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My Suspension quest! 130i

151K views 1K replies 91 participants last post by  THETYRANT 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ok as many of you might of seen over the last few months ive been on a mission to find a suspension setup suited to my needs on this my 2nd E87 130i, basically im after a compliant road setup that doesn't spoil the sporty feel of the car and also wont object too much to going on track, although that has become less important as time has gone on, so thought i would start a new thread to diary it all for my reference and it might also help others wondering what direction to go in, its a LONG story so if you don't like reading probably best to hit the back button now :)

On my first 130 i never touched the suspension and it was always on the list of things to try and improve (as well as an LSD!) so on this my 2nd 130 i decided to address these issued starting with suspension and following with a quaife LSD (which is now also fitted), first up was to replace the Msport dampers as nsf was blown and nearly out of oil which gave me the excuse i need and so the quest began!

Below is the list of suspension ive had fitted since i bought the car in June 2015, i will go into more detail but i like a good list to start :)

1st - 60k mile Original Msport dampers and springs (NSF damper leaking)
2nd - New Koni Sport Adjustable dampers with Msport springs
3rd - Used Koni FSD dampers with Msport springs
4th - KW Street Comfort Coilover kit
5th - BIrds B1 Bilstein Dampers and Springs
6th - Bilstein B4S oem spec dampers, initally with Eibach Pro springs but read on :)

7th - And to update this first post, back to another set of Koni Sport adjustables with BMWP front bumpstop and Koni rear, tried several springs from eibach prokit to various Msport versions, currently on Fl-130 or 135i front with pre-fl 130i rears.

Koni Sport/Msport Spring - we all know what Msport dampers/springs are like so no need to report on those, the Koni Sports are probably the favourite dampers that ive had (so far) for various reasons, on the soft setting they are nice and compliant with good damping control giving a nice improvement all round in comfort and handling over totally stock setup, also you can adjust/stiffen the damping up to suit your needs if you can live with a firmer ride on road, i did play around with them for a few weeks on various settings and while on soft setting or even 1/2 turn harder they were very good for road and even on track (although little stiffer there was better still) but i always felt that while front end was good the rear needed quite a firm damper setting to fully control the bouncy rear end that plagues the 1series (more on this later), while on this higher damper setting i found ride a little too firm for poor roads and pottering about usage i mostly do, so when i spotted so low mileage Koni FSD on german ebay i bought them to try and see if they were more suitable.

Koni FSD/Msport springs - these are meant to be a great allrounder with automatically adjustable damping rates depending how you drive, some report that this can give a slightly inconsistent feel to the car as it varies between settings and i would say i did feel this to a degree but not noticeably an issue apart from on bumpy tracks, if anything i would say they felt slightly firmer initially than the Koni Sport on soft setting but when you hit a big bump they did as designed and open up internal valves to absorb them , worked pretty well but after awhile i realised i wanted more control and i still felt the rear was a little bouncy, although it was improvement over stock it wasn't as good as i wanted......

KW Street Comfort Coilovers - i found these after much researching about people looking for a comfy/compliant coilover kit, there is not much info on these on 1series forums and not much at all in the UK!, i found quite a lot of discussion on the E9x forums mainly from usa about them and nearly all positive saying it does what it says on the tin so thought i would give them a try, i was wary as they run very high springs rates at around double the Msport setup which was a concern for comfort, however egg'd on by positive reviews i got an order in with one of my customers/suppliers at work so KW made some and shipped them over.
This was first time i had run a coilover setup on a 1series without the stock Msport springs with conventional dampers and bumpstops etc, first impression were good and with some tweaking to damping got a reasonably good compromise, the high springs rates however always felt just a bit to firm for my awful roads around here and also as sprint series ive been competing in was coming to an end i thought i should maybe look towards more comfort for road use, so with the KW up for sale we moved on.....

Birds B1 Dampers and Springs - OK everyone on here raves about this setup for road car usage so i just had to try it next, it was a close thing between going for these or the Ohlins R&T kit but i reasoned that the B1 is meant to be the ultimate road setup which is what i was aiming for really, track use is few and far between especially as winter approaches so Birds B1 it was.
Initally after fitting i was very impressed with this setup, a fast blast along some fairly bumpy A and B roads and it just soaked it all up, non of the rear bouncy issues a just very controlled and balanced feel, it did feel a little soft on rear especially after firm spring of the KW setup but i soon got used to that, day after fitting it was a 450mile roundtrip to Rockingham for the sprint seried final and i was worried it would feel a bit soft on track but it was very good and very controlled which was a bonus. Subsequent 600 or so road miles i started to feel the low speed comfort which is a lot of my usage just wasnt there, front end just feels a bit choppy at sub 50mph when pottering around bumpy back roads with family on board, its not harsh just annoyed me enough to start pondering other options and as i rarely get chance to go and have fun on my own in car i started to rethink the whole thing!, as you have probably guessed by now once i start thinking about changing it doesnt take long before another plan has formed....

Moving on......



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1
#602 ·
If I remember correctly they use 20mm rear bar , you could just disconnect it and see how it drive's esp with 670lb springs.
When running stiff rear springs/dampers a rear Arb isn't always needed quite a few m3 boys run without one.
 
#603 ·
markhurley said:
If I remember correctly they use 20mm rear bar , you could just disconnect it and see how it drive's esp with 670lb springs.
When running stiff rear springs/dampers a rear Arb isn't always needed quite a few m3 boys run without one.
That's what I've been thinking. It's not too bad that it's causing obvious issues. I'll give it a crack sometime and see how it goes.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#605 ·
Fritz said:
Ian off topic question but you seem to know e87 suspension very well, would you know if any bolts need changing when doing a suspension refresh?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No not really, I think its recommend to change the inner fixing bolts on the Front LCA and Tension Arms if changing those but ive never felt the need.
 
#606 ·
THETYRANT said:
Fritz said:
Ian off topic question but you seem to know e87 suspension very well, would you know if any bolts need changing when doing a suspension refresh?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No not really, I think its recommend to change the inner fixing bolts on the Front LCA and Tension Arms if changing those but ive never felt the need.
Cheers for the info, do you know why it's recommended to change them if they don't need to be?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#607 ·
Fritz said:
Cheers for the info, do you know why it's recommended to change them if they don't need to be?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Im not 100% but presume its to do with the nut more than bolt, they are a self locking type nut a bit like a nyloc but without the Nylon, I guess once removed the self locking properties will be reduced so they recommend to change them to be safe, as mentioned ive never felt the need and nuts have still had some drag/locking on bolt when refitting so good enough for me.
 
#609 ·
Managed to get the front konis in today. Set them on a quarter turn from full soft. Quite happy with them as far as absorbing bumps. The car doesnt seem to dip when braking anymore. I wish I could somehow get rid of the creeking coming from the drivers side A Piller when going over bumps. It really annoying :redface:

I'm still getting a bit more body roll than I would like. Also getting a wallowy feeling when accelerating hard. Not sure what that would cause that. Thinking of getting a E93 front ARB to see if that helps with the body roll. If I can find one :(
 
#610 ·
kas206 said:
Managed to get the front konis in today. Set them on a quarter turn from full soft. Quite happy with them as far as absorbing bumps. The car doesnt seem to dip when braking anymore. I wish I could somehow get rid of the creeking coming from the drivers side A Piller when going over bumps. It really annoying :redface:

I'm still getting a bit more body roll than I would like. Also getting a wallowy feeling when accelerating hard. Not sure what that would cause that. Thinking of getting a E93 front ARB to see if that helps with the body roll. If I can find one :(
Sounds good, creeking from a pillar is a common problem you need to remove the trim and put some soft tape on bottom hooks where it locates into dash :)

If you want to reduce body roll then stiffer springs or uprating ARB main solutions, with the ARB best way without compromising ride too much, I have a E93 M3 front one to go on when I get chance but hard to find, Whiteline do a well priced front and rear bars which are worth a look, also rear springs like Eibach or BMWP rear springs will help on acceleration and turn in but at cost of some ride quality, always a balancing act as you have seen me go through on here.

What tyres are you running as this plays a huge part in all this as well ?

Ian
 
#611 ·
Rustle said:
Does anyone know the ratings for the Birds B1 arb's? I have a growing feeling that my car is a little too stiff at the rear now that I've got a cage acting as a brace. Meister rear springs are 12kg.nm which is 670 ln/in. Noticed (felt) a bit of wheel lift at Bedford when I was on my cup2 Tyres in the wet and cold. So it might have been the tyre as that's not optimal conditions for them. Didn't notice it when I fitted the softer mps4's.

Mind you, car handled really well even with square 225's on so it's just about perfect for me at the minute. And still comfy on the road.
When I had a ride in the demonstrator Birds 130i I remember asking Kevin Bird what diameter the rear ARB was.
Bearing in mind that outer diameter is only half the story as you have to factor in arm length and wall thickness if it's a hollow bar, he replied saying he thought it was a larger diameter than OE M3.
I got the feeling he wasn't actually sure though.

On reflection I think it's highly unlikely the birds rear ARB is anywhere near as stiff as an M3 bar as the demonstrator didn't show any signs of rear wheel lift during our drive.

I have an M3 rear roll bar on my 130i and a Quaife and Bilstein B12 kit. Tyres are MPS4.
The amount of wheel lift I get is dreadful, whether driving slow or fast, any sort of sharp corner causes horrible wheel lift. This is reduced with boot payload or people in the back but essentially the M3 rear bar is way to stiff for these cars. There is simply not enough load over the back axle to make effective use of a bar this stiff. It completely ruins the independency of the rear suspension.

The stiffer B12 springs over the B1's would alone give a higher roll stiffness, so if the same M3 rear ARB was fitted on a B1 equipped car I would expect wheel lift to be even worse than mine, as identical cornering loads would allow more spring compression and ARB movement.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#612 ·
THETYRANT said:
kas206 said:
Managed to get the front konis in today. Set them on a quarter turn from full soft. Quite happy with them as far as absorbing bumps. The car doesnt seem to dip when braking anymore. I wish I could somehow get rid of the creeking coming from the drivers side A Piller when going over bumps. It really annoying :redface:

I'm still getting a bit more body roll than I would like. Also getting a wallowy feeling when accelerating hard. Not sure what that would cause that. Thinking of getting a E93 front ARB to see if that helps with the body roll. If I can find one :(
Sounds good, creeking from a pillar is a common problem you need to remove the trim and put some soft tape on bottom hooks where it locates into dash :)

If you want to reduce body roll then stiffer springs or uprating ARB main solutions, with the ARB best way without compromising ride too much, I have a E93 M3 front one to go on when I get chance but hard to find, Whiteline do a well priced front and rear bars which are worth a look, also rear springs like Eibach or BMWP rear springs will help on acceleration and turn in but at cost of some ride quality, always a balancing act as you have seen me go through on here.

What tyres are you running as this plays a huge part in all this as well ?

Ian
Yeah, the creaking is annoying. I'll get it sorted this weekend. I think I'll go for the whitelines as the E93 ones are quite rare to find.

Does the suspension get better as it settles in the first few hundred miles or is it all downhill once its fitted?

I'm running 225 front and 245 rear Michelin pilot sports 4s. Never really checked the air on the TBH. What's the recommend for these?
 
#613 ·
So, I've read the entire thread over the last couple of days and learned a fair bit about, well, suspension...

Every few pages, I'd think I decided on a set up and the the following pages would change my mind and the more I read, the more I had no idea! If anything the thread is too detailed and has made my decision even harder haha

A little advice would be good? (car is on 93k and original suspension as far as I know). I bought the car with the m3 front arb and lcas fitted and a box with a brand new set of Eibach pros. The things I'll definitely be doing are sorting the rear bumpstops with Konis and Whiteline subframe inserts will be done as well. I'll probably change the front bumpstops to bmwp too. I've gathered that doing these make fairly drastic changes and just makes sense to do them.

Then it's a case of what springs/dampers... a fair few pages ago, I think Ian listed the Eibach pro spring lengths for the 135 e82, e88 and 130i (shortest to longest). Ideally, I'd like my car slightly lower so was thinking of getting hold of either the e82 or e88 springs but it doesn't sound like anyone's looked in to this? In terms of the front, it's likely I'll go with the Eibachs I've already got.

Dampers wise, this may have to wait a 3/4 months to save up a little. What are the thoughts on standard (old) m sport shocks with Eibach pro springs with Koni rear bumpstops? The car is a daily so comfort would be nice but once I've got it set up, I'll be taking it on a few track days so performance is fairly important. When i get round to upgrading the shocks, I'm still not sure but that can wait until then!

I think I'll eventually get hold of a slightly thicker rear arb - 15mm m3 probably.

Cheers
Dan
 
#614 ·
Dan258 said:
So, I've read the entire thread over the last couple of days and learned a fair bit about, well, suspension...

Every few pages, I'd think I decided on a set up and the the following pages would change my mind and the more I read, the more I had no idea! If anything the thread is too detailed and has made my decision even harder haha

A little advice would be good? (car is on 93k and original suspension as far as I know). I bought the car with the m3 front arb and lcas fitted and a box with a brand new set of Eibach pros. The things I'll definitely be doing are sorting the rear bumpstops with Konis and Whiteline subframe inserts will be done as well. I'll probably change the front bumpstops to bmwp too. I've gathered that doing these make fairly drastic changes and just makes sense to do them.

Then it's a case of what springs/dampers... a fair few pages ago, I think Ian listed the Eibach pro spring lengths for the 135 e82, e88 and 130i (shortest to longest). Ideally, I'd like my car slightly lower so was thinking of getting hold of either the e82 or e88 springs but it doesn't sound like anyone's looked in to this? In terms of the front, it's likely I'll go with the Eibachs I've already got.

Dampers wise, this may have to wait a 3/4 months to save up a little. What are the thoughts on standard (old) m sport shocks with Eibach pro springs with Koni rear bumpstops? The car is a daily so comfort would be nice but once I've got it set up, I'll be taking it on a few track days so performance is fairly important. When i get round to upgrading the shocks, I'm still not sure but that can wait until then!

I think I'll eventually get hold of a slightly thicker rear arb - 15mm m3 probably.

Cheers
Dan
Haha yes it does go on abit so guess it can get confusing :redface:

My advice would be fit the Eibach pro springs you already have with new bumpstops on the original dampers if they are ok with no leaks, that said even if dampers look ok with 90k+ on they will be past there best so maybe change them at same time, its down to budget which to replace with, the Bilstein B4S for OE spec replacement and good prices, or if budget allows Koni Sport adjustables are best ive used for comfort (on softer setting) and handling (when firmed up a notch or 2)...and good balance as all rounder.

Makes sense to do dampers while doing springs/bumpstops etc especially on front as it all has to come apart might as well just do it once, rears are separate so can be done later but might as well do lot imo.

If you want lower rear (eibach pro doesn't really lower rear) then BMWP springs I used will drop it about 10mm, your sacrificing comfort though as less damper travel and they are firmer, makes it handle brilliant but little harsh for me so went back to msport springs which are goo allrounders biased towards comfort.

HTH

Ian
 
#615 ·
Fritz said:
THETYRANT said:
Fritz said:
Ian off topic question but you seem to know e87 suspension very well, would you know if any bolts need changing when doing a suspension refresh?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No not really, I think its recommend to change the inner fixing bolts on the Front LCA and Tension Arms if changing those but ive never felt the need.
Cheers for the info, do you know why it's recommended to change them if they don't need to be?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
When I did my rear LCA's the advice on realoem was that the main bolts on each arm should be replaced, which I did. They torque up bloody tight (130Nm from memory plus 90 degrees). It's only the bolts that screw into the hub, not the ones with the nuts on the other end. For the paltry amount of £11 I thought it was worth it for the four I needed. Just check realoem if worried. It's not an expensive outlay.
 
#616 ·
THETYRANT said:
Dan258 said:
Then it's a case of what springs/dampers... a fair few pages ago, I think Ian listed the Eibach pro spring lengths for the 135 e82, e88 and 130i (shortest to longest). Ideally, I'd like my car slightly lower so was thinking of getting hold of either the e82 or e88 springs but it doesn't sound like anyone's looked in to this? In terms of the front, it's likely I'll go with the Eibachs I've already got.
Haha yes it does go on abit so guess it can get confusing :redface:

My advice would be fit the Eibach pro springs you already have with new bumpstops on the original dampers if they are ok with no leaks, that said even if dampers look ok with 90k+ on they will be past there best so maybe change them at same time, its down to budget which to replace with, the Bilstein B4S for OE spec replacement and good prices, or if budget allows Koni Sport adjustables are best ive used for comfort (on softer setting) and handling (when firmed up a notch or 2)...and good balance as all rounder.

Makes sense to do dampers while doing springs/bumpstops etc especially on front as it all has to come apart might as well just do it once, rears are separate so can be done later but might as well do lot imo.

If you want lower rear (eibach pro doesn't really lower rear) then BMWP springs I used will drop it about 10mm, your sacrificing comfort though as less damper travel and they are firmer, makes it handle brilliant but little harsh for me so went back to msport springs which are goo allrounders biased towards comfort.

HTH

Ian
Cheers for the quick response. After posting the question, it dawned on me that it would probably be worth doing the bumpstops etc whilst actually changing the dampers as everything's off like you say.

I think it may be worth waiting a few months and doing the whole lot in one go and getting hold of some dampers.

I think I'd be happy to sacrifice a little comfort for handling, I've got a mate with an old s4, so need to be able to keep up with him haha in terms of the b4s dampers, did you do a track session with them? How did they perform? You've probably done a review of them already but there was so much to read and remember so forgive me!

I think bmwp rear springs sound like what I'm looking for. It's unlikely I'll have the car long enough to see the effects, but would you see increased wear from shorter springs on dampers designed for oe spec?

Cheers
Dan
 
#617 ·
Dan258 said:
Cheers for the quick response. After posting the question, it dawned on me that it would probably be worth doing the bumpstops etc whilst actually changing the dampers as everything's off like you say.

I think it may be worth waiting a few months and doing the whole lot in one go and getting hold of some dampers.

I think I'd be happy to sacrifice a little comfort for handling, I've got a mate with an old s4, so need to be able to keep up with him haha in terms of the b4s dampers, did you do a track session with them? How did they perform? You've probably done a review of them already but there was so much to read and remember so forgive me!

I think bmwp rear springs sound like what I'm looking for. It's unlikely I'll have the car long enough to see the effects, but would you see increased wear from shorter springs on dampers designed for oe spec?

Cheers
Dan
No problems glad to help if i can :)

I didnt have the B4S on for long and didnt run them on track i dont think, however i have run many track laps on bone stock Msport suspension on previous 130's and its not bad for a standard setup so the B4S will be just as good if not better, Springs are the key for track as while stock is a decent enough allrounder but if you start to push on track then firming up the springs makes a big difference to way car turns in and rolls etc espeically if fitting shorter bumpstops (stock bumpstops contribute to overall spring rates so actually quite good on track) , the BMWP springs i fitted front and rear (see a couple of pages back) gave stock front ride height and approx 5-10mm lower at rear but with approx 30% uprated spring rates, if i was doing more track i would of left them on as handling was very good, but its a rare thing these days i get on track so went back to msport for better road manners.

Wear rates wont be a problem with mild drops.

Ian
 
#618 ·
THETYRANT said:
No problems glad to help if i can :)

I didnt have the B4S on for long and didnt run them on track i dont think, however i have run many track laps on bone stock Msport suspension on previous 130's and its not bad for a standard setup so the B4S will be just as good if not better, Springs are the key for track as while stock is a decent enough allrounder but if you start to push on track then firming up the springs makes a big difference to way car turns in and rolls etc espeically if fitting shorter bumpstops (stock bumpstops contribute to overall spring rates so actually quite good on track) , the BMWP springs i fitted front and rear (see a couple of pages back) gave stock front ride height and approx 5-10mm lower at rear but with approx 30% uprated spring rates, if i was doing more track i would of left them on as handling was very good, but its a rare thing these days i get on track so went back to msport for better road manners.

Wear rates wont be a problem with mild drops.

Ian
This is like speaking to a suspension encyclopaedia haha thanks for your help.

I don't want to hijack the thread and ask a million questions and be that annoying person but a couple of last things.
Do I remember somewhere in the thread that the bmwp have a higher spring rate than the Eibach pros? As I understand, this effectively means a stiffer spring and therefore would likely perform better on track assuming no other changes? Would it be a noticeable difference?

Second one, I don't think you looked in to the Eibach sportlines. I've done a bit of reading and they seem to be stiffer and lower than anything you've looked in to. Did you research them at all? Others have said on an m sport it lowers the front by around 35mm and the rear by around 15-20mm. You say that damper wear rates won't be a problem for mild drops but my guess would be that this is slightly too much. My thoughts are this would be slightly excessive and with wider tyres and m3 lcas and 12mm spacers, there's a chance of rubbing on arches and tbh, I cba to deal with that haha

Thanks again,
Dan
 
#619 ·
Dan258 said:
This is like speaking to a suspension encyclopaedia haha thanks for your help.

I don't want to hijack the thread and ask a million questions and be that annoying person but a couple of last things.
Do I remember somewhere in the thread that the bmwp have a higher spring rate than the Eibach pros? As I understand, this effectively means a stiffer spring and therefore would likely perform better on track assuming no other changes? Would it be a noticeable difference?

Second one, I don't think you looked in to the Eibach sportlines. I've done a bit of reading and they seem to be stiffer and lower than anything you've looked in to. Did you research them at all? Others have said on an m sport it lowers the front by around 35mm and the rear by around 15-20mm. You say that damper wear rates won't be a problem for mild drops but my guess would be that this is slightly too much. My thoughts are this would be slightly excessive and with wider tyres and m3 lcas and 12mm spacers, there's a chance of rubbing on arches and tbh, I cba to deal with that haha

Thanks again,
Dan
LOL no just someone who has spent way to much time and money swapping suspension about :lol2:

There are lots of different BMWP springs but they ones I found were highest rate fro E8x platform which was about 10% stiffer than Eibach Pro from what I remember, also i didn't want to lower car as think stock is low enough so was good front didn't drop at all but rear did a tad, not huge amount though and acceptable, biggest issues with lowering is reduce suspension free travel (before bumpstop intervention) which affects comfort and also ground clearance problems on speedbumps and ramps etc.

I did look at the Eibach Sportline kit but its way to low to give a decent ride quality imo also ground clearance is greatly reduced, another issue i don't need. To me its the Chav spring kit for those wanting slammed look but too tight to buy proper suspension to do it.

Spacers and lowering along with M3 LCA is a whole other story, i found with 12mm spacers on front and M3 LCA i had some slight scrubbing inside the arch, all depends on quality of roads you travel on though i guess, fitting camber plates to tip wheel over more can help but lots of other factors like tyres etc to take into account.

Ian
 
#620 ·
THETYRANT said:
LOL no just someone who has spent way to much time and money swapping suspension about :lol2:

There are lots of different BMWP springs but they ones I found were highest rate fro E8x platform which was about 10% stiffer than Eibach Pro from what I remember, also i didn't want to lower car as think stock is low enough so was good front didn't drop at all but rear did a tad, not huge amount though and acceptable, biggest issues with lowering is reduce suspension free travel (before bumpstop intervention) which affects comfort and also ground clearance problems on speedbumps and ramps etc.

I did look at the Eibach Sportline kit but its way to low to give a decent ride quality imo also ground clearance is greatly reduced, another issue i don't need. To me its the Chav spring kit for those wanting slammed look but too tight to buy proper suspension to do it.

Spacers and lowering along with M3 LCA is a whole other story, i found with 12mm spacers on front and M3 LCA i had some slight scrubbing inside the arch, all depends on quality of roads you travel on though i guess, fitting camber plates to tip wheel over more can help but lots of other factors like tyres etc to take into account.

Ian
Well I'm very grateful you've gone through all the time and effort and done the write up on it so thanks very much.

Sounds like I'll go for Eibach pro fronts and bmwp rear springs with b4s. Slightly lower with the comfort and performance balance I'm after I think.

I'll probably end up asking about how to deal with a rubbing issue eventually but for now I'll leave you to your evening!

Thanks again for your help. Genuinely great knowledge and advice.
 
#621 ·
Hi Ian, I'm about half way through reading this thread :lol2: and I think I'm right in what I'm looking at for my ideal setup. So I'm on knackered m sport suspension at the moment and looking at refreshing /replacing.

I do like a sporty ride and my weekly commute involves alot of a/b roads and long motorway driving so I'm after something that will let me push on and corner hard whilst still be comfortable when I'm on the motorway and going over pot holes / speed bumps. Also I'm not wanting to lower the car.

From your recommendations I'm thinking of going with:
Bmwp bumpstops, Bilstein b4's dampers and possibly eibach Pro springs as I've read they dont lower the car much over m sport.

The main issue I. Having is getting the correct part numbers as I'm looking at larkspeeds website and im guessing it's the ones with sports suspension is what I need. Manufacturer part no. 22144270 for front right for example.

I'm getting confused with the correct options and if I should use SE bumpstops and normal m sport springs. Please help :rollseyes:
 
#622 ·
ian_h said:
Hi Ian, I'm about half way through reading this thread :lol2: and I think I'm right in what I'm looking at for my ideal setup. So I'm on knackered m sport suspension at the moment and looking at refreshing /replacing.

I do like a sporty ride and my weekly commute involves alot of a/b roads and long motorway driving so I'm after something that will let me push on and corner hard whilst still be comfortable when I'm on the motorway and going over pot holes / speed bumps. Also I'm not wanting to lower the car.

From your recommendations I'm thinking of going with:
Bmwp bumpstops, Bilstein b4's dampers and possibly eibach Pro springs as I've read they dont lower the car much over m sport.

The main issue I. Having is getting the correct part numbers as I'm looking at larkspeeds website and im guessing it's the ones with sports suspension is what I need. Manufacturer part no. 22144270 for front right for example.

I'm getting confused with the correct options and if I should use SE bumpstops and normal m sport springs. Please help :rollseyes:
If you were reasonably happy with the Msport setup then just changing the dampers to Bilstein B4S and renewing bumpstops is all you really need to do, providing of course the springs are in good shape ?

Bumpstop wise BMWP options front and rear is a safe bet, using Koni rears gives more travel and comfort but some find it a little soft due to this, i like it as rear feels well planted on mine :)

If you go for Eibach Pro springs it drops the front about 10-15mm from a good (not sagged/broken) Msport spring, on rear it often sits about 5-10mm higher with the Eibachs due to increased spring rate on the Eibach setup and often stock rears look to sit a little low. It does seem to vary a bit car to car though.

Bilstein damper wise yes the ones for Sport chassis is what you need on Msport car and that number you quoted looks correct.

HTH
 
#623 ·
I was wondering.

I think the d1 springs on the rear (what mine has) are slightly softer than d0 springs on the pre fl car.

So. Koni bump stops.
Rear brace off a 3 door
Rear subframe inserts
D0 springs.
B4 sport dampers.

This should stop the bad ride without making it too soft.. does that sound a good idea?

Is there any other rear springs one should consider.?

I'm worried about putting eibach pro springs on the rear as I beleive the b4 damper can't control higher spring rates properly which is another reason it bounces up and down.

Highly sprung under damped.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 
#624 ·
Trojantrow said:
I was wondering.

I think the d1 springs on the rear (what mine has) are slightly softer than d0 springs on the pre fl car.

So. Koni bump stops.
Rear brace off a 3 door
Rear subframe inserts
D0 springs.
B4 sport dampers.

This should stop the bad ride without making it too soft.. does that sound a good idea?

Is there any other rear springs one should consider.?

I'm worried about putting eibach pro springs on the rear as I beleive the b4 damper can't control higher spring rates properly which is another reason it bounces up and down.

Highly sprung under damped.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Pre-Fl cars run a firmer rear spring from what ive seen myself around 25lbs more on my first 2006 130i, i might try a set of these myself at some point in my FL car but difference is pretty minimal really.

B4S dampers are oe spec so will control any spring designed for that including the Eibach, as long as you have shorter bumpstops as its the long/hard stock bumpstop which damper struggles with not so much the coil spring.

First thing to change if current dampers/springs are in decetn state is rear bumpstops see how car feels for you, its quick and easy to do and you can just trim stock ones as experiment for free.
 
#625 ·
Ian deserves a good pat on the back. I have been running the Koni FSDs, Koni rear bumpstops, Eibach Pros and SE front bumpstops. The rear I find spot on - compliant yet taut. The front I think I needs the firmer BMWP front bumpstops as on crest on the autobahn I feel the front bottoms out. I have to be at the airport before 0530 in the morning and what with motorways being pretty clear I channel my inner Flying Scotsman. The flip side of the coin is it is comfortable on road imperfections and doesn't wallow about during handling/braking. I'm not sure if that is down to the frequency selective damping. I do the A507 Baldock to Buntingford run, because the corners you can see around coupled with being empty on a Sunday evenings means you can put the power down. In fact the handling has gone up to such a high level that really road speeds aren't challenging, the car just takes it in it's stride. I have still to put on the Powerflex rear subframe and anti-roll bar bushes on, along with M Performance front calipers - I have plans for Millbrook...
 
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