OEM BMW crossbars, Eibach lift kit, and 225/55/18 Yokohama Geolandar All Terrains are on!
Just got back from a camping trip to Gorman SVRA (State Vehicular Recreational Area). Wow, what a blast! Anyone in the Southern California area who has even a bit of interest in getting their tires a little dirty should check it out. The trails range from extremely mild, to challenging (though I didn't dare head on any black diamond trails).
These new tires provide amazing grip and the lift kit offers nearly enough clearance to run them. I had to get creative with clearance in the back portion of the fender well to prevent rubbing. There is no way these tires would work on a stock height X1! After around 4hrs of 4 wheeling today, and about 1hr yesterday, my initial feedback is that the X1 with my current configuration can climb and wow, does hill descent work wonders. When rolling up to the first couple descents we were expecting some drama, we weren't really sure how the car would handle it. I was pleasantly surprised by relatively uneventful descents, which means things were absolutely under control (a good thing, though less exciting). I also took the X1 to the 4x4 park and tried it out on specific obstacles and was impressed with the responsiveness of the xDrive system - it sends power to the wheels in need QUICKLY! Unfortunately no pics from this section this time around.
With some proper gripping tires and an increase in ground clearance, the xDrive X1 series proves more capable than I think anyone would really give it credit (including myself, before this trip).
Camp was set up. My buddy's awesome long travel to the left, another buddy acting a dork in the background of the pic
Pic from the first day, still pretty clean! Overall the car has a much 'beefier' look to it.
Nothing like campfire cooked steaks and ribs with some cold beers to end the day!
First climb of day 2!
A few shots from atop one of the crests of the vast mountainside
This picture does not tell the entire story - this was a very steep grade, nearly not possible to walk/run down/up. X1 handled it like a champ, both up and down!
Another climb mid-trail. This one was not too bad, but the pic helps give perspective to some of the others. That tiny silver dot at the top is my buddy's Honda Pilot.
The trails are all either easy (green), intermediate (blue), or difficult (black), rated for 4x4, dirtbikes, and quads. This was one of the tricker trails we took, intermediate all around. After the first bend we were hit with a steep and severely rutted curved descent, wish I could have got a photo of this one!
The dirty aftermath of many hill climbs, hill descents, loose riverbed runs, and trail blazing adventures.
