[shotstew]

Hi All! I'm trying to break free from the expense of ROF tires. Can anyone point me towards a relatively inexpensive donut spare? There is one site that has one for $300.00! No Way! From what I can tell I need an 18x4 with a 5x120 bolt pattern. One question. If I have standard 17" wheels do I still need an 18x4 or would a 17x4 suffice?

[ey2001]

Originally Posted by shotstew

Hi All! I'm trying to break free from the expense of ROF tires. Can anyone point me towards a relatively inexpensive donut spare? There is one site that has one for $300.00! No Way! From what I can tell I need an 18x4 with a 5x120 bolt pattern. One question. If I have standard 17" wheels do I still need an 18x4 or would a 17x4 suffice?

I bought an e60 spare with foam with jack and all and put it in a tote tire bag with a spacer to clear the front caliper.. spent $120 for everything

[wcr3d]

Not exactly fair to compare prices of new vs used.
But a good idea to visit a scrap yard and for an E60 or Craigslist or similar.
Rolling diameter and offset are key.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by shotstew

... One question. If I have standard 17" wheels do I still need an 18x4 or would a 17x4 suffice?

Originally Posted by wcr3d

...
Rolling diameter and offset are key.

Ditto wcr3d in regards to tire/wheel size. Just like the BMW recommended tire sizes listed in your owners manual...they all (17"/18"/19"/20") will have the same overall rolling circumference. You need to look for a spare that has the same rolling circumference along with the wheel offset, wheel bolt pattern and wheel hub size. If the e60 uses the same wheel/tire sizes...then the spare from the model (regardless if 17" or 18") will have the same overall rolling circumference...thus work in your situation.

Good luck.

[spielnicht]

I decided to just keep a Slime Smart Spair Tire Repair Kit in my trunk over carrying a spare, but then again my driving might be different than yours. 99% of my driving is within a 25 mile radius of my house. Luckily my wife hates riding in my car and we use her SUV for long distance family trips :-)

[Trainwreck914]

I'm using a full size spare in the boot for now. I do have a slim spare from an e39 but it makes contact with the caliper. Not even sure as far as what the rolling circumference is. Might have to look into an e60 spare. I need the trunk space.