TRX Upgrade - what are the best wheel options for M635?

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altheboy

TRX Upgrade - what are the best wheel options for M635?

Post by altheboy »

Hello all

I would like to upgrade the wheels on my 1989 M625 to get it off the Micheline TRX rubber and onto something more contemporary, so that a) the rubber is easier to get hold of and b) is cheaper to replace than the Micheline which is £350 a corner with a three month waiting list for delivery.

I've been in touch with HR Owen who say they can install either 15" or 16" wheels in the style of the originals. They recommend the 15s.

They look OK in the pics but I'm concerned that 15" is too small to sit elegantly on the car and would negatively affect the handling. Would it also mean the speedo would need to be reconfigured?

Classic Heroes sell a great looking set of staggered BBS:

http://www.classicheroes.co.uk/news/214 ... split-rims

I think these look great - is anybody running these on their M635? what rubber do you use?

I'm looking for any advice on the best wheel and tyre upgrades away from the TRX. I'm based in London so any tips on where to go in this neck of the wood are most welcome.

Thanks

Al
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Post by GripGreg »

This is pure speculation because I haven't talked to anyone there but,
my thought is they recommend 15" is because they have too many in stock?
It's become much easier to buy 16" rubber lately compared to 15".
Do a google search to find out for yourself.

As for changing the speedo, it depends on the size of the tire & wheel dimension combined.
Good luck,,,,Greg
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wattsmonkey
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Post by wattsmonkey »

You'll find endless threads re wheels on here.

Did you know that the M635 had incredibly cool split rims in RS007 flavour as o.e. before they were all recalled for leaking air? Do a search and you'll find Ron's set. Beautiful.

The wheel which most readily apes this look is the Style 5 from an E39 in 17" size. You would be looking for approx. £600 for a decent set. Have a look on forum.bmw5 as well as ebay: someone's always selling a set.

For me, and for my M635, I'll be fitting 16" staggered Hartges, although 16" BBS RS would be my ideal! I'm not a fan of 17" wheels on these cars, but I am in the minority with this view.

Have fun, and please post some pictures of your car!

Rob
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Post by ron »

They are ALWAYS rustier than you thought!!!!!!
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Post by GazM3 »

The 415mm OEM size you would either go for 16" for the more classic look or 17" for the more contemporary look. I have the BBS rs in 17" and the ride is fine. It doesn't make the suspension harsh and they are a very light wheel so you don't load up the bushes too much. I guess if u go wider than OEM like I did it's not a bad idea to upgrade the bushes to cope.

Good luck. The m635 on moden high performance rubber is a beautiful thing. Standing start grip is very much superior to the point u can use full throttle in first gear
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Tires and rims for M635

Post by Pat_M635csi »

I recently swapped out the trx bbs wheels and tires on my 85 m635. I went with the 17" style 5's off of an e39 w/sport package. Shod with Extreme Contact Conti 225/45-17's they run great and are pretty quiet. Because I upgraded the brakes to an e31 Brembo set up I needed 10mm spacers up front for a bit more clearance.
Last edited by Pat_M635csi on Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ron
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Post by ron »

They are ALWAYS rustier than you thought!!!!!!
'85 M #228
'87 M #367
'88 High line.
'10 X5
‘84 Alfasud 1.5 ti
ron
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Post by ron »

They are ALWAYS rustier than you thought!!!!!!
'85 M #228
'87 M #367
'88 High line.
'10 X5
‘84 Alfasud 1.5 ti
cornershop
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Post by cornershop »

I'll be sticking some staggered 8.5 & 9.5/17 alpinas on eBay shortly as I've no idea what they're worth. Ideally need a refurb, but come with decent falken 235/45 and 255/40 rubber

Shirish
altheboy

Post by altheboy »

Thanks for the replies and links chaps. Sorry for the lack of follow up, I was in the middle of moving house. Anyway, clearly there's a lot to think about.

I would like something that looks as close to the original as possible. Probably 16s or 17s (I'm thinking the bigger wheels might be the way to go to permit a break upgrade as well at some stage).

Anyway, here's a pic from a few weeks ago. Looking good as the sun goes down.
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Pod
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Post by Pod »

Welcome. Good to see another M635CSi owner in my neck of the woods :D
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Brucey
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Post by Brucey »

FWIW the sidewall height of the 415 fitment is exactly the same as a typical 16" rim; although the 415 seat is bigger dia, the lips are smaller on the TRX metric rim, making the sidewall height the same.

I'm on 17" rims at present and it isn't too bad, but 16" ones are definitely more comfy on our crappy roads.

If you use your car all year round, it isn't a bad idea to have a set of wheels that will survive daily use and another that is good for summertime use.

cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Post by Noct »

altheboy wrote:Thanks for the replies and links chaps. Sorry for the lack of follow up, I was in the middle of moving house. Anyway, clearly there's a lot to think about.

I would like something that looks as close to the original as possible. Probably 16s or 17s (I'm thinking the bigger wheels might be the way to go to permit a break upgrade as well at some stage).

Anyway, here's a pic from a few weeks ago. Looking good as the sun goes down.
That is an awesome pic man. I feel bad I've been remiss in photographing my babies, but sadly they haven't been in good enough shape really.
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Post by wattsmonkey »

altheboy wrote:Probably 16s or 17s (I'm thinking the bigger wheels might be the way to go to permit a break upgrade as well at some stage).
Cool pic!

re 16s or 17s, I had to sell my Alpina 16" rims because Brembos would not fit under the rim. Out of personal preference having tried three different 17" rims, I'm sticking with 16".

Hartge 16"s do the job just right, though!
"Most of it necessary; all of it enjoyable." LJKS
'84 635CSi, dogleg...itbs and supercharger????? Eaton Mess
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Post by jacko »

For a "driver", I like having identical wheels on all four corners. Staggered offsets look nice, but I prefer the flexibility of rotating tires and dealing with flats.... especially with a LSD.
Jack
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