charles28 138 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 I got this 2000 525ia recently, was cheap, low ish k's, one nz owner etc. It is filthy and in good need of a Wash and Polish etc and I have already clocked up 2000k's in it since I got it 3 weeks ago. One thing I hated about it was the Wheels, stock 15 inch with these horrid tyres designed for commercial vans. (Bridgestone duravis 411) with 215/65/15 size (Made the speedo under read by about 2.7%).100k On the speedo was 102-103 on the GPS. I have no idea what possessed the last owner to get those tyres, as they are $337.50 Each new. I found some cheap Wheels today on trademe, factory 17" 5x120 and about +20 Offset, so should be suitable for E39, they might even be from an E39, I have no idea, the guy that owned them tried to put them on his E36, but they stuck out too far, paid $300, 2 of the tyres are really good, 2 are due for replacement soon. So I was already to put these on when I got them home this afternoon, but then discovered that my E39 has Locking nuts, for what reason I have no idea, who would want to steal those 15" wheels. Searched through the car, no sign of the lock nut key, so tomorrow its off to the Dealership to buy one I guess. Once I get that sorted i'll give the car a good clean up and post new pics. This is just a rather budget project, once I sell off my 2005 Golf GTi etc I'll be looking for something like a 540i E34 and will use this as a daily driver to get to work and back. So far I can't really find much wrong with the old beast, I have a new window regulator to install in the drivers door, but other then that there's not much that needs fixing so far. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tristan 338 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 Just had a similar issue - Lock nut was $26.50 from Dealer IIRC. There are like 50 to choose from Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1072 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 When you get the locking nuts sorted....... ...... If they are genuine BMW wheels, and not off an E39, they won't fit either - E39's have an oddball centrebore - it's bigger than the others, so those wheels may need the centrebore enlarged at a machine shop. Sorry They probably got the tyres second hand... if they were 16's I could have used them on my van! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 Doh, after some research I found they are http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/243 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1679 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 I convert every car i buy to non lock nuts and throw them in the bin, they just a pita. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonesrp 63 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 e39 wheels have 74.1 centre bore, most other BMW wheels are 72.6 ( or something ) I don`t know why this is. I had 16 inch Turbines on mine when I bought it, took a few months to find 17 inch e39 alloys. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1072 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 Doh, after some research I found they are http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/bmw/243 You're not the first! It happens a LOT - Seriously - who's the tard who decided to make ONLY the E39 different to the other 5 stud BMW's??? You can change the front to E60 hubs, which use the same wheels bearing (so you buy a new bearing and the hub), though I've not gotten very far investigating the rears (more complex, with spline counts etc to match up too). It's very expensive to do, but I'd seriously look into it if I needed to do bearings anyway (which I'm sure you don't though ) You can also get the wheels machined - Some pepole say $50 a wheel - I got a single one done up here for $50, so maybe it should be a tiny bit cheaper for 4??? Maybe someone knows a place close to you and what they charge? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil-540i 166 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) They're not really sitting on a E39 rear seat in that pic ae............ On a serious note, what do you think of it overall..........?? Edited January 21, 2014 by Blue-540i Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonesrp 63 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 Charles, I had to get one of my wheels bored out. I was getting them fitted and balanced at Scobie tyres and one wouldn`t fit. I couldn`t believe it. They put me onto Thorpe Engineering in Dalgety Street. Wobbled round there with three hot 17 inch M Sport wheels and one 16 inch turbine, wishing I had tinted windows. Long trip... They charged me $30 to bore it to 74.1. Still don`t know what the issue was because they were off an e39 540. Give them a call ? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 You're not the first! It happens a LOT - Seriously - who's the tard who decided to make ONLY the E39 different to the other 5 stud BMW's??? You can change the front to E60 hubs, which use the same wheels bearing (so you buy a new bearing and the hub), though I've not gotten very far investigating the rears (more complex, with spline counts etc to match up too). It's very expensive to do, but I'd seriously look into it if I needed to do bearings anyway (which I'm sure you don't though ) You can also get the wheels machined - Some pepole say $50 a wheel - I got a single one done up here for $50, so maybe it should be a tiny bit cheaper for 4??? Maybe someone knows a place close to you and what they charge? Thanks for the Info Allan, I have put them back on trademe as I can't be bothered messing around, they are not the best looking wheels around etc, so will see how I go re-selling them. They're not really sitting on a E39 rear seat in that pic ae............ On a serious note, what do you think of it overall..........?? Hehe they are sitting in the E30, the bottom seat cushion is removed to make space. As a cheap car for $3500 you would be hard pressed to get much better thats year 2000 and 125,000k I guess. It drives nice, its not quick, but it does the job for now. Charles, I had to get one of my wheels bored out. I was getting them fitted and balanced at Scobie tyres and one wouldn`t fit. I couldn`t believe it. They put me onto Thorpe Engineering in Dalgety Street. Wobbled round there with three hot 17 inch M Sport wheels and one 16 inch turbine, wishing I had tinted windows. Long trip... They charged me $30 to bore it to 74.1. Still don`t know what the issue was because they were off an e39 540. Give them a call ? Cheers for the info, I have put them back on trademe for now, if they don't sell i'll give them a call and go with that option perhaps. Did you have to pay much for the Motorsport wheels? I've heard they can be a tad pricey. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonesrp 63 Report post Posted January 21, 2014 No...I got them off a guy in Napier through Trade me. They had tyres that had done 5000 k and I needed tyres. I paid $500 bucks for the lot. When I got them I found the BMW stamp on the back and the serial number. Genuine 17 inch M sports with great tyres. The vendor just wanted to sell them. Us E39 owners are good people. PS: They aren`t perfect either, I`ll be getting them refurbished. But they look great and the tyres were worth more than $500 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) I went to the Dealership today and got the Locking Nut key. It was the 1st one he tried, so that was good luck. The wheels are annoyingly close to fitting, the wheel goes on and the wheel nuts go in, but the wheel doesn't quite sit on enough. I had to try, despite knowing it wouldn't fit I also learnt that its a bad idea to jack the car up on Asphalt, the wheels of the Jack indented my Driveway, doh. Edited January 22, 2014 by Charles32 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted January 23, 2014 (edited) I decided that I'll be using these 17" wheels, today I had the tyres removed, tomorrow they are off to get machined out to 74.1mm I am using the place that Jonesey suggested and they have quoted me $30 a wheel. It should work out ok, +20 Offset seems about right for an E39. Edited January 23, 2014 by Charles32 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted January 23, 2014 Will certainly look better than the original alloys. Our car had those too, when I saw pics of the car while it was still in Japan with them - I had already decided they would have to go. Was no more impressed when I saw them in the flesh. A near new set of 18" style 65's BBS's were soon spotted on TM which solved that problem. sh*t BMW have made some ugly alloys over the years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palazzo 479 Report post Posted January 23, 2014 I had some of those original alloys, they are worth $70ish as scrap ali. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1072 Report post Posted January 24, 2014 I decided that I'll be using these 17" wheels, today I had the tyres removed, tomorrow they are off to get machined out to 74.1mm I am using the place that Jonesey suggested and they have quoted me $30 a wheel. It should work out ok, +20 Offset seems about right for an E39. Good Move ET20 is correct for an 8" rim, those are 7.5's (weird that they are narrower on an E60!) they'll be about 6mm further in than E39 17x8's, but will look about 1 metre and a half further out than the 15's No problems with that. the 15's might be worth more as scrap than as wheels Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr2low 57 Report post Posted January 24, 2014 Good Move ET20 is correct for an 8" rim, those are 7.5's (weird that they are narrower on an E60!) they'll be about 6mm further in than E39 17x8's, but will look about 1 metre and a half further out than the 15's No problems with that. the 15's might be worth more as scrap than as wheels Funny coz my style 65 17's are a 8" and pretty sure they are 13 and they could probably do with another inch to be flush Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1072 Report post Posted January 24, 2014 Funny coz my style 65 17's are a 8" and pretty sure they are 13 and they could probably do with another inch to be flush Genuine 8" E39 rims were all ET20 I think - I haven't seen one yet that wasn't. Most E39 wheels can move out about 15-20mm easily Staggered style 65's on an M5 had 18x9.5 ET22's - 17mm further out than the normal ET20 8" wheels. M5's had different rear wheel liners though. Yours will already be 7mm further out than a factory wheel 10mm spacers would get the same look from the outside The front always look really sunken on an E39 - It's one of the things I have trouble with - it looks weird, like the buldge on the bottom corners of the motorsport bumper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil-540i 166 Report post Posted January 24, 2014 Funny coz my style 65 17's are a 8" and pretty sure they are 13 and they could probably do with another inch to be flush This............^^^^^^^ would sound really dodgey if you mutter it while in the Square on a Fri / Sat night - might wanna avoid it ae.......... Funny Allan - I think those MS bumpers look a bit weird too........ Jooles car with the spacers on looked fairly serious............ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonesrp 63 Report post Posted January 24, 2014 Good stuff Charles..when you get there, don`t jump out of the car in a hurry. There`s a Rottweiler sitting out the front on a mat. He`s got those sleepy eyes... I doubt they have much in the way of bad debtors. Just joking, they`re good value alright. Glad to help out. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Today I tackled the drivers door window regulator, I had a replacement arrive a while back. Going through drive through's was quite a hassle, so I got motivated today to get into it. So, Door Panel removal. Removing the Door card etc took a couple of minutes. Speaker Removed, cables disconnected, door handle removed. Insulation Peeled back. Regulator Removed. (This took a long time, as the Window was stuck closed and I could not get it to budge. I ended up cutting through the cables and got it out. New Regulator New Regulator Installed, reconnected battery for testing. After all my hard work the window went up and wouldn't go down again, this was quite frustrating, I thought that perhaps it was the Motor, but that didn't make sense, as its harder work for the motor to go up then down. I discovered that the window switches look to have been messed with before, there was a broken clip and the white sticker had been cut. I disasembled this item and couldn't really see anything wrong. However I cleaned it with Electrical Contact Cleaner all over ,re-assembled, then like magic the window went down again. Doing this was a waste of time, as there was nothing wrong with my old regulator, it was an issue with the Controls. In hindsight I should have tested that first. I assumed it was the regulator as they are a common item to fail and the window didn't go up and down. So I ended up ruining a perfectly good regulator for no reason. Lesson Learnt. Edited February 2, 2014 by Charles32 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted February 2, 2014 Tyres removed from my 17's and I am dropping them off to Thorpe Engineering on the way to work in the morning so that they can be machined out from 72.6mm to 74.1mm Next update will probably be 2 weeks away as from tomorrow I have to work 12 days straight, incl Waitangi Day, but it also means 24 hours of over time, which will be handy. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles28 138 Report post Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) Wheels have been machined and are sitting back at home. I tried each one on the car to make sure they are right before getting the tyres. 2 good tyres ready to go on the wheels, 2 more on order from a mate in the trade, but won't have time to get those sorted until a week from tomorrow. Edited February 5, 2014 by Charles32 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonesrp 63 Report post Posted February 5, 2014 Those guys at Thorpe Engineering could do a nice wee sideline in machining wheels to fit the E39.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
euroriffic 612 Report post Posted February 5, 2014 Should always test before replace! I thought mine was gone too until I put 12v straight to it and away it went, was the control module playing up which now has fixed itself after trying to replace it with a sedan one so windows wouldn't Drop down when doors open so put old one back in and fine! Stupid thing. Now I have an extremely annoying rattle comming from it. :/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
