Official Bmw running board installation guide

[LeMansX5]

I have a 4.8is I installed on. I did not use the fender flares that came with running boards. You have to buy new flares if you have 4.8is.

Check part #s in this thread
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ng-boards.html
Another thread for 4.8is
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...explained.html

[UCrewX5]

http://www.bmwmotorsports.org/pdf/e5...structions.pdf - the BMW instructions

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by LeMansX5

I have a 4.8is I installed on. I did not use the fender flares that came with running boards. You have to buy new flares if you have 4.8is.

No you don't! That's what I discovered when I pulled the trim off. You can save a couple hundred bucks and just retrofit the old flares onto the new trim.

Those links would have been helpful to the 'DIY' posted here, though. They led to TwinsPoppas thread from 2008 that shows EXACTLY what I did.

Now we just need to compile all of THAT excellent information into a usable DIY!

[powers1]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

Thanks! You read me like a book!

Got more curious STILL. The part from the Ebay auction coincides with the BMWUSA part:


I even ASKED the seller on Feb 26! No instructions were included, BTW:

Did you get these Ebay Running boards?If you look closely,they are not the same design as oem!There are other Ebay sellers ,selling this design for much less
The seller Bmw of Bloomfield also have a listing for oem running boards,albeit,bit more expensive!They also say in this listing that installation instructions will be supplied via email after purchase!

Regarding the flares,I think its already been explained and if you wish to use a dremel to save a few quid,then I cant blame you

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by powers1

Did you get these Ebay Running boards?If you look closely,they are not the same design as oem!There are other Ebay sellers ,selling this design for much less
The seller Bmw of Bloomfield also have a listing for oem running boards,albeit,bit more expensive!They also say in this listing that installation instructions will be supplied via email after purchase!

Regarding the flares,I think its already been explained and if you wish to use a dremel to save a few quid,then I cant blame you

That's the auction bought. I even went through the 'bid' process and got them a bit cheaper. They are BMW parts through and through. The auction indicates that they are OEM BMW parts, so I am not surewhere you are reading that these aren't OEM. They even have the BMW part number's stamped on the back of the plastic and etched into the aluminum. The part number for the auction is the same as BMW has on their website: 51-71-0-017-315. That's what the giant red arrow is showing in my screen capture.

I thought perhaps the difference was the flares might be included in the more expensive auction, but no. If you look at the comments under the $750 auction, you will see the seller speaks of transferring the flares in Dec, 2010. More recently, he answers a question saying that the flares are 'available' if you want them. That indicates to me that they are also not included in this auction. Finally, the more expensive auction does not include the BMW part number. I'll post some pics as an edit in a min.

Edit:

It looks like from these comments that the parts are the same across both auctions. So, I don't know why one is $750 and one is $690. I chose the cheaper one because of price, but it also had the BMW part number listed. In the end though, everyone here is right: I got the BMW OEM boards I wanted at a great price and made the install that much more fun with a Dremel!

[powers1]

The fender flares issue has been explained and thats now understood!


All I was asking,which you failed to understand ,is that picture of the ARBs ,you posted on the Ebay listing you bought,differs from the oem picture!Hence my question of which ones did you get!Did you get the ones as per the Ebay listing picture or like the other listing they have for $750.00?
Or is indeed,is the picture in the listing incorrect?

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by powers1

All I was asking,which you failed to understand ,is that picture of the ARBs ,you posted on the Ebay listing you bought,differs from the oem picture!

Yes it does differ. In fact, the picture in the auction doesn't even look like an X5! E53 -or- E70. I did some searching and that picture is the OE running boards, sure... But on an X3!

This is why I don't worry with easily missed details like a picture to base my decision on. I looked at:

1)Auction says OE parts
2)BMW part # included
3)BMW Dealer
4)Price reasonably close to other OE parts

[powers1]

We look forward to receiving some photos when you finished

[LeMansX5]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

No you don't! That's what I discovered when I pulled the trim off. You can save a couple hundred bucks and just retrofit the old flares onto the new trim.

Those links would have been helpful to the 'DIY' posted here, though. They led to TwinsPoppas thread from 2008 that shows EXACTLY what I did.

Now we just need to compile all of THAT excellent information into a usable DIY!

You can do that if you have time. But 4.8is does not come with flared arches on fronts. You have to buy them.

[powers1]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

This is why I don't worry with easily missed details like a picture to base my decision on.

Why do you edit all your posts?Gets confusing when we look back on them and they are edited,after we have posted earlier replies!
Would be much less confusing if you simply just reply to others posts rather than edit your earlier ones.

I buy a lot of parts off Ebay.I always buy according to whats on the details and picture.
Ebay listing should always have the correct pictures,otherwise if the seller then sends you an item different from the that picture,you can claim "for an item received not as per description",so its an unprofessional mistake by the selller Bmw of Bloomfield.

Hows the ARBs installation coming along?