M5 wheels on 540? Reason why you cant? - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

aaronmiles · 5th May 2006, 00:38

Hi all,

Is there a reason why you cannot use the OEM E39 M5 wheels on another E39 like the 540i?

I seem to remember there was a reason but cannot find it?

Cheers,
Aaron

SoCalJD · 5th May 2006, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronmiles

Hi all,

Is there a reason why you cannot use the OEM E39 M5 wheels on another E39 like the 540i?

I seem to remember there was a reason but cannot find it?

Cheers,
Aaron

>>>

I know the front tires were the same size, but the M5's rear tires are wider. This probably doesn't help you though, huh?

aaronmiles · 5th May 2006, 00:55

Thats what I mean.. I seem to remember there was a reason why the rears were not appropriate. Some sites say rubbing on the guards and some say rubbing on the suspension, but I cant find a definitive answer.

aw/ir02smg · 5th May 2006, 00:56

aaronmiles,

i **believe** you need to change the rear wheel liners from stock 540 to m5 to accomodate the wider wheels. fronts were no problem, it seems, from those who've done it.

jack

aaronmiles · 5th May 2006, 01:30

yeah thats what I have read, some say liners and guards, some say suspension... seems to be a very hit and miss affair

Cheers,
Aaron

blk540 · 5th May 2006, 01:38

You can run M5 wheels with no problems. I have a few friends with the wheels on their cars. Just check the rear offset of the wheels. I run 2003 M-540 wheels with 275 in the rear 245 in the front. I hope this helps.

Redshift · 5th May 2006, 03:45

I have a 2003 540iT (that's a wagon) with stock suspension (for now) and stock wheel liners. It also has the factory self-leveling rear suspension. I just put four OEM 18x9.5" M5 wheels on all four corners with 275/35/18 tires plus 3mm spacers (front only) and everything fits like a dream. No rubbing, no clearance issues, even at full lock in both directions, plenty of room.

I do plan to lower my car with a full suspension in the front, camber plates, and front and rear swaybars. The rear suspension can be lowered electronically by the dealer when we do the installation. Here is a pic of the car from the side:

Front wheel/tire:

Rear wheel/tire:

I'd say they fit as if they were designed for this car. They look fantastic.

aw/ir02smg · 5th May 2006, 04:22

brian, running out of words for your touring. awesome!!! wow.

jack

Redshift · 5th May 2006, 04:24

Thanks, Jack, if only I could get my wife to let me upgrade mine about 1/10th of what you are doing to yours,

pamato · 5th May 2006, 08:10

What exactly are the wheel liners and how do they function?

Lscman · 5th May 2006, 14:21

The M5 was slightly modified to maximize tire clearance. The fender lips on the M5 were further relieved by bending them upward with a rolling tool. A fender roller was, in fact, used on ALL 5 series cars at the factory, but the process was more aggressive on M5. This gives you about 3/16" more clearance at that spot compared to other 5 series cars. In addition, the inner fenders were re-engineered to maximize clearance. The problem with the inner fender mods is the "main interference points" found on the std 5 series were already optimized. The spots where they "improved clearance" had limited effect.

Keep in mind that rear suspension pod & fender alignment varies from car-to-car. This means there are surely 540i cars that will swallow a larger tire & wheel combo without rubbing than some M5's. The 9" wheels that came on certain 540i cars are not much smaller than the 9-1/2" M5 wheels and some 255 tires are almost as fat as other 275's. You will discover that some 5 series cars will swallow an M5 rear tire/wheel combo with zero rub while some M5's rub with OEM tires and wheels, even at similar ride height. Suspension alignment settings have a huge impact. Additional neg camber generally reduces rub.

SoCalJD · 5th May 2006, 15:01

That is one badass wagon brother.

pamato · 5th May 2006, 15:39

lscman, Thanks for clearing things up. Currently I am running 255/17/40s on all corners. I have contemplated getting 18s in the future, but am still sorting out my suspension. I just starting attending track events and would like to have a better handling car. But, I do like the looks of 18s on my 540.