Lifted BMW F31 Off-Road Build: Not Your Average Touring Wagon

Truth be told, wagons don’t become the heroes of our articles as often as crossovers, SUVs, or other 4x4s — but when we do decide to write about one, you can be sure it’s something genuinely interesting. The owner of this white BMW 3 Series F31 wagon has lifted the suspension and fitted a set of oversized off-road tires, pushing the boundaries of this wagon’s off-road capability far into X5 territory.

Read on to find out how the owner pulled off this transformation, and get the full build blueprint to turn your Touring wagon into something you can easily go camping with or take down local off-road trails.

Key Specs

Vehicle	BMW 3 Series F31 Touring (xDrive)
Tires	225/60R17 Toyo Open Country R/T
Wheels	17x8J 5×120 Black Rhino Arsenal (ET30)
Lift Style	ABM adjustable shocks + 30mm strut spacers
Track Width	10mm wheel spacers
Camping Setup	Yakima LockNLoad rack, TentBox rooftop tent & awning

The Build

If you think off-roading and the BMW 3 Series are two different worlds, you’re only partially right. Yes, these cars are built to be ultimate driving machines on pavement — but the fact that the F31 actually shares a lot of SUV-type hardware with the X5 F15 suggests it does have potential if modified accordingly.

The similarities with the X5 start with the ATC 35L electronically controlled transfer case, which comes standard with the xDrive configuration on both the F31 and the X5 F15, and is responsible for sending power from the engine to the wheels. Engine configurations are shared between the two platforms as well — both can be equipped with the N47, N57, and B48 units.

The North American F15 X5 35d used the N57 3.0L TwinPower Turbo inline-six diesel, the same engine family found in the European F31 330d/335d. Smaller European X5s (like the sDrive25d) used the 2.0L N47/B47 diesel — the standard engine for the volume-selling F31 320d.

As far as suspension goes, there are differences up front (the X5 uses double wishbones, the F31 a dual-pivot MacPherson strut), but the rear axle features a very similar five-link setup that allows for self-leveling on models with air suspension.

Thanks to the shared software architecture, on a safari build like this it’s technically possible to flash the F31’s DSC (stability control) and ABS modules using parameter files originally written for the X5’s xDrive off-road traction control sub-routines — adjusting how the brakes grab spinning wheels when a tire lifts off the ground, and all but eliminating the difference in how these two vehicles behave off-road.

But geeking out that hard isn’t really required to maximize off-road capability if you address clearance and traction with a lift and oversized off-road tires. And that’s exactly what the owner of this white F31 did with his build.

Wheels & Tires

A standard F31 3 Series rides on 17-inch wheels wrapped in 225/50R17 tires, which have a tiny (by 4×4 standards) overall diameter of roughly 25.9 inches. The owner swapped them for a set of 225/60R17 Toyo Open Country R/T tires mounted on 17x8J 5×120 Black Rhino Arsenal rims with ET30 offset. That size matches what comes on popular AWD crossovers like the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4, and immediately adds about 0.9 inches of ground clearance.

Beyond providing far better traction on rough terrain, these tires have a taller sidewall, allowing the owner to air down a bit for extra grip when needed.

Suspension

Of course, fitting tires this big while maintaining enough room for articulation required changes in the suspension department. To do it right, the owner opted for ABM four-way adjustable shock absorbers, maxed out for height.

That alone didn’t fix the clearance problem entirely, so strut spacers were added, gaining 30mm of overall lift. To widen the track a bit and achieve a properly balanced stance, the owner added 10mm wheel spacers as well — quite the transformation for a road wagon, isn’t it?

Overland Gear

Now that the car was ready to leave the pavement, it was time for the overland-style add-ons. A Yakima LockNLoad roof rack with a 75kg dynamic load rating forms the base of the setup, allowing the owner to load gear and mount other handy accessories.

For the overnight camping setup, the owner went with a foldable TentBox rooftop tent that comfortably sleeps two, plus a TentBox awning to shelter travelers from the elements.

Conclusion

When the thirst for adventure, the desire to sit around a campfire and get out there to explore are strong enough, the fact that your car is meant to be driven on the road doesn’t really matter.

This build proves that with common 4×4 modification tricks like a lift and larger wheels, you can easily break free from the restrictions set on the car by its manufacturer.

And even though F31 wagons have plenty of limitations that hold them back from real off-road trails, mods like these significantly extend the choice of camping destinations and places you can explore with your wagon — while still driving home on the highway like it’s a BMW. Because it is one.

Watch the progress and find out more about this BMW 3 Series F31 build by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @bmwf31msport

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