TWO TOURERS

Hey Vash,
New here and trying to get some info on wheels/offsets etc 9yes I have searched but still a bit confused)
We have a 1998 E39 528i Touring Induividual and have just aquired a 2005 E61 530i Touring with Sport pak (some pictures in due course) and my question to you is re the E61 and those rims you have on yours as they look identical to mine.

I got a set of original BMW Spider Spoke Rims 128 from E Bay...and now need to get them to fit. Yes i know i jumped the gun a bit because these have come (I think from an X3 or X5 with BIG offsets) but please bare with me. So now I have sitting in garage...

REAR... Spider Spoke 128 19 x 9 ET 51 (the rim has the letters IS 51 and I assume that means ET)fitted with new Michelin Pilot Super Sport 275-35-19 rubber (which I purchased from Tire Rack USA and had them sent over to Australia and put on rims)
FRONT...Spider Spoke 128 19 x 81/2 ET (IS) 46 fitted with new Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245-40-19 rubber.

When I went to my tyre fitting mate to put them on the there was no chance and the hit inside rear arch and front shock. So with what we could measure and with his experience we figured that to have clearance to run them wewould need at least about 25mm (or more) spacers to fill the gap to the hub. So realised needed big spacers and started searching from there.

From my research (various USA and other sites)it seems I could mount 30mm spacers front and rear that would push the wheel out nicely and it would appear that with thsoe rims and rubber the E61 (RWD of course)having nice wide fender guards front and rear should cope with it. So went ahead and ordered custom 120 5 30mm type 4 spacers which have the ten holes, 5 with flush studs to bolt to hub and 5 with the tapped thread so as existing standard wheel bolts fit.
So... getting these this afternoon and trying the whole fit tomorrow. Thinking is that if by chance 30mm is too much we can mill down to fit rather than try and increase thickness (not really possible)

So Vash, or others, have I blown this whole thing or will it work???...any ideasappreciated and I will post whatver results

norsecarnut

Why did you buy wheels before making sure about the fitting?

Yes, the wheel on the car above were for the x3, not the "style", but the actual offset and dimensions. You can use this to research almost all bmw oem wheels: http://felgenkatalog.auto-treff.com/

For example, choose x3/e83. You will see that the 128 comes in several versions.

For awd/X cars, our offset is limiting. Most people who have chosen the 128 go with 4 front x3 versions having the ET46. This wheel bolts directly on to an e61x drive with no spacers necessary, unless just for visual appeal.

An et51 probably becomes very tight against the inner side of the suspension. If you could, I would return the wheels you got.

If you are saying that you have a RWD e61, then you have even more options for wheels than we do (no RWD e61 are in the US market that I know of)

A RWD e61 could use the ET 18 or 20 up front and ET32 rear. Doing this would allow you to bolt straight on without spacers.

I hate spacers - they just introduce another layer of something to deal with and I like my wheels spinning around to be as durable and solid as possible.

mvd

Getting there....



Needs little bit of adjusting still....

mmitev

can't wait too!

TWO TOURERS

Hey Guys,
Thanks for help and nice pics...we (my son and I...he has the e61 and poor 'ol dad has the E39) got it sorted as per what we anticipated in the previous post...this is what went down in a big learning curve that we hope can help or at least inspire others

Before and after pics are attached showing the original as purchase last week with just under 70kilometres M Double Spoke 135 (18x8) with 245/45 R18 rubber which was standard with 530i M sport pack. Then with new Spider Spoke 128 gen BMW rims as described above fitted with Michellin pilot Super Sport as also described above.

Because of rushed and limited option purchase of the 128 rims which were in fact ET designed for an X3 we needed to insert major spacers because ET's at 51 and 46 where way off what an E61 RWD could handle.
It was all a bit daunting but we bit the bullet and fitted 30mm spacers front (which reduced the ET from 46 to 16) and rear (which reduced the ET from 51 to 21) which worked brilliantly bringing wheels out very full at front and nicely full at rear, loaded old rims and tyres in back and took a 2 hour drive back home and only got a very slight fender touch at front went hit a dip going downhill at 100kph...so ideally could possibly shim front spacers back 5mm to be 25mm

mvd

awt

mvd

^uuuuh....RED!!! I want one...

estateofmind

2006 530xi

alexio

just plasti-dipped my wheels. I cannot imagine a better, cheaper, easier way to both protect the original finish under your wheels, and get the black look that some of us enjoy. I just had to have the car towed as the water pump went out, so I have to redo one of my rims where the strap rubbed the plastidip off... one hour job at most from start to finish and half of a $6 plasti-dip can.. feel so silly I didn't know about this product before.

here are some pics... as usual, crappy phone ones sorry.
car specs for those who might ask:
2008 535xi, monaco blue, sport package and all the other packages except HUD.
m5 front bumper (still no idea how to get rear bumper done on an LCI car)
245/40/19 F and 275/35/19 rear with 5mm spacer on rear wheels.
cusco strut bar (amazing difference)
tinted windows + plastidipped wheels.