Can I make a 2004 e53 3.0d have more off road capability?
 

Watch (YOU TUBE) where Tiff Needle(5th Gear) races a BMW F650 bike, in the Paris Dakar, 2 years ago. Where they use an E53 3.0D BMW X5, that thing is so tricked out it takes on the bike & beats it to the finish all on the toughest & dirtiest terrain???

The X5 was used to carry all the BMW bike parts...:yikes:

Hehehehe been watching the dakar rally where Ewan Mcgregor and his mate do it and noticed an x5 running around, but that things has roll bars etc etc, I am talking less upgrades than that.....and besides mine has sports suspension, took it off road a bit but drove vey slowly

The first thing you need is some serious tyres. That makes a massive difference in itself, and probably is the best ROI.

Anything after that is going to take some effort!

cheers, thing is got 19" alloys all round, 285/45 back, 255/55 front, and been told not a good idea to put fatter tires on aspect ratio is set to that, hmmmmm?

I thought I saw a thread that had some humongous tires on an X. Lemme see if I can find it for ya.

Great looking x5 fella, yeah be good to know if I can fit fatter tires on them, don't mean massive ones but ones that will feel ok on rocks and rough surfaces

Finally an X thats actually gonna see come off road time...:thumbup: :D

Really bad idea.

As I recall, the first Dakar racers didn't work out when they modified X3s and X5s, so they moved to full race vehicles with custom frames that looked like X5s.

First thing you need to do is find a way to add a real frame, instead of the unitized construction. Then you need proper locking differentials. Additional ground clearance. Skid plates. The list goes on. Make sure you relocate all the electronic modules up away from water level, as one poster found when he waded his X5 across a creek and ended up having to replace some very expensive electronic parts.

If you do all of that, you end up with something that still won't be very good at off roading, but which in addition is no longer a functioning X5, with all that an X5 has going for it.

So, recognize that it is a car and not a truck, put reasonable 17" tires on it with a decent tread and good strong sidewalls, and stay on roads, off trails, and out of the water.

When Isaid serious tyres - I meant proper off-road knobblies, probably on 17 in wheels and narrower.