rhnorb

I ordered the 18 inch style 124 wheels for my 530xiT (not a standard option) which is arriving this weekend. The wheels have arrived but my dealer informed me today that they determined the regular 530/545 wheels (what I ordered) are slightly different than the same wheel that come standard on the xi models. Apparantly the xi wheels have to be special ordered from Germany. Has anyone with an xi had this problem when changing wheels?

das

It's not so much that the wheels are different; it's that the xi models themselves are different. They sit 14mm higher than their non-xi counterparts. However, they also have a slightly wider stance; that is, the hubs are placed slightly further apart than on the non-xi models. This means that some wheel and tire combinations that work on other models will not work on xi models.

However, I've done quite a bit of looking into this, and have found BMW's maximum official supported wheel and tire sizes for the different E60 models:

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=16509

The other issue is offset, but the differential in hub placement is only a few millimeters; less than what others have done with spacers with Style 124 wheels on non-xi models. The Style 124 wheels in the staggered configuration should work fine on an xi; in fact, that's exactly what I ordered for my 530xi, which is due to arrive in a couple weeks.

On the offset issue:



A - C (or, 2A - will yield the "offset" for the wheel. I haven't been able to determine what the hub placement difference on the xi is (i.e., how much further toward the outside of the vehicle they are than on the non xi), but I can't imagine it's more than a few millimeters per side. Keeping in mind the xi is also higher, and given that others have used spacers between 5 and 15 mm on non-xi models, I can't see how the Style 124 wheels, for example, wouldn't be just fine.

Further, the Style 123 wheels that ship standard on the xi when the Sport Package is ordered are identical to all other Style 123 wheels. Further still, the wheel and tire sizes and dimensions and offsets of the front Style 123 and front Style 124 wheel are identical: 245/40-18 on 18x8" with a 20mm offset. So the fronts are already identical. So the rear is the only thing that is different. The Style 124 rear is 18x9" with a 32mm offset (you can get all E60 wheel dimensions and offsets here). Let's figure out the difference:

Style 123 (optionally available on xi) and Style 124 front:

Offset: 4" - 0.787" (20mm) = 3.213" distance outward from hub
Backspace: 4 + 0.787" (20mm) = 4.787" distance inward from hub

Style 124 rear:

Offset: 4.5" - 1.26" (32mm) = 3.24" distance outward from hub
Backspace: 4.5" + 1.26" (32mm) = 5.76" distance inward from hub

So the Style 124 only "sticks out" 0.027" further than an already accepted wheel and tire combination. It does protrude almost 1" further toward the inside of the fenderwell, but if anything, that's less of a problem on the xi, because of the 14mm higher stance, and slightly wider hub stance (I know the front is, but not sure about the rears - but even if the rear isn't, it still shouldn't be a problem, because at a minimum, it's still the same as a non-xi with even more clearance).

But there's no question something is different about the xi. See this thread for an example of someone who put 19" Style 166 (E60 M5) wheels on a 530xi, and my concerns about it. But the lug pattern, hub size, and everything else about the wheels is the same.

So in sum, your dealer is correct in saying that the xi is different. However, they're totally wrong in saying different wheels are required, and that Style 124 won't fit. Hope this helps. I'd be happy to hear anything your dealer says...in fact, show them the manual if they have doubts about what size wheels and tires the xi can take:

rhnorb

das...great info, thanks a lot. I ordered 4 "fronts" 18 x 8 so I assume thats make it even less of a potential problem.

das

Yes, indeed not only less of a problem but no problem at all: the Style 124 front is exactly the same in dimension of both wheel and tire (assuming you're using 245/40-18) as the Style 123s that are available as a factory option on the xi.

If there's anything to indicate that any of the wheels that are factory options on the xi are any different from the wheels used on any other E60 model, I haven't seen it.

patoleas

Great, does this mean that I can install staggered 124's on my non-sport package '06 530i, without the use of rear spacers?

Thanks.

Mr.PC

How do you determine the offset of your wheels?

Ricracing

You find it out hopefully before you buy your wheels, otherwise after.

Read "das"'s insert carefully, and you'll find out.

It's about how much the wheel gets out of the hub on the average of the wheels breadth.

das

Look at this page. They had to remove all of the images because BMW requested them to, but all of the offsets ("ET") are there for all of the different BMW OEM wheels. For other wheels, you'd need to get that information from the manufacturer. But with this information, you can find out the distances that certain wheels and tires will stick out (or in) versus other wheels. Keep in mind that the offsets between wheels of different widths are directly comparable...you need to use the technique described above to figure it out.

das

You may want spacers for aesthetic or other reasons, but yes, you should be able to install them.

rhnorb

My dealer has ordered the style 124 wheels from Germany with a 23mm difference in offset from the existing style 124 wheels. While I agree with das that the standard wheels will fit with no problem, I might as well go with the dealer recommendation (same price). It's interesting to know that the same style wheel apperantly comes with different offsets for the xi.