I just bought a 2006 530xi and i need new wheels cause the stock wheels are super gay! can i fit 20's without having any problems? i really like the Bayern mesh style (black with chrome lip) and also does anyone recommend lowering with 20's or is that overkill??? or is that even necessary???

 

Search and you shall find. Search under my name and you will find it all.

 

Congrats on the car!!!

Post the pics when you put the wheels on.

PS IMHO I'd go with 19s and higher profile tire, but I'm in the pothole capital of the States, so that's kind of a determinant for me...

 

Um...it's a must if you want it to look right. If you want it to ride right on just H&R springs, that's another question. If there are KW coilovers for the xi now (and someone said there are), then get those. You don't want to do JUST springs...ride will be too harsh.

And welcome to the forum.

 

C's your SME on wheel and tire combinations for your xi ... Since you're in the Pacific NW you will want tires that are winter capable. And ultra low profile tires on 20" might be too risky except after the winter has passed.

I stayed with the 18" on mine because our potholes in the NE USA eat wheels and tires faster than a Wall-Street banker goes through bailout dollars! And lowering will help make the void in your wheel wells look better - though with a dark color car it's not as noticeable say in silver or white. Check my album for what CSL's look like on a 530xi. http://forums.e60.net/index.php?autocom=ga...&album=1458

 

welcome and enjoy the forums.

 

I'm a futures trader - no bail out dollars in my pocket. As a matter of fact, I'll most likely end up paying my share for the bail out (taxes). very offensive, amigo (mostly, because it makes me sad to part with my dollars, since no one's gonna bail me out - I'm not ML or GS or any of those "big" firms) eeeeh, nothing to do but laugh it off, man...

And to get back on topic, cold weather does necessitate either a set of winter wheels/tires or an all weather setup, which IMO cannot possibly be practical at above 19 inches. Even 19s is a stretch...

 

I went with the 19's and haven't regretted it. I agree the car will look much better lowered, but I haven't done that yet. The XI owners don't have all of the same options regarding spring and shock packages. Calton lowered his with the H&R springs and didn't have any problems. DrLev did the same and had issues with the bump stops. This is why I haven't lowered mine yet. One thing I don't want to compromise is the ride quality. There are the KW Coilover Variant 3's now out for the XI. That is probably what I will go with when I lower the car. The one caveat here is price. They retail for $2695 on KW's website and that doesn't include installation. I'm sure some of our excellent vendors here can probably do better with the price, but it's still going to be an expensive proposition.


Here is mine on 19's not lowered

 

wow those coilovers are expensive. But they are the only option to drop it right.