Style 214 - Square Setup Query

[EarlOfEasycore]

Good afternoon all,

New member here and I've got to say that these forums have proven very useful in informing me on my recent acquisition; 2011 LCI 40d

.

It won't be my first BMW, since the missus is currently running a Mini Countryman. The E70 will be our weekend car for going away as a family into Wales.

Nevertheless, it seems that one big gripe is the long running debate about whether to run RFTs or non run flats. Having a staggered setup with style 214 alloys ultimately restricts my tyre choices somewhat, not to mentioning opening a can of worms with the "do I run star OEM approved tyres or not".

I've seen and read on other forums of folk successfully putting 11J rear tyres on the front of their E70s. My question is, has anybody considered running 10" fronts for their rear to run a square set-up. If my calculations are right, I'd need a 15mm spacer to get the track to within 1mm of the original setup. I'm planning to run all season tyres (Michelin Cross Climate 2 or Vredstein Ultracs) and leave home with a compressor and lots of sealant due to the type of riding and wet and hilly conditions we have out west. I'm not fussed with the 315 width rear to begin with.

If the E70 came stock with a square setup on 18" and knowing that 19" winter setups come as a square, is there any risk in applying the same logic to the 20", albeit with 10" rear.

Again, a greater selection of tyre choices is my motive for doing this, noting that the initial outlay (used 214 fronts and spacers) and all 4 tyres is slightly more expensive than if I were to just swap out all 4 of my staggered tyres.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

[sapphireblack]

This subject is a bit of a BMW own goal, or shooting oneself in the foot imo

Fitting 10" front rims to the rear axle with spacers is a good compromise and maintains the square set up scenario clearly endorsed by BMW..

Finding a pair of front rims could be the biggest challenge, unless you buy a full set for the two you want

[EarlOfEasycore]

I've seen individual 214 10" on ebay that looks in reasonable condition, i.e. not buckled or damaged. Curbing doesn't bother me since I've got some Silbergrau spraypaint left over from when I did a touch up.

I've never been a fan of staggered setups in the first instance. When I was younger, I might have been allured by the fact that you've got 315 rears, but upon realising that this isn't Forza Horizon and that you don't need or want that much rolling resistance at the rear, I thought I'd entertain the thought of 20" square setups.

Thanks for your input!

[sapphireblack]

Patience is a virtue, I dont doubt you'll find a front pair in due course. As to DIY refurbs, I've never been happy with my own efforts and heavily marked lips need weld filling and/or machining. Good luck with the proposed changes though.

I went a different route for winter tyres using BMW approved Pirelli 285-40-20 all round as used on the later F models, it stretches the rear a bit on an 11" rim over the factory 10.5" but it works well enough.

FWIW, I wouldn't contemplate 11" as fronts, that's a lot more mass on the steering, wind resistance and more. Narrower rears has got to be better than wider fronts.