Lots of Winter miles to cover - Wheel/Tyre advice setup please.

[shooter]

Just bought a set of 17's for my 4.4i and wrapped them in General Altimax Artic's (235/65/17). Lovin them. Quiet, smooth, better than expected handling (typically ride 19's), and beasts in the snow.
I recommend them if your looking for good, inexpensive snow's

[TurnAround]

My advice would be to get a set of 18's (BMW replicas if money is a concern) and put a set of Nokian Hakkapellita 5 SUV studded tires on them. IMO there is no better solution.

I drive about 3,000 miles in the snow and ice each year. For about 30 years now. I've driven on all kinds of studless and studded tires. Three years ago I talked myself into going back to studless tires on my, then, 17's. They were awful. I couldn't get them off the X fast enough. I switched back to studded Hakka 5's on my 18's. The traction and cornering grip is far beyond the other setup.

Only offering my opinion. Definitely don't want to dis other's choices. But imho the two set ups aren't even close. I'll never go back.

The Hakkas use 'eco studs' which are MUCH friendlier to the roads and are a third quieter. And, they absolutely will not pop out. They'll last the life of the tire.

Narrower tires work 'a little better' if you are driving on un-plowed roads in a foot of fresh snow, but that's about it. On 99% of all road conditions (plowed by machine, or packed down by other cars) a wider tire will always provide more traction and cornering grip. I drive my X hard on snowy and icy roads. The 18's are much better.

Also, grip and traction aside, the 17's will completely ruin the X's handling. Especially in a snow tire, as these tires have deliberately softer side walls and poorer turn in.


Oh look.. there's an X5 pictured in this Hakka link.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 SUV

[BAX5]

I notice the tracking isn't as nice as the bigger wheels. But when you hit snow you want smaller wheels with good snows. Running at speed isn't a prob. Go for it!

[X5 Meister]

Here's some good reading for you if you are interested:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...endations.html

[CondorX5]

Originally Posted by Fraser

Isn't your spare a 17?

Ive got a 19" for some reason, but as they are virtually identical rolling circumference, it really won't make much difference if you use a 19" or a 17" as a spare.

[ecproductions85]

I am running kumho something 17'' factory rims they are the SHIT in the snow drives amazing

[ecproductions85]

I also drive very hard on snowy roads, dont drive much on ice or I would def go with a studded

[anguswolfendale]

Originally Posted by Fraser

Isn't your spare a 17?

Hi Fraser,
I checked the spare yesterday and its a brand new 17". While I'm on the 17" Winter Tyres it is a good time to get the 19" wheels refurbished!

Still impressed with the Kumho Road Venture AT Tyres (KL78) in the snow and ice - it's nearly 1 foot deep at home and it just powers through, even on a steep slope. The hill descent mode is brilliant too, just have to remember to keep my foot away from the brake and let the car do its work!

[Tricky Martin]

Originally Posted by Kev

Hi,

As much as I'd love to replicate the current setup of 20" 275 front 315 rear on the X5 with the Winter setup on Snow tyres, I just cant justify the cost for a once a year journey.

I have about 2500 miles to cover over Europe - including the Swiss Alps and deep Poland, so I need to have the right running gear.

The plan is to fit 235/65/17 Goodyear Ultra Grip snow tyres to four OEM (brand new) 17" five spoke wheels (I already had one as a spare so I just bought the other 3).

Will I notice any appreciable deteriation in the drive quality/road holding by going from the 20's to this 17 inch wheel tyre combination.

Not planning any 100mph+ runs on the German Autobahn - just wanna be safe at 85. Is this a bad setup?

I was considering putting 25mm spacers at the rear to maintain the staggered look (the X has the arch extensions all round). Bad idea? TPI or H&R?

From the research I did so far, this wheel/tyre combo - whilst not looking he best - is the most effective in Snow/Ice. Not sure if this advice applies to a car the size of the X5. Did BMW fit this wheel tyre combination as standard on any of the E53 X5's?

The car is a 2003 E53 3.0d Sport so no problem with brake clearance.

Thanks for any advice. Cheers. Kev

I run this tires, they are ment for real winter driving, I'm not sure if you can get them in the UK, but with these tires you are safe up to 170km/H.
They are buildt for Scandinavia, so may be hard for you to get hold of them.

[Fraser]

Originally Posted by CondorX5

Ive got a 19" for some reason, but as they are virtually identical rolling circumference, it really won't make much difference if you use a 19" or a 17" as a spare.

So your 19 fits into the spare tyre well okay? What size tyre does it have on it?