http://www.bimmerzone.com/BMW_Performance_Spare_Tire/BIM-SST-G01-KIT.html

Maybe the cargo can be converted. Talk to parts department at your dealer.

 

I wondered the same thing. I would feel more comfortable having a spare---my X3 did not come with one. I will talk with the dealership and let you know what I find out.

 

Runflats.... other that expensive to replace what are the negatives. I realize not everyone likes them. I***8217;ve had them since 2006 and swear by them. It***8217;s a good feeling knowing I***8217;ll most likely make it home if air is lost. Not trying to start a debate or argument. Just interested in the negative side of Runflats if there are any. Thanks.

 

Runflats.... other that expensive to replace what are the negatives. I realize not everyone likes them. I've had them since 2006 and swear by them. It's a good feeling knowing I'll most likely make it home if air is lost. Not trying to start a debate or argument. Just interested in the negative side of Runflats if there are any. Thanks.

My F10 535i came with Goodyear LS2's, which have a reputation of being the worst RFT's around. Also, I practice "tire whispering," where I systematically adjust the tire pressures to achieve even tire wear. With the LS2's, that meant maintaining the pressures at about 15% over what the door jamb decal recommended. Here was my tread depth at 30k miles. After adjusting my tire pressures for optimal, even tread wear, the ride was bone-jarring and the performance of the tires was greatly diminished. Even with the drastic over-pressurization, I wasn't able to achieve perfectly even wear across the tires.

The inherent problem with RFT's is that the rigid sidewalls that prevent a tire from collapsing when deflated also prevent the sidewalls from stretching in the circumferential direction. Circumferential stretching of the sidewall is what makes radial-ply tires superior to bias-ply tires.

The cords in tires (nylon, rayon, aramide) resist stretching. Bias-ply tires have cords in multiple directions within the sidewall, preventing the sidewall from stretching in multiple directions. The breakthrough with radial tires was that the cords are only it in the radial direction. This allows the rubber in the sidewalls, in between the cords, to stretch in the circumferential direction (90 degrees from the radial direction). That sidewall stretching allows for the tread of the tires to conform to the flat road surface. This evens out wear on the tread, and improves traction, durability, and fuel economy.

With a bias-ply tire or an RFT (which has radial cords) the sidewalls have a limited ability to stretch in the circumferential direction. This causes the tread area contacting the pavement to buckle inward, concentrating the weight around the edges of the contact patch. That constant buckling and unbuckling as the tire rolls along also causes the edges of the contact patch to squirm against the pavement. The increased weight and squirming causes increased wear, particularly on the inner and outer edge of the tread. The best analogy is a deflated basketball or soccer ball. The deflated ball doesn't get a flat spot. The total surface area of the ball remains constant, so a depression causes a concave dimple instead of a flat spot.

That circumferential stretching of the sidewalls in radial tires is what causes radial tires to bulge out at the bottom, even when properly inflated.

The breakthrough in RFT's will come when somebody develops a sidewall which will easily stretch in the circumferential direction, but will not collapse in the radial direction.

I refused to buy (or lease) another BMW without a spare tire and a hole under the trunk or cargo compartment floor to put it in. We passed on getting a E84 X1, a F25 X3, or an F15 X5 40e for these reasons. I had to add "or lease" because I wouldn't own a X5 40e (hybrid). But, BMW was offering crazy lease deals on them.

The G01 30i offers not only a spare tire (option code 300, not to be confused with color code 300 (Alpine White III)) for a mere $150, but it also offers non-RFT, 19" all-season tires as a no cost option (option code 25X). With the non-RFT's, BMW throws in the spare for free!

In contrast to the LS2's, the non-RFT Bridgestone Dueler Sport A/S's on Frau Putzer's X3 are wearing evenly with only about the pressure only at about 5% over what is recommended on the door jamb decal. Based on the treadwear at 8k miles, the OE tires should last to around 55k miles.

Replacing the LS2's on my 535i with non-RFT Michelin Pilot Super Sports (PSS's) absolutely transformed the car. Leaving the dealership, driving over the less than one-inch drop between the driveway and the gutter of the street, the ride was so much better that I stopped and checked the tire pressures before my 95 mile drive home.

 

Hi Auto...other than you do not like them there is nothing wrong with them safety wise correct?
I had a Nissan Cube (yes a Toaster). Tires were replaced at 8000. Worst tread every. Macan tires got replaced at 17,000. Horrible wear and noisy. Not RF's. Regardless of tread wear I replace at just before 50% wear. Currently in Florida...hot roads are a tire killer. I'm a big fan of run flats for now. Would put them on a bicycle if available.

 

RFT's could potentially save your life if you have a rapid deflation in a place where it's not safe to change a tire. I've driven about one million miles in my life. I'm old and I used to drive a lot for my jobs. But, I've only had one rapid deflation, and it was caused by a defective rubber valve stem, the type no longer used on BMW's. It also happened in a residential area were it was safe to change the tire. I've had literally dozens of punctures over the years. But, none of them resulted in a rapid deflation. I weigh the risks of non-RFT's (having a rapid deflation in an unsafe area) against the benefits (tires that ride better, perform better, last longer, and are cheaper).

I normally don't drive on crowded, walled, interstates in the north east. Driving up to New England a lot when I was working, I'd often say "I'd hate to have a flat tire here." One of the ways I mitigate my risk was to check my tire pressure before and after a day on the road, so I wouldn't start on for a day on the interstate with a nail in my tire. Were I drive now usually has room to get away from traffic before changing a tire.

The cheapskate and tree hugger in me make me run my tires down more than 50%. Passenger car tires usually start our at 9/32nds to 10/32nds inch of tread. I used to go down to 2/32nds inch, the legal minimum. But, now my goal is 3/32nds inch. When my tires are old, I slow down more in the rain, though. Locally, if it's raining I take my car with the most tread on the tires. The boundary between safe and unsafe, and most self-imposed boundaries for that matter, is somewhat arbitrary.

Most tires lose grip on dry pavement with use. The rubber gets harder and less "sticky." Touring (low-performance) tires have less adhesion than high-performance tires. Those LS2's that came on my 535i were low-performance. One could logically argue that high-performance tires are safer. But, how safe is safe enough? The first time I was screwing around in the my 535i, I got the car a little sideways without even trying. Doing the same maneuver in my old M3 with PSS's was uneventful.

My old M3 had Pilot Sports. They were noisy when worn out. My beater has Continental DW's. I've taken one set down to an average tread depth of just under 4/32nds inch and they were fine. I probably would have worn them down some more, but one of them had a puncture repair fail. They were far enough gone that I just replaced all four tires. I still got 40k miles out of them. I'm now on my second set of DW's. At 25k miles, they have an average of about 6/32nds inch of tread left. When I get 40k miles out of the second set of DW's, I'll sell the car.

The Nissan Cube's look more like clothes dryers. The Honda Element is the one with a roof arch like that of a toaster.

https://youtu.be/7geyX1Er1zs

 

Back on topic....has anyone with a X3 M40i, 20 inch rim and big brakes able to find a spare tire kit? The ones in Bimmerzones wont clear the big brakes.

 

BMW offers the optional spare tire on the M40i. The spare on the 30i is comes on an 18" rim. A dealership could easily find out if it's the same spare tire and rim on the 30i comes on the M40i.

Two of BMW's winter tire and wheel packages for the G01 X3 M40i come on 18" rims. So, that's a good indicator that the 18" spare tire rim would also clear the M40i's larger brakes.

I have the "master broadcast sheet" for Frau Putzer's X3 30i. The master broadcast sheet is sort of the assembly instructions for building the car. The spare is listed as option code 300 and just says "Emerg Wheel" not "Emerg Wheel 30i." The option codes for the spare on the 30i and the M40i are both "300." So, that's another indication that the 18" rim might work on the M40i.

 

Great info, thx

 

I did a search on RealOEM and found this part number for an M40i. Option Code 300 as Autoputzer indicated.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=TS33-USA-06-2017-G01-BMW-X3_M40iX&diagId=36_2302

 

It appears it is a discontinued item?

 

For anybody ordering a new X3, think real hard about the optional spare tire. At $150, it's the biggest bargain in the list of options. The spare is free if you order the non-RFT's on the 30i (Code 25X).

It does raise the cargo area floor up about five inches. But, I actually prefer that the cargo floor is higher than the opening. That makes it easier to get stuff in and out.

 

For anybody ordering a new X3, think real hard about the optional spare tire. At $150, it's the biggest bargain in the list of options.

It does raise the cargo area floor up about five inches. .

Absolutely.... do it!! And if you get a cargo mat....get the WeatherTec. You will hate the BMW OEM mat.

 

Thx for the explanation. Lots of stores not selling Part #36112420121 anymore...hard on line search turned out a few that do.

 

Part Number ...121 is the tire. Tire Rack has them by Continental, Pirelli, and Kumho:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Tire...413&width=135/&ratio=80&diameter=18&rearWidth=255/&rearRatio=40&rearDiameter=17

Our X3 came with one made by Maxxis, a Taiwan company. A lot of people with race car trailers swear by Maxxis tires.

 

Why not buy a full size wheel and tire? The overall size should be very close to a donut. Anyone tried?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

I carried a full-size spare tire in my E46 M3. It turned the trunk into the "spare tire storage compartment." That made the back seat turn into the "duffle bag storage area" on road trips. That was fine for two people.

A full size wheel, tire, and TPMS sensor would run you probably around $800.

 

It's a spare. So tpms is not mandatory. Get some used stuff from eBay or Craigslist will likely lower than 200. Just wondering how bad it's going to look.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

I'm making the swithch!

So I have 2 sets of run flats that, in my opinion, suck! The Pirelli Cinturato P7 Run Flats summer tire and the Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS RFT (someone bought for winter against my better judgement). To make the conversion I'm using this as a guide:

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1008817

Along with a AAA membership here's what I bought so far:

The VIAIR 84p Portable Compressor from Amazon for $47 and the BETOOLL Tire Repair Kit 22 Pcs for Car for $12.99, I'm going to throw in a couple pair of pliers and that's my starting point.

Next it's the tires: I have the 19" tires so it's between the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ or the Continental Extremecontact DWS 6. I'm leaning towards the Michelins since I can get them from Costco and then never need to worry about them again since they include lifetime balancing and rotation and the warranty is included in the price.

 

Here's a vote for the Michelin PS A/S 3+'s.

I put Conti' DWS06's on Frau Putzer's V6 Accord. They held up to her abusive driving habits. (She'd shredded a set of Michelin Primacy "Green" tires... literally. At 48k miles there were huge chunks of rubber breaking off the tread blocks on all four tires. It happened during the tires' third 8k mile stints on the front axle (drive wheels).)

The gripe I have with the DWS06's that survived Frau Putzer is the same gripe I have with the DW's I have on my beater. I practice what I call "tire whispering," a systematic process to adjust the tire pressures to achieve even wear across the tires. Both the DWS06's and DW's required significant over-inflation to achieve even wear, and that made them not ride a well as the Michelin's.

I've gone through 18 high-performance Michelin tires, and they wear even at close to the pressures recommended on the door jamb decal. I'll likely replace the so-so non-RFT Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS's that came on the X3 with the Michelin PS A/S 3+'s when the time comes. With tire whispering, I expect to get 50k to 55k miles out of the OE non-RFT Bridgestone's, though. The replacement Michelin's should get me to 100k miles, when I'll be done with the X3.

Bridgestone makes a high-performance, non-RFT Potenza RE980AS it 245/50-19 that's a little cheaper than the Michelin's, partly because they're made in Mexico. Like Michelin's, I've had good luck getting Bridgestone's to wear evenly with close to the door jamb decal pressures. But, for the $100 more, I'd rather have the U.S. made Michelin's and keep an American employed.

The Michelin PS A/S 3+'s and the Potenza's have a US DOT Traction Rating of "AA," which is a measure of traction in the wet. The Dueler's and DWS06's only have an "A" rating.

Make sure Costco has a lever-less tire machine that doesn't scratch up the rims.

 

If anyone has a 2018-current X3 (G01) with the factory spare tire kit, I know the trunk floor is raised about 3". However, I'm trying to see if there are trunk tie downs near the back seat. I know there are the regular ones by the tailgate but with the spare tire kit/raised floor do you lose the forward tie downs??

Thanks

 

My phone's camera's not working, combination of a dark garage, dark interior, and tinted glass. But yeah, you get forward tie-downs with the spare tire. They're under little doors that fit flush with the cargo area floor.

 

Actually, my picture of the non-spare-tire floor above (Post #14) shows one of the forward tie-down's doors.

 

Yes, I see the two tie down by the hatch. I was trying to find out if there are corresponding tie downs on the other side of the trunk near the rear seat. Can you confirm they are there?

Also, if it's not too much trouble, what is the height of the trunk from raised floor to the hatch opening. It's about 31" without the spare so I'm guessing about 27" with the spare tire kit.

Dimensions are tough to find on the BMW site...

Thanks in advance

 

Yes, I see the two tie down by the hatch. I was trying to find out if there are corresponding tie downs on the other side of the trunk near the rear seat. Can you confirm they are there?

Also, if it's not too much trouble, what is the height of the trunk from raised floor to the hatch opening. It's about 31" without the spare so I'm guessing about 27" with the spare tire kit.

Dimensions are tough to find on the BMW site...

Thanks in advance

The cargo area height with a spare tire is about 25.5" at the hatch hinges, and about 28.5" at the center.

The spare-tire version has front tie downs, same as the no-spare-tire version. The door covering the left-front tie-down is shown in the picture in Post #14, on the floor right behind the seatback.

 

Thanks so much! I am assuming there is a corresponding door covering a tie down on the right hand side behind the seat back...correct?

The standard trunk area with the lower height just seems so much better for day to day use...lower lift height is the big one. However, not many good run flat tires on the market...the best ones are standard tires which means one better have a spare available. Hence, I***8217;m trying to decide which way to go. Another possibility is not getting the BMW spare and just ordering a spare tire kit from modern spare. Any input?

 

Yeah, there's one on the right side too.

Actually that raised floor with the spare tire makes it easier to get things out. You can slide objects so that the edge is hanging over the raised floor, and then grab the object from below without having to lift it first. Even with the raised floor, six (40 half-liter bottle) cases of bottled water go in the back.

Without the spare, the cargo area floor is actually slightly below the hatch opening.

Having a spare will allow you to do DIY tire rotations. If you get the non-RFT's on the 30i (without M Sport Package, for some reason), you can get 50k miles out of the original tires. Don't expect that with the run-flats. You'll also get about 1% better MPG (equates to about $100 over 100k miles), and a better ride.

You really want a spare tire if you're taking a road trip. Just ask this guy...

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=917185

Loosing that ~5" of cargo area height is far less disruptive than no longer having a flat cargo area floor when you have a spare just sitting in the cargo area. I carry an aftermarket spare in my F10 535i. It prevents me from making those Sam's Club runs with the car, and takes up a lot of trunk space on road trips.

The whole point of having an SUV is to carry lots of crap. BMW was almost giving away leases for F15 X5 40e Hybrids back in the day. But, they don't have spare tires, and having an aftermarket spare cluttering up the cargo area on a road trip prevented us from getting one. They were also dealing on the outgoing F25 X3. But without a spare tire and a hole to put it in, I wasn't interested in one of those either.

The only advantage that Modern Spare would have is that the rolling diameter is the same as the "outside" tires (28.5") The factory spare is a 135/80-18. The xDrive is supposedly smart enough to notice that the smaller spare is installed and cuts off power to that axle, preventing the xDrive transfer case clutches from being ground to oblivion.

 

My 2020 X3 rear seats fold flat...or VERY nearly flat. I personally don't like the look of the raised floor if you order with the spare tire. I keep a tiny 12v air pump and a can of "slime" in the rear so that IF I need to deal with a deflated run-flat I have the option of adding more air to get me further along the road to a shop.

I hesitate to give myself bad luck ....but in 50+ years of driving I've never had the need for a spare. I've picked up nails and crap but never anything more than a "slow leak" that was very easy to deal with. (of course you don't repair run-flats, you replace them).

 

My 2020 X3 rear seats fold flat...or VERY nearly flat. I personally don't like the look of the raised floor if you order with the spare tire. I keep a tiny 12v air pump and a can of "slime" in the rear so that IF I need to deal with a deflated run-flat I have the option of adding more air to get me further along the road to a shop.

I hesitate to give myself bad luck ....but in 50+ years of driving I've never had the need for a spare. I've picked up nails and crap but never anything more than a "slow leak" that was very easy to deal with. (of course you don't repair run-flats, you replace them).

Oh man Rob, your luck just ran out! I see it down the street!:yikes: