bruce_miranda

My car came specd without a space saver spare wheel. So at the moment I have the carpet with the storage compartments in the wheel well. The compartments are formed by groves in the carpet in the wheel well. These groves stop the space saver from being put into the well. One option is to remove the carpet completely.

What I would like to know is what does the wheel well of a car which had the space saver from the factory look like. Does it have a different carpet or no carpet at all.

If it has a different carpet then what is the Part Number of the wheel well carpet used when you have a space saver wheel.

AlwynMike

Bruce,

I had the same problem when I threw away my RFT's. I took the easy way out and put the original carpet/compartment locators up in the loft. I got a couple of layers of thick corrugated cardboard cut to the wheel size and put it in the base of the compartment to protect the polystyrene relay covers. I did toy with the idea of cutting off the compartment divider slots, but decided not to bother - with just the wheel in the well, there is more room for tools etc!! (I am the person who has enough tools in the boot for a major stripdown at the side of the road!!).

bruce_miranda

i've actually got a lot of stuff in the wheel well at the moment because there is no spare. However am looking to throw the run flats out and get normal tyres. Already got the space saver set which actually has no room for anything else because the jack and bits are built into the center of the wheel. What I'm looking for the part number for the carpet just to check prices. If its too expensive or not worth it, its then DIY solution like cardboard etc.

I looked up the ETK for the M5 which only comes with normal tyres but even for that the carpet has the groves for the division so I was a bit confused.

AlwynMike

Bruce,

Being the cheapskate that I am, I didn't go for the gen' BMW kit - I have a low profile, two stage hydraulic jack that I use on my MG that I've had for years, and I had that in the wheel well. Since the MG is now out for the summer, the jack's back in that, and I have a windy-windy scissor jack that originally came from a Vauxhall Carlton to use - the plastic on the top is easily modified to fit the BMW pads under the sills. Like you though, I'd still be interested in a new carpet bit. I have an aquaintance that has a 520d on 16" wheels - I'll perhaps ask him to have a look in his boot the next time I see him.

Mike

noonehome

If I recall correctly on my US spec with a space saver spare, there is no carpet in the well, only a Styrofoam form at the bottom holding some electronic modules.

bruce_miranda

Anyone? I'm sure a lot of people got the space saver from the factory. All I need to know is there a carpet between your space saver wheel and the Styrofoam form at the bottom holding some electronic modules.

I'll then move on to asking the part number for that one.

zen

NO

bruce_miranda

Almost a year after I removed the carpet from my spare wheel well and installed the OEM spare kit in there I saw this wheel well carpet on eBay for very little money. I bid and won it. When it came I simply took a sharp knife and cut out the ridges in the carpet that hold up the dividers (when you have no spare installed). You don't need to cut them out completely, just enough so that the spare can fit in.

Now my wheel well looks a lot cleaner because it has the carpet installed. The plus to this is that not only does it hold the spare wheel in place tighter to avoid the boot clatter but it also gives me some piece of mind that I have something to protect the modules that BMW (so foolishly) chose to put under the wheel well completely unprotected.

Can't see why BMW couldn't create an OEM carpet for cars with the spares installed instead of leaving it 'all open'.

bruce_miranda

That's how it looks once you're done.

nickc

Hi, could you advise if your vehicle is the E60 or the E61 (touring)? i have just bought a touring that came with factory run flats and have clearly fallen into the same issue. i want to change over to normal tyres. i have got the BMW spare wheel set and it does not fit. my car does have a carpeted hollow with the veritical ridges in current uses to hold a divider arrangement. however to the rear of the car the shape of the circle flattens a lot, i cannot see that even if i cut out those vertical ridges the area at the rear will allow the wheel to fit, it measures not large enough. BMW claim i do actually have a storage area not a wheel recess and there's not aftermarket kit. what exactly do you mean by OEM spare kit.? is it the official carpeted hollow for a car with "normal" tyres ? does it have a circular shape? is the central spindle in the same place as your original? thanks