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

[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

[motordavid]

I ran 17s with Michey Alpins for 4 winters in the Mtns of western North Carolina, and they made our '01 sport, non-XDrive go like a Mtn goat.
The trade off is a bit less handling in hard cornering, and cosmetics, but you are doing the right thing going with 17s, imo. You will be well
equipped & impressed, I believe.

Yes, the 17s were std on many non-sport E53s in the earlier model years.
GL, mD

[realchef]

Originally Posted by motordavid

'01 sport, non-XDrive go like a Mtn goat.
The trade off is a bit less handling in hard cornering, and cosmetics, but you are doing the right thing going with 17s, imo. You will be well
equipped & impressed, I believe.

+1

[DocMike]

I left my 18's at an ex's house only to find out she sold them this summer when I went to pick them up. So now I am going to use 17's, as I never did my brake upgrade. IMHO minus sizing is better for snow traction for the 95% of X5's that are not 4.6 or 4.8. I considered buying tires for the type 87 20's but then I figured who the heck was going to buy those tires if I ever sold the car. So to make a long story short, I opted for a set of OEM 17's type 57. Tires for this are so cheap and easy to find 235/65/17. And since I have the fender flares I will need a spacer pair in the rear.

[Fraser]

Originally Posted by Kev

Did BMW fit this wheel tyre combination as standard on any of the E53 X5's?. Kev

17s with 235/65 tyres were standard on all non-sport six cylinder (petrol and diesel) E53s both pre and post (04) upgrade here in Australia. I have no trouble with mine at high speeds (+140km/h) even with mild off-road tyres (Pirelli Scorpion ATRs in that standard 235/65 size).

[omodos]

Originally Posted by Fraser

17s with 235/65 tyres were standard on all non-sport six cylinder (petrol and diesel) E53s both pre and post (04) upgrade here in Australia. I have no trouble with mine at high speeds (+140km/h) even with mild off-road tyres (Pirelli Scorpion ATRs in that standard 235/65 size).

Fraser Hi, so if i put these on a 2005 e53 3.0d sport, they will go straight on no complications?i know my spare is that size at least, car came factory equipped with staggered setup 19" 288/45 rear and 255/50 front, so i guess putting on the other rim sizes will throw out my odometer readings!

[powers1]

Originally Posted by omodos

Fraser Hi, so if i put these on a 2005 e53 3.0d sport, they will go straight on no complications?i know my spare is that size at least, car came factory equipped with staggered setup 19" 288/45 rear and 255/50 front, so i guess putting on the other rim sizes will throw out my odometer readings!

Hope Frazer doesnt mind me answering!
Omodos,not at all!By putting the OE 235/65/17 ,you will riding on EXACTLY the same rolling diametre as the 19"s you car came with,so no odometer difference.

[omodos]

Originally Posted by powers1

Hope Frazer doesnt mind me answering!
Omodos,not at all!By putting the OE 235/65/17 ,you will riding on EXACTLY the same rolling diametre as the 19"s you car came with,so no odometer difference.

powers thanks for the reply, and sorry to all for hijacking this post, I NEED a softer ride in Cyprus the roads have got so many potholes that the stiff suspension on my set-up currently is enough to loosen your fillings....! out to look for the 17's alloys now.....

[Fraser]

Originally Posted by omodos

powers thanks for the reply, and sorry to all for hijacking this post, I NEED a softer ride in Cyprus the roads have got so many potholes that the stiff suspension on my set-up currently is enough to loosen your fillings....! out to look for the 17's alloys now.....

Omodos,
17s are just want you want for shitty roads. Better ride and less chance of damaging a sidewall via pinching. 17s are also cheaper and tend to wear more evenly than wider tyres on bigger rims. On dirt/gravel roads you also get more 'bite through'. It also means that your spare will be a full match for your road wheels...

[Fraser]

Originally Posted by Kev

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).

Given that you only have four 17s, what will you do for a spare?