Gixxer's X5M

[UnicornM]

[/QUOTE]









Spot the difference. ADV1 doctored the ride height for there instagram page?

[gixxerboy63]

They sure did!
Ride height looks best in last picture...

[gixxerboy63]

[boneca]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Love the details, ADVs looking great, first picture is the bomb

[titanle]

Damn I can't believe I just read through 23 pages lol

Gixxer your ride look sick! I really like what you've done to it, very tasteful. The bronze wheels look really nice, good work!

ps, just followed you on ig

[Dchl21]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

that's so sick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[P1]

Still looks great mate!

[gixxerboy63]

Thanks guys... haven't done much to her since bolting on the ADV.1s, Instead, I have been focused on getting our lake condo renovations completed. Our garage is also getting some upgrades, so the X5M is being stored until that part is done....
In the meantime, I have been eyeballing an Akrapovic exhaust and thinking about a pure turbos upgrade.

[323tom]

Looks proper, One of my favorite x5ms! Do you have the H & R 1.2 springs or kw v3 coils? If springs how's the ride and do you have stock spec alignment or?

[gixxerboy63]

Originally Posted by 323tom

Looks proper, One of my favorite x5ms! Do you have the H & R 1.2 springs or kw v3 coils? If springs how's the ride and do you have stock spec alignment or?

Thank you.
I have the H&R 1.2s, stock spec alignment. Rides great.. has close to factory dampening characteristics and doesn't bounce. It does tighten up a bit in the corners, which is bonus!
I considered the KW's but that would have eliminated my EDC and I didn't want to lose that.
I also considered the H&R 2.0s, but I understand that setup will load up the other suspension components to a point were the vehicle will become bouncy and harsh.

Whenever my wife drives the X5M and I can see it on the road, it looks aggressive without being overdone...
I'm very happy with it and it makes me smile.

[theaudir8fan]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Thank you.
I have the H&R 1.2s, stock spec alignment. Rides great.. has close to factory dampening characteristics and doesn't bounce. It does tighten up a bit in the corners, which is bonus!
I considered the KW's but that would have eliminated my EDC and I didn't want to lose that.
I also considered the H&R 2.0s, but I understand that setup will load up the other suspension components to a point were the vehicle will become bouncy and harsh.

Whenever my wife drives the X5M and I can see it on the road, it looks aggressive without being overdone...
I'm very happy with it and it makes me smile.

how big is your wheel gap at the front and rear? For some reason I keep thinking my H&R 1.2 sits higher than most.
Also how did you get to stock camber? I don't think there is enough adjustment range on the rear for it

[m5james]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Thank you.
I have the H&R 1.2s, stock spec alignment. Rides great.. has close to factory dampening characteristics and doesn't bounce. It does tighten up a bit in the corners, which is bonus!
I considered the KW's but that would have eliminated my EDC and I didn't want to lose that.
I also considered the H&R 2.0s, but I understand that setup will load up the other suspension components to a point were the vehicle will become bouncy and harsh.

Whenever my wife drives the X5M and I can see it on the road, it looks aggressive without being overdone...
I'm very happy with it and it makes me smile.

I went from a stock suspension and aftermarket Niche 20's with Contitech Xtreme tires and have gotten used to how it rode with that setup. Just a few weekends ago I swapped on AC Forged 22' with Pirelli tires and the ride got a little harsher as expected with a thinner sidewall on the 22's. I opted for the H&R 2" because I didn't want a bunch of gap, and now the ride is actually just as nice as it was before on stock suspension and 20's. I haven't dialed in the rear lowering completely as it still has a little rake, but it's nothing harsh or bouncy like I've read about randomly.

The true test will be driving to Bimmerfest this weekend this...Seattle, Hollywood, Vegas and back to Seattle. Last year I drove my E53 X5 on BC Racing coilovers and I could throw that thing around like no other, but for some reason the X5M just isn't as confidence inspiring...I don't know if it's due to the added weight overall, ride height differences or just that the X5M doesn't have a ton of rear camber like the E53 had. I didn't wanna delete EDC for the same reason as you, so I hope it still does it's job in the switchbacks.

[gixxerboy63]

This measurement was taken when the BBS SVs were mounted;
Front


rear


Hey M5James: how did your ride fare to Bimmerfest with the 2.0s? Sometimes I feel like I would like to go a little lower... I understand if you run the 2.0s with a little rake, then the ride is actually nice and not harsh or bumpy? Mine ride comfort feels OEMish as it sits today with 1.2s

[323tom]

What did you adjust the rear links too? 65 o 67mm? I set mine to 67 and my rear is almost an inch higher... 30.5" front and almost 31.5" in the rear...I'm going to get my buddy at bmw to recheck the adjustable links when he does the alignment next week. Also your front rims are they flush with the fender? I'm having my hre wheels refinished at hre and the fronts were ordered very agressive by the previous owner, stuck passed the fender about half an inch 22x10.5 et 12... I see yours are 22x10.5 et 20 which is still quite agressive compared to most others running 22x10.5 front seem to have et 25-35? Hre recommends that I have my outer lips changed from 2.5" to 2" and run 22x10 instead but im leaning towards keeping 22x10.5 and have them change et to 25ish? Sorry to derail the thre ad I'm just wondering you opinion though. Thanks

[gixxerboy63]

Originally Posted by 323tom

What did you adjust the rear links too? 65 o 67mm? I set mine to 67 and my rear is almost an inch higher... 30.5" front and almost 31.5" in the rear...I'm going to get my buddy at bmw to recheck the adjustable links when he does the alignment next week. Also your front rims are they flush with the fender? I'm having my hre wheels refinished at hre and the fronts were ordered very agressive by the previous owner, stuck passed the fender about half an inch 22x10.5 et 12... I see yours are 22x10.5 et 20 which is still quite agressive compared to most others running 22x10.5 front seem to have et 25-35? Hre recommends that I have my outer lips changed from 2.5" to 2" and run 22x10 instead but im leaning towards keeping 22x10.5 and have them change et to 25ish? Sorry to derail the thre ad I'm just wondering you opinion though. Thanks

The rear links were preset and I never touched them. Both ends sit at 30.25"
The front wheels are 22x10.5 23mm and the rears are 22x12 20mm. Mine fit perfectly flush, so your front offsets are definitely more aggressive at et12. Like you said, I would rather change the offsets than change the width, but make sure you have enough pad depth to machine them down.

[m5james]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Hey M5James: how did your ride fare to Bimmerfest with the 2.0s? Sometimes I feel like I would like to go a little lower... I understand if you run the 2.0s with a little rake, then the ride is actually nice and not harsh or bumpy? Mine ride comfort feels OEMish as it sits today with 1.2s

It was...amazing. We had a few areas where we could stretch our legs into the mid triple digits, but the real test was the twisties before getting into Napa Valley. I turned on M mode (MDM and Power) but turned the traction back to full. The harder I pushed, the more the tires scrubbed in, the better it felt. Eventually I could feel the fine line where the tires screamed vs hopped, which I attribute to being the thinner sidewall with 22's on the E70 vs how I ran 20's on my E53.

For $150 shipped for H&R springs and links, I'm very happy. All in all she performed flawlessly throughout the whole trip, no rubbing and got us home safely after a week of solid abuse I may have finally found my reduced power warning issue in the form of a torn gasket going from the turbo the the charge pipes that I'll be fixing next weekend with silicone gaskets. I'll do the same measurements like you have once I lower the rear a bit more...I'm trying to find the line before a dead even stance vs the bouncing I haven't experienced but everyone complains about.

[323tom]

When I got my box the links were set to different lengths so I set them to 67mm as I read somewhere on the forum people complaining about bounciness with the 65mm recommended by H & R…. how about you m5james did you keep yours with the 65mm or 67mm? Maybe ill have my buddy set it to 65mm when he does the alignment if others have no complaints. I have a feeling I set it even higher than 67mm as I only had a measuring tape couldn't find my vernier in my messy shop haha. I am having HRE replace the outter lips and inner barrels on the front wheels to bring the offset to e25. Not sure what the previous owner was thinking with e12 but thats way to aggressive unless your slammed on kw coils and run crazy negative camber which it looks like he did by how the front tires were worn.

[X5M_Midwest]

i lowered my x5m with 67mm from one end of the link to the other end and it ran like crap! i re-adjusted the links with 1-2 threads and it rides 100x better!

anyone else on this site done the retro headlights!? i would love to do it! i just dont trust myself. Where did you guys get the headlights? through bmw?

Originally Posted by 323tom

When I got my box the links were set to different lengths so I set them to 67mm as I read somewhere on the forum people complaining about bounciness with the 65mm recommended by H & R…. how about you m5james did you keep yours with the 65mm or 67mm? Maybe ill have my buddy set it to 65mm when he does the alignment if others have no complaints. I have a feeling I set it even higher than 67mm as I only had a measuring tape couldn't find my vernier in my messy shop haha. I am having HRE replace the outter lips and inner barrels on the front wheels to bring the offset to e25. Not sure what the previous owner was thinking with e12 but thats way to aggressive unless your slammed on kw coils and run crazy negative camber which it looks like he did by how the front tires were worn.

[Gatoferoz25]

Originally Posted by MinnesotaM3

i lowered my x5m with 67mm from one end of the link to the other end and it ran like crap! i re-adjusted the links with 1-2 threads and it rides 100x better!

anyone else on this site done the retro headlights!? i would love to do it! i just dont trust myself. Where did you guys get the headlights? through bmw?

What's the Retro Headlights ?
The LED headlights ?
If so I did them my self

[gixxerboy63]

Is my color scheme is beginning to catch on?

[boneca]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Is my color scheme is beginning to catch on?

def
I like urs better

[323tom]

Ya I like yours better too! Not really a huge fan of the new body style x5m. Can anyone confirm where they measured to/from for the links?