SouthboroAudiGuy

Just scored some nice BBS RKs off eBay at a nice price ($725 for 4 in excellent shape) and will be putting them on my 2001 A6 as summer wheels. Two questions in advance of doing this...

1) Will the lugnuts from my OEM 16" 6-spoke wheels (the split spoke ones that came with sport package) work with the BBS RKs?

2) What's the maximum width tire that can go on a 17x7 BBS RK?

The seller listed them as 17x7s, but I think he may have been mistaken because the photos clearly show that the mounted tires are 235/45ZR17s (Toyo Proxes FZ4s), which I think require a 7.5" rim width. Anybody know how to tell from the markings on the wheel what the rim width is? (OK, I snuck in a third question...)

CraigB

The size & offset is probably stamped on the back (can't remember). IIRC, they require cone seat lugs, so OEM lugs will not work. Gary @ Tire Rack should be able to hook you up.

allroad'Ed now

Like Craig said, they are likely 17x8. Don't think BBS ever made a 7".

When you look at the back of the wheel, you'll see a set of numbers something like- 8J17 which will mean 8" wide and 17" diameter. You'll also see something like et32 or et35 which is the offset.

BBS wheels use a cone (taper) seat which means the part of the bolt that hits the seat of the wheel is chaped like a cone. Audi bolts are a ball seat which means the seat is rounded or shaped like a ball. Not interchangable. You'll need new bolts which I believe are 27mm long, at least that's what my BBS RX's came with. Does the seller have the bolts to give you?

235/45 is the right size.

SouthboroAudiGuy

The seller didn't have the bolts so I'll have to give Gary a call and get some from TireRack. Not a biggie given the deal I got on wheels.

While I'll have to wait until I get the wheel to see what width they are (the photos I have only show the front of the wheels), I do know that BBS did make 17x7 RKs -- I've seen them for sale online at a few places. That said, I have NOT seen the 7" RKs with a 112 offset so maybe they didn't make them for the A6.

I'd be QUITE pleased if the seller was wrong and these are in fact 17x8s. If they are, how wide a tire can I run on a 2001 A6 with a sport suspension? Can I get any wider than a 235/45 on these wheels? Cost/benefit of going beyond 235/45?

Thanks for all the help so far!

allroad'Ed now

BBS typically stamps it's part number on the face of the wheel between the spokes. The number is a random number but correlates to a particular wheel. For example, my BBS RX's are a part number RX207 which means it's an 18x8, et32, 5x112 bolt pattern, silver finish. You should find a number like RK123 on the wheels from which we can figure out what you got. In the pic below, it's stamped into the wheel at the 12:00 position between the spokes.

For tires- stick with the 235/45 size. It's the right width and height, and there's so many more tires available in that size.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/8639/bbs_rx.jpg">