20" Summer and Winter tyres and wheels questions.

[ex540d]

Hello

As some of you my know i am thinking about buying an X5 40D. And i am thinking about a few things before going ahead and buying.

But what i am worried about is the corrosion around the centre cap. Did Bmw solve this problem ? Did it only occur on the 2010/2011 ones ?

And if they do corrode will they be replaced under warranty even though they do not manufacture these to put on X5's anymore ?

Do they all still have the problem of the tyres wearing on the edges/shoulders ?

Even though this is a 62 plate will the problem have been rectified ?

If the tyre pressure is increased will this mean that it will not wear on the shoulders as much ?


I have heard allot of terrible reviews about the X5 with 20" Summer tyres in the snow which is acceptable tbh with the wide tyres and with them being summers.

You can actually get Pirelli Scorpion winter tyres to fit the 20" 315's rear aswell as the 275 front.

Will these make a massive difference or would i have to get smaller wheels aswell to make a difference ?

Sorry for all the questions but if i buy the X5 then i will need to get some of these straight away due to the time of the year.

Thanks in advance

[X5Sport]

You may struggle to get the 20" versions of many winter tyres - mainly due to stock shortages beginning to kick in now.  I bought a second hand - but unused - set of 19" rims from a Dealer and put Scorpions on them.  OEM sets are usually at least one size down and the narrower tread and deeper sidewall help with traction,making with the softer construction.

Not tried 20" winters but the Summer ones were much less sure footed than the 19" I have just refitted for the season.

I thought the 20" corrosion problem was still around, judging from the folks on here having replacement sets and then replacements for those!

Richard

[ex540d]

You can get hold of a set for £1350 but as you said they might run out of stock.
I heard you dont need winter tyres if you have the 20". If you turn the traction control off it will be fine. Is this true ?

[Flash]

Winter tyres work better for two reasons. They have a tread pattern designed to shed snow quickly and they have a tread compound that stays flexible at low temperatures.

Running summer tyres will be fine up to a point, even the 20" wheels will work in some snow.

Where winters really make a huge difference is stopping and cornering, yes they help getting the thing moving in the first place but you see a bigger difference when you need to stop quickly.

It also depends on where you live. I stay near Aberdeen and have hobbies that get me out into the hills at stupid times of the year so fitting additional wheels with winters is a great idea. If they stop me getting stuck once while in the middle of no-where they've paid for themselves!

If you're somewhere that won't see much snow you may not really need them at all.

[X5Sport]

[quote="ex540d"]
You can get hold of a set for £1350 but as you said they might run out of stock.
I heard you dont need winter tyres if you have the 20". If you turn the traction control off it will be fine. Is this true ?
[/quote]

Winter tyres are always going to give more traction below 7C as the compound remains softer.  Wheel dia size makes no difference here but a narrower tread is going to be better as it increases the ground pressure exerted by the car.

The traction control function is only for snow mode, not for normal running about.

Richard

[ex540d]

Ah right thanks for the help everyone
And i should of made that more clear actually, What i meant was, If you turn the traction control off in the snow apparently it will go and wont get stuck ?
Another other input will be much appreciated

[X5Sport]

That's the theory, yes.  Short press on the DSC button activates 'snow mode' which changes the operation of the system.  It doesn't guarantee you won't get stuck, but it gives you a better chance of getting out. 

You can also switch between 'D' and 'R' quickly (within 1/2 second) without using the brakes so allowing you to 'rock' the car.

Richard

[ex540d]

Oh i see ! that's great thanks
Now i need to know about the shoulders of the tyres wearing what i asked above.

[ex540d]

Do they all have the problem of the tyres wearing on the edges/shoulders ?

If the tyre pressure is increased will this mean that it will not wear on the shoulders as much ?