Zeus | E70 X5D Build Thread

[Socale39]

Originally Posted by Kyle M

I love following your attention to detail!

It just pains me to see that hitch install and bumper cut. Execuhitch is a clean way to go if you ever end up rectifying that problem

Haha....trust me it's on the list. I just might put it off until I decide whether or not I'll be doing an m sport rear bumper or not.

[Deftronix]

Looks great Socale! What are you thinking with suspension, KW's? Any other options to get you that low? I like it at the current height because it still keeps it looking like an suv

Dont like the fact that the m sport kit has been the same since 07 and was never lci'd. Would have to get new rear flares since they are shorter and then have all the plastic painted to match to blend right though and that adds up to a lot of pieces unless you planned on going full msport anyway. Would definitely look super clean though and give you more exhaust tip options. Recently went through this decision and ended up sticking with the lci D rear and did the round 120mm supersprint tips and love the look. Also picked up the aero kit and is getting sprayed right now.

Were you ever able to track down those vacuum hose lengths? Thanks.

Look forward to seeing whats next..

[Socale39]

I'm weighing the options for suspension at the moment. The problem is there aren't a lot to choose from. Definitely looking at doing full m sport kit but also playing with the idea of mixing it up with an X5m rear bumper. We'll see.

I'm glad you asked about the hose length. I actually went through the hoses this weekend and have everything down on paper, just need to type it all out and get it posted. Plan for getting it done this week.

Very interested to see your X when you get the aero kit installed, should look good.

[bawareca]

I have the rear flares for M rear bumper. LMK if you need them.

[Deftronix]

I recall reading a thread a while back about a guy with KW's who hated them at first because of the bounce but was able to screw around with dampening until he got them to a point he loved them. It was pretty drastic settings difference between the front and rear if I remember correctly, will have to dig it up. But performance/ride quality definitely seems to be hinged on getting them dialed in right and most of that work seems to be already done for us.

Its unfortunate that there arent any oem/aftermarket lips for the msport, because I dislike how the lci and msport have no chin up front but at least the aero kit addresses that. First choice for rear bumper was also the X5m since I like it the most aesthetically and you also have a cf diffuser option going that route but ultimately decided against it because I did not want it to be confused for an m. It would look awesome though!

Thanks for getting those lengths, much appreciated!

[Mflara420]

I'm pulling the trigger on some KW V3 for my e70 as well. The only difference is mine has airbag suspension on the rear, but with a little modification I'll make them fit.

[Socale39]

Been a while since my last update as I have been swamped with projects. Building a custom cafe motorcycle, 71 Chevelle, upgrading the house and of course work, all contribute to little time left. Decided to tackle getting my brake all done up this weekend. Frankly I have been waiting to put new wheels on until I got the brakes figured out as I wanted to swap out the pads with lower dust pads. Of course I figured while I was there I should cleanup the calipers and put new zinc coated rotors on.

Before I get to the photos, let me just say that the zinc coated Brembo rotors are definitely the same as what BMW uses. Just before my maintenance program ended BMW replaced the front pads and rotors. Comparing them side by side, same stampings, same vein construction, same etc! So if you are looking for OEM rotors, Brembo is the brand.

Anyways, on to what you guys really care about....pics!









Let me stop here and mention that I forgot to take a few photos of my process but I ended up bead blasting the calipers after stripping them completely down. After blasting I reassembled with new seals and then started the paint process with G2 Calipe rPaint in silver. Here are some of the results as the paint was drying...












And now time for the rotors to be swapped and everything buttoned up










Lastly, I've seen a lot of guys try different aftermarket brand pads however I personally like the bite of the OEM pads, just hate the dust. After doing some research I found out that Textar has a new pad technology, which they are using on the newer models, called ePad. They claim same performance but with far less dust. I ended up finding out that my pad size is the same as a newer model X5 so they actually had the ePad application available. We'll see how these perform and I'll provide some feedback.

[Socale39]

Pretty excited today as I've been working with Vogtland in getting a set of their springs to test and they finally came in from Germany! I've read great reviews about these springs for other applications so I'm anxious to see how these do. What makes these so attractive is that they are the perfect drop IMHO. The 2.0" drop of the H&Rs seems too much and the 1.2" doesn't seem like enough for what I'm looking for. My Eibach setup is conservative much like the H&Rs however I have found that they don't drop to their advertised specs which left more to be desired when it comes to filling the wheel well gap. With these springs dropping the X5 1.4" front and rear, this could be great alternative.

I'll be sure to create a separate thread to share my review of these once I get everything sorted.

[bawareca]

I will be interested what these springs will do. I would be happy to drop mine a few millimeters, but I cannot have a harsher ride. A few performance oriented friends have voluntarily agreed with my opinion that mine X5 has the best balance between performance and comfort. It was harsh with run flats, but it is great with summer performance tires, and it did great on the track too.
Nice job on the brakes, but you need more powaaaa

[Socale39]

I considered the X5M brake setup but I've never once felt the stock brake system let me down and I've tow some heavy stuff. I decided a while ago that I would just do a few cosemetic mods but since our X5 is primarily for long travel duty and occasional weekend outings, just going to keep it simple.

I'm building a motorcycle now which will take care of my adrenaline needs.

Oh btw my warranty officially expired so it's tune time! I'll hit you up about making a trip out there and getting it done. I'll likely have the springs installed by then so you can personally experience the ride quality.