Finally! Pics of 20" Styling 132 Wheels
 

Actually, I haven't even had a chance to post pics of my second X5 (and #5 of six so far with the purchase of my wife's Xmas present 325i last month).

The wheels are staggered 9.5x20 and 10.5x20 Styling 132 (facelift 4.4i SPP wheels) reps that I picked up from OE Wheel (ebay). This is the second set I've purchased from OE and I've had good luck with their products. (Please note - Let's not turn this post into a commentary on replica wheel quality or reseller customer service.)

As I did on my 2002 4.4i, I went with the Goodyear RSA 295/40s front and rear. Before you overwhelm my PM box with questions like, "why staggered wheels but non-staggered tires?" or "dude, you're making a big mistake by not going with staggered tires too," bear in mind that I've done this before and I achieved all my goals with this setup. It looks great. It handles great. With the X5's balance, non-staggered tires handle better, IMO. The Goodyears are a great value proposition. I only got about 20-22k out of the last set of rear tires, but at less than $160/ea, who cares? (And the fronts would go to 35k-40k easily.) They do acceptably well in snow and perform admirably in the wet. Unfortunately, they scored low in TireRack's ratings. Not sure why...this is my second set and I just love 'em. Perhaps the OEM RSA's are subpar.

The wider-than-OEM width up front works well and does not protrude beyond the fenders, while the rears work very well also, filling out the wheel wells nicely without requiring the 4.6is/4.8is lip extensions (which look great, IMO, but I didn't have that mod in the budget) or serving up rocks and other road-borne detritus against the paint on the sides of the car.

Soooooo...anyway, I've attached a couple pics of the X5 with the new 20" reps and three of the car with the OEM 18" SPP wheels for comparison purposes. I love the looks of the 132s and would tell you that if you're on the fence about doing this mod, go for it! You'll not regret it.

A note of caution/personal experience: if you upgrade to ANY wheel in an 18" diameter or larger, BE SURE to have your tires mounted and balanced using a dual-plane spin balancer. Wheels this big will pulsate or vibrate through the steering wheel (fronts) or seat bottom (rears) if single-plane balanced. It won't cost extra for the dual-plane balance and you'll be glad you did it. Thanks for reading this far :)

Mike

Very Nice!!!

Thanks, Doc!

Wow magazine quality....looks good!

i have the same non-staggered Goodyear RSAs on my staggered 87s setup, 295/40s front and rear- - 2 chicago winters with no problem so far.

Very nice Driver8. I like the way it looks. It looks like you have more side wall than the staggered 275/40-315-35 set up. We have spoke before when you helped me out on balancing my tires. Everything is going real great thanks to your help on dual plane balancing. Again very sharp looking X.
Wayne

Yo D8....

DAMN!

Those are FineAzz Wheels! I wish someone would steal puny azz
19" 132s so I could buy a set of 20" 132s!

Anyone ever had "big wheel envy"?! :rofl:

We need more pics of the 20 Inch 132s...skip the originals, ;)

Wow...
BR,mD

I have puny azz 132s too :(

:kewlpics:

ooo...fills the car out even better

very nice... IMO the 132s looks the best on the X5. I didn't know 295s tire width would fit the staggered wheels.. Can anyone explain how the same tire fits both the 9.5x20 and 10.5x20 wheels?? Thanks.

Thanks! I agree with your opinion on the 132s. They are a chunky but nicely resolved design that accentuates and enhances the facelift X5's Banglesque curves. It's odd, but as others in here have noted in the past, I think the Style 87s look better as an upgrade on the pre-facelift X5s, but the 132s (and the 4.8is wheels...can't remember their official numerical name) look better on the facelift X5s. I would have loved to have found a set of 19" OEM 132s with tires, but none were available for a price that fit my budget, which is why I went with the reps. I have no regrets in that department.

In my opinion, the 20" 132s take the perfect stance and design "fit" of the 19" 132s and "pump up the volume" just enough, without turning it up too loud. We all have an opinion on this, but IMO, I prefer to pick the wheel design and shape first and then select the best size for the application second. "Best size" is not always the same as "biggest size." For me, the wheel design has to fit and flow with the overall design and appearance. The 20" 132 reps do a nice balancing act, IMO.

Here's my conjecture on why the 295s work on staggered wheels: When one has wide-azz wheels and steamroller tires, the differentials between the tire cross-sections (295mm) and the one-inch difference in wheel width really don't make much difference in the overall appearance or dimensions, as they might, for example, if one was using a thinner cross-section (say, a 255mm) tire.

If you look really close in good light, you might be able to discern that the sidewall on the front tire (9.5" wheel) is essentially vertical when viewed across the top of the wheel/tire, looking front to rear, while the rear tire (10.5" wheel) is ever so slightly angled inward from the wheel lip to the tread. I'm sure that the rear setup is a couple tenths of an inch shorter in overall height, but with the dimensions of the setup, the overall rolling difference is negligible and probably has the same overall effect on the driveline as normal treadwear between the front and rear. Combine this with the fact that the rear wheels look much more than just one inch wider than the fronts, and you get the complete effect of the OEM staggered setup, with an ever-so-slightly more conservative appearance. How's that?

As I noted earlier, I prefer the 295s front and rear, but there's nothing wrong with the look of the OEM setup. I love the look of the 4.6is/4.8is with the fender extensions, I just had other mods on my list that were higher priority than lip extensions. I guess my point is that there is an alternative to going with the 315/275 setup that provides some benefits that one might not anticipate on first glance. I'm VERY pleased with the setup, and I think others in here that have gone this route are very happy with this option as well.

Mike

they look good, but what is the weight of them?

I really like it. . .

:iagree:

Yo Mike/D8,
Exc write up/opin on your wheel selection process and
why the 295s look so good! :thumbup:

I love those big friggin 20" 132s as I salivated, earlier! :rofl:

Glad you don't live where the poster "cpatzer" does or
else you'd have to slap on wheel well flares to be "legal", :confused: :)

We need more pics of those monster fookin wheels, Mike. :drool:
BR,mD

Weight? I have no idea. I didn't weigh them before I mounted them up. It's safe to assume they're heavier than a comparable OEM wheel, but by what margin I couldn't even guess...5% - 10% maybe? It's probably also safe to presume the weights of my Style 132 20" reps are comparable to the Style 87 replicas, or if nothing else, that the differentials between the rep and OEM wheels are approximately the same percent. Hope this helps.

Mike

Hey MD - Thanks for the kind words on the pics and wordsmithing. You may remember my PM to you several months ago asking you about your 132s and that I was looking for a set too. I think they are simply The Ticket for the facelift X5s.

Speaking of fender lip extensions, heck, where I live, most 4wds are jacked up with big ole rubber fender flares that still can't hide them monster 38 inch tars! :rofl:

I will see what other pics I have of the X with the new wheels and tires. I took several of them after the sun set at my favorite background picture place (Remember "Lost in the Woods?" You gave me a compliment on those pics and my mad photog skillz that I never forgot!), Unfortunately, they all turned out underexposed. I took a few late last summer (the three with the OEM wheels came from that bunch) that were among the best I've ever shot. I'll see if I can PhotoChop a few and post them.

Thanks, UncMD! I appreciate the kudos.

Mike

You are welcome, Mike! Your posts are interesting, very well
written and very enjoyable to read!

I hear ya' on them big tars...if they arrested people, back in
my summer digs area of western NC, for tires that "stuck out"
past the wheel well, 95% of my county would be in jail and/or
walking. :rofl: Me included with my puny azz 19 inch 132s.

Hope you are enjoying West VA winter! ;)
BR,Ol'UncMtr

When I went to lunch at 12:30 it was cold, cloudy/partly sunny. An hour later, when I came out, it had turned into WinterLand! Two inches fell in the time it took me to work through a Lunch Special #3. On the way back to the office, the X5 did magnificently in the slippery stuff, but of course, the REAL fun is watching out for all those folks who believe they are descendants of Gustaf, the legendary Norwegian ice racer. Hey, life is good :)

Awesome!!!!but for some reason I keep thinking they are only 19s.

Nice area... Great pics

Dang~~~ Nice 20" 132s. Some close up pics please. :2thumbs:

Thanks BlackPig - These "digitally enhanced" pictures will have to do until I get a chance to wash the X5. With the exception of a couple rinses with the powerwasher in the driveway, this winter has rendered my normally-spotless X5 (and I say this with all due respect) a real pig. Hope the pics are of some value.

Mike

can you let us know how these wheels work our for you? i've heard some reports of replicas being "soft" compared to oem. thanks.

I've had several sets of replica wheels (mainly BMW) over the years and have never, ever, not even once, had a replica wheel fail of poor design, quality or workmanship.

On the other hand, I've known people to drive through deep potholes and over curbs and into parking bumpers and bend or break them, but under normal service, I've personally never had a replica wheel fail. The biggest liability usually identified with reps is weight. Replica wheels tend to run heavier.

Mike

This is definately the setup im going with :thumbup: But the only thing stopping me is that I have a 3.0i

What kind of difference can you feel in performance(acceleration etc.) with the 3.0i?

Wow! Mike, these look very very good! :2thumbs:

I think you're right about your tire choice. It should effectively decrease understeer.

Hey Foose - I also have a 3.0i. I really didn't notice any big difference in acceleration or power (or mileage) going with the big wheel/tire package.

Mike

Hey V -Thanks! And thanks! :)

Looks great! Thinking about get that setup or the style 177s. Also great to see a fellow 3.0 owner!

me too :(

Great pics and beautiful scenary.
Nice shoes too.

Where can I get the 20" style 132s?
 

Your facelifted X looks great with the 20" style 132 setup. Do you still own the vehicle? If so, how have the wheels held up over the last couple of years? and finally.... Where can I get a set of them?
Thanks

Hi Mike,
New rims look great, plus top shelf pics.
Sorry but I don't agree with your statement:
"I think the Style 87s look better as an upgrade on the pre-facelift X5s, but the 132s (and the 4.8is wheels...can't remember their official numerical name) look better on the facelift X5s."
IMO it's a toss up between 87's & 132's on pre & post facelift (whether oem or reps). Both look very tidy and give the X a slightly more aggressive and of course fatter look. Your summation on 132's is correct. Only thing I regret is that I couldn't get hold of 20" 132's like yours when I upgraded rims and settled for 19". Still I'm very happy with them and have had several positive comments from others.
Plus as I've posted here before the 132's and 87's would have to be one of the easiest rims to clean & detail.

ebay.

save your breath, this thread is 2 yrs old.

what color is your x5?

Sterling Grey

Looks sweet! :thumbup:

I want your wheels (although PC'd a darker color) and your 4.6is spoilers ;) Some day ....

EDIT: btw, where do you live?:stickpoke