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Buyer's Guide Clarification/Wheel Offsets
Mike Miller's piece, "Buyer's Guide, BMW E34 5 Series" was thankfully a very well done bit of journalism.
As an owner of a 5 Series Bimmer with those dreadful TRX wheels and tires, I commend Mr. Miller for finally explaining the reasoning behind this horror. No BMW dealer, or aftermarket wheel dealer or manufacturer had a clue as to the reasoning when I was searching out replacements. The tires are indeed available but as to why any clear thinking person would sink U.S. $375 per tire to replace his/her TRXs is unfathomable.
For any reader looking to replace his/her bald TRXs do not go through the agony I put myself through--just go directly to your local wheel and tire outfit and pick out your new set of wheels and tires. I put a wheel/tire package on my car for US $700. Michelin and Coker wanted US $1,500 just for the TRX tires--which as Mr. Miller pointed out, suck.
To clarify however, Mr. Miller claimed that E34 7x15-in. 1989-90 wheels are a direct bolt-on replacement for these damn TRXs however, I urge caution for the offset of the E28 wheel is 20mm and the offset for a 1995 E34 wheel is 45mm. The result is that a wheel from a 1995 car will not fit onto a 1982 car as the wheel will come into contact with the strut tower. Perhaps wheels from the model years 1989-90 will fit and not 1991 and newer. Mr. Miller's paragraph just needs a bit of specific clarification.
Brian Toye
via the Internet
Thank you for the kind words, Brian, but what are you trying to do--give me a heart attack? I just looked at every single E34 5 Series wheel in the BMW parts breakdown. None are 45mm offset. All are between 19mm and 22mm, and the overwhelming majority are 20mm offset. I knew this to be true before, from years of looking up this information for BMW drivers who read my work. E34 wheels are direct bolt-on replacements for E28 wheels, up to the 17-in. sizes found on the E34 M5. However, even these can be made to work with fender and quarter panel modifications.
Tranny Conversion
I have a 1993 325is. I'm planning an engine swap with a European-specification E36 M3
3.0-liter S50 engine next year, but first I want to convert the gearbox from automatic to manual. How difficult would this be and approximately how much does the conversion cost? Because I'm doing an engine swap, would this mean the gearbox and other parts I would have to purchase has to match the S50 engine? If so, would it be better to do the engine swap first?
Thy
via the Internet
The gearbox swap is straightforward except for the pedal assembly and interior trim work. I'd recommend a five-speed manual from as late an M3 or 328i as you can find, as this gearbox went though numerous updates. A recently departed donor car would be the most economical way to go about this job. You'll need the driveshaft, too, of course, and upgraded gearbox mounts are strongly recommended. The cheap way out is to use mounts for an E21 3 Series or E3 sedan, but check out the trick mounts sold by UUC Motorwerks (www.uucmotorwerks.com).
You will also need to remove the 3.91 differential this car came with in favor of a 3.15 or 3.23 limited slip unit, which will be far more compatible with the 1:1 fifth gear in your new manual box. |Page 2 |Page 3 |Page 4
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