[xpidex]

Great job and thanks for sharing. I was debating to do it myself due to the adaptive suspension. Do you have to re-calibrate the headlights??

[henryeeex]

drjake007

I'm having trouble with the rear aligning the outer camber arm to the wheel carrier bolt. Got any tips for me?

[henryeeex]

Also, where did you position your jack stands on?

[drjake007]

Originally Posted by HenryX

drjake007
I'm having trouble with the rear aligning the outer camber arm to the wheel carrier bolt. Got any tips for me?

I didn't have to do anything special to align the bolt -just used the floor jack to raise the arm while putting pressure on the bolt until it pops through. You may want to try tapping it with a rubber mallet.

Also, where did you position your jack stands on?

For the rears, I placed the jackstands at the jack points (using jack pads). Same for the front.

[drjake007]

Originally Posted by xpidex

Great job and thanks for sharing. I was debating to do it myself due to the adaptive suspension. Do you have to re-calibrate the headlights??

Recalibration was not required

[drjake007]

Originally Posted by HenryX

Is it me or that front drop is pretty aggressive?

It may look be a little more aggressive as I changed the tires from 225/45 to 235/45

[MickAv8r]

Originally Posted by drjake007

It may look be a little more aggressive as I changed the tires from 225/45 to 235/45

Those are 18's still right?

I've been planning to upgrade/upsize to 19's for summer tires next spring but am beginning to rethink that now that I've got the springs installed. I think the 18's look fine and thinking the weight savings might be preferred.

[drjake007]

Originally Posted by MickAv8r

Those are 18's still right?

I've been planning to upgrade/upsize to 19's for summer tires next spring but am beginning to rethink that now that I've got the springs installed. I think the 18's look fine and thinking the weight savings might be preferred.

Yes they are 18's (square setup). I think that the Dinan drop coupled with the upsize to 235's looks pretty good. It handles really well at the track and you get the added benefits of:
- less weight
- smoother ride
- better wear (tire rotation for square setup)
- more accurate speedometer reading (the 225's were off 2-3 mph).

[thatryan]

This is a great write up, I will be replacing mine (hopefully) next weekend. Anyone know where the torque specs came from? I cannot find them online...

[drjake007]

Got the torque specs from the BMW TIS (bmwtis.com). $30 for a 24 hour period.

[thatryan]

Originally Posted by drjake007

Got the torque specs from the BMW TIS (bmwtis.com). $30 for a 24 hour period.

oh my gosh thank you that is awesome!

Is that provided by BMW, or a third party deal?

Thanks!

[drjake007]

Originally Posted by thatryan

oh my gosh thank you that is awesome!

Is that provided by BMW, or a third party deal?

Thanks!

BMW. Includes 24/7 support. Had an issue with printing out some info and got a call back from tech support within 3 minutes - and the tech was in Germany.

[thatryan]

Originally Posted by drjake007

BMW. Includes 24/7 support. Had an issue with printing out some info and got a call back from tech support within 3 minutes - and the tech was in Germany.

Epic. Had no idea that existed, definitely worth a few bucks!
Thanks again.

[Dinan_Engineering]

The car looks awesome. Thanks for posting!

[BimmerF32_430i]

wow, awesome write up. my H&R springs come in this saturday so this makes me really want to try and change the springs myself!

was the rear easier to change than the fronts in your opinion?

[crono06]

Are the alignment specs in the attached pdf provided by Dinan? Got my springs put in a couple of weeks ago and I need to get one done now.

[Triniti X4 M40i]

Originally Posted by drjake007

I wasn’t overly impressed with the look and performance of the stock suspension on my 2012 335i with the Adaptive M suspension (the body roll was definitely noticeable), so I was excited when I saw that Dinan came out with a set of springs and bump stops for my vehicle.

Dinan specs a spring rate increase of 30% along with lowering the front and rear by 20 mm. That, and it’s compatible with both standard and Adaptive M suspensions – sounded too good to be true!

I ordered the springs last April which was the perfect time as Dinan was having a 15% off sale on suspension items that month. It took about a week to receive them. As Dinan specs 7.8 hours for the install, it would have cost me around $1500 to have it done at the shop. So, I decided to save $1000 and do it myself. And since I couldn't find an F30 DIY, thought I’d document my experience.

The rears and fronts took about the same time: 2 hours for the 1st rear/front and one hour for the 2nd rear/front. I was able to avoid having to use any special tools (although I had to improvise a couple of times as shown in the DIY) with the exception of a strut spring compressor which a got for free through AutoZone’s free Loan-A-Tool program.

Although the install can be done alone, having a 2nd person lend a hand definitely speeds things up. Special thanks to my neighbor Mike for all his help with the installation (tools and labor).

Attachment 1038953

The drop now looks just about perfect. Took the car to the track and noticed a distinct improvement. The body roll has dramatically decreased; almost feels like you’re driving on rails. The turn-in rate also feels quicker.

Before:
Attachment 1038955

After:
Attachment 1038954

The lowered stance looks sweet! I'm also considering the Dinan springs. Did you also get the recommended bump stops? How's the ride quality, is it bouncy or similar to factory ride?

[Jadar]

Great DIY, I used your post as a reference on a couple of things with my bump stops and spring direction of mounting. Dinan springs can be installed upside down very easily.

Kudos

[lkstaack]

Thank you drjake007 for your tutorial on replacing springs on the F30. It was invaluable as I recently used it as well as the BMW Bentley manual to replace the springs on my 2014 adaptive and M Performance suspension 335i with Dinan units.

The Bentley manual is a great resource, but because it often explains the "BMW way" of maintenance and all the special BMW tools required, it often lacks the insight provided by those who perform the work in a garage. It will also call for procedures that are unnecessary; for instance, the procedure for removing the strut springs in the manual calls for removing the steering knuckle which is a real pain. There were a few important items that was left out of drjake007's tutorial that I discovered and would like to mention. I will reference the tutorial's step numbers as I go along.

REAR SPRINGS

13, 15, 19. All of the nuts used in this operation are one-time use and should be replaced. I don't know the details, but BMW uses nuts and bolts that are designed to shear during an accident, helping to absorb energy. I speculate that old bolts that have already been stretched will not torque to spec and may be weakened.

14. While Dinan provides dust boots with their bump stops, they recommend that you keep the boots that are specific to your vehicle.

15-16. It is critical that the spring ends are aligned with the rubber pads inside the upper and lower cups. They can move/shift while inserting. If they do, you can end up with unequal height on the left/right sides.

18. I loaded the suspension by mounting the wheels and lowering the rear end onto wheel ramps before torquing down bolts.

FRONT STRUTS

4. I didn't have to use a breaker bar to remove tension; the stabilizer link was easily removed after the nut was off.

6. I removed part of the shrouding surrounding the lower water and oil radiators in order to gain access to the tension strut. I couldn't have got a socket around the nut it otherwise.

13. I found it much easier to remove and replace the strut springs without removing the strut from the steering knuckle. I tried but was unable to remove the strut from the steering knuckle; perhaps a second set of hands would have helped. As it turned out, I didn't need to remove the strut, the wheel well is large enough to do all work. That was a first for me.

14. Neither the stock or Dinan springs required much compression. Compressing two coil ends on each side is adequate to relieve enough tension to safely remove the upper strut mount.

15. An impact wrench is usually adequate to remove the strut mount nut. Not on this car; you must hold the shock shaft with a hex key while simultaneously turning the nut. I purchased a special socket for this purpose but it was too large for the 18mm nut. I ended up grinding down a regular socket to hold with a wrench.

18. Again, use the dust boot that comes with the car. One of mine was already torn at 35K miles, so you may want to have a new one on hand.

19. Springs are directional; you must have the larger side up. In my case, doing so resulted in the Dinan name and part # being right side up, but maybe it's not like that in all cases.

20. Like in the rear, proper seating of springs is critical.

22-25. All nuts and bolts are one time use; they should be replaced. Some torque specs in the tutorial are incorrect. Also, like the rear, these nuts should not be tightened until load is placed on them; otherwise the rubber bearings will be pre-loaded when on the ground and won't operate properly. I mounted the wheels, lowered the front end onto wheel ramps, and then torqued all nuts down.

22. BMW redesigned the upper strut mount after 05/2013 and recommends that it be replaced with one that uses M10 bolts. Final torque is 41 lbs + 90 degrees.

23. Final torque is 41 lbs + 90 degrees.

24. Tension strut to subframe final torque is 74 lbs + 90 degrees.

26. My car had another connector on the shock besides the EDC; I don't know what it is for. I do know that it was difficult to push and lock in. I has compression material inside the connector and I couldn't get it to lock until I sprayed it with electrical cleaner to act as a lubricant.

Thanks again to drjake007 for his tutorial. The F30 is a beast, suspension wise. I'm not a professional mechanic, but I have replaced the springs and struts on most of my personal cars for the last 30 years, including both the E36 and E46 BMWs. Compared to these cars, the F30 suspension is more heavy and complex. I generally work alone, but this job would definitely benefit with an extra set of hands and eyes. This job took me a full day to do by myself. I could probably do it in 2/3 the time now. Like all BMW maintenance, it was rewarding doing it myself as well as cost effective.

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by lkstaack

Thank you drjake007 for your tutorial on replacing springs on the F30. It was invaluable as I recently used it as well as the BMW Bentley manual to replace the springs on my 2014 adaptive and M Performance suspension 335i with Dinan units.

The Bentley manual is a great resource, but because it often explains the "BMW way" of maintenance and all the special BMW tools required, it often lacks the insight provided by those who perform the work in a garage. It will also call for procedures that are unnecessary; for instance, the procedure for removing the strut springs in the manual calls for removing the steering knuckle which is a real pain. There were a few important items that was left out of drjake007's tutorial that I discovered and would like to mention. I will reference the tutorial's step numbers as I go along.

REAR SPRINGS

13, 15, 19. All of the nuts used in this operation are one-time use and should be replaced. I don't know the details, but BMW uses nuts and bolts that are designed to shear during an accident, helping to absorb energy. I speculate that old bolts that have already been stretched will not torque to spec and may be weakened.

14. While Dinan provides dust boots with their bump stops, they recommend that you keep the boots that are specific to your vehicle.

15-16. It is critical that the spring ends are aligned with the rubber pads inside the upper and lower cups. They can move/shift while inserting. If they do, you can end up with unequal height on the left/right sides.

18. I loaded the suspension by mounting the wheels and lowering the rear end onto wheel ramps before torquing down bolts.

FRONT STRUTS

4. I didn't have to use a breaker bar to remove tension; the stabilizer link was easily removed after the nut was off.

6. I removed part of the shrouding surrounding the lower water and oil radiators in order to gain access to the tension strut. I couldn't have got a socket around the nut it otherwise.

13. I found it much easier to remove and replace the strut springs without removing the strut from the steering knuckle. I tried but was unable to remove the strut from the steering knuckle; perhaps a second set of hands would have helped. As it turned out, I didn't need to remove the strut, the wheel well is large enough to do all work. That was a first for me.

14. Neither the stock or Dinan springs required much compression. Compressing two coil ends on each side is adequate to relieve enough tension to safely remove the upper strut mount.

15. An impact wrench is usually adequate to remove the strut mount nut. Not on this car; you must hold the shock shaft with a hex key while simultaneously turning the nut. I purchased a special socket for this purpose but it was too large for the 18mm nut. I ended up grinding down a regular socket to hold with a wrench.

18. Again, use the dust boot that comes with the car. One of mine was already torn at 35K miles, so you may want to have a new one on hand.

19. Springs are directional; you must have the larger side up. In my case, doing so resulted in the Dinan name and part # being right side up, but maybe it's not like that in all cases.

20. Like in the rear, proper seating of springs is critical.

22-25. All nuts and bolts are one time use; they should be replaced. Some torque specs in the tutorial are incorrect. Also, like the rear, these nuts should not be tightened until load is placed on them; otherwise the rubber bearings will be pre-loaded when on the ground and won't operate properly. I mounted the wheels, lowered the front end onto wheel ramps, and then torqued all nuts down.

22. BMW redesigned the upper strut mount after 05/2013 and recommends that it be replaced with one that uses M10 bolts. Final torque is 41 lbs + 90 degrees.

23. Final torque is 41 lbs + 90 degrees.

24. Tension strut to subframe final torque is 74 lbs + 90 degrees.

26. My car had another connector on the shock besides the EDC; I don't know what it is for. I do know that it was difficult to push and lock in. I has compression material inside the connector and I couldn't get it to lock until I sprayed it with electrical cleaner to act as a lubricant.

Thanks again to drjake007 for his tutorial. The F30 is a beast, suspension wise. I'm not a professional mechanic, but I have replaced the springs and struts on most of my personal cars for the last 30 years, including both the E36 and E46 BMWs. Compared to these cars, the F30 suspension is more heavy and complex. I generally work alone, but this job would definitely benefit with an extra set of hands and eyes. This job took me a full day to do by myself. I could probably do it in 2/3 the time now. Like all BMW maintenance, it was rewarding doing it myself as well as cost effective.

Thanks

[d_a_m]

Awesome! Excellent before and after pic too. This is definitely my next mod, except, I won't do this myself ?

[outspiral]

Do you know if this install tutorial would work for xdrive models? '14 335i msport xdrive. No adaptive M