Spare Tire With BBK
 

I recently installed a BBK on my X and tested out the spare tire on the front and realized it doesn't clear. I know the X5m come standard with big calipers on the front. I was wondering if anyone knows if these would work or what are the other BBK users doing about spare.

You can always mount a rear wheel on the front, & the spare on the rear in an emergency.

I am using a front wheel from an E70. I think it is 19" but *may be an 18. It clears the 6pot calipers I have on the front.

Thanks I’m going to do a test run this weekend to see if it will clear the back brakes. I imagine it will since I have spacers on rear also.

Does that fit in spare tire well flush?

Wheel styles play a HUGE role .

The 19" RAC forged wheels from Japan cleared the 8 piston BBK just fine.
Right now, it's 20" and AAA card in the wallet as the spare tire ;-)

In the trunk boot (below the load floor), I do keep a plug a patch box and inflator there.
It's amazing how much crap one picks up with 20"s and how fast the air goes

This is exactly why the 4.8iS has a "space saver" spare wheel - any other wheel type that is sized to clear the larger brakes won't fit under in the floor in the trunk (boot).

Yes, but that may only apply to the OE wheels

Not sure what BBK meant for the OP

If an X5M came with a spare then that spare should work with an E53 wirth BBk on it. I'm just not sure that E70 X5M came with a spare. Might have had an inflator system like other M vehicles.

Yes.

The reason it came with a space saver was purely economics. The space saver spare is cheaper and lighter than a full size. Other wheels and tires fit fine inside and clear the OE calipers with no issue.

For instance, when I sold my 3.0, I swapped the 4.8is space saver into it and put the full size 18" spare into the floor of the 4.8is. It fit flush and covered all calipers on all corners until I did the BBK. After a torn sidewall away from home 2 years back, I needed the solution for the BBK. The full size 18" E70 wheel fits flush and clears my 6 pot StopTechs.

sorry for the dirt.

What I meant was wheels such as fitted as standard to the 4.8iS won't fit- too tall maybe?

Seems an odd "economic" decision on the premium car (4.8iS) when the "lower spec" cars (3.0i, 3.0d etc.) all came with full sized spares.... :dunno:

*edit* interesting spare tyre cover over the spare - don't think I've ever see that before. My car certainly doesn't have that...

*edit #2* did some goggling on the "cover" - looks to be the top part of a two-part trunk tray that is only fitted to cars with the space save spare wheel. No room for the trunk tray (only the lid) when a full sized spare is in there. My spare retainer has a tall "top hat" to support the centre of the lift-up floor, which would preclude the installation of such a tray. Handy though... Hmmm...

Indeed. My previous 3.0 had the load floor. I swapped the parts for the spare but left the load floor intact. I never liked that thing. :dunno: You won't find the spare tire lift straps on any OE 4.8is either. :D

I recall also that I extended the threaded bolt coming out of the load level compressor. I used a threaded coupler. And yes- the 20's that come on the 4.8is are way too tall. When I did need to swap the flat 20" tire, the floor will not fit flush but it did fit in the well. The key is the 255 width. It's about as wide as you can go (or tall as it sits on its side).

Premium model or not, the point remains that an 18" E53 spare will clear the 4.8is calipers and will fit in the trunk. There was certainly some reason that BMW changed to a lighter, less expensive spare wheel in the 4.8is. The premium model eeking every ounce of weight and performance fits with the decision for the cheaper option- everybody wins except the guy with a flat.

IIRC, my 3.0's spare was the base model E53 18", but the sport model i6 wheels were much nicer on the ground. I'll need to confirm, but I think this is not true in our '01 3.0 SPP which shares the same 18" wheels as are on the car. This follows a similar model to the E39's which included cheaper spare wheels after LC II.

Thanks for the clarification. It seemed that the 8.0" rim (255 tyre) would be about as big as would fit in there... :thumbup:

Re. the i6 setups, my 'LCI 3.0d (still an i6 - just an oil-burner!) has square 18" (18x8.0) with 255/55-18 tyres and the spare is a 17" with a 235/65-17 tyre. Same rolling diameter but more trunk (boot) space. ;)

*edit* crazy thing is - if I get a flat (heaven forbid...) I'll have to stow the 255/55-18 in the spare wheel well - which I now know will fit - so clearly BMW's decision to supply a 235/65-17 spare was based on economics rather than fitment...