Wheel width makes a difference?

safeuse · 03-06-2023, 09:59 AM

Im looking to get a new set of wheels for my F82 M4, I talked to some people and they told me that the difference between a 10" and 11" in the back is negligible.

Is that true? I'm not really looking to track my car too often maybe once every few months but I street drive it a lot and REALLLY struggle to get traction.

I was thinking getting 19x10 in the front and 19x11 in the back would do the trick, with MPS4S all around.

Sorry if this has been asking before I took a look around the forums and couldn't find a straight answer.

MineralWhiteF80 · 03-06-2023, 11:12 AM

before someone can argue that the difference between a 10" and 11" wheel is negligible, you first have to define what tire widths you want to run.

The purpose of the wheel's width is to properly support a certain range of tire widths and the tire sidewall properly. A tire that is too wide or too narrow for the wheel that it is mounted on will give you subpar (and sometimes dangerous) results.

Getting traction on a race track is typically a different discussion than getting traction on the street. On the track, tires get significantly hotter and stickier, and that allows you get away with a narrower tire than you think you might need. Conversely, trying to get traction on the street is always more difficult and you will want the widest tire possible because the tires don't get hot enough to provide their maximum amount of traction that they could be capable of. It gets more confusing when people buy 'sticky track tires' for the street, but find they spin easier than an actual street tire because the track tires cant get into their ideal temperature range, whereas a street tire actually gets up to its temperature range and can provide more traction when 'cold'.

I think the 10" front, 275/30/19 tire and 11" rear, 305/30/19 tire is generally a favorite street/track combination for someone that has a street car but enjoys a couple fun "slow to moderate speed" track days where the goal is have fun but not out there chasing tenths and driving the car to the extreme.

There are so many ways to do it, there is no one perfect answer.

valenciaga_m4 · 03-27-2023, 05:18 AM

I am running 19x10 in the front with Michelin PS4S 275/30/19 and the tire is pretty stretched compared to the 305/30/19 in the rear on 19x11.5.

I recommend you to go 19x9.5 front to make the front and the rear look almost equal if you wanna stay with 275/30/19 front.
The 305/30/19 in the rear is also stretched a little bit on my 19x11.5 so you could also run 19x11 in the rear then.
Less weight and the tire can work better with less stretch.

03-06-2023, 09:59 AM	#1
safeuse Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2024 M3 Comp, 2016 M4 Join Date: Mar 2023 Location: Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0)	Wheel width makes a difference? Im looking to get a new set of wheels for my F82 M4, I talked to some people and they told me that the difference between a 10" and 11" in the back is negligible. Is that true? I'm not really looking to track my car too often maybe once every few months but I street drive it a lot and REALLLY struggle to get traction. I was thinking getting 19x10 in the front and 19x11 in the back would do the trick, with MPS4S all around. Sorry if this has been asking before I took a look around the forums and couldn't find a straight answer.
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03-06-2023, 11:12 AM	#2
MineralWhiteF80 Dont listen to me 793 Rep 562 Posts Drives: F82, E92 M3, G30 M550i, E46 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Atlanta,Ga iTrader: (1)	before someone can argue that the difference between a 10" and 11" wheel is negligible, you first have to define what tire widths you want to run. The purpose of the wheel's width is to properly support a certain range of tire widths and the tire sidewall properly. A tire that is too wide or too narrow for the wheel that it is mounted on will give you subpar (and sometimes dangerous) results. Getting traction on a race track is typically a different discussion than getting traction on the street. On the track, tires get significantly hotter and stickier, and that allows you get away with a narrower tire than you think you might need. Conversely, trying to get traction on the street is always more difficult and you will want the widest tire possible because the tires don't get hot enough to provide their maximum amount of traction that they could be capable of. It gets more confusing when people buy 'sticky track tires' for the street, but find they spin easier than an actual street tire because the track tires cant get into their ideal temperature range, whereas a street tire actually gets up to its temperature range and can provide more traction when 'cold'. I think the 10" front, 275/30/19 tire and 11" rear, 305/30/19 tire is generally a favorite street/track combination for someone that has a street car but enjoys a couple fun "slow to moderate speed" track days where the goal is have fun but not out there chasing tenths and driving the car to the extreme. There are so many ways to do it, there is no one perfect answer.
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03-27-2023, 05:18 AM	#3
valenciaga_m4 New Member 18 Rep 21 Posts Drives: BMW M4 F82 Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Germany iTrader: (0)	I am running 19x10 in the front with Michelin PS4S 275/30/19 and the tire is pretty stretched compared to the 305/30/19 in the rear on 19x11.5. I recommend you to go 19x9.5 front to make the front and the rear look almost equal if you wanna stay with 275/30/19 front. The 305/30/19 in the rear is also stretched a little bit on my 19x11.5 so you could also run 19x11 in the rear then. Less weight and the tire can work better with less stretch.
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