Normal tyres & spare?

[asn993]

Just a question about what one does if they replace their run flats with normal tyres and you get a flat? Do you buy a space saver or call for road assist? Cheers

[froop]

There are a few options.

First is a spare tyre.

Second is one of those slime kits which fill the tyre with slime and refills the tyre with air. They kind of ruin the tyre though.

Third is to get one of those rope repair kits. Basically if you get a puncture you just use the kit to remove the nail/screws and repair it with rubber cement and rubber rope. You also need to bring an air compressor along to fill it back up.

I personally use the third option. It's a permanent repair and doesn't ruin the tyre. The problem with option 2 and 3 though is that if you get catastrophic damage to the tyre it can't be repaired and you're stranded unless you get a tow.

[asn993]

Thanks. Is a space saver available from the 1 series range that is suitable? If you are replacing tyres are normal tyres generally the preference? Cheers

[froop]

Originally Posted by asn993

Thanks. Is a space saver available from the 1 series range that is suitable? If you are replacing tyres are normal tyres generally the preference? Cheers

Not really. You can buy a BMW spare tyre kit but I'm not sure if they sell them here. Because it's also not a full size you're quite limited on how far and fast you can drive on it though.

Most people replace RFTs with non-RFTs as they're more comfortable, less expensive and better performing. In saying that though, RFTs have saved me from being stranded quite a few times in the past few years. Though I haven't had to use my tyre repair kit in the past year since changing to non-RFTs. It's all luck I guess.

[Prodigy.]

I'm currently using one of my front 261 rims as a spare in the boot as i've recently changed to 19" rims, i also have a slime kit in the event i need the boot space for other things.

[Tak3n]

Post #21 looks like a good way to do it. Not sure, how much it will cost to source all these parts though.

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=698130

I'm also looking to replace my run flats, and will be looking at spare tyre options.

[Harills]

I bought a 1 series specific space saver for peace of mind due to the amount of kms I do, and didn't like how much space keeping a std 135i front rim/tyre in the boot took up, as I have to carry lots around. Space saver is far lighter, and takes up minimal room. Already used it a few times and does the job to get me to a repairer. Bought rim/tyre and tote bag separately, which is held in place with a strap via the two hooks at the back of the boot, and slid it under a boot net. Definitely recommend it if you decide on the spare tyre route. Happy to provide part numbers if required.

[Tak3n]

Originally Posted by Harills

Happy to provide part numbers if required.

I'm interested in the part numbers if you don't mind posting it.

Also, what's the estimated cost of everything? including boot net, tote bag etc

[thezone135i]

Geez are the run flats really that bad? I find they handle fine for street.

[MBan]

Originally Posted by Tak3n

I'm interested in the part numbers if you don't mind posting it.

Also, what's the estimated cost of everything? including boot net, tote bag etc

I'd love to get this info too. Did you order the parts directly through BMW or another OEM supplier?

[Tak3n]

Originally Posted by thezone135i

Geez are the run flats really that bad? I find they handle fine for street.

Guess there isn't as many pot holes in Adelaide. Once you hit a pot hole you will come to a jarring realisation that its a hard ride.

[Harills]

Hey all...
- Genuine BMW spare rim part #36116750007 (through BMW)
- Tyre from bob jane size 135/80R17
- Tyre tote from carcoon in qld
- Boot net came with the car (BMW cargo net).
- Car Jack and adjustable strap to hold it in place from Supercheap

Total cost was around $300ish (was quoted over $1200 for 'genuine' spare kit though BMW with equivalent components!)

You might need to call around for the tyre... I did.

Hope this helps.

And yes, run flats ARE that bad...

[MBan]

That's great Harills - thanks!

I've got eye on a set of wheels with non-RFT so I might need a spare option sooner rather than later.

[RadiuM]

awesome thanks

for the rim
http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/: 66 + 45del = 111USD
http://ecstubing.com: 55 + 182del = 237USD

and I gave up after that. I always hate that about ECS, they have an awesome range of products at great prices but their shipping calculator to AUS blows goats.

[Knightelf]

FYI called the dealer and the wheel is $110 AUD, so no point getting it overseas!

[7smurfs]

I prefer to pay an extra $50 a year in my insurance to get road assist incase of a flat.

That extra $50 can also assist if I ever get the dreaded water pump issue too!

[Prodigy.]

Originally Posted by Harills

Hey all...
- Genuine BMW spare rim part #36116750007 (through BMW)

Originally Posted by Knightelf

FYI called the dealer and the wheel is $110 AUD, so no point getting it overseas!

Is that part number 1 series specific? I rang the dealer and quoted the number and he said it wasn't for a 1 series and wouldn't guarantee it would fit, he said the one listed for the 1 series is $320 for just the rim.

[Harills]

Originally Posted by Prodigy 72

Is that part number 1 series specific? I rang the dealer and quoted the number and he said it wasn't for a 1 series and wouldn't guarantee it would fit, he said the one listed for the 1 series is $320 for just the rim.

This was the part number that was quoted on my invoice and I only got charged $100ish.... and it fits the front and the rear (have used in both places)... so not sure what is happening there?

[Knightelf]

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310120

According to post #5 it's the same rim as the one in the spare tyre kit (except the kit is much more expensive).

I think the rim is from E46 so maybe in their system it's not listed as 1 series specific.

[MBan]

Alright, I finally got my solution sorted out for this, thanks to info from Harills.

I investigated a few options for buying a full space-saver spare kit:
- Full space-saver kit from BMW ($935)
- Full kit from alloywheels direct in the UK ($840 delivered)
- Full kit from bavariaautosports in the US ($900 delivered)

Noe of these options looked great so I tried looking at separate components with the intention of buying some non-BMW parts and making my own kit:
- Steel spacer saver wheel that Harills recommended (part 36116750007, E90/E46, $110 from BMW)
- 125 80 R17 tyre from BMW ($216)
- Genuine BMW spare wheel 'pouch' with integral tie-down straps ($185)
- Genuine BMW cargo net ($129)
- Genuine BMW jack kit (includes jack, box, gloves, wheel brace and torque wrench, $263
- Genuine BMW mobility kit ($220)

I also called all the wreckers I could find asking for the full 1 series kit or just the wheel and didn't have any luck.

In the end, this is the way I decided to go:

Securing the wheel/tyre
I didn't have a cargo net so I thought I'd be better off getting the proper pouch for the spare wheel because by the time I bought a cargo net and a tyre tote I'd be at about the same cost.
$185

Wheel
Harills option seemed the best and at $110 was pretty cheap.
$110

Tyre
I rang five or six tyre shops trying to find a space-saver tyre and every one said they couldn't get them and that I should get it from BMW directly. So far, I'd used about two weeks' of lunch breaks trying to sort this out and I gave up and decided to buy the tyre from BMW
$216

Jack
I was considering buying a generic scissor jack from SuperCheap or somewhere similar but I'd seen some pictures of genuine BMW jacks and noticed that they have a plastic fitting on the top that fits inside the jacking point recess we have. Using a regular scissor jack on our jacking points didn't seem ideal so I looked at getting a jack pad adaptor from one of the online stores. Essentially, these adaptors have the correct shaped fitting with a flat hockey puck-shaped pad on the bottom to put your jack under. I actually ordered one of these (still in transit) but then found a wrecker that had a BMW jack and wheel brace so I bought that instead.
$50

Odds and ends
I bought a 1/2 inch torque wrench from Bunnings with the correct torque range ($65), a tool bag to hold the jack, wheel brace, torque wrench etc ($20) and a pair of gloves ($10). The tool bag fits inside the space-saver wheel nicely and doesn't move around, it's about 400mm in length and folds down pretty flat.
$95

TOTAL
$655

But...

About two hours after ordering the things I needed from BMW, the parts guy called me back to say someone was trading their E90 the next day and had a spacer-saver wheel, tyre and pouch he wanted to sell and would give it me for $280.

So, my end cost was $425.

Really quite a saga that ate up a lot of my time so hopefully the information above will help someone else.


Cheers
MBan

[MBan]

Oh, and as an addenda; I test fitted the space saver yesterday and I can confirm what Harills said about it fitting front and back.

Getting the wheel nuts off to test-fit the space-saver was another saga and helped me justify buying the torque wrench. God knows why the last person to tighten those nuts up decided to do them up so tight!

And after all that, I'm now ready for my new wheels and tyres which should arrive in the next couple of weeks.

[Superdaws]

Originally Posted by froop

There are a few options.
Second is one of those slime kits which fill the tyre with slime and refills the tyre with air. They kind of ruin the tyre though.

They dont all ruin the tyre, some are known to.

http://slime.com.au/

Water soluble and wont ruin the tyre...