Want to use 72mm center bore wheels on your E39, but don't want to bore your wheels or use adapters? Do your wheel bearings need replacing? Great! Just order E60 wheel bearings and hubs!
I've been wanting to post this for so long but I waited until I actually installed mine and it works with absoultely no modification! I remember reading on here an old post where some guy in Germany said it would work but you had to re-drill the hole for the rotor locating screw or something like that, but I didn't have to modify anything. Everything fit right on with no problems. I have a 99 528i so I can't guarantee this would work on all models, but I don't see why it wouldn't.
I just finished my front suspension overhaul this weekend. Everything between the road and the car is new with the exception of the steering knuckles and the brake calipers. Included in this rebuild I used E60 wheel bearings. I will post more pics of the whole process in another thread but I just wanted to get the news out about the E60 hubs and bearings working for the E39 as soon as I could.
Here's a pic of my unmodified Style 138's mounted on my E39 with E60 hubs:
And a pic of the finished suspension before putting on the wheel:
Yes, those are FSD's (flame shields up!) and you can see the E60 hubs fit nicely inside the brake rotors. The part of the hub that the rotor goes onto is the same size on both the E60 and the E39, it's just the part that sticks out for the wheel to center on that's different.
I haven't done the rears yet, but I don't see how there would be any problem there. The wheel bearing is sold seperately from the hub, and the bearings are the exact same part number for both the E39 and the E60. So for the rear, the only thing that's different is the hub itself and it just presses inside the bearing. I will be doing the rear suspension in about a month so we will see for sure then...
Very interesting.
1991 M5 (in progress)
Restoring an old BMW, God help me.
Yes, thanks for sharing. Btw, what about pricing on those E60 bearings?
Very interesting indeed. I assume you have no ABS/DSC issues with E60 bearing.
2003 M5 LSx l 6 Spd Manual l 4.10 LSD
Build Thread
The chassis must always be regarded as a means to an end and never as an end itself
+1Originally Posted by oekundar
I wonder why no one has thought of this before.
2002 540i | 6 speed | (892) Titanium Gray | BC Coilovers |E60 SSK - ZHP Knob | CDV Delete | M5 RSB | Muffler Delete - 2.75" Turndown | Dice Duo | Spec Dock | Running log -> http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1713303
Wow! If the rears work I will nominate you for a Bf.c Nobel Prize.
Resident Third World Country Advisor
sweet.
How did you even start to think they would fit?
Last edited by carlos1212; 04-17-2012 at 02:52 PM.
Cool!
"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti"
The front suspension and brakes look extremely clean!
Nice job!
What brakes are they?
How does the car ride?
Also, kind of neat to be able to run OZ Ultraleggera's...
https://www.google.com/search?q=OZ+U...w=1680&bih=946
Thanks!
Jason
Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …
I paid $137.51 each from EAC. Looks like they're sold out right now though - http://www.eaceuroparts.com/parts/pa...06%20765%20601
I drove around all morning, no lights on the dash and brakes seem to work fine. The E60 bearings are almost identical in every way to the E39 bearings, other than the absense of the big bolt on the back and the hub diameter. I wish I had taken pics of them side by side but I was too excited to get them on to stop for pics...
Well, it all started a while back when I saw this post from Touring E39: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19243501&postcount=38
He never went into much detail about this but it sparked the idea in my mind. I then headed over to EACeuroparts.com and started comparing pics of parts and part numbers between the E39 and the E60 hubs.
In the front, looking at the pics, they looked very similar. I then noticed that the part numbers of the bolts that hold them on to the knuckle are the same for the E60 and the E39. The part number of the screw that holds the rotor to the hub was the same too. And, knowing that the factory wheel offset for the E60 and E39 is the same at 20mm, I went ahead and took the leap of faith and bought them.
In the rear, the part numbers of the bearings themselves are the same for the E39 and the E60, only the drive flange (hub) is different. So I see no reason why those won't work.
Thanks! Be on the lookout for another order from me in about a month, I'm saving up for the complete rear suspension overhaul now that the front is done.
Thanks! Those are PowerSlot rotors with Akebono Euro pads and stock 528i calipers painted black. The springs are Vogtland Sport and the struts are Koni FSD's.
All the other parts are straight off of EAC's front suspension parts list found here: http://www.eaceuroparts.com/content/tech-articles/bmw/bmw-e39-i6-525i-528i-530i-suspension-parts-list/
I went with all the Lemfoerder parts, and on the thurst arms I got the Lemfoerder arms with the heavy duty bushings.
Car rides great considering the back is still all original with blown shocks, beat up ball joints, and sprung non-sport springs... I can't wait to get the back done and see how good she rides then!
In the meantime I have to ride around looking like this:
Wait so... doing this will change the size from that e39 exclusive 74.1mm to the 72.6(?)mm size that every other BMW has?
2 things
1. if you like ugly E60 wheels then yes ( i dont )
2. "I paid $137.51 each" .... well i paid ~200$ shpped for 2 E39 Timken bearings
But thanks for posing this info , indeed VERY interesting thread
Last edited by champaign777; 04-17-2012 at 06:10 PM.
Don't forget, the e60 isn't the only 72.whatever wheel hub.. Virtually ALL other wheel types OEM from BMW can be fitted after this.Originally Posted by champaign777
Sounds like a decent alternative to boring wheels or spacers which reduce the hub.
1,3,5,7,z,x etc. Don't limit yourself only to e60 wheel options
2002 540i | 6 speed | (892) Titanium Gray | BC Coilovers |E60 SSK - ZHP Knob | CDV Delete | M5 RSB | Muffler Delete - 2.75" Turndown | Dice Duo | Spec Dock | Running log -> http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1713303
Huge thanks for posting this.
You ask any ricer, any serious ricer. It doesn't matter if the other guy is racing or not. A win is a win.
In. Sounds cool.
Wow that's awesome, I wish I knew this 2 years ago lol.
me too I have recently replaced my front wheel bearings and I am not itching to do it again....lol
This seems like one of those .....can't see the forest for the trees moments....
1999 BMW 540i Sport
So what is the difference in the E39 and E60 rear wheel bearings? Does the drive flange bore match on E60 let's say 525i to E39 528i drive shaft?
I wonder if you can just use the E60 drive flange on E39 bearing.
Current rides: E65 730dA '04, F10 520dA '11, E34 520iA '91
Old rides: E46 316Ti, E53 X5, E38 728iA, E39 528iA, E46 318i Touring, E38 730dA, E36 316i, E36 328iA Cabrio, E38 728i, E38 750i, E36/3 320i, E36 318i, E39 530dA Touring, E38 740i, E39 528iA, E34 525iA, E32 750iL, E32 730iL, E34/2 525TDS, E34 525i, E28 518i, E34 535i, E34/2 525iA, E30/5 325i, E34 535i, E28 520i https://www.instagram.com/zener__/
Very interesting ! ... I'm running 30mm spacers in the front
(adapter) to make 72 fit my car. I don't like my set up so hopefully when ur done let's us know how it all works out
Last edited by Mac Castle; 04-18-2012 at 03:22 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Interesting thread. Very curious about the fitment of the rear bearings.
Looking for a DIY? Parts? Check this out, it might be your ticket
Stable: e92is, e53 N62, e46M54B25, Tribby & e39 M54B30 R.I.P.
Bookmarks