will e46 wheels fit e90

Will E46 Wheels Fit E90?Find Out Here!

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Over the years, BMW has been known to produce top-notch vehicles loved by so many around the world, and because some of these vehicles tend to be similar in shape and design, some people have always asked “will E46 wheels fit E90?”

The simple answer to this question is YES, E46 wheels will fit E90 wheels, however, you have to note that the wheel won’t stick out as much as you would like. So, depending on your preference, you can choose to go for it.

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How to switch the wheels on a BMW E90 vehicle?

Normally, I would suggest you seek the services of a professional car mechanic if you intend to change your wheel for the first time, however, if you hope to save some bucks from the entire charade, below are safe steps to guide you through changing your BMW E90 wheel to an E46 wheel. 

Materials needed

You’ll need the following;

Step 1

Ensure the car is parked on a flat surface

A flat surface is key to the success of this enterprise. Your garage would be the best place to get this done, however, if an emergency occurs on the highway, move to the shoulder of the road and ensure it is very flat before you turn on your hazard lights to warn oncoming drivers of your current situation and position.

Step 2

Set your parking brakes and choke your tires

You don’t want to end up like them, set your parking brake and choke your front and rare wheels whether you are in the garage or parked on the side of a highway. Choking your tires will prevent your car from rolling on its own and causing more damage.

Step 3

Remove the hub cap of your tire

Take off the hub cap – the plate-like frame that adds beauty to your tire – from the wheel you want to change so it doesn’t come in the way of your venture, then proceed to keep it somewhere safe. You can choose to keep it in your trunk or inside your vehicle. Use a flat screwdriver if you aren’t sure of what to use to get it done.

Step 4

Loosen the wheel nuts from the tire

Some experts say this is the toughest part of changing a wheel and I tend to agree. This is because wheel nuts can be very tough to loosen especially if you haven’t worked on the said tire for a very long time.

Regardless, use your lug-nut wrench tool and fit it into the wheel of your BMW E46 wheel, and carefully turn the wrench in a clockwise direction. Be sure the wrench tool fits perfectly on the nut so that you don’t wear out the nut in the process.

Do this for all the nuts on the wheel. Don’t take off the nuts when they are loosened, leave them in place before jacking your vehicle so that they don’t roll off on their own when the tire leaves the ground.

Step 5

Jack up your vehicle

Locate the jack points on your BMW E46 before getting your jack ready for use. Ensure you use only the jack points prescribed by BMW so you don’t void your insurance.

After locating the spot underneath the vehicle, ensure the ground underneath is sturdy enough to hold the jack in place, and if not, use a flat plank to provide more stability by placing your jack on it. Using a car jack (bottle jack preferably), jack up the vehicle until it is high enough to remove the old wheel and wide enough to fit in the new wheel.

Step 6

Set your jack stand(s) in position

One jack stand is enough if you want to change only one wheel. Set your jack stand to the height established by the jack before releasing the jack whilst the car gently rests on the jack stand. At this point, remove the lug nut from the tire and place them somewhere safe – preferably in a piece of clothing – so you don’t lose anyone. 

Step 7

Remove the E90 wheel and replace it with the E46 wheel

With the lug nuts out, you can now gently remove the E90 wheel from the car. Get your E46 wheel and gently match the holes on the exposed studs – they will fit in just fine.

Once the E46 wheel is properly seated, get your lug nut from the cloth or towel you put them in and carefully fit them into their positions. Use your hand to take them in all the way before you use your lug-nut wrench to complete the job.

Remember how tight they were before you got them off? You will need the same energy on this one. It doesn’t have to be too tight at the initial stage since the car is still in the air, it should just be tight enough so that you don’t have the tire moving on its own.

Step 8

Bring the car to its resting position which is the ground

Once they are tight enough, set your jack on its required position and ensure you jack your vehicle away from the jack stand before removing the jack stand. Then, gently release the valve of your jack until the car finally touches the ground before you can safely remove the jack from underneath your vehicle. 

With the tire chokes still in place, tighten the lug nut once more and ensure they are tight enough not to come off while driving. If you are someone with lots of muscles, you might want to know when to stop so that you don’t wear out the thread of the nut or even break the nut in the process.

You’ll notice that the E46 wheel fits your E90 BMW with the only slight difference being that it doesn’t stick out like the other wheels present in your car.    

How to maintain your E90 wheels?

For the sake of using your car wheel for the said car and not the other way round, you have to have a good maintenance culture on your BMW vehicle wheels and I hope the steps listed below will help you achieve just that.

Rotate your tires

Uneven wear and tear in tires are common in cars due to their wheel design – two or four-wheel drives. Two-wheel drive vehicles will wear out faster than four-wheel drives, however, experts will always advise you to rotate your tires every 5000-miles. Rotating the tires will not only make your tires last longer but will also ensure your ride is more comfortable than it normally would if there aren’t rotated frequently enough. 

You should also note that your rare tires will wear out more quickly than the front so do well to check them more often.   

Check your tire pressure regularly

Even if you don’t drive often, your tire pressure could reduce or increase depending on the climate – a cold climate reduces the pressure while a hotter climate increases the pressure. That’s why you need to regularly check the pressure of your tires to ensure they don’t fall below the recommended PSI. Using tires below the recommended PSI could damage the thread of the tire thereby reducing its lifespan. It also increases the risk of a blowout which is a nightmare for any driver out there.

Balance your wheels regularly

The time you use in rotating your tires can also be used to balance your wheels. Balancing your wheels helps in reducing or even eliminating vibrations and uneven tire wear. To balance your wheels, take your vehicle to an auto repair shop for the best result, since you might not have or have the technical know-how on how to get the outcome.

FAQs

Will E46 M3 wheels fit an E90?

The wheels of a BMW E46 M3 will not only fit a BMW E90 but it will look very nice as well. It will work best if you can use 15mm spacers at the front.

Will BMW E46 wheels fit E92?

Yes, the wheels of a BMW E46 will do just fine on an E92 since the rear wheels on both cars have the same kind of width and offset, however, the front wheels on a BMW E92 is about 20mm more aggressive than those of the E46 and are also about half an inch wider.

Are all BMW wheels interchangeable?

Based on the general rule, as long as the wheels in question are 4X100 you have nothing to worry about. However, the only thing you should consider before making any swap should be the offset.

Do 5 lug universal rims fit all cars?

For starters, there’s no such thing as a universal wheel. There are lots of things you have to consider when choosing the appropriate wheel for your vehicle with the most important being the width and the diameter of the wheel, and since car manufacturers tend to differ in this aspect, it would be unsafe to think otherwise.

Will E46 wheels fit E90 – Conclusion

Most BMW wheels will fit each other as long as they are made in the same series. However, get the opinion of a seasoned professional before going ahead to try out what you think might work on your wheel. Let me know what you think in the comment section. Cheers… 

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