E55 Monoblock fitment AKA done with tramling
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 74
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BMW 528i
E55 Monoblock fitment AKA done with tramlining
Well, my 6 month saga of tramlining is OVER. The dealer I bought my CLK55 from had put Bridgestone RE760's on it, which tramlined like a b*tch on I-5 and other funky road surfaces - so badly I was ready to sell the car if it wasn't alignment or tires - couldn't believe the car could be that sensitive to tires. I haven't been around to drive it much, so diagnosis/fix time was limited previously.
I had tried to get more modern style wheels, but could never find a set nearby. This past week I was finally back on home turf in LA and snabbed a set of 18" E55 Monoblock IIs with tires from captruff. Had to do some trimming up front with the trusty Dremel for clearance, and will need a 10mm spacer for the rears, but MY GAWD, now the car actually steers and handles like it's not a cracked-out-starlet trying to scam a Greyhound ticket!!
Fat stuff on the rims: call me crazy, 245/40/18 up front, 275/35/18 out back, I left them on just to see if they'd fit. I'm still running stock ride height, but the car looks SO much better now. Might have to step down a bit on the size in the future, but really appreciate the extra grip, and the Traction Control light visits less often (only a little).
I'm not totally down the with front offset since it seems a little "out", but the car handles so much better I just want to shut up and drive now.
I had tried to get more modern style wheels, but could never find a set nearby. This past week I was finally back on home turf in LA and snabbed a set of 18" E55 Monoblock IIs with tires from captruff. Had to do some trimming up front with the trusty Dremel for clearance, and will need a 10mm spacer for the rears, but MY GAWD, now the car actually steers and handles like it's not a cracked-out-starlet trying to scam a Greyhound ticket!!
Fat stuff on the rims: call me crazy, 245/40/18 up front, 275/35/18 out back, I left them on just to see if they'd fit. I'm still running stock ride height, but the car looks SO much better now. Might have to step down a bit on the size in the future, but really appreciate the extra grip, and the Traction Control light visits less often (only a little).
I'm not totally down the with front offset since it seems a little "out", but the car handles so much better I just want to shut up and drive now.
Last edited by boxeswithknobs; Apr 18, 2012 at 12:55 AM.
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From: SCV SoCal
2002 CLK430
Well, my 6 month saga of tramlining is OVER. The dealer I bought my CLK55 from had put Bridgestone RE760's on it, which tramlined like a b*tch on I-5 and other funky road surfaces - so badly I was ready to sell the car if it wasn't alignment or tires - couldn't believe the car could be that sensitive to tires. I haven't been around to drive it much, so diagnosis/fix time was limited previously.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
BMW 528i
Thanks. I would pull spring pads on the front to lower a bit, but I'd have to trim/tuck the lower front fender lip if I do that first - I see too many of these cars losing front bumpers caught on curbs!
