No, a properly designed spacer is safe. Most dealerships don't like to install aftermarket parts and call them "unsafe" to avoid installing them.

No, BMW does not use spacers from the factory on the E53.

What's the difference between this BMW E53 X5 M54 3.0L > Wheels > Spacers > ES#1303625 DRA Series Wheel Spacer - 25mm(1 Pair) - 50757251 and the one I bought
DRA Series Wheel Spacer - 25mm (1 Pair) ES#11985
Mounting bolts included, these spacers bolt to the hub and the wheels bolt to the spacers using your stock lug bolts.
50757252 1 $140.36 $140.36

Many of us with service shop work backgrounds agree wtih your dealer. I would never install spacers on my own vehicle, and would discourage any customer from using spacers. Others have reported that BMW dealers have refused to do brake jobs, etc, on vehicles with aftermarket spacers, as they don't want to remount a wheel on a spacer due to the liability risk.

If you do a search on spacers on this forum, you will find a long debate.

Spacers are an example of fashion taking precendence over function. They change the loads on the suspension, alter the front scrub radius and thus the handling, and introduce new failure modes that didn't exist previously. But if fashion is most important, and you decide to do it, you can take some comfort in the fact that others have done it prior to you.

Here is a link to a thread discussing the issues relating to spacers.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...l-spacers.html

That's something to really think about. I'm not sure if I will put the spacers on then.

im a diesel mechanic and i never thought of spacers as a good idea, but my buddy told me about the german TUV and their testing that they do, so i went ahead and bought them from ECS (H&R 25MM) and i couldnt b happyer, they stayed perfectly torqued after the retorque period. 4.8is feels lil better in the turns after u turn the wheel over 30-40 degrees,


on the big trucks thers a spacers between Aluminum rims and iron drums and between the 2 aluminum rims, thats 3 all together just on one set of duallys, thats 6 non-metal spacers per axle, and they just float inbetween the rims... are DOT approved and never cause looseness and are made of a type of flexible hard rubber

the H&R 25mm spacers are very high quality material and the hub centric is spot on and the threaded inserts look good, IMO its the same as having a rim with a different offset

It is a different case when the wheel and tire combination are designed for a spacer. There are methods that can be used to eliminate the additional shear planes, bolts and lugs can be sized and selected for the much higher stresses, and the wheels can be positioned where they should be relative to the wheel bearings.

Using spacers on an X5 doesn't just give you a different offset, it gives you the wrong offset relative to the wheel bearing. The correct approach is to use a rim with the proper offset.

SO I guess this means those 195MM Spacers i was planning on ordering is kinda outta the question huh??

:bustingup:bustingup:bustingup

there is no difference with the semi trucks with and without the anti-rust spacer, and what is the difference of with a spacer or proper offset other than the xtra set of bolts found with the DRA spacers, i would not use a floating spacer

I lived for quite some time in Germany and live in CA now. To my knowledge TUV doesn't play around and doesn't take things lightly. And in Germany there are stricter rules, in order to take your car on the street. You even have to take your car to TUV (every year or two years) and get inspected in order to get your sticker/ permit to run your vehicle on the street. If you don't pass, you gotta make corrections. Otherwise, no permit. Here in CA I see sometimes rundown cars and ask myself, how they allow them to drive them, but that's another story.
It gives me a little confidence that H&R is inspected by TUV, but I do still some hesitation after what JCL has said.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ECS Tuning http://www.xoutpost.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif
We only make spacers up to 20mm. Any larger than that and you'll want an H&R DRA series spacer on the X5. Most guys want to run either a 25mm or 30mm spacer out back on the X5.

HERE is a link to the H&R 25mm for your X5.
HERE is a link to the H&R 30mm for your X5.

What's the difference between this BMW E53 X5 M54 3.0L > Wheels > Spacers > ES#1303625 DRA Series Wheel Spacer - 25mm(1 Pair) - 50757251 and the one I bought
DRA Series Wheel Spacer - 25mm (1 Pair) ES#11985
Mounting bolts included, these spacers bolt to the hub and the wheels bolt to the spacers using your stock lug bolts.
50757252 1 $140.36 $140.36

Would like to get an answer. Are the ones I bought fine for my x5 or even better than the one for $104.