A complete 1-Series E8x wheel fitment guide

Just because it’s smaller doesn’t mean it’s any less capable. Today we’re talking about wheel and tire fitment on the first generation of BMW 1-Series, also known as the E8x platform.

We’re located in the States, where we only got the E82 (coupe) and E88 (vert), so that’s mostly what you’ll find in this guide. But if you live across the pond you might have one of those 3 or 5-door hatchback models (E81/E87). In this case, you can still take this info and apply it to your car - the fitment is the same. Even the second gen F2X shares similar fitment, although there are a few subtle differences.

Really, the only ones that are left out are those third-gens. Ya know, the ones that are FWD... Basically, you pay the BMW tax to get a VW experience. If this is you, maybe check out our Jetta fitment guide for inspiration… But in all seriousness, fitment guide for the 3rd gen 1er will be dropping soon…maybe.

After that tangent, let’s get back to the matter at hand, the E8x. Before we look at what fits, here are the basics you need to know.

Quick links

• Basic fitment info
• Recommended specs for aftermarket wheels
• Considerations when buying coilovers
• Examples of 1-Series fitment
• 1M fitment

Basic fitment info

• Bolt pattern: 5x120
• Bolt thread: M12x1.5
• Center bore: 72.6mm
• Lug torque: 89 ft-lb

There are a ton of different alloy wheels these cars can come with, they’re Bimmers after all. In stock form, you’ll get staggered wheels, 17 or 18-inch diameter, and 7 to 8.5 inches wide. Offsets will be in the higher 40’s or low 50’s. They weigh about 24 lbs in the front and 26 lbs in the rear.

Recommended aftermarket wheel specs

What specs are common for aftermarket wheels? The go-to size is 18 inches, although 17 and 19 also work well. You’ll want wheels 1-1.5” wider than stock- for example: 8.5 front // 9.5 rear. For flush fitment, offsets will range from +35 to +50, with the rear getting a higher offset.

Note that if you’re looking to apply this info to a F2x, the lug bolts are different. The 2nd gen uses M14x1.25 bolts.

If your considering coilovers...

In these fitment guides, we normally touch on suspension and other mods that accompany fitment. In the case of 1ers, there isn’t a lot of real estate under the front fenders. If you want wide wheels, you have to balance tire-to-spring-perch and tire-to-fender clearance. You can either gain or lose precious space with different types of suspension.

For max clearance, the bottom spring perch needs to be above the tire. The factory suspension, while thick, has pretty decent clearance because it uses relatively short springs. A lot of the track-oriented high-end coilovers will have a longer spring and or use a helper spring resulting in less clearance - KW is a prime example.

Base model springs are around 6.5” (160mm) long. You want your coils to have similar or shorter springs (w/o helper springs). As we can see in the picture, FEAL 441 would be a good choice for clearance. A lot of suspension makers have the option of customizing springs. If your favorite coils come with springs that are too long, normally you can request something different (spring rates and dimensions).

Shop coils for your 1er here

Aftermarket wheels & tires for the 1-Series

Just because they come staggered, doesn’t mean you can’t run a square wheel & tire package. This 128i M-sport is on a square set of BBS Wheels. The only downside to this is 225/40 tires in the rear won’t provide tremendous grip over stock. This might be fine with an inline-4, but if you have a N54-equipped car, better go for some thicker rears.

You might write these off as being too expensive considering they’re BBS, but these SRs are from the ‘Design Line’, a budget-conscious cast line. You can brag to all your buddies about having real wheels while not breaking the bank.

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Here’s another 128i, but this time with staggered. The front wheels are almost identical to the last 128, but with 9mm lower offset. The rear is where things are different; it’s rocking 9.5” wide rears with a +45 offset. The tires are 255/35 in the rear, substantially larger than stock 128i 225/45, but only one size wider than the factory 135i (245/35).

At this ride height, the rear needed a slight roll, but there’s zero rubbing. In the front, there’s slight rubbing, but this is likely because the fenders are unrolled.

The ST XTA Coilovers this car is on have helper springs which are probably why it's running lower offset front wheels. With these types of coils, you’ll need wheels with less backspacing to avoid hitting the front struts.

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You 135i owners are probably asking “What’s the largest tire I can fit in the rear?”. This 2011 135 is running a 265/35R18 in the rear - this is as large as you can comfortably fit on a non-M car. Plan on rolling and possibly slightly pulling the fenders. This car makes it work with only slight rubbing during the most spirited of driving.

“aDvAnS ArE FoR JdM CaRs”. Well, they look cool on Euros too. Plus if every Bimmer had the same BBS’s it would get a little stale, wouldn’t it?

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Here’s another square setup, but this time featuring 17’s. The width and offset are identical to the first square setup we showed, but this one has wider 235/45R17 tires. Despite this, the fenders didn’t need to be rolled - and still no rubbing.

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Now, if you wanted to go for something larger, you could step up to 19’s, as seen on this car. Otherwise, this isn’t unfamiliar territory; the width and offset are typical daily-driver specs that don’t require special work (camber or fender rolling)

This 2009 128i is on KW V3 Coilovers. As we said earlier, these are known to have clearance issues in the front. 8” with a 225 wide tire is as wide as you can go with this type of suspension.

BBS CH-R are a great option for mid-range name brand wheels that look awesome on any Bimmer. They aren’t as cheap as something like the SR, but nor are they as much as an LM.

Shop all BBS CH-R

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As is customary, we have to show one example for you guys that wanna stance your car on air suspension. This one is running a kit from Air Lift Performance. With tight fitment like this you’ll need to roll and possibly pull the fenders. 9.5” would normally be far too wide for the front, but in this case, they’re wrapped in 215/45 tires, which is a fairly aggressive stretch.

For flawless fitment you’ll need fully adjustable arms and camber plates. Expect a lot of trial and error to find the perfect amount of camber. Obviously, performance isn’t the goal here, but the airbag kit allows this car to cruise without any rubbing or scrubbing.

What about the 1M?

All bets are off with the 1M as it has much wider fenders. You can tell just by looking at the factory style 359 wheels:

• 19x9 +31 245/35R19
• 19x10 +25 265/35R19

The whole wheel & tire package is more aggressive. To start, it comes with 19’s. Besides the larger diameter, the wheels have a lower offset, are wider, and wrapped in larger tires to match.

While it’s possible to downsize to 18’s, 17-inch wheels won’t fit the Brembo brakes. Most 1M owners prefer to stay with 19’s, but 18’s are popular among hardcore track enthusiasts.

The OEM fitment is pretty decent so you don’t need to go crazy with the specs of aftermarket wheels. A mild ½” increase in width front and rear with offsets between 20-30 works great. The tires can be sized up to match, 255/35 fronts and 275/35 rears. This will be a direct fit, but if you want to add camber, roll fenders, etc., you could try a 285/30 or 285/35 rear.

Besides the fender being larger, the 1M has a unique issue with rubbing the fender liners in the front. It’s even known to happen with factory 18” winter wheels/tires offered by BMW. It was such a problem that BMW made a revised fender liner and offered warranty replacement. If you wanna run more aggressive specs in front, plan on either getting the liners replaced or doing it yourself if your vehicle isn’t covered - you’ll almost certainly need it with aftermarket wheels.

Fitment Facts
	Front	Rear
Wheels	Forgestar CF5V Deep Concave 19x9 +25	Forgestar CF5V Deep Concave 19x10 +20
Tires	Michelin Pilot Super Sport 255/35R19	Michelin Pilot Super Sport 275/35R19
Notes	Factory suspension. Had mild rubbing until changing to the revised fender liners.

Here is a baby M with some 19” Forgestar wheels. These are very similar to the OE specs. The wheels have slightly lower offsets and the tires are one size wider. The owner reports that the original fender liners were rubbing, but with the updated liners there are zero issues. Case ‘n point: if you’re getting aftermarket wheels, plan on replacing the original fender liners.

Wrap up

Fitment on these cars is a balancing act. Order wheels with too much backspacing, you’ll hit the suspension; order wheels too aggressive, you have to throw camber at it to make them fit. In this guide we focused on wheel & tire setups that will be a direct fit - no fiddling around with spacers or alignment. After all, these cars are pretty well dialed from the factory.

We got wheels for pretty much any scenario, whether you want an OEM+ daily driver, track car, or want to stance it out and flex at your local meet. Once you nail the fitment on your 1er, be sure to upload some pictures to our fitment gallery to help your fellow 1-Series owners.