DIY: Spare tire kit

[jayhudson]

OK... here's my story with links and pics. Not much that hasn't already been posted but I did do a little custom piece and it all came together nicely.

Since I went to non-RFT tires I decided I wanted a "real" spare tire in case of catastropic failure. I didn't want to be in a situation where I was forced to buy what they had on the shelf just to get out of BFE. Yeah, I know.... I'm a control freak.

I ordered the E60/61 spare tire kit from Tischer BMW:

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

Cost was $275 plus $50 flat rate shipping. It included a wheel, tire, rubber valve stem, oddments tray, jack, wheel chock, 17mm lug wrench and the large washer device/wing nut used to hold the spare down in an OE application.

Wheel and tire were unmounted. I paid $16 for mount and balance.

First pic shows rear side of wheel/tire with the styrofoam oddments tray inserted. It holds the jack, lug wrench and wheel chock. I added a large rag and a pair of gloves. I cut a round piece of fiberboard to use as a cover. This gives me a flat surface to place things on if I need room in the trunk and also keeps all the spare bits in place. I used a 5" carriage bolt, the washer device and wing nut to hold the fiberboard in place. Once it's tightened down the spare and all bits can be moved as a single unit and no rattles. Pic 2 shows the fiberboard cover in place and the washer/wing nut. Since the valve stem (I used metal) is on the front of the wheel it is accessible without disassembly. The final pictures show the nylon spare cover fitted and the spare kit in the trunk held in place with the strap I made.

I bought this cover from the bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JEEP-...Q5fAccessories

Cost was $8.99 plus $6.95 shipping. It's fairly flimsy but fits like a glove and makes the spare look clean in the trunk. The nylon has some sort of vinyl backing but it's similar to a windbreaker. Has a drawstring to tighten it up.

I wasn't willing to pay $55 for the BMW net so I used some nylon webbing I had laying around and some clips and latches I purchased to make a strap to hold the spare in place. Total cost of the strap = less than $5. Easy install and removal if necessary. Can lift the spare to gain access to the storage well without unstrapping.

One thing more.... this weighs a lot less than an OE wheel/tire combo so it's much easier to get in/out of the trunk for an old guy like me.

I know this spare will work on front or rear of a 328. I'm not sure if it will work on 335 so do your research. I believe I've read of those who've used it on a 335 but not positive. The only thing that may be a problem for the 335 vs 328 is the brakes. I'm not sure if the calipers on the 335 require more clearance. If they do, it depends on where they are larger. It's possible you could carry a 5mm spacer and some longer bolts.

My total cost was around $360. I'll probably never use it but I have peace of mind.

Jay