Spare wheel

Drew20

Drew20

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this is really just navel gazing, but I'm going to ask it anyway...

Currently I have Rial mesh alloys fitted to my CSL, they're 15" and staggered, and I've a fifth one in the boot as a spare
Now I've managed to track a set of correct 7Jx14 Alpinas, which have been refurbed and will be fitted very soon, but I only have a set of 4

So what do I carry as a spare? Options.....
Leave the current Rial mesh in situ
Find a 5th 5 hole 14" alpina alloy (may take a while)
Compromise and track down either a 10 hole alpina alloy, or even a 6J alpina
Go entirely off piste and fit something else

Was thinking a 6Jx14 steel rim might actually be lighter than a 7J alloy?
Or even a space saver wheel from a more recent BMW??

Answers on a postcard please
:)
 
i have one of these wheels as a spare to go with my coupeking alpina 16's. works great for a spare
 
I'd keep the mesh spare wheel for now, and start searching for a single Alpina wheel. As Markos said, they do pop up for sale once in a while.
 
Another thought might be a steel space saving (skinny) spare. It might provide a tiny bit of storage space for those extra red handled screwdrivers, not to mention it might weigh slightly less than the other mentioned alternatives.
 
thanks, I'll do a bit of research on spacesavers, but hopefully I can pick up a 5th 5 hole wheel. No hurry on that front

a spacesaver wheel has got to be worth a second or two on the 0-60 dash!?
 
Drew20 said:
thanks, I'll do a bit of research on spacesavers, but hopefully I can pick up a 5th 5 hole wheel. No hurry on that front

a spacesaver wheel has got to be worth a second or two on the 0-60 dash!?
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, have you or anyone else tested a space saver as a spare on an e9?
 
I'd consider a cheap turbine/similar that the size fits; keep looking for the lone Alpina....that way you can keep your mesh set together to sell if that is your ultimate plan for them.
The older that I get the less anal I am (no snickering...) , such that I am considering a cleaned/restored FPS set and selling my Alpinas....aside from shows, etc, who knows the difference...nobody in my family...and they do look PDG. Sorry for such blastphemy.
 
dave v. in nc said:
The older that I get the less anal I am (no snickering...) , such that I am considering a cleaned/restored FPS set and selling my Alpinas....aside from shows, etc, who knows the difference...nobody in my family...and they do look PDG. Sorry for such blastphemy.
Click to expand...
No snickers here, Dave. They are beautiful, classic wheels.

The various turbine wheels (they all look about the same to me from 10') seem to have become the default wheel for E9s. A little variety every now and then s a good thing and the stock, FPS wheels are a great alternative to what everyone else is doing.
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
Whatever you choose for a spare wheel/tire, be sure the diameter is the same as the rear wheels/tires. The rear end (especially a limited slip) can get torn up pretty quickly running different diameter rear tires.
Click to expand...
Very good advice, thank you. I had a bad surprise when I bought my E9: it had no spare wheel, so I am looking for what to buy.
 
the most important point about a spare - be sure it fits in the tire well without disturbing your floor panels. we know that 195/70-14 fits in the well. 15" and 16" will fit if same diameter and the thickness is not too great. too big of diameter, it won't fit in the well ... too wide and it screws up the floor board fitment.
 
One thing nobody has mentioned is the cost of a tire for your spare. If you acquire a matching 7Jx14 Alpina, you are going to want a matching Pirelli or Michelin tire for the spare. That's a fairly expensive combination that is unlikely to see much use.

My vote is for an Alpina style 14x6 FPS with a cheap (or even used) tire. My thought would be any time you need to mount the spare, it is only going to be on the car long enough to get you home or to a shop.
 
i have a FPS spare wheel for my car to go with the 15" OZ Alpina style wheels. i also have 16" BBS RS wheels ... if i end up going that route, i will probably buy a 15" BBS similar wheel (one piece) and find a tire that will fit in the well. the cool idea would be to do a special RS wheel (narrower wheel) with a different narrower tire that is the same diameter.
 
Thank you for all your advice. We always want the best for our coupes, especially when we want to keep its potential resell value. But since I have no intention to sell mine, I guess I am going to go for the cheapest (and easiest) solution: steel wheel. Just respecting what has been said here above, the outer diameter of the rear wheels. Because, as Ohmess pointed out, in case of a flat tire, the spare will be only used either to go back home, or to the nearest repair shop, at a very reasonable speed. I am even considering a donut type, since it is light weight and easy to manipulate. Drive safe!
 
slap the 195/70R14 CN36 on your road wheels. they are the best road tyres

www.longstonetyres.co.uk

195/70VR14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36

195/70VR14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36
www.longstonetyres.co.uk www.longstonetyres.co.uk

then if you are stuck with a 15" spare wheel then Pirelli also make the 175/70R15 CN36 which will get you home and be the correct diameter.

www.longstonetyres.co.uk

175/70 R 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36

PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36 175/70 R 15 tyres are high-quality classic performance tyres; providing progressive, sporty handling, an impressive W-speed rating, and an authentic classic tyre appearance. The PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36 175/70 R 15 is designed to complement the chassis of cars from the 70s...
www.longstonetyres.co.uk www.longstonetyres.co.uk

they will have a similar carcass structure too which is good of course, however different size tyre is bad so drive steadily.

If you look on these individual product pages they offer dimentional data for the other tyre in this tread in that rim size.
 
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