I'm moving from an '07 X5 4.8i to the '08 535ixT (USA) and am trying to find a hitch that will fit a 2" receiver (trailering and bike rack). All I've found to date is a Curt 1 1/4" Class 1 hitch, which won't fit bike accessories and limits towing to a woeful 2k lbs.

Also, when I installed the hitch on my X5, I had to have the car reprogrammed. What's the trick to wiring the 535xiT to either integrate with the OEM system or 'work around' the OEM system without triggering electronic problems the minute you plug in the trailer lights?

On the X5 4.8i, dealer programming also 'taught' the rear-view camera to detect the trailer hitch, changed the field of view, and integrated with the parking radar. It's pretty slick. I expect the Euro E61 operates similarly, so I'm wondering if anyone's got any thoughts on (hopefully) how to at least make some of this minimally functional.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Sarge

but you don't have oem rear view camera? It wasn't an option or package for 2008 wagons.

I have one installed but it simply comes on with reverse regardless of what's on the rear (like a bike rack)

I had a custom hitch made in 2" which does not hang below the lower edge of the stock rear valence trim. It looks pretty slick. I'll try to get some photos today. They rated it to 3500 lbs. (long standing highly regarded hitch shop in the area here)

As for wiring/trailer, I don't know on this car.

For my Audi S4 Avant I had the same shop make a custom hitch based on the Curt which they reinforced and changed to 2" also. The Audi is fully wired for towing too but it took some time getting all the lighting to work properly.

I didn't notice the camera come on when I put it in reverse (my X5 comes on automatically). As I recall there's a setting to turn it off, so it's either 'off' or it's broken.

As for the hitch - my 'worst case' thought was to customize the Curt hitch, so I'd love to see any photos you have of it. Welding the larger receiver on is the obvious part, but I'm curious what you did with the rest of where it connects to the frame.

My other thought was to try to get a schematic/drawing of the Westfalia hitch from europe and see how that connects with the frame. (Ideally I'd design something hidden like my allroad 2.7T, but even just having the 2" receiver showing, with the rest tucked away is acceptable).

Lastly, do you know what the auto transmission is rated to tow (i.e. 2500 lbs at 100 deg F?).

Thanks for any further info, it is appreciated.

I think you did not understand me, the 2008 BMW 535xiT did not come with a camera. It was not standard or an option. They have parking distance sensors front and rear instead.

I have a camera because I had one installed. It fits into one of the license plate lamps to the left of the hatch opening release handle. It integrates with the nav system and comes on only when in reverse.

I suggest going custom because the Curt is more likely to hang lower than the valence trim edge. I have an idea, I bet the shop I used here would be happy to make you an identical copy and ship it to you. It bolts straight in and has a nice custom bracing going under the spare tire well over to the frame bracing which only ads to protection of the car underneath without reducing clearance. No holes were drilled into the car. The only car alterations were to the lower underside trim and you cannot see that part.

I drive a manual. You could get auto towing info from some euro folks seeing as no USA cars came with hitches factory installed.

That would work well. It should be cheaper for them to make another copy than for me to pay for a one-off anyway. Does yours allow fitment of the usual types of bike racks (Thule, Yakima)? A photo would be great if possible - I definitely appreciate the offer, it seems like the best solution, all things considered.

RE the camera, did you use a Dension type kit? I have a Dension Gateway 500 and A/V router kit that I never got around to installing in my '07 X5 (allows watching ipod video on front seat screen, and linking to rear seat screens) - I think that should probably work with this car (same iteration of iDrive, etc), and may allow for plugging in the backup camera. Any further info on that would be much appreciated too.

A 1 1/4" hitch will definitely take bike racks, though not heavy duty ones. There are racks that take up to 2 bikes that go on that size hitch. Check out Rack Attack's website.

Jwest, I might be into that too... :) Any idea what it might cost? I could pick it up in Seattle if shipping to Canada is prohibitive.

I don't need wiring at this time, since the reason I had the hitch installed on my previous Volvo XC70 was for a Thule bike rack. But I'm wondering if in my case a hitch is overkill to use for a bike rack? (though I hate to have to sell my almost new $600 bike rack and buying a bunch of new stuff again...)

If I should pass on the hitch mounted rack, maybe I should go for a roof system, or one of those types that hangs off the rear hatch door?

My hitch cost $500 but that was for custom first time and included tax. I would not even consider a 1-1/4" receiver because of the limitation and my swing away bike carrier is only 2" as well as the 1-1/4" not being as strong.

Additionally, the stock curt part sets lower by about 2-3" which in my opinion would be one more limitation having poor departure angle on an already low hanging bike carrier. The Yakima versions would be better in that case because they immediately curve up and away from the ground.

The shop in Kent Washington is Tork Lift.

Hmm... that's a pretty good price for a custom hitch, installed, especially if we luck out and get it cheaper. Do you have their contact info and a name perhaps? A few showed up when I searched for a dealer around Kent.

So do you use your hitch just for your bike rack? I've got a Thule 964 Revolver.

In my situation for a bike rack, do you think I'm better off to get this hitch then, or get roof rails, which would have the added advantage of being able to take a cargo box too down the road? If I had to spend $500 (worst case), I'm thinking maybe I should spend that on a roof mounted system and just sell my bike rack...

PS As a temporary measure, since I'm generally only hauling two kids bikes occasionally, I could use one of those hatch mounted carriers, but I'm worried about it being a PITA to put on and off, and scratching the tailgate, etc. Any thoughts on those?

Is this the proper contact info for the hitch maker?

Torklift International
1901 Fryar Avenue
Sumner, WA, 98390

P#: 800.246.8132
F#: 253.854.8003

I found them on the internet at www.torklift.com

JWESTPRO: Do you recall the name of the person who actually designed/fabbed your hitch? Since I'd be doing this mail order, I'd like to be sure the work is done identical to yours (i.e. it fits).

Thanks!

I'll call and talk with them today to prep for your call.

Couple photos of mine with one of my thule carriers. I use this one more for mtn bikes but the swing out carries 4 without sticking out so far

http://jwestproductions.com/direct/5...h.lowangle.JPG

to see how tight it sets in bumper cover lower edge. Does not take away any clearance and is very trim when not in use.
http://jwestproductions.com/direct/5...itch.close.JPG

That is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll probably ask them to weld a couple tabs for chain hookups as well, but the higher mounting point is exactly what I want to retain as much departure angle as possible.

As an aside, I recall reading in another post that you're running taller than stock tires? What size? I'm looking at using a brand new set of 255/40/19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S I had bought for my allroad. These are 1" taller than stock (27" vs 26") for the 535, but are an approved fitment on the E60 M5. I'm trying to confirm how they will fit on a 19" ET40 wheel? Due to rock chip concerns, I don't want them sticking out too far (I will probably use the BMW mudflaps, unless there's a better aftermarket alternative).

Thanks again for the help with the hitch. Yours looks like the perfect solution - nearly identical to the fitment of my X5 hitch.

Sarge

I'm running 18" 245/45 which are actually 1" over stock diameter, not 27". Stock is not 26", it is 25.7" and mine are 26.7" Not that the additional .3" will be crossing the maximum line, it is definitely getting close. The thing is that it's not simply about diameter but how large the fender space is inside, the M5 has larger space at the front wheels, basically a little wider, but then the tires are also wider.

Based on how mine are, I think the 27.0" diameter would be ok if your ET is not too far out. My wheels are 8.5" ET 29 with the tires being 245/45x18" This tire size also fits perfectly on an 8" rim as it's the size I use on the stock wheels for my winter tires.

ET 40 would pull the rim in but you did not mention the width of that rim, a very important factor in fitting fine vs not at all.

Yes, forgot to mention the width: 8.5" front, 9.5" rear. ET40 on both F/R. Might need 10mm spacers on the rear, with 255 on a 9.5" wheel?

You certainly cannot put a spacer onto an already wide rim. Think about it: take ET 40 - ET 29 = 11mm less offset than my 8.5" rims having ET 29, then add back in 1/2 of your wider rim, 12.7mm (let's call it 13mm). This puts your rim 3mm further outboard than mine, which would be fine with spacers if you ran stock size tires, however you also plan on larger diameter tires, .3" taller than mine even which is a minute .15" on the radius but it can matter when getting close to the limit.

Not lowering your car will make this all just fine, and maybe you could try a 5mm spacer, just for looks, but I am betting the 9.5 rim, offset, and larger tire, are going to combine into looking just right without a spacer.

Which rim did you choose, is it a bmw rim or something else? We'd love to see of course ;)

Jwest, would love to hear your advice on the route you think I should go for hauling bikes... :) :twoup:

The calculator at the top of this page is handy. Tells you how much your speedo might be off, as well as the impact on the rim sticking out/tucking in.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=12

you can also just do the math to get % increase due to size changes but that is a great simple calculator and it helps with offset too

I like roof type or hitch type for different reasons. I like the hitch for keeping things inside the aero path of the car but you can put more bikes and gear on the roof than the hitch. For example I've had 3 bikes on the roof AND a full 2100 Thule cargo box. Currently I'm seeing how much different my mpg is with bikes on the rear vs the roof. I will say the cargo box and/or bikes on the roof makes a huge difference, and I am guessing at higher speed this actually increases.

There are drawbacks to a hitch style though. Such as obvious tricky access to rear of car. The opening glass makes quick access easier though for small things. I have both the swing out hitch rack and the flat tray type shown above in the thread. I like the flat tray style because it doesn't touch the frame and can allow any frame design using tricky shaped full suspension bikes.

However, the swing away is pretty cool because it can double as a work stand, allowing shifting adjustments while running the drivetrain. The swing away keeps the bikes higher off the ground.

I mainly got the tray style to use with my thru axle downhill bike but that bike actually fits fine on the two arm style swing out carrier, so maybe I didn't need this tray style!

I think if I had three-four people trying to deal with their bikes and access to the car for gear, like at a race or event, roof top is better because the rear is very easy for access without the rack in the way, either type of rack.

Lastly, if you really want to load up for a big trip and have either a canoe or kayaks, a cargo box, and then bikes too, the hitch rack for bikes becomes mandatory. The 5 series wagon could carry 4 bikes on the rear, two canoes, or 2 kayaks and a cargo box, 4 people, a dog or two, etc. ;)

http://jwestproductions.com/direct/5...kes%20side.JPG
http://jwestproductions.com/direct/5...kes%20rear.JPG

I'm just looking at the M5 replica wheels. Cheap to replace, which is important where I drive (Rockies). Below is a picture of the car the day after I bought it.

http://www.ses.cc/Friends/2011/Wides...SC05086-XL.jpg

My concern with smaller tires is less sidewall protection; I should really just run the stock 17's but they look so 'meh'... and I have these new tires sitting there going to no use, so it seemed like a good 'fit'. I wouldn't want much less sidewall - what you have would work. But I can't find the M5 reps in 18", and I don't want to spend much on expensive wheels that will just get trashed, and be expensive to replace. What's the story with your wheels? Source? Cost? If you have more photos of your whole car I'd like to see them.

I'm also curious to hear more about your 'roof vs hitch' mounts. I have roof mounts for this car, and a spare tire mount on my Jeep, and there's no question the aerodynamics are better on the hitch. The other question is if you're going to use a roof box anyway, how much worse do the bikes make mpg (at higher speeds). Seems like it would still be substantial, for how high they stand. (my roof mounts are 'wheel on' type).

I'll be calling the hitch guys tomorrow. I need to drive down to Vegas to pick up a 20' sailboat next week. Might not be enough time to get the new hitch ready, but it would be nice to use it if possible.

J, thanks for the detailed reply as usual. :twoup: I should have probably first explained my planned use better before asking for your recommendations. Currently, I've got a 4 and a 6 year old, so their bikes are pretty small, and we only throw them on the car for the occasional road trip. I've got a mountain bike, which as they start riding more, was thinking I'd take along if we go on road trips, or to the local parks.

I was leaning towards keeping my 4 bike Thule swing away partly b/c I paid $600 for it a year ago, and was hoping to still use it, but it was some work to put it on and off, and it made the parking sensors go nuts of course, so we had to leave them off. It was nice though not having to lift bikes onto the roof, nor worry about what would happen to them at the odd 100 MPH run on the highway (while we are down in Mexico, of course! :whistle: ).

On that topic, is there a certain speed you've felt the bikes and box making noise / getting unstable? I wonder what the offical speed rating would be...

The simple thing I'm thinking now might be to not worry about getting a custom hitch installed just for a bike rack, take my loss and sell my carrier, and buy a roof system, to which I can always add a box like you later on. My overall cost would be a bit more with a roof system I figure, but the roof system might be more versatile.

Would you agree?

PS That box is about 36" wide from what I could tell. So you can fit that plus a bike on either side of it on the roof? I'd have thought I'd need to get one of those boxes that are only half the width of the roof, to fit a bike on either side of it.

Actually I've found a set of E93 fitment wheels that are 18x8 ET35 Front, 18x9 ET38 Rear (M5 replicas).

Would those also fit the 535xiT, or are the hubs different? If so I'd opt for your tire size, knowing it works...

To get back to part of the original question - has anyone wired their 535xiT for trailer lights and/or brakes?

Aerodynamics. in my experience the cargo boxes we are using (your yakima or my thule) are actually very good aerodynamically considering their size. The bad parts are the bars and mounts, and then much worse, the bikes, especially if full upright bike style. Fork mounts are at least one less tire and spoke set per bike.

Now, to add a little something to this mix, you might like this idea and have never thought of it..... this depends entirely on cargo box width though ... I have traveled across the US several times in two wagons and used a couple different Thule boxes. My favorite for aerodynamics is the more rare Spirit I think it's called, more of a wedge in the rear like a yakima but lower in the nose like the other thule. I use that one for ski season, it's almost as long, almost as tall, almost as wide but stronger/more rigid and seems to be quieter/more aero with deeper channels underneath for the bars to sit up inside. It doesn't flex up front in the nose either. it's heavier though, per size.

So, the little something... in my 2100 xt thule, i have traveled a number of times with TWO bikes INSIDE the cargo box, plus 2 extra sets of wheels, tent, pad, misc crap, etc. Yes, all inside, nothing else exposed besides the box and racks. This made a very big difference at 70-80 mph. Obviously staying under 60 it wouldn't matter as much, clearly, parked at 0mph, areodynamics matter 0 ;) so the closer to 0, the less it matters what you have on the roof ;)

In the photos below, there are two bikes in the same cargo box on the two different cars. In addition to the bikes and stuff were two Yakima Sprocket Rocket fork mount bike racks. This is because at the 2000 mile point, I was meeting a friend and we were traveling to a race with a dog so then the bikes go on the roof and other crap in the car went into the box.

http://jwestproductions.com/direct/5...vel.lt.r.s.jpg
http://jwestproductions.com/direct/s...09_MG_1583.jpg
http://jwestproductions.com/direct/s...20r%20side.jpg

I have never had any rattling, or otherwise strange sounds from either the bikes, boxes, or racks. Wind noise yes, but that is to be expected. Please consider not using a fairing for the front, as you often see being used on cars with just bikes. This fairing when combined with a cargo box seems to compress the air into the tight area rather than allowing it to pass freely through and between the box and roof.

My cars have both been up to 145mph with a cargo box on the roof....the Audi also had a mountain bike on a fork mount ! It was after that day a couple years ago where I came up with the bikes-in-box idea as shot that photo after riding Fruita Colorado.

more rack stuff. I use wide bars so therefor I have plenty of room left even while using the wide thule 2100xt. In fact, a bike on either side, or asymmetric layout with box all to one edge and bikes on the other side, just about allows for a third bike. I forget the length of my bars but they are roughly 8-10" past the edge of the rail mount. In some ways it is easier to have the box all to one side of the car so the bike rack is not in your face/in your way leaning in to such a wide cargo box. If the bike itself is mounted, then you can't get into the box very well at all obviously.

On rail mounts, the thule strap type are far superior in basic design and flexibility of attachment because they can adapt to an angled rail or even changing thickness rail whereas the yakima must rely on a consistent rail shape and within parameters. The thule strap can go around just about any shape.

WHEELS: of course reference photo above. Those are super secret, can't tell you what, where or $ ;) No, they are m3, bmw oem, bought new from my dealer. 18"x18" ET29. I could have tried the 9.5 in the rear but they would have been snug and then my full size spare would be a little silly if needed, plus I rotate my tires so that when it's time to replace, it's evenly all of them that get replaced.

In this case, these I chose are directional so rotation is just back n forth front-rear-front....although I gambled that the left rear would wear the most. I was correct. It's because of two factors: 1-my full size spare stands against the wall on the left tucked between the D pillar (rear corner) and the back seat if upright. 2-my ARB freezer-fridge is then located against the tire such that these heavy items are squarely over the left rear tire.

My spare was ordered, and mounted, so that it would be a left side tire when rolling in the correct direction for full 3 tire rotation purposes (3 as opposed to 5 because as I said, they are directional and ideally stay on one side of the car for life) In the event of needing a spare on the right, of course I can run it over there without serious issue until I am home again.

To me, the 18" is the ideal size, large enough rim/wheel to tighten the handling a bit (from 17"), large enough to look decent, small enough to be less expensive tires than same tire in 19", also 18" has more tire makes and models to choose from in more slightly different sizes, and lastly, but not least important, the sidewall provides a durable depth for real world traveling. It doesn't matter how cool the car looks if it's f-d up from a rugged road, pot hole, or random junk on the highway and you are hangin out waiting for roadside assist or AAA.

some other benefits of 18": I like run flats, some people hate them, but I don't think they know why they "hate" an object rather than see the pros and cons of one or the other. I get a great ride out of my winter RFT Pirelli 240 sottozero tires. In fact, I think they feel wonderfully responsive. Maybe the size I chose helps, 245 is as wide as makes sense for an 8" rim, and at the maximum if you want to retain any snow traction. I went with that tire for "good" snow traction without giving up too much in rain or cold but dry/wet conditions. You can feel the tread by hand and see it's very solid and part of why it doesn't wallow like soft, better in ice/snow, tires would.

Going up 1" in total diameter helps with my ground clearance, slightly more sidewall, and it allowed me to hand down the oem tires to the Audi when it needs some next summer ;) The Audi is stock 235/40x18 and the 245/40x18 fit fine although a little tighter. mostly because the rear will sag when loaded down with 4 people, and all their stuff and some bikes, etc. The 535xiT of course adjusts for the weight to remain at normal ride level, which is one of the top 10 reasons I wanted this particular car. It had to be able to haul stuff very well.

I can't think of any reason they wouldn't fit just fine, as long as they are the right bolt pattern as well as the right center bore. I do recall my bmw parts person making sure the bore was the same.

I am not a reps fan, unless it's for winter wheels or track wheels. The quality can vary so much and when someone is talking reps + spending less, it rarely ads up to good or better than oem. Expensive forged reps maybe, or not reps at all. However, I like the oem look too. Part of why I finally chose what I did.

I will suggest though, take MONTHS to decide on the wheels. I was SURE about 5 different wheel designs and in hindsight, am really glad I waited and let them each sit with me for a few weeks, then I moved on. Holding true to practicality helped though, no 19's, only 18. The ONLY thing "better" about 19's is they look cool, but the right 18's can also look cool, but be actually better in every other aspect.

WHEEEEEEELZZZZZ:

http://felgenkatalog.auto-treff.com/


have fun

Obviously that assortment of bikes will fit on either plan.

My guess is the hitch could be made in one day. They did mine in one day and it was the first but the trick is likely that they don't have it ready to copy in CADD. If they had listened to me though, they would have made notes and/or a pattern to whip another one out upon request. Unless they want to give me a big credit towards my next project, I'm not inclined to let them have my car for half the day to copy mine.

However, if you had it all set up/scheduled with them, I am willing to bet you could roll in there at a pre-set time and they'd be done in 3 hrs now that they at least know what to do. They are good at wiring too but I'd want to have bmw involved unless these guys have wired some other E60 for towing. It's very possible though as track time is big around here and someone may have set up a bmw for towing track utility/tire trailer behind a coupe or sedan e30, e46, e85, e9x etc. ?

Nice shot! Good and purposeful! When you look in the 2008 535xiT brochure, those 17's actually look nice, but maybe you are just itching for some personalization.

Well, before I did wheels I did more important, to me, items: 9500ci, reverse camera, top notch ceramic tint, sweet as hell window screens (these pop into place in my rear passenger side windows, cargo area sides, and cargo area hatch glass. Very nice, nearly 100" privacy under any lighting conditions and the added bonus of bug netting when napping on a long road trip if it's warm enough for bugs, but I usually do that in the winter anyway. The privacy is awesome.

I also got the cool "rear seat back organizer". At first it looked a little dorky, like a photo "vest", but it's just like a functional vest, you just don't have to be seen in it ;) Also put in the sport seat covers which help with food and beverage retention if you find that a problem, or muddy legs from mountain biking, but they are also not sticky of hot, etc.

Then the full size spare including tpm sensor and the ARB freezer fridge.
Dinan stage 2 & Dinan exhaust.

All the above prior to "wheels"...

Just remember, your car came with wheels, and presumably has not worn out it's tires and you are not in winter yet. Therefore, wheels are solely a "want" not a need, not even a somehow justified whimsy. Wait, at least to find the right wheel.

Some more digging ought to bring up someone who has successfully done a trailer wiring project. You do not want to f-up the electronics!

Jwest - Thanks VERY much for all the time that went into those detailed responses.

BOXES: I've used Packasport boxes in the past (fiberglass) and I'm currently using one on my Wrangler in the winter as it's the only way I can squeeze my Jeep into the garage (skims the roof as I enter). I also have a 'Suburban' sized version of it (taller, wider). These seem pretty aerodynamic. I've driven a friends Outback @120 and no issues at all (side windows peel out at high speeds, but that's it). I'll probably keep using the Yakima box pictured in the previous post as it holds our toddler's Chariot stroller/trailer, and I can put bikes on hitch or roof depending on distance of the trip.

The Jeep box is small, but still holds four pair of skis:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...c/DSC_0883.jpg

TINT: I'll be taking the car down to SLC for some Huperoptik tint at some point soon.

CABIN COMFORT/MISC: I use Yeti coolers in various sizes. They keep stuff cold for a very nice long time (up to a week), whether the car is running or not. I use a couple on my Boston Whaler too. Can't recommend them enough. The seats are leatherette, which is awesome stuff with regard to wear/tear. One of the key things I liked about this car. It also has the side shades built in for the kid in the back seat. I wouldn't mind getting some suction shades for the rear cargo area if they fit in the windows tight - haven't found them available yet though. I also have all the requisite rubber floor mats from the dealer. I hard-wired my Valentine 1 on day one. I'm going to switch out the interior bulbs with an LED kit. It came out nice in my Wrangler, hopefully the bulbs will last...

COSMETICS/WHEELS/ETC: I'm thinking I'll use Umnitza's poly M Tech bumper and side skirts, which also looks good with the M5 wheels. I know forged is better, but I'm sick of watching them get trashed by road rash out here in the mountains. If I were still living in San Diego maybe, but here they're hardly worth the expense up here (Jackson, WY). From the threads I've read, it seems the reps are not all terrible quality, and the OEM wheels aren't all forged either (also heavy). If I didn't want an OEM look, I'd probably get some much lighter weight wheels, but this car isn't destined to be a track star anyway. I want it to look nice and cover long distances reliably. Which is also why I'm probably not going to bother with even a chip, given the HPFP issues (mine was replaced 11/2010, so it should be fine now), and the stress the turbos will already be under operating in the thin mountain air (more RPMS's to get the same oxygen). Previous lady owner says the turbos were also replaced (dealer didn't find that in the notes, so I'm not sure they really were). Regardless, since I generally travel roads with few cars, passing isn't a problem. (I would like the speed limiter raised or removed though) and generally top speed is limited by the road quality.

WINTER: I had a set of 215-width Michelin Xice2 tires on my allroad. Narrower is better, and we get a lot of snow in the winter. 800" up high here last year. :twoup: They don't look 'phat', but they grip/track/brake/turn/drift very well.
http://www.sargentschutt.com/Cars/Au...49_tBNWh-M.jpg I'll probably do the same size but give Hakka or Blizzak the business this year (they're a little better braking of late).

HITCH: yours

That's about the size of my 'list'. I'm also trying to source some whiter (but not blue) LED's for the angel eyes, as the OEM ones look rather dingy. I'll keep thinking about the wheels...

I'm confused, why would you have "had" an Allroad and now you don't? It's the ideal car for your area... I want to try one someday and have some things upgraded like the suspension to Arnott sport air spring, RS4 brakes, etc. ;)

The window screens- You can get these from bmw parts. They are the exact same shape as the designated window and "pop" right in as they are mounted on a flexible rubber covered frame.

Tires, yeah, where you are a serious winter makes sense.

I 'have' an allroad, but I consider it in past tense sometimes... I paid a 'tooner' in New Jersey who was supposedly reputable to build it into a monster, but it has never run properly, and has been sitting 'dead' for a couple years now. The specs are 2.7t to 3.0L conversion, using ported/polished 2.8 heads, 3.0 crank, custom forged pistons/rods, custom exhaust/headers/DPs, cryo-treated gears, custom 40/60 F/R center torsen, 6 pot stoptechs, wider wheel flares, etc. I haven't replaced the springs, as mine still work (car only has about 42k miles on it if I recall right). I also have a full euro recaro interior (seats, suede headliner, etc), RNS-E head unit with Sirius, TV, iPod, etc, and OEM RS4 wheels. I've never even installed the interior as it never ran properly. It was originally going to go in a couple car magazines (I know a few of the editors who were interested in doing a 'specialty file' on the car). Bottom line now is I need to refile my suit against them in NJ (was thrown out of CA for jurisdiction after I moved to WY). At this point it's just a headache, but it will be dealt with soon...

It would be a great car for Jackson, and if Audi made a newer allroad I would've bought one of those instead of the 535xiT just to have the adjustable suspension. It can also tow up to 5k lbs (euro spec) and hauls up to 7 people with the optional third row seat (kids mainly) and has lots of ground clearance when needed. All things considered it's the ultimate swiss army knife of cars. The flip side is, driving all over the place, miles from anywhere, I need a reliable car too.

And that is why I'm not even looking to so much as 'chip' the 535xi. Frankly the HPFP still scare me. Mine was done last November, and as I continue reading, it seems like December 2010 is the 'newest' pump... which means mine is likely to fail again. I'm thinking I may try to buy a pump and a shop manual just to keep in the car in case I break down in west BFE sometime with the wife and kid...

The 'winter' setup, taken here in Jackson:
http://www.sargentschutt.com/Cars/Au...2_DMChZ-XL.jpg

The summer setup, taken at my parent's back in NC. I drove the car from NJ to NC, and had them come pick it up to fix it. Another year later they shipped it back to me, still burning 1+ quarts of oil per tank of gas. My guess is the rings are mis-sized (they put a hand-picked set of valve guides, thinking that was the problem, but sent it back to me again, still burning oil. Then it blew a turbo...)
http://www.sargentschutt.com/Cars/Au...MR73X-XL-1.jpg

Yes, I hear you, the BMW is by far more suited for the reasons mentioned.

If you want to move on from the Allroad, I'll buy it from you. Seriously. I'm planning to sell my LR3, bring my 04 Discovery to Seattle, and have an Allroad to work out of in NC. Or take the BMW to NC, and have the Allroad in Seattle. Either way, I've been looking for an Allroad and I could use a project to keep me from looking at new expensive cars ;)

sent you a PM. The audi would certainly be a 'project'... I'm also looking for a replacement for my Wrangler, as it's not quite up to the job of boat towing, which was previously the realm of the X5... too much for the 535xiT

http://www.ses.cc/Friends/2010/Yello...JbhNQ-XL-1.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...c/DSC04883.jpg

These are the wheels I'm contemplating. Undecided on the 'punk black' vs 'classy silver' look... (quick and dirty photohack of wheels, tinted windows and corner reflaectors). I'd also do the M Technik/M5 front bumper and side skirts.

The more I look at the numbers, and after talking to the dealer about the CPO warranty, I may just stay with the OEM size and use a 245/40/18 tire...

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5xitwheels.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...heelsblack.jpg

if those wheels included the big drilled brakes it would be a bargain ;)

Hey J,

BIKES and HITCH - Too bad they didn't keep a set of your hitch diagram... So if you had to pick and you were in my shoes, which option would you go for a bike rack? I'm leaning towards a roof system now, especially since you got me thinking about putting the little bikes in the box as another option...

I'm not clear why you got your hitch? You couldn't put enough things on the roof and needed more space for bikes, or was the hitch your first choice for bikes?

ROOF RAIL BARS - You've got a good point on the roof rail bars width and how to mount the bikes and box. Thanks. I'm totally new to roof carrying. Going off the dimensions on the brochure, the car's rails are about 40" apart. So you must have like 60" bars I guess. So they hang over the edge of the car roof like 5" and it doesn't bother you? You don't bang your head on them getting in? :)

TINT - I've got the OEM rear door shades, which is nice, but was thinking of tinting the windows and trunk anyway, as we have a dog, so it'll keep things cooler back there for all. What brand and type did you go with?

Sarge, I see you're concerned about your turbos and HPFP. I've been reading a lot on the E90 forums, where tons of cars are chipped there, and have been for 10's of thousands of miles. A handful of turbo failures only reported and those were in some exceptional situations where the guy was really pushing his car. Lots of people running them in high altitudes too without issues. So I wouldn't bat an eye, seeing you're used to modding your car. :twoup:

Out of all the popular solutions out there now (Procede, JB4, Dinan or Cobb), I'd say look into Cobb, if you want an easy, reliable solution for under $1000. Lots of good reviews on it. You're out of warranty I believe, so pass up on Dinan which costs double that. Who can pass up another 70 HP or so for that money? :dance:

Many have been running with a tune and are still running on their original HPFP's even. So there's no direct cause and effect that's been established b/w running a tune and having your pump die. If your HPFP is dying though, the tune might precipitate it. The latest HPFP was out in Dec. 2010, and what got replaced as part of the recalls, which I assume you've had done on your car. The recall tech bulletin stated:

"If the high-pressure pump was recently replaced with P/N 13 51 7 613 933, no more action is required. If the HDP was not replaced previously with P/N 7 613 933, install new high-pressure fuel pump P/N 13 51 7 616 446."

Before the 933 pump came the 13517594943 one, which replaced 13517592881, and I guess none of them were up to the task, as they continued to fail.