XBimmers | BMW X1 Forum - View Single Post - tiltmode43's X1 Build Thread - An E84 Off-Road Journal?

tiltmode43 · 03-11-2016, 01:38 AM

Many like to lower their X1's, install beefy sway bars, or upsize to 19" wheels but this was never my intent. To me, the X1 was something I could comfortably drive in the streets, yet enjoy on backroads or take camping without any drama. I've got friends with 'real' 4x4 rigs and when I told them my plans to take the X1 out on some trails they, among others, scoffed at the idea. "You should have gotten a Jeep!" was the most common response. However, I appreciate the refinement BMW's offer on a daily basis and with a solid AWD system I figured, why not try to have my cake, and eat it too? Having owned the CUV for 7 months, I've already taken the X1 out a few times and plan to continue pushing it past it's comfort zone. This thread will be dedicated to chronicling the journey, now that things are starting to get fun.

I'll skip the 'intro' part and just leave a link to my Z4M build here -> http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1025546 In there, you can also find pics of my other cars/bike, as well as what I've done to the Z4M. Onto the important part, the E84 X1!

I was dead set on picking up the F48 before it came out. I brought my F30 in for service and got a loaner E84 to try it out. My thinking was, the space should be comparable to the F48 so it would give me an idea what I was getting myself into. After driving the F30 with it's ultra soft electronic steering, the E84's hydraulic steering felt amazing! The E84 also had more noticeably stiffer chassis tuning than the F30; Despite being a CUV, this inspired a surprising amount of confidence in the canyons of Topanga, CA. After driving it for 24hrs my consensus was that it had a rawer feel than the F30, without feeling prehistoric, while offering decent creature comforts; The F48 would likely feel more like the F30. I started looking and soon found out BMW dealers had HUGE pushes to move their E84 inventory (due to the soon release of the F48). At this point, I was sold - I would get a car with exact dynamics I was after, yet save $$ due to the timing. I picked up a CPO 2013 X1 xDrive28i with Tech package, Pano roof, power seats, w/34k miles. The CPO warranty would last me 3yr8mo/66k miles - more miles than a new BMW warranty with nearly the same month count! Based on how much I love driving this thing, I'll hit 100k before time is up

Purchased 08.02.15
2013 X1 xDrive28i - Jet Black w/Black Interior
Technology Package, Panoramic Roof, Power Electric Seats

A couple shots while stock

Being a dork and testing the approach and departure angles lol

Love the utility, can finally transport car parts without issue!

Compared to a buddy's real off-road machine

I have had Weathertech window visors on past cars and appreciated the look + functionality, so this was the first mod purchased - ordered the day after driving the car home

Ordered the AFE intake on Black Friday. After having the F30 328i with N20 engine + an aftermarket intake, I knew how much it increased the driving enjoyment. I did not expect any power gains, but looking more for aural pleasure. The OEM bypass valve WHOOOOOOSHHHH is way too much fun. One of my coworkers thought the sound was fake, and coming through my speakers - this is how apparent it is!

After that, had to upgrade the OEM boat anchors, err, wheels. My goal was OEM+. I wanted aggressive, yet something that looks like it was designed for the E84 X1 by BMW's ///M division. I went with the infamous CSL styled, concave VMR V703 in gunmetal 18x8.5 ET35. I also installed 3mm spacers to give a slightly more aggressive look. I was happy that stock tires are suitable for this wheel size. I dropped 7.0 LBS per corner compared to the OEM 18x8.0" wheels! Went from 30.4 down to 23.4 lbs per wheel, and gained .5" in width (18x8.0 Vs 18x8.5").

VMR V703 + weathertech side window visors installed. Nice drive up Angeles Crest to play in some snow.

Some basic off road fun at Gorman/Hungry Valley in Lebec, CA. Doesn't look like much here but it was a blast. It's fun to get loose!

Some more off-road fun at Holy Jim trail in Trabuco Canyon, for you OC natives. Doesn't look like much in the pic, but really enjoyed it. Had to keep the speed down and be careful which lines I took which is a joke compared to real SUV's/trucks. Sometimes a less capable vehicle yields more enjoyment.

At this point, decided to head back. Once the all terrains are on + lift, we'll see what lies down the road.

Holy Jim trail again, but after rain.

These VMR V703 wheels have taken a beatin' but keep on tickin'!

Definitely put xDrive to work this night!

Right now I have a set of Eibach Pro-Lift-Kit springs en route, scheduled to deliver tomorrow, shipped from Germany. http://eibach.com/global/za/products...s/pro-lift-kit Eibach USA will not sell this kit so I had to go straight to the motherland and order from Eibach Germany. Luckily the USD is fairly strong Vs the EUR, helped take some of the sting off. This kit has never been tested on a US car before so fingers crossed that it'll be fine. Advertised 25-30mm lift, so ~1-1.2", we shall see! To my knowledge, I may be the first lifted X1 in the USA?

I also have a set of Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S 225/55/18 on order, scheduled to deliver on Monday. I'm gambling a bit, but hoping the lift from the Eibach springs will minimize or eliminate any rubbing. The 225/55/18 has a .88" thicker sidewall when compared to my OEM 225/45/18's. Technically These tires are only rated to install onto a wheel 8.0" wide but my VMR's are 8.5" - we'll see how that goes

In total, with springs and tires, I should see a ground clearance increase of ~2.2". This will bring my overall ground clearance to ~9.2" - That's more than the Nissan Xterra (9.1"), Toyota Land Cruiser (8.9"), or Jeep Cherokee (8.7")! More capable factory 4x4 vehicles (i.e. 4Runner 4x4, Jeep Wrangler, Etc.) still will have more, but I think 9.2" of ground clearance compared to our measly factory 7" will be a nice increase (31.4%).

June 2016 @ Carnegie SVRA

February 2017 @ Gorman (Hungry Valley SVRA)

...#FLEX lol.

Current Mods:
Eibach Pro-Lift-Kit Springs
Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S 225/55/18
VMR Wheels V703 18x8.5 ET35 w/15mm spacers front (effective ET20) & 21mm spacers rear (effective ET14)
AFE Pro Dry S Intake
Kuat Vagabond X roof basket
OEM BMW Crossbars
Weathertech window guards/visors
Side/Rear Tint
HID headlights + fogs

Future mods/ideas?
Gloss black grills?
Light bar?
Aftermarket muffler + tips?

03-11-2016, 01:38 AM	#1
tiltmode43 I plead the 5th. 523 Rep 1,519 Posts Drives: '18 Frontier Pro-4X, '06 Z4MR Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SoCal iTrader: (10)	tiltmode43's X1 Build Thread - An E84 Off-Road Journal? Many like to lower their X1's, install beefy sway bars, or upsize to 19" wheels but this was never my intent. To me, the X1 was something I could comfortably drive in the streets, yet enjoy on backroads or take camping without any drama. I've got friends with 'real' 4x4 rigs and when I told them my plans to take the X1 out on some trails they, among others, scoffed at the idea. "You should have gotten a Jeep!" was the most common response. However, I appreciate the refinement BMW's offer on a daily basis and with a solid AWD system I figured, why not try to have my cake, and eat it too? Having owned the CUV for 7 months, I've already taken the X1 out a few times and plan to continue pushing it past it's comfort zone. This thread will be dedicated to chronicling the journey, now that things are starting to get fun. I'll skip the 'intro' part and just leave a link to my Z4M build here -> http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1025546 In there, you can also find pics of my other cars/bike, as well as what I've done to the Z4M. Onto the important part, the E84 X1! I was dead set on picking up the F48 before it came out. I brought my F30 in for service and got a loaner E84 to try it out. My thinking was, the space should be comparable to the F48 so it would give me an idea what I was getting myself into. After driving the F30 with it's ultra soft electronic steering, the E84's hydraulic steering felt amazing! The E84 also had more noticeably stiffer chassis tuning than the F30; Despite being a CUV, this inspired a surprising amount of confidence in the canyons of Topanga, CA. After driving it for 24hrs my consensus was that it had a rawer feel than the F30, without feeling prehistoric, while offering decent creature comforts; The F48 would likely feel more like the F30. I started looking and soon found out BMW dealers had HUGE pushes to move their E84 inventory (due to the soon release of the F48). At this point, I was sold - I would get a car with exact dynamics I was after, yet save $$ due to the timing. I picked up a CPO 2013 X1 xDrive28i with Tech package, Pano roof, power seats, w/34k miles. The CPO warranty would last me 3yr8mo/66k miles - more miles than a new BMW warranty with nearly the same month count! Based on how much I love driving this thing, I'll hit 100k before time is up Purchased 08.02.15 2013 X1 xDrive28i - Jet Black w/Black Interior Technology Package, Panoramic Roof, Power Electric Seats A couple shots while stock Being a dork and testing the approach and departure angles lol Love the utility, can finally transport car parts without issue! Compared to a buddy's real off-road machine I have had Weathertech window visors on past cars and appreciated the look + functionality, so this was the first mod purchased - ordered the day after driving the car home Ordered the AFE intake on Black Friday. After having the F30 328i with N20 engine + an aftermarket intake, I knew how much it increased the driving enjoyment. I did not expect any power gains, but looking more for aural pleasure. The OEM bypass valve WHOOOOOOSHHHH is way too much fun. One of my coworkers thought the sound was fake, and coming through my speakers - this is how apparent it is! After that, had to upgrade the OEM boat anchors, err, wheels. My goal was OEM+. I wanted aggressive, yet something that looks like it was designed for the E84 X1 by BMW's ///M division. I went with the infamous CSL styled, concave VMR V703 in gunmetal 18x8.5 ET35. I also installed 3mm spacers to give a slightly more aggressive look. I was happy that stock tires are suitable for this wheel size. I dropped 7.0 LBS per corner compared to the OEM 18x8.0" wheels! Went from 30.4 down to 23.4 lbs per wheel, and gained .5" in width (18x8.0 Vs 18x8.5"). VMR V703 + weathertech side window visors installed. Nice drive up Angeles Crest to play in some snow. Some basic off road fun at Gorman/Hungry Valley in Lebec, CA. Doesn't look like much here but it was a blast. It's fun to get loose! Some more off-road fun at Holy Jim trail in Trabuco Canyon, for you OC natives. Doesn't look like much in the pic, but really enjoyed it. Had to keep the speed down and be careful which lines I took which is a joke compared to real SUV's/trucks. Sometimes a less capable vehicle yields more enjoyment. At this point, decided to head back. Once the all terrains are on + lift, we'll see what lies down the road. Holy Jim trail again, but after rain. These VMR V703 wheels have taken a beatin' but keep on tickin'! Definitely put xDrive to work this night! Right now I have a set of Eibach Pro-Lift-Kit springs en route, scheduled to deliver tomorrow, shipped from Germany. http://eibach.com/global/za/products...s/pro-lift-kit Eibach USA will not sell this kit so I had to go straight to the motherland and order from Eibach Germany. Luckily the USD is fairly strong Vs the EUR, helped take some of the sting off. This kit has never been tested on a US car before so fingers crossed that it'll be fine. Advertised 25-30mm lift, so ~1-1.2", we shall see! To my knowledge, I may be the first lifted X1 in the USA? I also have a set of Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S 225/55/18 on order, scheduled to deliver on Monday. I'm gambling a bit, but hoping the lift from the Eibach springs will minimize or eliminate any rubbing. The 225/55/18 has a .88" thicker sidewall when compared to my OEM 225/45/18's. Technically These tires are only rated to install onto a wheel 8.0" wide but my VMR's are 8.5" - we'll see how that goes In total, with springs and tires, I should see a ground clearance increase of ~2.2". This will bring my overall ground clearance to ~9.2" - That's more than the Nissan Xterra (9.1"), Toyota Land Cruiser (8.9"), or Jeep Cherokee (8.7")! More capable factory 4x4 vehicles (i.e. 4Runner 4x4, Jeep Wrangler, Etc.) still will have more, but I think 9.2" of ground clearance compared to our measly factory 7" will be a nice increase (31.4%). June 2016 @ Carnegie SVRA February 2017 @ Gorman (Hungry Valley SVRA) ...#FLEX lol. Current Mods: Eibach Pro-Lift-Kit Springs Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S 225/55/18 VMR Wheels V703 18x8.5 ET35 w/15mm spacers front (effective ET20) & 21mm spacers rear (effective ET14) AFE Pro Dry S Intake Kuat Vagabond X roof basket OEM BMW Crossbars Weathertech window guards/visors Side/Rear Tint HID headlights + fogs Future mods/ideas? Gloss black grills? Light bar? Aftermarket muffler + tips? Last edited by tiltmode43; 09-07-2017 at 10:19 AM..
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