It has been about a month since the last update and the X5 hasn't received any fancy upgrades or major maintenance, instead it has been put to work.

Here are some updated thoughts on a few items. The Brembo BBK is but the Ceramic Hawk pads I purchased squeal like crazy with a little bit of heat in them, upon further research this seems to be fairly common. The temporary solution others use is to put a TON of grease on the back of the pad which will only work for a short amount of time. No thanks. I will be replacing the pads when I have free time.

The Hankook tires are great, especially for the price. Cornering grip isn't the best but considering how I usually drive the X5 they are well suited for cruising + occasional spirited driving. In general they roll smooth and quiet but do pick up some textures and small undulations in the road periodically. It's a bit odd because I am used to a tire either being very communicative to what it's rolling over of it's a mushy/smooth ride, it's usually one or the other. The Hankooks are quiet 95% of the time but do transmit some vibrations/hums depending on the surface. It's not a big deal or a major annoyance, I just find it peculiar since it is selective on the what the tire transmits.

Cargo Box. This thing was installed for a trip out to AZ in which I also had 2 bikes on a hitch rack. I am a large human and ride a large bike so my handlebars, seat, and tires protrude over and around the perimeter of the X5 and add a bit of drag, much more than what "normal" people experience with their average sized bikes. I was a bit disappointed to see such underwhelming mileage, I was seeing 22-23mpg where I was expecting closer to 30mpg.

During this past winter trip I achieved 30mpg for a tank, driving in snow, with the cargo box, on snow tires, and bouncing around between 3,000 and 8,500ft. So I always thought the cargo box wasn't adding too much drag. Since this winter trip I have added the BBK and taller/heavier Hankook tires which both add some unsprung weight so I was kicking myself that I ruined the fuel efficiency of the X5 with the brake and tires (still worth it!).

The last couple weeks I have been moving into a new house and once the main move was over I took the cargo box off and while running some errands doing an out and back on the freeway 65-75mph, soly highway driving I was able to hit 31mpg one way and 36mpg on the return. Nice. My cluster mpg read out is usually within .5mpg of actual mileage so I use it as a fairly accurate reference. There are many variables which can impact fuel efficiency so this isn't a hard science but my guesstimate for mpg loss due to cargo box (at highway speeds) has gone from 1-2mpg up to 5-6mpg.

Anyway, here are some pics of the recent adventures.

Riding San Juan Trail in Southern Orange County



Always using HPR when I can.


In the mountains for sunrise. Noble Canyon Trail, Mount Laguna.


My buddies bike matched the brake calipers!




Scoured a deal on some lightly used SwissTrax Ribtrax!





Fun Fact: The tiles were previously installed in a hanger which was featured on the Swisstrax website.


Working on the new house, replacing a warped 20ft 2x4. Aka Activate Joust Mode. lol


Just a pic!


The last items to be moved from my old house was my E39 Touring project, "DAS VADR" The goal was to get it running before the move buuuuuuuuuuut that didn't happen so in the engine and trans went with the essential components so I could roll and trailer the chassis. If anyone wants more info on the build you can Google "Das Vadr E39 Touring" and links should show in the results.

This was 3 days before the move



It wasn't easy loading the wagon myself and with $50 worth of Harbor Freight tools but it worked (barely).


PSA: Air Suspension is awesome



Unloading at the new house




Reunited at last! ...now time to finish the garage remodel so I can pull the E39 in and finish it up!