C's Bimmer

If he throws 21's on that car without a drop, it will look TERRIBLE! AWFUL! :thumbsdown:

Take it from DrLev and I. We both had been there and we both had done that.

E60714

I can't find the damn link to the thread that had pics of all the wheels. Could someone relink me to it? Search didn't help either.

Since I too have an xi, I've gonna need the one with spacers or whatever, could someone point out some cheap wheels, I don't care what size, they should be decent though, and then some springs. My budget right now? $0. I need to scrounge up some money over the next 9 months or so and have it done next summer....maybe. If I get my hands on about $2500, screw the wheels, I'm going to Dinan for a Stage 2. I'll kick that 370Z's ass 1.5 inches too high off the ground.

gs_535xi

I showed my parents that picture and they said I can drop it now but if I hit the front on a speed bump there not paying for it....
So I should get H&R Springs to then right? Im gettin my dealer to do that too. Would it affect the x-drive? And the offsets and everthing I dont need to worry about, leave that up to my S.A.
But what are the best rims that I can get? I like the 1's in the picture above, but 20's is the smallest I will go. I have to get rims tires and suspension for under $5000, any suggestions for rims and companies to look at?
I also went in my dealers show room a week ago and every bmw there had like 22inch chrome rims on them looked sickk, thats what made me want to do rims now.

DrLev99

Spacers? Why do you need them? The wheels above are relatively cheap and are hubcentric, made for the BMW. They are M3 CSL replicas, high quality ones by Velocity Motoring. You can use spacers, but they aren't required.

With General UHP tires & TPMS, you could get them delivered, ready to install for less than $2K.

C's Bimmer

What thread is that?

DrLev99

Your car won't be any lower than a normal rear-wheel drive i with Sport suspension. So, don't worry about scraping normal speed bumps, etc. Watch out for those parking curb things, though, esp. with the m-tech front.

H&R Sports springs are about the only thing offered now for the xi. Go to Allsprings.com or Turnermotorsport.com, or PM Nerweezy.

Leave it up to your SA? I don't recommend that! You need ET35-40 in front and ET40-45 in rear (if staggered), typically. And x-Drive is not affected. And how did all of the cars on the showroom floor have 22's? Is this a used car dealership with bad taste? Also, do NOT have your dealership do the drop. Do NOT even mention the springs to them. If they find out about it, say goodbye to your warranty on the suspension for good. Find someone else.

Believe me, you don't want to go any bigger than 20's, esp. on the xi. Any bigger and your tire sidewall will be about an inch high. :thumbsdown: Plus, you aren't going to find many 20" rims to fit an xi, although it can be done via the custom route for BIG $$$.

C's Bimmer

And look at the finishes they now come in. I didn't have this option when I bought these wheels 2 years ago. They only had the Hyper Silver.

http://www.velocitymotoring.com/links/Vb3_...al_finishes.htm

I love the Gun Metal ones.

C's Bimmer

Your dealer is going to charge you an arm and leg to install them. I paid around $300 US, for install. I would think a dealer would probably charge twice as much. Keep in mind this is the XI, so the fronts are a pain as well due to the AWD system. However, the end result is well worth it. I think our pictures speak to that.

Good luck and feel free to PM me with any other questions.

C's Bimmer

It will not affect the x-drive. Also, you CAN run staggered on the car as well. I did (275's on the rear). Plus, just ask yourself this question:

1) Many lowering kits are made for the X5
2) The X5 4.8 runs a staggered set-up

Lastly, if you listen to your SA about the correct specs for the XI, you are going to be in for a rude awakening when he tells you the wrong specs to order. Hate to say it, but it's true.

Trust us. I did research for almost 8 months as to all the differences between the xi and the i. I was also the one that hounded H&R Corporate for almost a year to put springs into R&D for XI owners. I called and emailed them weekly for almost a year to get them to release them. I still have those emails.

DrLev99

Yeah....great job they did for my xi.