ill snap some pics of a front 10" +25 with 275 tire flushness vs a 9.5 +22 with and without a 5 mm spacer.

(3) I do plan on switching over to coilovers in the future, but my understanding is that MP-HAS is one of the fatter springs to fit with, so anything else should provide more clearance and not less. You are correct.

(4) One of the main reasons I want wider wheels, is for an aggressive flush look. "Perfectly flush" has nothing to do with wheel width and everything to do with the correct wheel OFFSET. You could have a 5" wide wheel up front that has a -38 mm offset and it would be the same 'flushness' as a 10" +25 offset wheel.

So, if my 19X9.5 or 19X10 in the front are not flush enough without spacers (assuming no other fitment issues), I would be adding a spacer regardless to make sure it’s perfectly flush. A 10" +25 wheel with MP-HAS will likely require a 3 to 5 mm spacer up front depending on several things like tire brand/width, ride height, etc. with a 275mm wide tire. A 9.5" +22 with 275mm tire will not require a spacer and will be extremely close if not perfectly flush for you depending on your ride height and amount of camber.

(5) I love the concavity of the wheels. Concavity is not as cut and dry as "a wider wheel has more concavity." It is most important to look at the wheel manufacturer's diagram of side profile to see the actual concavity of each size, because there are some wheels that have LESS concavity for the wider size option. It is a balance between the design/shape of the wheel spoke and the wheel width/offset to get the wheel lip the proper distance to the fender edge. Example:https://www.rayswheels.co.jp/DB/whee.../TE37SL-17.jpg

Of note, I was communicating with Apex about this, and was informed that “for modern BMWs you do not want to run any spacers in the 6mm-11mm range, this makes things a bit difficult if the 5mm spacer is not quite enough if you opted for the 10" wheel.”
I have never heard this before. Can anyone confirm/deny and/or explain why? It is because MOST spacers thicker than 5mm but thinner than 12.5 mm do not have a 72.6mm hub lip built into the spacer for the wheel center bore to rest on like the lip that is on the wheel bearing hub itself. Many BMWs wheel bearing lip sticks out more than 10mm but less than 13mm. Some spacers thinner than 12.5mm that have a hubcentric protruding lip will not fit flush to the wheel hub flat surface. Also, this means that the weight of the car is resting on the wheel bolts or wheel studs and NOT the wheel hub lip itself. It is best for the wheel to be resting and centering on the wheel bearing hub lip with the lug bolts/studs clamping the wheel to the wheel bearing. There are some 10 mm spacers with a hub lip machined in, but they also might not fit into the wheel hub bore on some brand/model of wheels. I have a set of 10mm Motorsport Hardware TrackLite spacers with the hub lip. They fit my 19" TE37SL but not my 18" TE37SL
10mm spacer without hub lip= https://motorsporthardware.com/produ...2-6cb-spacers/
10mm spacer WITH hub lip= https://motorsporthardware.com/produ...2-6cb-spacers/
EDIT: there are some cases where people will grind down the protruding lip on their wheel hubs to make them stick out less so that a certain thickness spacer with a protruding hub lip will fit flush against the wheel hub.

[RElias21]

Originally Posted by MineralWhiteF80

Also, I have to wrench on the cars today so maybe Ill snap some pics of a front 10" +25 with 275 tire flushness vs a 9.5 +22 with and without a 5 mm spacer.

Thank you very much, as always.
This would be super helpful!

[MineralWhiteF80]

Originally Posted by RElias21

Thank you very much, as always.
This would be super helpful!

Here is a video so you can actually see how flush things are and is much more telling than pictures. You may need to click “full screen” to see the whole video frame since it’s taken vertically. also choose the 1080P option

also, a 265mm and 275mm PS4S tire is only 0.2 inches difference total (0.1” per side), so my tire position is extremely close your desired 275mm size.

https://youtu.be/mD3QE-8an6U?si=dMbwv1tMbagpSZxr

[RElias21]

[QUOTE=MineralWhiteF80;30635851]Here is a video so you can actually see how flush things are and is much more telling than pictures. You may need to click “full screen” to see the whole video frame since it’s taken vertically.

also, a 265mm and 275mm PS4S tire is only 0.2 inches difference total (0.1” per side), so my tire position is extremely close your desired 275mm size.


This is so great. Thank you so much.
Do you have camber plates on, or is this without any camber plates?

Thanks again!

[MineralWhiteF80]

[QUOTE=RElias21;30635865]

Originally Posted by MineralWhiteF80

This is so great. Thank you so much.
Do you have camber plates on, or is this without any camber plates?

Thanks again!

My camber is set at -2.0 in that video, and stock is -1.75, so very very similar appearance. I have Vorshlag plates and love them.

[aps]

Originally Posted by MineralWhiteF80

Here is a video so you can actually see how flush things are and is much more telling than pictures. You may need to click “full screen” to see the whole video frame since it’s taken vertically. also choose the 1080P option

also, a 265mm and 275mm PS4S tire is only 0.2 inches difference total (0.1” per side), so my tire position is extremely close your desired 275mm size.

https://youtu.be/mD3QE-8an6U?si=dMbwv1tMbagpSZxr

I've had very similar questions as OP between the 9.5" and 10" wheels for the front, so thanks very much for this video! Super helpful