E90/E91/E92/E93 OEM Spare Tire source

Great information in this thread on tires - thanks!! It made me curious, so I used the magic formulas on the specs given for the 128i and 135i tires, both standard and options, to see if they all come out the same and they do not. They are sort of close, but the difference in the accummulated mileage at about 100k miles can be significant. Does that mean that BMW is tweaking the calibration on the odo/speedo depending on the tires ordered? Which axle drives the odo? I made a table, which kinda fits in this post, that shows for the same number of axle turns at ~100k (I used 100m revolutions which is about 124k mi.) the 135i std will log ~1500 more miles than the 128i std. Also, for example, in the 128i sport package, the rear axle will log 488 more miles than the front axle. This confuses me? Anybody know how this all works out?

128i Standard Circum. Mi. for 100m revs Diff Mile @ ~100k
F 205 50 78.762 124309 0
R 205 50 78.762 124309 0

128i Sport
F 205 50 78.762 124309 0
R 225 45 78.453 123821 488

135i Standard
F 215 40 77.822 122826 1484
R 245 35 77.761 122728 1581

135i Opt. 17"
F 205 50 78.762 124309 0
R 225 45 78.453 123821 488

Do any of you know which kit would work with my 335I sports packaged? This is such a head ache. I just found out I did not have a spare, thank god I decided to look around my trunk for no apparent reason. The BMW dealer never mentioned this to me. Even though i have RFT's I would want a spare tire kit available, especially when i'm traveling.

Originally Posted by Elitehend26

Do any of you know which kit would work with my 335I sports packaged? This is such a head ache. I just found out I did not have a spare, thank god I decided to look around my trunk for no apparent reason. The BMW dealer never mentioned this to me. Even though i have RFT's I would want a spare tire kit available, especially when i'm traveling.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

Why not just use a Tire Slime kit or FixAFlat vs. going through the cost, hassle and lost storage space of a spare?

Originally Posted by LivinSD

Why not just use a Tire Slime kit or FixAFlat vs. going through the cost, hassle and lost storage space of a spare?

sidewall damage or rim damage is not fixable with sealant, and the max distance for a tire sealed with the goop is the same as a runflat, 50-100 miles

okay, so i read through this thread... very good info.

it sounds like a lot of guys have confirmed that this will work for e9x's, but has anyone actually tried the tischer kit on an e46 m3 (non-zcp)?

What about buying an aftermarket wheel and mounting one of the runflat tires that are being removed on it, and having that as the spare? Tirerack has the wheels for as low as $80. Is there any disadvantage in doing that? I would think probably size, but the spare has to be of similar size anyways, right?

Originally Posted by longhorn07

What about buying an aftermarket wheel and mounting one of the runflat tires that are being removed on it, and having that as the spare? Tirerack has the wheels for as low as $80. Is there any disadvantage in doing that? I would think probably size, but the spare has to be of similar size anyways, right?

You would still probably remove the aftermarket wheel ASAP and you'll lose more trunk space so why bother?
You also will have to buy the jack kit which will cost $160 shipped.

Originally Posted by Joeb427

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

(NOT mounted/balanced), really? What a pain.

So, I drive my Boxster (race car) to the gas station 3 miles away for fuel today (racing this weekend). Mind you, it hasn't seen public roads in months... and I get a flat tire!

Thankfully, it deflated in my driveway not on the road.

Maybe I need my RFTs back on my 3 Series?

- Mike

Originally Posted by longhorn07

What about buying an aftermarket wheel and mounting one of the runflat tires that are being removed on it, and having that as the spare? Tirerack has the wheels for as low as $80. Is there any disadvantage in doing that? I would think probably size, but the spare has to be of similar size anyways, right?

That is a possible option, but I don't know if it is a prudent move. The RFT will have dramatically different harmonics (it is a RFT while the other tires are non-RFT) than the tires on the other 3 corners of the car. In a worst case, the car gets into an accident as a result.

Supposedly, the spare is there for being able to drive short distances to a tire repair shop, but invariably, going straight to a tire repair shop is not always 'convenient', and so, you go deeper into unsafe operation territory. What I have done is to bite the bullet on losing some trunk space and I have a full-size (17x8 inch) wheel that I purchased at Tirerack.com with the same non-RFT tire (Michelin PS2 in 225/45-17) that is fitted to the front of the car. If one of the rear tires gets a flat, the difference between the rotations/mile between the front and rear tires is negligible, which should enable the car to be operated with the spare for far longer than the 50-ish miles that the RFTs could be driven while flat.

I bought the spare wheel, tire, and valve, and got the tire mounted. Using some rubber cables I have, I secured the spare wheel in the boot. I initially didn't intend to cover the tire, but it stank , so I bought a $12 cover from Walmart.

Here's a pic from outside the car:


A pic from the inside, with the rear seats folded down. The jack kit is on the right:


Rubber cable goes up, around, and down some of the wheel's holes:


Drove around quite a bit today, no funny noises

Edit: Forgot to add: my tires are 245/35/19, so they're slightly within 1% difference in diameter compared to the spare. It's pure luck that this is so, considering I have X-drive so I had to take that into account.

Tell me what's wrong with the following setup/process.
a) I get 4 non RFT tires and 1 rim from Tirerack, mount one tire on the rim.
b) I get a jack.
c) Use the 1 tire with rim as a spare (only on long drives) with the jack till RFT wear out.
d) Change all RFTs to non RFT (use my spare on one of the 4 wheels) and use a RFT as a spare.

The only problem I see is storing the tires in my basement/garage for some a couple of years. Any problems with that?

Originally Posted by dimplekv

Tell me what's wrong with the following setup/process.
a) I get 4 non RFT tires and 1 rim from Tirerack, mount one tire on the rim.
b) I get a jack.
c) Use the 1 tire with rim as a spare (only on long drives) with the jack till RFT wear out.
d) Change all RFTs to non RFT (use my spare on one of the 4 wheels) and use a RFT as a spare.

The only problem I see is storing the tires in my basement/garage for some a couple of years. Any problems with that?

Why would you go through the expense of getting 4 non-RFTs to keep them in storage?

If I just buy a tire now with rim, after a couple of years, I have to buy 4 new tires as I am not sure I would get the exact tires after a couple of years. This way, I am using all my tires and using the wornout RFT as a spare. A saving of about $100 I guess.

Originally Posted by dimplekv

If I just buy a tire now with rim, after a couple of years, I have to buy 4 new tires as I am not sure I would get the exact tires after a couple of years. This way, I am using all my tires and using the wornout RFT as a spare. A saving of about $100 I guess.

But you are spending ~$1,000+ now to save $100 at some point in the future.... What if as you post, you decide you don't like the RFTs?

Originally Posted by dimplekv

The only problem I see is storing the tires in my basement/garage for some a couple of years. Any problems with that?

I think there can be potential issues with warranty, and age:
Tire Age #1
Tire Age #2

Picked up the bavauto E90 Spare Kit. Delivered in 1 day. The only downside I see to this setup over the E60/61 is the jack kit doesn't fit inside the tire and it doesn't come with a tray insert. Cost was close - total with shipping was $350. So I think I'm covered - assist, non-rt tires, conti comfort kit and a spare. Let's see if i get 2 flats at once...

Front: 8 x 18, ET 34, 225/40 R18 RFT
Rear: 8.5 x 18, ET 37, 255/35 R18 RFT

Will the tischer spare part # 36 11 0 308 889 work with my style 189 rims(staggered)?

Front: 8 x 18, ET 34, 225/40 R18
Rear: 8.5 x 18, ET 37, 255/35 R18

I do not know how the spare is supposed to work with staggered rims. Can someone confirm that I can use this spare on any of the 4 corners even though all the rims are staggered?


Thanks

I ordered the Tischer kit 7 days ago and received it today exactly as described. Great on convenience, not on value. The kit could probably be reproduced for less than $150. The "oddments" tray is made of styrofoam and the jack is horrible. There's a big piece of white plastic on top of the "lift" part of the jack. I don't trust plastic on a car jack...

I'm a repeat Tischer customer and will continue to buy parts from them, but you may want to look elsewhere for a spare tire solution.

There's a big piece of white plastic on top of the "lift" part of the jack. I don't trust plastic on a car jack...

I agree with you, and had the same concerns, but I've used it twice, (it's for emergencies, after all), and it's held up well.

I bought my last spare setup separately. Space saver wheel and tire for about $200 and BMW's better jack kit (P/N 71106773536) for $127. The jack kit contains a quality jack, ratchet, lug socket and a pre-set torque wrench all in a nylon zip bag. From the guys at Tischer of course. The jack kit is stored in the trunk well.

Hello BMW enthusiasts.

I just got my first Bimmer E90 and am very happy with it. Of course, this is my first post as well. I have found a lot of good info on this topic, but would like to know if anyone is using a full size RFT spare.

I just bought a low millage CPO 07 E90 with the 16'' wheels and brand new Continental RFTs
My main concern is getting stuck with a flat while traveling and not being able to find a place that can fix or replace RFTs (I even asked at Sears - which seems to be everywhere- and they said they don't have the equipment for RFTs). Having a full size spare would avoid ruining a trip and also having to order the tires from the dealer for lots of $$$.

I looked at tire rack and chose one of the cheaper wheels they list for my car. Mounted with the sensors etc the price is:

16x7 Sport Edition F10 Silver Painted
for 2007 BMW 328i Sedan Base Model With Metal Valve Stems
In Stock
$96.00

See specific installation hardware included at no charge.

205/55R16 Continental ContiProContact SSR Blackwall RunFlat
for 2007 BMW 328i Sedan Base Model With Metal Valve Stems
In Stock
$136.00
433MHz Tire Pressure Sensor for 2007 BMW 328i Sedan Base Model With Metal Valve Stems
In Stock
$41.00
Required Valve for 2007 BMW 328i Sedan Base Model With Metal Valve Stems
In Stock
$8.00


Hunter Road Force™ Mounting and Balancing
FREE!

Total: $281.00

Plus $30 for Shipping and it comes to $310 for the spare.
Purchasing the tool kit from BMW would be another $130 plus S&H bringing the total to around $450 for the spare and jack.

Is there a cheaper alternative, like using simple steel wheels such as the ones used for spare tires? How about for the tool kit? Can a regular jack from another car be used?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Q&A

Hello BMW enthusiasts.

Hello and welcome!

Originally Posted by Q&A

I just got my first Bimmer E90 and am very happy with it. Of course, this is my first post as well. I have found a lot of good info on this topic, but would like to know if anyone is using a full size RFT spare.

You're following the 'safest' model, which is where all tires are RFTs, and the spare itself is also a full-size RFT.

Originally Posted by Q&A

Is there a cheaper alternative, like using simple steel wheels such as the ones used for spare tires? How about for the tool kit? Can a regular jack from another car be used?

The steel wheel which shows up a lot in this thread is narrow, and it's difficult to find tires for it (and I think a narrow RFT would be even harder). I'm not sure if similar steel wheel shows up in Tirerack, I don't think I've seen one before though...

If you're refering to the BMW jack kit, in addition to the jack it has the torque wrench, wheel chock, gloves (and something else). Another jack can be used, though you need to be sure the top of the jack fits within the jack bracket on the bottom of the car. Otherwise you need some sort of adapter.

[QUOTE=Q&A;4657955]Hello BMW enthusiasts.


433MHz Tire Pressure Sensor for 2007 BMW 328i Sedan Base Model With Metal Valve Stems
In Stock
$41.00
[QUOTE]

AFAIK, the TPMS doesn't read the spare tire, because it doesn't come with one stock. There is no reason to have one(TPMS sensor) then, because it is only a spare, meant to be used in emergency until the main tire can be replaced. You will still have to manually check the spare for air pressure regularly (every 3-6 months) to chack for air leaks