Space saver wheel anybody??
- Thread starter Jimbo76
- Start date
North West Surrey
I had a 17" space-saver from an E46 330i/330d when I had my 3.0Si, but I'm pretty sure you'd need an 18" to clear the front brakes on an M.
So I have a 224 front wheel in the boot of mine!
It's a much better option if you are ever more than 100 or so miles from home like I am when I venture north of the border.
So I have a 224 front wheel in the boot of mine!
It's a much better option if you are ever more than 100 or so miles from home like I am when I venture north of the border.
Scottish Borders
As Mr Tidy says..if it’s a short distance limp home then a small space saver is a good option..if you do road trips where a puncture could ruin your trip consider a full size bmw wheel..may be cheaper than a space saver…I carry a front 326m in my e89 to cover this issue as almost all my driving is road trips
Makes me laugh how BMW provided a space saver under the boot floor on all Z3's but none of the Z4's - that said I think that's the way most manufacturers have gone now.
So if you don't want to carry a full size wheel in the boot as mentioned above the options are:
And remember if you go down any other route than the foam you will need a wheel brace and a jack - again both were included with the Z3.
So if you don't want to carry a full size wheel in the boot as mentioned above the options are:
- Generic space saver - loads on eBay and a 5x120 bolt pattern is what you need
- Foam repair kit - fine unless you rip the tyre
- Rat tails - longer repair time but permanent solution
And remember if you go down any other route than the foam you will need a wheel brace and a jack - again both were included with the Z3.
I've just had a secondhand space saver delivered this morning, was listed as E46/E90 spare wheel on ebay, 125/80R17 size for £65 delivered. Half decent (but a bit old) tyre on it from the pictures. There's some I saw with tyres from 2001 fitted, I know they don't sit in the sun so the 5 year rule likely doesn't apply as much but would still make me twitchy having a 25 year old spare tyre 
Jack arrives on Friday according to tracking, £20 posted. Wheel brace already in the car boot, I keep a Halfords extendable one in every car boot.
We've been rolling the dice with just foam/inflator in boot for the last 5 years for Z4 trips, figured it was time to upgrade to a spare. I'll take the inconvenience of limping somewhere slowly on a space saver over having a full size wheel in the boot constantly.
Jack arrives on Friday according to tracking, £20 posted. Wheel brace already in the car boot, I keep a Halfords extendable one in every car boot.
We've been rolling the dice with just foam/inflator in boot for the last 5 years for Z4 trips, figured it was time to upgrade to a spare. I'll take the inconvenience of limping somewhere slowly on a space saver over having a full size wheel in the boot constantly.
But presumably that's because the Z3s didn't have run-flats. E46s didn't either so they came with a spacesaver, but E9*s had run-flats so like Z4s they also came with nothing.
Apart from Z4Ms. As they didn't have run-flats BMW provided a can of sealant and a compressor!
Don't think ive carried a spare wheel for over 10 years now. Havent yet encountered anything that simply reinflating the tyre didn't fix enough to get me home.
You’ve said it now!
Other than a puncture I am also considering a cracked or damaged wheel with the state of the f*ckin’ roads these days, a valid consideration I think.
I have to admit I have been very fortunate in my 33 years of driving, however I have had more punctures in the past 3 years than the preceding 30!! Quite a few of these have been pinched sidewalls following pothole impact.
I’ve fixed a good number of punctures of my own over the years with those kits you buy, with the sticky thread stuff, but last year ran over an engineered screw, probably 12mm diameter and it went straight into the tread. I actually needed to use 3 of the strings to just get it to hold enough air to get off the motorway.
Just last weekend I hit a pothole in my daily, coming up the A74. I immediately thought that it had to be a blow out, it was horrendous, possibly the worst I have experienced!! Checked the tyre pressure monitors and all good…then, 10 miles up the road it came up red, rear left wheel. I stopped and couldn’t see any damage so assumed a cracked wheel. Inflated it a few times to get me home and checked at the house. I had nipped the sidewall, and fortunately hadn’t cracked the wheel, it it so necessitate a new tyre…when I went to get it replaced they found a nice big screw in the shoulder of the other rear tyre…so 2 new Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersports, and the car has only covered 2300 miles!!
I’ll look for an E46/90 in 17 or 18” if they are available.
Been much debated and depends on how far you venture from home and subsequent consequences..
FWIW I've now seen about 12 punctures between me and my Zed friends on trips plus our own fleet..
Out of the 12..only two were fixable with gunk/rats tails..
Maybe its a function of Scottish roads!
Just been out for a drive to Teignmouth, 2 massive pot holes almost next to each other stretching across the carriageway on a series of bends. Saw the first one, swerved to the right to avoid and then to the left clipping the one on the right by the white line. Absolute disgrace.
Agreed, I have had more bust springs than punctures and the punctures were created by the same poorly maintained roads.
Easily more than 12 damaged springs, two buckled wheels, and a handful of tyres. Various company cars so no rock hard suspension or rubber band style tyres, good luck with them.
Any ideas what we pay the tax for.
We already pay per per mile in fuel tax, sorry duty, plus the best part of £800 road tax for the privilege to sit in traffic, so that cant be the issue.
Easily more than 12 damaged springs, two buckled wheels, and a handful of tyres. Various company cars so no rock hard suspension or rubber band style tyres, good luck with them.
Any ideas what we pay the tax for.
We already pay per per mile in fuel tax, sorry duty, plus the best part of £800 road tax for the privilege to sit in traffic, so that cant be the issue.
Liverpool
No springs for me, but in 155,000 miles I've had 2 punctures in the Z4.
First one was within a week of buying it when I braked at some roadworks and the tyre got caught on the edge of a water-filled pothole.
Second was a screw in the tyre from the industrial estate where I got my windscreen replaced.
First one was within a week of buying it when I braked at some roadworks and the tyre got caught on the edge of a water-filled pothole.
Second was a screw in the tyre from the industrial estate where I got my windscreen replaced.
Just been out for a drive to Teignmouth, 2 massive pot holes almost next to each other stretching across the carriageway on a series of bends. Saw the first one, swerved to the right to avoid and then to the left clipping the one on the right by the white line. Absolute disgrace.
The back roads up to Dartmoor have fallen apart this winter. I used to take the ///M on them. No fun at all now you need a tractor.
E46 17" ones are available from the 330i and 330d, but E9*s didn't have one as they were all supplied with run-flats and no back-up solution. From what I can make out E46 M3s just came with a "Mobility Kit" like Z4Ms, which means an aerosol of sealant and a compressor!I’ll look for an E46/90 in 17 or 18” if they are available.
Sorry I can't remember which Z4 you have, but a 17 is big enough to clear 3.0Si front brakes. If you have an M it might work on the back, but that's not so good for a puncture on the front.
I’ve a Z4M…there was a spare available for the E9X cars albeit, they never came with one. Worst case scenario, if I had a puncture on the front, I’d put a rear wheel on the front and the space saver on the rear… I am sure they fit.
Oh right, I didn't know you could get a space saver for E9*s. The well below the boot floor certainly isn't big enough for one!
A 17" space saver would probably fit the rear of an M, but I'm not sure about a 224 rear on the front as the offsets are quite different. It might be worth trying that out before you commit.
A 17" space saver would probably fit the rear of an M, but I'm not sure about a 224 rear on the front as the offsets are quite different. It might be worth trying that out before you commit.
Sorry I maybe wasn’t clear, as I understand they never did come with one, but BMW and some other outlets would sell one as an emergency wheel I believe, in a kit. It just lay in the boot which isn’t the worst of things if you travel a lot in the car.
I was told they were of a larger size than the E46 variants (17/18”?) so more likely to go over bigger brakes of modern BMWs, or older in the case of the E85/6 M cars.
Agreed with the offset aspect, I’ll possibly try that today as I’m fitting new discs and pads so will have the car in the air anyway.
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