Just curious to know if any other 550i owners have opted to create more of a stance by spacing out the the stock Style 172s on their 550i M-Sports. It seems as if the rear is a bit more tucked in then the fronts. It might be just my eye, but it seems as if BMW designed the rear to tuck in about 5-10mm more then the front. I am curious as to know what other members are running if anything in terms of spacers that is.

 

Yes a lot of members have purchased spacers from me to do exactly what you need. Also, the rear has a bit more neg. camber from factory that's why you see the difference.

Michael
Owner
Acute Performance

 

Michael, I have an LCI touring and note that recommended factory wheels ONLY come in either ET18 or ET20 front and back. I have subsequently learned that if I take a 172M rear wheel from a sedan which is ET32, then I should either take a 10mm spacer, or better still 15mm; which suggests that anywhere between ET 22-ET17 is ok at the rear without rubbing issues. I don't know how much of a difference 18" and 19" as well as width between 8" and 9.5" make a difference so I'm wondering if you have a table - or just the extremes (min and max ET) that an E61 can take front and back without rubbing issues?

 

The best way is to measure for yourself. Here's a link with easy instructions.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/t-wheel-spacers.aspx

I sell the Turner Motorsport spacers.

Michael
Owner
Acute Performance

 

i have a question. I am about to install 20" miro on my 550i. what size spacers would you recommend? Also maybe a dumb question but are spacers safe?

 

much appreciated; I didn't know a spacer would/could occupy the space left for snowchains. I need showchains! perhaps I should stick to strictly stock sizes? or does that not matter as far as I only use, eg a 15mm spacer on ET32 to more or less match my e61's ET18 stock requirement?

Is it correct that I should not worry at all about load bearing on the hubcentric lip, if I use at least a 15mm spacer?

 

Really? I've never used snow chains before I didnt know they sit on the hub?

 

I have 15 mm spacers on mine. It makes quite a big difference and looks great. I have RS Techniks and they have been on for about 3k miles with no problems. The one recommendation that I heard was to drive the car a few hundred miles and then have the lugs retightened. The HR ones are great also. Both are very light and made to be taken off easily. The 15 mm fit perfect and are a definite improvement. I think Sonic MS sells the 18 mm ones as well, although I'm not sure on the fitment for our cars with those. Good luck.

 

Snowchains sit on the tyre. Having thought about it, I am sure there is no problem with the example I've given where you use a spacer merely to compensate for a wheel with an ET that doesn't match the car's oem recommendation and by use of spacer, you compensate for that and nothing else. If on the other hand, you make use of the 20mm "snowchain allowance" to push the wheels out to be more flush with the fender edge, then you can't fit snowchains over the tyre and that would be a problem for me. However I am not worried about using the spacer just to make the wrong ET tyre match the car's ET recommendation.

 

I'm running 20mm H&R spacers in the rear. Style 172 rims, M Sport suspension, no rubbing issues whatsoever. Had the same spacers in the front, but had rubbing issues on sudden drops at higher speed and got them removed. I suppose 15mm spacers in the front would be OK.