# OK. Spare tire question



## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

So I've seen posts on Toadfly about using a 330Cic space saver as an emergency spare on roadtrips and whatnot. Tischer won't order the parts for me, because they swear up and down that they've looked into it and the wheel just doesn't fit. I don't believe this, but would like to see some pics of the installed wheel.

The thread on Toadfly (http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e46m3/forum.php?postid=2897297&page=2) had pics at one point, but the links are all now broken.

Does anyone here have pics of this setup?


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

Hopefully Jim in Oregon will see this thread--he was one of the first to do this. I think he has an imagestation album with pics.


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## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

Why does a spare not fit in these cars? Is it the bigger diff?


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

JPinTO said:


> *Why does a spare not fit in these cars? Is it the bigger diff? *


It's the muffler, which runs laterally across the whole rear of the car. I think the fact that the front and rear use such radically different offsets also plays a role, making it hard to come up with a wheel that fits both.


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## Josh03SGM3 (Apr 1, 2003)

I have the spare tire kit and jack and I test fitted to make sure that it does work. I'll try to post pics tonight...


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## Jim in Oregon (Dec 23, 2001)

The donut tire will not fit under the floor mat of the M3. It's just not deep enough. I've found that the best way is just to put in the trunk in a plastic sack for dirt and pile the luggage on top of it. The tire and rim are about 5" wide and the storage under the mat is about 3" because of the exhaust system. You don't save more than about 1/4" if you deflate the tire.


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

Jim in Oregon said:


> *The donut tire will not fit under the floor mat of the M3. It's just not deep enough. I've found that the best way is just to put in the trunk in a plastic sack for dirt and pile the luggage on top of it. The tire and rim are about 5" wide and the storage under the mat is about 3" because of the exhaust system. You don't save more than about 1/4" if you deflate the tire.
> *


I think he may have just been told that it wouldn't fit ON THE CAR, not just under the mat in the trunk.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

atyclb said:


> *I think he may have just been told that it wouldn't fit ON THE CAR, not just under the mat in the trunk. *


Right. I figured I'd have to live with the loss of luggage space (or get a Continental bumper kit--that would be coool). The parts guy said he didn't think the wheel would fit over the brakes etc. either in the front or the rear (and certainly not both, according to him).

Jim, I assume you've done a test fitting/drive, and noticed no problems?


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## Jim in Oregon (Dec 23, 2001)

The wheel clears both the front and the rear brakes. It better fit since the tire and wheel is what you get with the BMW 330 18" wheel option. The brakes are almost the same as the M3.


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## Riuster (May 21, 2003)

where did you get that SPARE???


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

What do you plan to do with the rim/tire that comes off when you use your spare?

Especially on a trip when the car is full?

Get a bag and have the passenger carry it?


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## hollysmac (May 5, 2003)

*plans for flat*

I am a widow and travel alone so I never thought of that delima. I saw a gadget for the Z3 that used the tow hook for the rear and will try to find it and post. This is the delima for the Z3 and one mag cracked " Just leave the passenger by the side of the road


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

*Re: plans for flat*



hollysmac said:


> *I am a widow and travel alone so I never thought of that delima. I saw a gadget for the Z3 that used the tow hook for the rear and will try to find it and post. This is the delima for the Z3 and one mag cracked " Just leave the passenger by the side of the road  *


hey holly--

saw a few posts from you and just wanted to say welcome over here

:hi:


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

*Re: plans for flat*



hollysmac said:


> *I am a widow and travel alone so I never thought of that delima. I saw a gadget for the Z3 that used the tow hook for the rear and will try to find it and post. This is the delima for the Z3 and one mag cracked " Just leave the passenger by the side of the road  *


Hey, Holly, if you are the right one, could you post info on your tow hitch on this board? Thanks.

Yeah the what to do with the flat is a problem, and has been since the first days of space saver tires. Of course a dead tire on a POS steel rim was no big deal to leave by the side of the road. But at the replacement cost of our wheels, that is not an option.

So I stick with AAA Plus and a cell phone.  Just make sure you have a Analog/Digital phone along. Too much of the coutnry still doesn't have digital service, much less GSM (my current phone). But one of those cheap pre-paid jobs will do the job. We just activated our old phone on another number when we last upgraded. It lives in the car travel bag with a lighter charger.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> *What do you plan to do with the rim/tire that comes off when you use your spare?
> 
> Especially on a trip when the car is full?
> 
> Get a bag and have the passenger carry it?  *


I was thinking of tossing it in the backseat, folded down. A bag (or a folded canvas drop cloth) is not a bad idea.

Obviously, you'd have to load the car with an eye toward this.

As crappy as it would be to stick a hot, blown tire in the car with you, imagine the alternative--sitting by the side of the road waiting for the tow truck to flatbed your car to the nearest dealer?

No thanks.


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## chazzy (Apr 2, 2002)

Ed Scuba on Roadfly: http://www.ackthud.net/z3/2001/Fixit/fixit-08.shtml



> _Ed Scuba showed up with his Turquoise Z3 later in the afternoon, and demonstrated his new Z3 Accessory - a small device that screws in to your tow hook location, where you can attach your now-flat tire rather than carrying it inside your passenger compartment, once you've put on the spare. Great idea! A copy of the device (what's its name, by the way?) is sitting by Ed's knee. One side screws in to the tow point, and the other side has two bolts for you to hang your tire on. Looks interesting, no? I'm thinking if I had one of these, my new SuperSprint exhaust may interfere with hanging a tire in the rear, however, there is another one of these tow points up on the front bumper. Hmmm...
> 
> _


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

chazzy said:


> *Ed Scuba on Roadfly: http://www.ackthud.net/z3/2001/Fixit/fixit-08.shtml
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It looks like the space saver tire is right up against the bumper, how does a normal wheel/tire fit?


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> *It looks like the space saver tire is right up against the bumper, how does a normal wheel/tire fit? *


Looks to me like it's face-in, and there's quite a bit of thread on that doohickey. Mounting the normal tire face-in it would probably fit.

Where can one obtain one of those things?


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## QikSilvr (Jun 9, 2003)

*I want one, I want one...*

I want one of these dohickies.
I have been laughed at on HotBimmer for even thinking of carrying a spare tire in an M3, but like it was stated earlier, beats sitting on the side of the road for three hours waiting for a flatbed.


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