BMW X5 (E70) - Off-road Wheel Size
This is a bit of a breakdown for the BMW E70 wheel setups, as there isn't a concise answer on what exactly you can fit. I have enclosed images of all examples below as well.
To fit bigger tyres and wheels, having no lift or a 20" will not change that one bit for unibody IFS vehicles like the BMW E70. The offset (distance between the wheels mounting surface and centre line of the wheel) is the chief decider here. Stock BMW E70 wheels are generally ET46, meaning that the rim sits 46mm inset from the centre of the rim. Due to this, fitting a bigger tyre is strictly limited by the upper control arm spindle (the bigger tyre will hit).
WHAT CAN YOU FIT - STOCK X5
For a standard stock E70 with Style 210, 255/60/18 with an aggressive tread (Kumho AT52) can fit with mm to spare. This is what I ran initially and worked just great. In some regions, there is the option of running spacers to distance out the gap from the tyre and upper control arm. However, this is an added failure point running 30mm+ spacers, it's not quite allowed in some areas, and personally I feel the wheels appear a bit blocky and 'spaced out'.
If you try to fit 265/60/18, the tyre will hit as you can see below. Spacers are the only way to resolve this.
WHAT CAN YOU FIT - 17" SETUP
My wheels are Dynamic D-Hole 17x8 wheels. They aren't 'factory' buys however and have been modified by shops.
My rears were purchased 'as-is' from a shop in South Australia. This already had an 80mm centre bore and the correct PCD. The wheel had -25 offset as well. This spaces out the rear wheels to give the vehicle that nice stance to fill out the rear flares. Note, you can run 0 offset in the rear and still clear the brake calipers, I only went -25 purely for looks.
My fronts are Ford Territory wheels purchased with 114.3x5 PCD and 0 offset. This was the closest I could bring the steel wheel inside the vehicle without hitting the brake caliper. To get the wheels to fit on the X5, I went to an engineering shop to redrill to the correct 120x5 PCD.
The tyres are 265/70/17 for added grip and traction, being the Falken Wildpeak AT3.
For my spare wheel, I run the same front wheel 17x8 with 0 offset. This will fit fine in the rear because the wheel size is the same, it will just sit a little inset into the flares. To get out of trouble, looks don't really matter at this point and is a perfectly serviceable option here.
This is a fairly cost effective option, as the steel wheels are pretty cheap ($130 AUD) and re-drilling the fronts was $80 each.
GETTING 17x8 TO FIT THE X5
There are a few modifications to the vehicle to get the front wheels to fit at 265/70/17. The inner guards need to be trimmed, and the oil cooler protection needs to be cut back too. This isn't something i'd suggest to someone just starting out on their modification journey, or if they're planning to sell the vehicle soon. However, for maximum offroad performance and sidewall size it's a solid choice to maximise the capability of the BMW X5.
To reduce mud and splashback, I’ve fitted a set of Ezlip 1” fender flares infront to tidy up the look of the X5. This also reduces poke out of the fender flares and compliments the OEM+ look I’m going for.
WHAT CAN YOU FIT - 18" SETUP
This opens up a fair few more options as this should cover most E70 X5 setups. For a fairly factory looking finish to fill out the guards, 18x9 alloys (i.e GT Form GFS4) with +20 offset front and +5 offset rear keeps the vehicle looking tidy without needing to do any cutting or modifications. Combine this with 265/60/18 All Terrain such as Toyo Open Country and this provided a strong look with elevated capability offroad. Options for these are more common with alloys, and you will need to budget a bit more for a nice setup like this. However for M Performance models, these may genuinely be your only option for a nice offroad setup.
RECOMMENDED OPTION
If you're just starting out, I'd genuinely suggest start with a set of Style 210s and add 255/60/18 All Terrain Tyres. Style 210 alloy wheels are cheap to pick up and can act as a winter tyre set for those regions that receive heavy snow. The smaller diameter wheel will fit most BMW X5 setups that require 18" wheels at a minimum as well (such as those running larger M performance brakes). This setup will enable you to get out there and get into the fun stuff without any modification to your vehicle.
TL;DR: Fit 255/60/18 with ET46 (Style 210) if you're just beginning, then proceed to either 265/60/18 or 265/70/17 depending on your skill and budget.
As you continue on your off-road X5 journey, learn the feel of the vehicle on different terrain such as dirt, mud, rock, grass, etc then see where your limitations are at. A set of Style 210's and Kumho AT52's will exactly let you do that.
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