[jad03060]

The OEM sizes all have essentially the same OD, so other than aesthetics, and personal preferences, and the proper air pressure, the vehicle doesn't care as the gearing, speedometer, and odometer readouts will remain the same. So, given what brake and rotor set you have, if the OEM wheel fits, it's not an issue. It's when you go outside of the OEM choices that you COULD have an issue with fit or function.

[08bonnie]

Appreciate all the replies, very helpful. I'm in Florida and the roads are good. Having put some more miles on it I'm coming around to the ride quality. Initially felt is was harsh because it's very different to my Jeep, but I take most of that back. I'm thinking two things; The 20's w the square setup will be more practical for the long term even if the 22's look better. The cost of the offset tires isn't something I want to deal with in the long term, mostly because I don't drive it the way that does that setup justice. And the extra sidewall of the tires on the 20's will attract less road rash. So I think I'll keep it stock until the tires need changing. At that point I'll decide if this one is a keeper for the longer term and if so, I'll make the switch to the 20's.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by 08bonnie

Appreciate all the replies, very helpful. I'm in Florida and the roads are good. Having put some more miles on it I'm coming around to the ride quality. Initially felt is was harsh because it's very different to my Jeep, but I take most of that back. I'm thinking two things; The 20's w the square setup will be more practical for the long term even if the 22's look better. The cost of the offset tires isn't something I want to deal with in the long term, mostly because I don't drive it the way that does that setup justice. And the extra sidewall of the tires on the 20's will attract less road rash. So I think I'll keep it stock until the tires need changing. At that point I'll decide if this one is a keeper for the longer term and if so, I'll make the switch to the 20's.

Smart play for sure.

[NYCX5M50i]

just change your wheel/tire setup in the system.
I have a x5 m50i on the 22" wheel with MSS coil overs and rides nice. I also have the 20" run flats and to be honest I think it rides similar in the stiffness category.

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by jad03060

Ride is very subjective. The taller the sidewall, the more opportunity for it to act as a 'spring' and shock absorber. Depends on what you want. Personally, I don't obsess over what my vehicles look like, and look more for function that matches my desires. Whatever your priorities are, there will be tradeoffs. Mine is usually parked in the garage, and the only time I look at it is when walking up to it outside...can't see the tires or wheels while driving, and I could care less about what others might think.

Again, personal priorities...whatever makes you happy, but weigh the consequences. Air suspension can help with those sharper impacts, but again, come with consequences.

Totally agreed. Something not mentioned yet is the extra rotating mass of larger/heavier wheels. I'd be surprised if there was a measurable increase in handling by going from 20 > 22, but there would definitely be a difference in ride and feel.

[aussieintexas]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

Totally agreed. Something not mentioned yet is the extra rotating mass of larger/heavier wheels. I'd be surprised if there was a measurable increase in handling by going from 20 > 22, but there would definitely be a difference in ride and feel.

It’s unsprung weight so should not have too big an impact 🍿

[eelnoraa]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

Totally agreed. Something not mentioned yet is the extra rotating mass of larger/heavier wheels. I'd be surprised if there was a measurable increase in handling by going from 20 > 22, but there would definitely be a difference in ride and feel.

Improvement in handling come from less deform (jello effect) from tire. Contact patch is more flat with ground, less likely to onto the edge. Car is more consistent and more predictable. A good quality wheel, maybe larger, may not be heavier either.

[eelnoraa]

Originally Posted by aussieintexas

It’s unsprung weight so should not have too big an impact 🍿

Lb for lb, Unsprung weight has much bigger impact than spring weight. But why do we even assume 22” is heavier to be begin with? More wheel but less tire. From the look, I would even guess 22”x9.5 is lighter than 19”x9. But just purely guess. Unsprung weight per drive corner is 40-50kg range. If even if 22” is a few lb heavier, percentage wise is small.

[aussieintexas]

Originally Posted by eelnoraa

Lb for lb, Unsprung weight has much bigger impact than spring weight. But why do we even assume 22” is heavier to be fine with? More wheel buy less tire. From the look, I would even guess 22”x9.5 is lighter than 19”x9. But just purely guess. Unsprung weight per drive corner is 40-50kg range. If even if 22” is a few on heavier, percentage wise is small.

Oh yeh - I had it backwards - it’s been a few years since I thought about unsprung vs. sprung weight 😂

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by eelnoraa

Improvement in handling come from less deform (jello effect) from tire. Contact patch is more flat with ground, less likely to onto the edge. Car is more consistent and more predictable. A good quality wheel, maybe larger, may not be heavier either.

I mean, we're discussing OEM aluminum wheels, not forged or CF or anything exotic, so bigger = more weight. This thread suggests the 22" 742M wheels are about 33 lbs each, which sounds about right.

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1757705

I doubt the 20" models with the same MOC are going to weigh more.

[eelnoraa]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

I mean, we're discussing OEM aluminum wheels, not forged or CF or anything exotic, so bigger = more weight. This thread suggests the 22" 742M wheels are about 33 lbs each, which sounds about right.

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1757705

I doubt the 20" models with the same MOC are going to weigh more.

I think some of the paid option wheels are light weight forged. But it is wheel + tire, right? bigger wheel in diameters, smaller side wall tires. I wonder what is the total difference between OEM 275/45R20 vs 275/40R21 vs 275/35R22.

[cobramite]

This is a very good Road and Track article on this subject:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...ght-explained/
Point being that the wheel diameter does not always determine ride quality. Range Rover makes a 23" feel "plush".

[915M]

I had 21" with RFT so ride should be similar to 22" with non-RTF. Of course air suspension make difference compare to M60. Currently running 19" with RFT for winter.

Ride quality of 21" itself was pretty good and I think it was more quiet than 19" tires.

But what I did not like about 21" is how it reacts to medium to big pot holes. Hitting pot holes in NYC makes me think suspension will break prematurely. With 19" I feel it much less.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by 915M

I had 21" with RFT so ride should be similar to 22" with non-RTF. Of course air suspension make difference compare to M60. Currently running 19" with RFT for winter.

Ride quality of 21" itself was pretty good and I think it was more quiet than 19" tires.

But what I did not like about 21" is how it reacts to medium to big pot holes. Hitting pot holes in NYC makes me think suspension will break prematurely. With 19" I feel it much less.

I had 21s on M50i and the ride was very good. Have 22s on current M60i and can feel no difference at all.

[roamio]

Originally Posted by cobramite

This is a very good Road and Track article on this subject:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...ght-explained/
Point being that the wheel diameter does not always determine ride quality. Range Rover makes a 23" feel "plush".

Very good article to show to internet warriors who know everything.

[jad03060]

Note in that R&T article, the OD between the 22 and 23" wheels, instead of the tire's OD being the same, it's 1.3" taller...so, a little more sidewall because of the change in tire/wheel combination. It's not just the aspect ratio, it's the width in combination that gives you the OD. Note, one or the other is incorrect...the diagram says one thing, the text says another. When I run the numbers, it appears to me that the diagram's dimensions are correct when rounded off to the nearest 0.1".

So, in this case, the larger wheel has a taller sidewall, so has the potential to ride better. That is not the case with BMW OEM sizes which are all the same OD, so as you go up in wheel options, your sidewall height decreases.

A real comparison would have had the OD of the tire/wheel assembly the same and then you'd likely feel a difference in the ride.

[matowi]

There’s also the impact of different compounds and tire structural build that has to be factored in. OEM-marked (the star sign on tire sidewall) tires will typically be runflats (stiffer) for lower diameter rims (21” and below). While the 22” will be non-runflat, hence a bit less stiff. That should offset the negative impact of lower side wall and keep things on a similar level, despite having less rubber with a larger rim

In fact the switch from 20” to 21” (both run flat) should be more noticeable than the switch from 21” (rft) to 22” (non-rft)

[Cityman]

Originally Posted by 08bonnie

Picked up a barely used m60 in Nardo Grey w 22" M Double Spoke wheels. Amazing machine but even in Comfort mode, I do find it pretty harsh going over anything other than smooth pavement. Granted, I am coming from a Jeep Rubicon which just basically ignore speed bumps, pot holes or any other road irregularity. The m60 is much more smooth and quiet on tarmac but I'm trying to get some more compliance over uneven pavement. Has anyone gone from the 22's to the factory 20's with the All Season run flats? Does the taller sidewall of those tires add compliance / smoother ride over uneven surfaces? If it does, are there any special considerations switching from one to the other or is it as simple as a direct swap. TIA

Do you have the two-axle air suspension option? That makes a big difference with the 22’s.

[Vak331]

Originally Posted by matowi

There’s also the impact of different compounds and tire structural build that has to be factored in. OEM-marked (the star sign on tire sidewall) tires will typically be runflats (stiffer) for lower diameter rims (21” and below). While the 22” will be non-runflat, hence a bit less stiff. That should offset the negative impact of lower side wall and keep things on a similar level, despite having less rubber with a larger rim

In fact the switch from 20” to 21” (both run flat) should be more noticeable than the switch from 21” (rft) to 22” (non-rft)

I went with the OEM 21" winter set since no US dealer wanted to guarantee the 20" winter set for the M60i per their BMW official ordering system. 3 different dealers in two states confirmed the same thing after entering in the VIN. Coincidently, no dealer had the 20s in stock at the end of Oct; one dealer claimed they were never available with the refreshed part number for LCIs - same design different TPMS what I was told.

I went with what they all claimed since I have had issues with the vehicle from new and do not want any warranty problems down the line (vehicle often holds revs downshifting in low gears in stop and go traffic among other drive quirks). Took it twice to two dealers. First one claimed they reached out to BMW after scanning the vehicle for faults and the official BMW reasoning was to ignore those and that it's the 48v system which I am feeling. It makes no sense since I have a '21 X7 with the mild hybrid system and never experienced such a problem. The other dealer told me not to use Auto hold - it would be funny if the vehicle did not cost this much. I have to sort it out but I haven't had the time for it. Noticed it around 300 miles.

The difference between the stock non-RFT Continental tires on 22" rims and the RFT Pirelli 21" tires is night and day. It's a winter performance tire but really it performs as an all season one. The 21" run flats are stiffer and the overall ride is much harsher. As soon as the temperatures go above 45 F (hoping next month) I will be switching back to the stock non-RFT 22s. Quite a noticeable difference in comfort. I will avoid run flats at all costs from now on.

[TN2SC2020]

I have 22" wheels and Adaptive M Suspension Pro and have ZERO complaints with ride comfort. I think it's the perfect balance between luxury and sport.

[spoodle]

Originally Posted by TN2SC2020

I have 22" wheels and Adaptive M Suspension Pro and have ZERO complaints with ride comfort. I think it's the perfect balance between luxury and sport.

Me too and ditto. Awesome ride.

[aussieintexas]

Just adding my 2 cents in. Just picked up my M60 tonight and travelled the same route home as in my X3MC and in my wife’s 45e.
So impressed with the comfort of the ride on the same crappy roads I always take - with M60 Adaptive Pro on ‘21s with Hancook RF 21’s. Better than I had expected.