Just to update this.

I'm having BMW of Atlanta exhaustively looking for these (Parts C&D on the BMW Installation Bulletin) all the way directly to BMW in Germany. It's further compounded by the fact that apparently they only communicate by email.

The dealer turned up zero leads with the Westfalia possibility, only trailer hitches I was told.

I ramped up the truck this morning to get a good look myself in hopes of maybe fabricating these missing triangular pieces. No easy way to do it that's for sure since the pieces are not at all flat and have a stepped profile.

If anyone has any idea of the dimensions of these triangular pieces handy, please chime in.

If anyone has any idea of how they did their own custom fabrication of these pieces please kindly chime in.


It's an easy enough install it looks like. It's the complete opposite of that without the right pieces, as simple as they look.


MANGO

PropellerHead,
I know it's a long time ago you wrote about this. I was wondering the PDF installtion document that you have on bimmerfest, will they help me all the way through and most importantly do I still have to do the cuts in number 13 of this document with a 4.8is front bumper?

Thanks

so i'm curious. there are 2 versions of the underride carriage piece.

one is listed as for cars WITH Aero package and cars with OUT aeropackage.

I know Mango has one for sale and his looks like its the one FOR Aeropackage but then there was another one I saw online and it looks just like Mangos piece except the mounting points look a bit different and it also only has 5 vertical bars going across compared to Mangos piece that has 6 bars going across.

both are listed as fitting e53 X5.

Mango on left and other one on right of picture

^THAT SUCKS!!! Now I have to find an unobtanium version of an already unobtanium part for my aero kit???????? Well bloody hell. Guess I can kiss that pipe dream good bye. :(

well i guess it gets confusing because i thought AERO meant the 4.8IS kit but it does not lol.

look here

https://xoutpost.com/50344-post5.html

this is an X5 with the AERO kit and that looks like the "mtech" kit for X5... ive seent it on X3 but never on X5..


so now im even more curious as to why 2 different underride bars have different mounting points just to accommodate a front fascia.

i guess 4.8IS is considered NON AERO then?

^Correct. That is the aero kit. The one I am running on my 4.8is (ditched the 4.8 kit). I believe the aero kit front fascia is lower than the 4.8 (or more forward and lower) so maybe that's the reason? Don't know. When I find a truck with on (aero or not) and pick it up I'll be sure to follow up. Still sucks there are 2 versions. :confused:

oh its even MORE fun lol... checking realoem there are 4 different versions.

2 versions AERO kit and NO AERO kit UP TO 2003... 2 different part numbers.

2 versions AERO kit and NO AERO kit 2003 and beyond.

UP to 2003 has 5 vertical bars
post 2003 has 6 vertical bars.


i have seen 2 pictures of 2 x5s with the 4.8is bumpers and one had the OLD bar and the other has the NEW bar lol. so weird.

the Original poster of this car has the 4.8IS front bumper right? and they have the 6 bar version post 2003

and in mangos for sale thread he has the 6 bar version for sale but shows the pictures installed with the 5 bar version on an imola x5 with the 4.8is bumper right?

so im not sure whats different between the under carriage on those 2 cars or if both will work on either car.

^That last thought is what I am hoping. Hoping it was just a superseded part that was redesigned or they had 2 different manufacturers or something along those lines.

Having the nightmare of mounting the one on the left, I believe this is the case. The mounting points onto the frame dont/cant change from LCI to LCII. But the way they attach has been *seriously* improved on the right hand unit. The ridiculous hardware mounts for mine dont look as bad on the updated one.

But, if the units are physically different in length or width at any point, I could understand the need for it on both. But seriously, the aero kit is a softer dress up kit for an edgy frame. Who in their right mind (this excepts crystal- and most of us- out of the gate).. who in their right mind need under ride on a cream puff?:dunno:

I'm going to plead vanity Prop. :) The heart wants what the heart wants. I think Socrates said that... Or maybe it was Shakespeare? ;)