RE: Mounting 15" Tires on 390mm Wheels

["KOHLBRENNER,MICHAEL (A-Andover,ex1)" <michael_kohlbrenner@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Walter Cruden <cruden@domain.elided>

> eBay seller, "cjboffoli", is currently offering four 390
> OEM BMW alloy wheels in auction Item #561565810.  The
> unusal part is "The tires on them now are 200/60 R15...."
>
> Mounting 390mm tires on 15" rims is not supposed to work
> because the rims are just over 2% too small.  But since
> tires have some stretch, the person who chose to mount the
> slightly smaller tires on the 390mm rims must have reasoned
> it would work.
>
> Do any list members have experience with such an arrangement?

I once heard of a guy at a tire shop that mounted a 13" tire
on a 14" rim.  Scary...

First, you have it reversed in your second paragraph --
supposedly they are 15" tires on 390mm wheels.  Either way, I
wouldn't want to be anywhere near such a thing at any speed.

Second, I know of no modern tire that comes in a 200 width
other than the TRX tires.  I've been wrong before, so I might
be now, also, but my guess is that this person got it wrong
and the tires are really 200/60/390 which is the standard
size that came on the 535i.

Finally, the person auctioning these really must not have a
clue -- (s)he states: "Apparently these wheels are hard to find."
Perhaps if they are in pristine condition, but you can hardly
give these useless wheels away these days since the tires are
essentially no longer available and even if they were, they
are ridiculously expensive.  (See my other post...)  At a current
bid of $50, the "very low reserve" has not yet been met.  These
things should not even have a reserve.  (S)he should be thankful
that someone would even be willing to pay shipping to take them
off his/her hands.  Now, if they are truly TRX _TIRES_ on those
wheels, _THAT_ is where the value is...

Anyone want a set of 390 TRX wheels in fair-to-poor condition
with nearly bald TRX M&S tires mounted?  As an added bonus,
the rubber in these tires is so old that driving in the rain
is a religious experience.  Yours free for the taking!

Any interest?   I didn't think so...

Regards,
Mike Kohlbrenner
'88 535is (currently shod with 15" Michelin Arctic Alpin snows
           for our New England winter and a set of 16" alloys
           awaiting springtime mounting...)

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