336 wheels on x5
 

Hi

I have purchased 2012 x5 with sport and 336 style rims with 20 bridgestones. I love the look of the truck and would like to keep it however my wife thinks its harsher than 19 as i had 2008 x5 with 19 RTF before and she thinks 2008 truck was softer. I have 2 options and would like to see if anyone can comment on this or has done this

Option 1 So i am looking to change up the 20's for 19. Is there anything i need to know or just buy and mount ?

Option 2 replace the bridgestone with non runflats (michelin / continental / toyo proxies ) does anyone know how it will impact the ride / handling ?

thanks in a advance for your input.

You shouldn't need to get any mounts as all non-M versions of E70 have the same PCD and hub diameter.

However since you originally have 20's (20x11's at the rear), its safe to assume you have the extended flared wheel arches. If this is the case, moving to 19's will give your E70 a toe in look (narrower wheels under a wider wheel arch).

One way to address this is to fit wheel spacers to the rears, to push the 19's wheels back out. That is if you're worried about aesthetics. If you're not. all should be fine then.

At one time, I had 20" summers and 18" winters. Both with RFT. Yes, the ride was softer on the 18" and my wife preferred them. I definitely did not as felt like I'd lost some of the handling and the X5 felt more like just another SUV. The 19" wheels may be a little better than the 18".

I got tired of the way the 18" wheels didn't full the wheel arches (as covered by Hammer above). I felt I had two choices:
1. Use spacers on rears. Too many people say negative things about doing that though.
2. Buy another set of 20" wheels and get rid of the 18" winters. This is what I did.

Yes, you could move to non-RFT and the ride will supposedly be better. Definitely quieter. I'll let others, who've gone this route, comment on this option.

You should be able to sell your 20" RFT tires pretty easily; especially if you sell them while still relatively new. Most people, like me, are going to stick with RFT...

When switching b/w 18" runflats and 20" runflats I haven't really noticed (to my surprise) much of degradation in ride quality, so I'd say switching to non-runflats is the way to go as they generally provide softer ride.

However, I'd be cautious riding 40..35 profile tires with soft sidewall on pothole ridden roads.

Urban legend. If you watch where you are going, potholes are not a problem.
This is from someone who's gone thru 2 winters in NYC metro, on my RF 214s.

:trustme:

I would be willing to trade these 18 style 210s plus cash for your 336s. I am in Brooklyn, NY.

All

thank you for all your great comments and thoughts.. I really Like the 20's and staggered setup, but the OEM RTFs that came with the truck is a summer tire. As i am in NYC Metro Area and we do get some snow here (not including this winter) is it safe to think i will be able to drive the truck with few inches of snow ?

thanks

No, it is not safe at all. There are two factors to consider
1) the temperature Those tires are not good below 40 degrees
2) the snow/ice You need tires with a different compound

I have covered this before but, soon after I received my X5 on mid-Nov 2007, we had a snowfall of about 1". I tested my X5's braking in my driveway (100 feet long) and could not believe how much I slid when braking. I immediately contacted the dealer to buy winter wheels and tires.

In this area, you could definitely get by with All Season's. I have a summer set and a winter set because
1) I like to drive fast so I want to ensure that I have the best traction in summer and in winter
2) When I go up to New England in the winter, I want to get through all the snow and "climb every mountain"

Not to argue, but a run-flat have much stiffer sidewall (for obvious reasons) and I imagine it takes much, much greater force to squish it enough for an obstacle to reach the edge of the rim than with a regular tire.

It's the opposite; a softer sidewall will absorb some of the impact, whereas the stiffer RFT sidewall transmits it to the wheel. Read the Car and Driver long-term test on the new 5-series - they bent something like 6 wheels over 40k miles.

To the OP - I replaced the 20" RFT for Toyo Proxes, primarily for occasional driving in snow. The ride is significantly improved. They are not 'performance' tires, however, so some grip is sacrificed. The softer sidewall effectively reduces the spring rate, so there is a bit more body roll and turn-in is less crisp, however I find the increase in compliance provides better handling overall on anything less than freshly paved roads (of which there are few around here). Lighter low-speed steering is a bonus, as is longer tread life.