[tboooe]

Damn that sucks bro. I hope these BC coils work for you and you get your money back.

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by tboooe

Damn that sucks bro. I hope these BC coils work for you and you get your money back.

yea i hope so too man, ill try calling them tomorrow. im so busy with work i always forget to call them. im just looking to get some ride comfort back!

[f30luxline]

There is some not so clear info here.

Rear Adjustment
You do not need to remove the control arms to make any height or pre-load adjustment. The pre-load on the rear is controlled by using the shock. This is achieved by setting the ride height first by adjusting the spring perch. You then adjust the shock to give you the couple mm's of pre-load. With the ride height set you then pre-load the suspension using a jack and with the shock disconnected at the bottom bolt. Jack it the couple mm's and adjust the shock so that is aligns with mount hole on the control arm so the bolt should slip right through

Rear Dampening
I can easily adjust mine by jacking up the rear. Once the car is off the ground the adjustment knob is very accessible. If the rear was an inverted shock the adjustment knob would be on the bottom side allowing one to adjust without jacking up.


Front and Rear dampening
Although there are 31 clicks on the adjustment, I was advised from BC to not have it set on the hardest or softest setting as they claim in will get jammed on that setting. I set mine at 15 for daily.


Camber Plates
I am also dropped about 3" and the adjustment is more than enough. I am aligned to the conservative side of BMW spec and my adjustments are about right in the middle and can equally go negative or positive.


Tools
I didn't need any special tools. An impact will be your best friend for removing/installing the strut/shock spindle nuts.

[Sean@PSI]

Originally Posted by Jera_Jakerz

Confirm it fits the 335 x-drive, and Ill order it today...especially since blistein did not follow through as promised.

They do, it just requires additional build time (roughly 2 weeks), we have sold a ton to the AWD guys.

You can select X-drive right on the site when ordering.

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by Sean@PSI

They do, it just requires additional build time (roughly 2 weeks), we have sold a ton to the AWD guys.

You can select X-drive right on the site when ordering.

hey Sean i just ordered mine, there wasnt a way to inform them that you were the seller, do you make commission or no?

[Sean@PSI]

Originally Posted by obriennathaniel

hey Sean i just ordered mine, there wasnt a way to inform them that you were the seller, do you make commission or no?

Got it! - I own the shop, so sort of .

Thank you, I will process it and get them out ASAP to you.

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by Sean@PSI

Got it! - I own the shop, so sort of .

Thank you, I will process it and get them out ASAP to you.

No prob, now i just need to find the right setting to get my car to the same height it is now lol (H&R super sports)

[Sean@PSI]

Originally Posted by f30luxline

There is some not so clear info here.

Rear Adjustment
You do not need to remove the control arms to make any height or pre-load adjustment. The pre-load on the rear is controlled by using the shock. This is achieved by setting the ride height first by adjusting the spring perch. You then adjust the shock to give you the couple mm's of pre-load. With the ride height set you then pre-load the suspension using a jack and with the shock disconnected at the bottom bolt. Jack it the couple mm's and adjust the shock so that is aligns with mount hole on the control arm so the bolt should slip right through

Rear Dampening
I can easily adjust mine by jacking up the rear. Once the car is off the ground the adjustment knob is very accessible. If the rear was an inverted shock the adjustment knob would be on the bottom side allowing one to adjust without jacking up.


Front and Rear dampening
Although there are 31 clicks on the adjustment, I was advised from BC to not have it set on the hardest or softest setting as they claim in will get jammed on that setting. I set mine at 15 for daily.


Camber Plates
I am also dropped about 3" and the adjustment is more than enough. I am aligned to the conservative side of BMW spec and my adjustments are about right in the middle and can equally go negative or positive.


Tools
I didn't need any special tools. An impact will be your best friend for removing/installing the strut/shock spindle nuts.

I will have my tech make a detailed post about all the questions concerning the kits next week.

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by f30luxline

Rear Adjustment
You do not need to remove the control arms to make any height or pre-load adjustment.

Hey f30luxline - i'm glad you chimed in. Actually, you're the one who answered my original post that i was wanting clarification on. I went back to it, and i think your last answer was to loosen the inner control arm bolt that allows you to lower the part that contains the spring basket. But if you look at the pic, there appears like you need to loosen all three circled bolts in order to lower that part. Can you be more specific on what combination of bolts need to be loosened/removed in order to properly remove the spring so that ride height (spring perch) can be adjusted?

Originally Posted by f30luxline

This is achieved by setting the ride height first by adjusting the spring perch. You then adjust the shock to give you the couple mm's of pre-load. With the ride height set you then pre-load the suspension using a jack and with the shock disconnected at the bottom bolt. Jack it the couple mm's and adjust the shock so that is aligns with mount hole on the control arm so the bolt should slip right through

i'm still having a hard time picturing this. From what you are saying, only the middle (star) bolt needs to be loosened in order to freely raise/lower the suspension part the spring sits on - i.e. middle bolt is what connects shock with suspension, which when loosened, allows shock to be adjusted up/down. But with the other two bolts on either end connected, i can't picture that part with the spring basket lowering. Don't you need to remove at least one other end in order to lower it? And if you do, i would think an alignment job is in order. I forget which one it was but if you mess with some of these bolts, you'll need to re-align

sorry if this thread is starting to take a weird tangent... But in some ways, this is good to know in the interest of full disclosure, esp for folks who like to adjust their ride height often. The instructions for adjusting fronts are easily found everywhere. And the fronts are the ones you really DONT need instructions for. The instructions for adjusting rears... not so much. You'll have to go through this every time you want to adjust your rears... or pay someone to do it.

[Jera_Jakerz]

Originally Posted by Sean@PSI

They do, it just requires additional build time (roughly 2 weeks), we have sold a ton to the AWD guys.

You can select X-drive right on the site when ordering.

Went to purchase, but it does not look like you have an option for APO / AE...PM invoice if you rather.

[f30luxline]

I will try to explain a more step -by - step of the procedure I follow. Lets see how this will compare to the write up from BC.

I will be referring to the pic and the bolts in order from left to right. Left....middle....right. I set my pre-load to 5mm. I do not know torque specs. I have a good sense for torque and just re-tightened everything to what I remember during removal plus a little more. Not really a good way but from my experience it is good enough...if your are experienced. Full weight of car should be on suspension when re-torquing fasteners.



It took me over a week to fine tune the height. I found a good drive in-between each adjustment was necessary. I have OCD when it comes to making the car even. I was able to get all corners within 1/8".

Be aware that people who want to make constant height adjustments that even a 1/4" in height will drastically change the alignment toe.

I'm excited to see the BC write-up!


1 - Jack up and support vehicle
2 - Remove wheel
3 - Support spring basket by placing a jack under it and apply a small amount of pre-load. Doing this should allow the shock bolt to slip right out. Too much or too little will make it hard to remove the shock bolt.
4 - This step should be done although not necessary for making adjustments, more so for the initial installation. Loosen the left and right bolt. Do not remove these. These are loosened to allow the suspension to travel more freely and to prevent older bushings to not split and become damaged. Our cars are still new enough that rotting or deteriorating bushing shouldn't be an issue. I did not loosen these 2 bolts even on initial install.
5 - Loosen locking collar on shock and remove the middle, lower shock bolt.
6 - Release pre-load on spring basket from step 3. This creates the needed movement to easily adjust the spring perch. If you did not loosen the left and right bolts in step 4 there will be slight resistance in the movement if the suspension but spring perch adjustment should still be easily done. Some resistance will be present regardless.
7 - Make your adjustment to the spring perch using proper spanner wrenches.
8 - Set pre-load by placing a jack under spring basket. Measure from one rigid point to a moving point. I measured from the top of the spring perch to the lip in the lower control arm. Make measurement as close to the center line of the spring.
9 - Adjust shock body to align with mounting hole on control arm. The shock is easy enough to manipulate by hand. I compressed shock enough by hand to clear the control arm and was able to spin the body to make my adjustment. I wish BC had a wrench to fit this locking collar.
10 - Re-install middle, lower shock bolt.
11 - Fully compress suspension by supporting full vehicle weight on spring basket EDIT; I actually supported the weight by placing the jack directly under the left bolt. Jack should already be in place from setting pre-load in step 8.



Good video from BC on the preload adjustment on the front. Same logic applies to the rear. Start at 2:30.

[tboooe]

Thank you f30luxline for the great write-up. I am still perplexed why all those steps are required to adjust the ride height. With my KW all I had to do is remove the wheel, and adjust the collar. I am one of those OCD people who fiddles with ride height until I get it within 1/16". I also adjust it when I take the car skiing as well. If I had to go through all these steps each time I wanted to adjust the ride height I would go nuts. Given my OCD nature, paying the extra for ease of adjustment with KW or Bilstein is worth it.

[f30luxline]

Originally Posted by tboooe

Thank you f30luxline for the great write-up. I am still perplexed why all those steps are required to adjust the ride height. With my KW all I had to do is remove the wheel, and adjust the collar. I am one of those OCD people who fiddles with ride height until I get it within 1/16". I also adjust it when I take the car skiing as well. If I had go through all these steps each time I wanted to adjust the ride height I would go nuts. Given my OCD nature, paying the extra for ease of adjustment with KW or Bilstein is worth it.

I think one of the things that separates BC from others is that the shock travel is adjusted based on the ride height. This is what gives you such a comfortable ride, even dropped 3" like I am.

Are the KW's installed with any pre-load? If not this would be the reason you could jack-up and adjust. When the car is jacked there is no compression on the spring allowing easy adjustment. I get no noises out of my suspension as I hear others complain about with other brands. I think this is partially due to possibly no pre-load being applied when installed.

The adjustment is very easy and quick to do. During my prolonged tuning I was doing 1 side in under 5 minutes.

Believe me, I tried getting as even as dead on but gave up after many, many attempts and settled on the 1/8"


FYI
This is my first experience working with coilovers. I have always had typical strut/spring setups.

[tboooe]

Originally Posted by f30luxline

I think one of the things that separates BC from others is that the shock travel is adjusted based on the ride height. This is what gives you such a comfortable ride, even dropped 3" like I am.

Are the KW's installed with any pre-load? If not this would be the reason you could jack-up and adjust. When the car is jacked there is no compression on the spring allowing easy adjustment. I get no noises out of my suspension as I hear others complain about with other brands. I think this is partially due to possibly no pre-load being applied when installed.

The adjustment is very easy and quick to do. During my prolonged tuning I was doing 1 side in under 5 minutes.

Believe me, I tried getting as even as dead on but gave up after many, many attempts and settled on the 1/8"


FYI
This is my first experience working with coilovers. I have always had typical strut/spring setups.

I think you are right about no preload. However, even with preload, wouldnt it still be possible and easy to lower the car without having to go through the steps you mentioned? Lowering the car is allowing the spring to release which is what it wants to do anyway? Thats my experience with coils, lowering is always easier than raising.

[f30luxline]

Originally Posted by tboooe

I think you are right about no preload. However, even with preload, wouldnt it still be possible and easy to lower the car without having to go through the steps you mentioned? Lowering the car is allowing the spring to release which is what it wants to do anyway? Thats my experience with coils, lowering is always easier than raising.

The reason of going through most of the steps is to re-adjust the shock travel. Also the pre-load is only 4mm, I can't relate this to pressure as I don't know what the spring rate is and even so wouldn't know how to calculate it, lol....I couldn't imagine it would be too difficult to adjust the perch with the applied pre-load. I would be more concerned on damaging the threads (possibly another reason for the steps required). I doubt the threads/material (aluminum) are designed (tensile strength) to handle the pressure of the pre-load, although minimum (assumed).

[Stubok]

Originally Posted by f30luxline

I think one of the things that separates BC from others is that the shock travel is adjusted based on the ride height. This is what gives you such a comfortable ride, even dropped 3" like I am.

Are the KW's installed with any pre-load? If not this would be the reason you could jack-up and adjust. When the car is jacked there is no compression on the spring allowing easy adjustment. I get no noises out of my suspension as I hear others complain about with other brands. I think this is partially due to possibly no pre-load being applied when installed.

The adjustment is very easy and quick to do. During my prolonged tuning I was doing 1 side in under 5 minutes.

Believe me, I tried getting as even as dead on but gave up after many, many attempts and settled on the 1/8"


FYI
This is my first experience working with coilovers. I have always had typical strut/spring setups.

Thanks F30luxline! Great write.

Definitely scratched my head on how to preload the rear spring after adjusting ride height.

I adjusted the rear height by jacking up the car (I do both sides at the same time by placing the car on jack stands), so the suspension is unloaded. Then I remove the wheel and using the BC spring perch adjustment tools to unlock the locking collar and then turn the main collar to raise up the suspension (effectively lowering the car). After that I just adjust the damper height up until I can't turn it by hand any more. So I'm not removing the damper bolts. Then I jack up the suspension a few mm and readjust the damper a up to meet the new height and lock it down there before releasing the jack.

It is possible to adjust the setup back to stock height. To raise the car you just have to reverse the process. Release the damper and lengthen, then lengthen the spring, then preload the spring again with the damper as above.

Once done I lock the two collars back using the tools and I also give one a tap (counter to the other) with a blunt drive and mallet just to be sure.

By the way for squidlyboy, whatever height you adjust the adjustable spring perch to, the spring doesn't change its length or rate. You're just moving the entire springs position further or closer to the chassis, to move the car body higher or lower from the wheel and thus ground.

[f30luxline]

Originally Posted by Stubok

Thanks F30luxline! Great write.

Definitely scratched my head on how to preload the rear spring after adjusting ride height.

I adjusted the rear height by jacking up the car (I do both sides at the same time by placing the car on jack stands), so the suspension is unloaded. Then I remove the wheel and using the BC spring perch adjustment tools to unlock the locking collar and then turn the main collar to raise up the suspension (effectively lowering the car). After that I just adjust the damper height up until I can't turn it by hand any more. So I'm not removing the damper bolts. Then I jack up the suspension a few mm and readjust the damper a up to meet the new height and lock it down there before releasing the jack.

It is possible to adjust the setup back to stock height. To raise the car you just have to reverse the process. Release the damper and lengthen, then lengthen the spring, then preload the spring again with the damper as above.

Once done I lock the two collars back using the tools and I also give one a tap (counter to the other) with a blunt drive and mallet just to be sure.

By the way for squidlyboy, whatever height you adjust the adjustable spring perch to, the spring doesn't change its length or rate. You're just moving the entire springs position further or closer to the chassis, to move the car body higher or lower from the wheel and thus ground.

I like the way you make adjustments with the shock body and not removing the lower bolt. You find that loose point and then lock it down. This is the method I was following during my tuning and later followed up with the steps outlined above as a final adjustment. Although your way is probably accurate enough I think it is my OCD kicking in as being more accurate, who knows..lol.

It was mentioned that it can be raised higher than stock but haven't seen confirmation from BC on this. Comment could have been made not knowing the different heights based on trim level.

I also use the same method of setting the lock ring. I couple swift taps with a dead-blow at 2 locations 180 from each other does a good job.

[Stubok]

Originally Posted by f30luxline

I like the way you make adjustments with the shock body and not removing the lower bolt. You find that loose point and then lock it down. This is the method I was following during my tuning and later followed up with the steps outlined above as a final adjustment. Although your way is probably accurate enough I think it is my OCD kicking in as being more accurate, who knows..lol.

It was mentioned that it can be raised higher than stock but haven't seen confirmation from BC on this. Comment could have been made not knowing the different heights based on trim level.

I also use the same method of setting the lock ring. I couple swift taps with a dead-blow at 2 locations 180 from each other does a good job.

Yes being a mechanical engineer I have a serious case of tuning OCD. I'm actually going out again this morning to tweak it again, as I installed the RW Carbon Fiber Varis style lip yesterday and it's a little to close to the deck.

The car has certainly settled lower over the couple days the BC setup has been on. The top of the tire is now firmly level with the fender wheel arch. So 1/4" suspension increase today should give me that finger gap again.

Bye the way, my car stock height had the front wheel arches slightly higher than the rear. Did you set yours up with all the wheel arches level (at the same height)? Or did you just drop each arch 3"?

[f30luxline]

Originally Posted by Stubok

Yes being a mechanical engineer I have a serious case of tuning OCD.

Bye the way, my car stock height had the front wheel arches slightly higher than the rear. Did you set yours up with all the wheel arches level (at the same height)? Or did you just drop each arch 3"?

I'm a Manufacturing Engineer so the OCD is definitely coming from this

I never took measurements of the wheel arches but of the rocker panels so I can't comment on that. I don't remember entirely but I believe my front was about 1/4" higher than the rear (from looking at stock pics). I believe the appearance is due the the radius of the arches not being the same.

I dropped it to make the wheel gaps uniform. This gave the car a slight positive rake which is the look I was going for. This compliments the overall stance and makes it more aggressive looking

[tboooe]

Ha! I'm a mechanical engineer too. Nice to see all is OCD engineers obsessing over the perfect ride height.

[f30luxline]

Originally Posted by tboooe

Ha! I'm a mechanical engineer too. Nice to see all is OCD engineers obsessing over the perfect ride height.

haha! Good stuff guys!

we have for sure .....

[Sean@PSI]

Thank you f30luxline for your assistance in this thread!

The BC kits allow you to adjust height without sacrificing shock travel, unlike many other coilover manufacturers. They also allow you to adjust preload if you really want to fine tune handling.

First adjust the spring to the desired height and then adjust the shock afterwards. If you're raising your car you may find it easier to lengthen the shock before you adjust the spring height. If lowering your car, you should adjust the spring perch and then proceed to dial in the spring preload afterwards.

If you think it will take a few tries to get the rear height at a level you're comfortable with, you can lengthen the shock a bit, play with ride heights, and then set the final preload once you're happy with the ride height.

The adjustment is doable without removing any of the control arm bolts. If the coilovers have been on your car for a while there may be some dirt buildup on the threads that should be cleaned off before adjusting.