Did a search but didn't find what I was looking for. Has anyone here lowered (and preferably spaced) their M3 with the stock 19" sport wheels? I'm curious how this looks. I'm going to consider aftermarket wheels when my tires need changing so I'd stick with stock for a bit. Thanks!
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Lowered M3 on stock 19"
- Thread starter 21LongRange
- Start date
GreenHokie
Member
Ask and you shall receive. I lowered mine with MPP Comfort Adjustable Coilovers and added 15mm spacers all around. Looks 10 times better than stock and feels/rides a little better as well. I love the look of the stock 19” sport wheels (but not the ones that are now supplied on the 2021 models). So, zero chance I would ever change them. To each his/her own, of course…
Some photos for you…
Some photos for you…
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Well thank you very much! Looks gorgeous! Yes I wish my 21 had the old style 19”. Much much better looking. Gorgeous car!
GreenHokie
Member
Thanks and you're welcome. I'll add a few other comments/observations which may help you.
When you lower a vehicle and reduce those wheel arch gaps, it makes your wheels appear bigger than they are.
When I bought my M3, I wanted the larger 20" wheels because I felt they looked better and gave the vehicle a more aggressive stance than the stock 19's.
But, I did not want all the (perhaps minor) negatives that come with the larger 20" wheels.... increased weight, reduced efficiency, firmer/harsher ride, etc...
However, after I lowered it, any remaining thought/urge to some day change to 20's completely went away. This is because the lowered vehicle (with those reduced wheel gaps) makes my 19's look like 20's. In fact, I've had several people tell me they thought I am running 20's. So, lowering the vehicle gave me the best of both worlds... all the benefits of 19's but the look of 20's.
If you do decide to lower your vehicle, you'll definitely also want to go with either wider tires or use spacers to complete the look/stance.
Good luck and be sure to post pictures of your set-up for the community to see when you're done!!
When you lower a vehicle and reduce those wheel arch gaps, it makes your wheels appear bigger than they are.
When I bought my M3, I wanted the larger 20" wheels because I felt they looked better and gave the vehicle a more aggressive stance than the stock 19's.
But, I did not want all the (perhaps minor) negatives that come with the larger 20" wheels.... increased weight, reduced efficiency, firmer/harsher ride, etc...
However, after I lowered it, any remaining thought/urge to some day change to 20's completely went away. This is because the lowered vehicle (with those reduced wheel gaps) makes my 19's look like 20's. In fact, I've had several people tell me they thought I am running 20's. So, lowering the vehicle gave me the best of both worlds... all the benefits of 19's but the look of 20's.
If you do decide to lower your vehicle, you'll definitely also want to go with either wider tires or use spacers to complete the look/stance.
Good luck and be sure to post pictures of your set-up for the community to see when you're done!!
Rattletrap
Member
Any idea how your 19s compare with stock 18" Aeros as far as ride comfort? The brand new fully stock '21 M3 definitely feels the road more than my old ICE car. I don't love the look of the Aeros with the cap kit but I really don't want to give up any more comfort until my city decides to fix our torn up roads. I might just need to trade up to one of the air suspension models ... or get a bulletproofed cybertruck if Portland continues to deteriorate.
GreenHokie
Member
It's been a while since I've ridden in a M3 with the stock 18's (I briefly test drove one in 2019 right before I bought my M3 Stealth with the 19's). The 18's definitely felt the most comfortable (softest ride) compared to the 19's or 20's. I never found the 18's to have a hard/firm ride, but that's just me. I think tire pressure will greatly influence ride comfort. So, if you find the 18's a bit harsh/firm, I would suggest first lowering the tire pressure a little to see if the resulting ride comfort meets your needs/taste, before dropping some serious coin on a coilover kit.
Since changing/lowering my suspension with the MPP adjustable comfort coilovers (with the coilovers set near its "softest" setting), I would say the ride comfort on my lowered vehicle with 19's is similar if not slightly softer (i.e. more comfortable) than on an un-lowered M3 with stock 18's. I think that says a lot about what a good, well engineered set of coilovers can do for you.
Comfort is very subjective. So, some might feel the comfort coilovers with 19's makes zero difference compared to a stock M3 with stock 18's. However, I think most would feel/notice some improvement in ride comfort. The one area where everyone will most likely agree on is the vehicle's handling will be significantly improved with coilovers.
matnetik
Member
Stock 19's (Hyperdipped them black in the other pictures) but this is with 1" T Sportline lowering springs, 18mm front spacers and 25mm rear spacers -
I have a video on spacers here -
Making a video on the lowering today I think - I have a ton of before and after footage with and without spacers
I have a video on spacers here -
Making a video on the lowering today I think - I have a ton of before and after footage with and without spacers
Attachments
I see that you have rear camber and toe arms in your signature. I will also have the same coilovers as you have installed in a few weeks (once they arrive from Germany); also on stock 19s. I'll also be adding spacers at that time. Did you install the rear camber and toe arms because you couldn't get close to factory alignment specs or did you just want more flexibility?
GreenHokie
Member
Hey there. Good choice on the coilovers. I decided to also get MPP’s adjustable rear camber & toe arms because I wanted the added flexibility (just in case some adjustment would be necessary after lowering the vehicle). I was told by several (including Jesse at MPP) that they shouldn’t be necessary if you lower the vehicle to MPP’s recommended settings on their coilovers. I went with those recommended settings and quickly saw/realized that the rear toe was way off. So, I definitely had to make some adjustments. Thank goodness I bought/had those adjustable arms. Otherwise, I would have been really screwed!! I don’t know why others who have installed MPP’s coilovers with their recommended settings did not need to make any adjustments to their rear arms. However, for me, it was an absolute must…
matnetik
Member
GreenHokie
Member
Looks good! Not sure if there is any difference in wheel gap between a stock 2021 M3 with 19’s versus a stock 2019 M3 with 19’s. At stock height, I could fit four fingers into the wheel gap on my 2019. Most likely, there is no difference and my fingers are just thinner than yours. After installing the MPP coilovers at their recommended perch height settings for the front and rear, I can fit two fingers into the wheel gaps. So, I estimate that dropped my vehicle by about 1.25”. Definitely need to take it slow over the larger speed bumps and angled entrances!!
matnetik
Member
Ha
haha yeah, I tend to take it a bit slower but so worth the look! Also noticed my driveway might be slightly slanted because it’s perfectly even on other surfaces, in the video the rear looks a bit higher. Your stance looks awesome!
GreenHokie
Member
Thanks! When I bought the spacers, I was torn between using 15 vs 20 mm for the rears. Ultimately, I chose 15mm all around because I wanted a symmetrical set-up and thought 15mm on the rears would push the tires out & be flush enough with the fender for me. Even with 15’s on the rear, I do get a little more dirt splatter on the rear bumper compared to stock (because the rear mud guards no longer completely cover the rear tires, as shown in the last photo that I posted above). But, it’s very minor. I’m guessing if I’d gone with 20 or 25mm on the rears, dirt/mud splatter would be much worse. Being the OCD detailing clean freak that I am, the additional splatter would drive me nuts!! Ahhh, the price we pay for having a good look/stance!!
matnetik
Member
Honestly 15mm were probably the move, my wheels stick out way past the mudflaps, fortunately I live in a place where it rains 1 time a year (well maybe that's unfortunate haha) so dirt isn't too much of an issue but I could image it being a mess during the winter! Honestly I think any amount of spacing makes huge difference, I am curious on what it does to the milage with different aerodynamics
GreenHokie
Member
Yeah, I’m completely happy with my 15/15mm set-up and think it looks pretty bad ass. However, your 18/25mm set-up is even more bad ass!!
Regarding range loss, I’ve never paid attention to it, but pretty sure the end result is a small net loss. You gain some efficiency/range when you lower the vehicle. But, that is probably completely negated by moving the tires out to a wider stance with spacers. Personally, I think the small loss in range is well worth the looks and feel of a lowered suspension and wider more aggressive stance.
The hyperdip looks really good. Which color did you use? the black emerald or is it the piano black?
matnetik
Member
I did piano black! Actually just finished up a video on the dip - 2021 Tesla Model 3 | Hyperdip Wheels Piano Black
Great video. The piano black looks really good ... not too glossy either. I ordered the emerald black and am now having second thoughts. Have you by chance seen the emerald black in person?
matnetik
Member
The emerald looks awesome, haven’t seen it in person but I’ve seen a few YouTube videos on it! Cool thing is, you can do the emerald and if you don’t like it, just grab 1 can of piano and spray on top!
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