The 4.8is conundrum
 

Aryte lads,

Bought My 3rd x5 an immaculate 4.8is. been driving her for a year now and have had nothing but gruelling beastly pleasure, until recently when she was booked into the stealer for smoking. weeks pass on and no word from the stealer until last week recieve a call....Dear sir, i would like to notify you that your car will be with us for another two weeks as BMW has approved replacing you r engine.........SAY WHAT ???:wow:

At 136000 km with motorplan expiring at 140000km this could'nt have come at a better time. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.

I have a challenge though, unlike most 4.8is drivers i do take the lady out for off-roading every so often and down south in africa the terrain tend to get a little rough. The tyres of the 4.8is is a 315/35/20 (standard) and are no good for off-road applications (Michelin Diamaris)

Now i've been told i cant get an off-road tyre in that size.....and the only reccomendation is to change my rims to a smaller size, which i dont wanna do......

any reccomendations guys......pleeeeze

Off roading in a 4.8is? Really?

I would think changing the rim size would be your best bet.

theres no beating this baby off-road......see the pics:nanana: and these are the pretty ones ....

Haha I like the pics, that's how mine usually looks, but that's only cause it hardly gets a wash! Never been off roading properly in the X! Just been tearing up gravel roads with a few bumps and getting a bit of air as I come off the bumps!

X5 abuser! U know there not allowed to go off-roading. Your gonna kill her.

Ah hell, I go offroading in mine whenever the need is there. That's why I originally bought the 18" wheels I have now. But in times of financial need I'm selling them. Which reminds me I need to get a shipping price and some pics for someone who may be interested.

You don't go to those mud terrain parks, do you?

I would get a set of OEM 17s with offroad tires and swap them out when you're headed to the bush

No, not mud parks with her... just the muddy dirt road to the camp. Also 17's will not fit a 4.6is or 4.8is due to bigger brakes, he would need OEM 18's to clear the calipers. (not all aftermarket 18's clear them)

hopefully she cleans up well
 

..in case you have to take her to church. I would not run the stock 20" wheels cuz they are just to wide and without much sidewall it would be a really rough ride. You might pick up a used set of 18" wheels and look at Hankook mud/snows. They are relatively cheap. I have had good luck and wear with Hankooks and also Toyos. With the 4.8 you can run a little wider tire in the stock 18" on the 4.4. You certainly would cry if you busted a 20" wheel or ruined one of the Diamaris cuz you can buy 3 Hankooks for the price of 1 Diamaris. That is my .05 worth.

Some member here also did off-roading and he put 16" rims with Jeep like tires on his X5.

16" would be fine and even preferable for offroad but I believe you need an 18" wheel to fit over the bigger brakes on the 4.8.

That is correct. I was just mentioning the extreme one member went with. Of-course he did not have 4.8is. :)