[msk340i]

What benefit would I get from installing coilovers on my car if I don't want to change the ride height or camber? What other benefits can I get?

[cfm56d7b]

Coilovers offer two major benefits:

- Springs and shocks matched by design
- Adjustable compression and rebound controls (some brands and models)

If you want to maintain the OEM suspension height, the list of coilovers option is shorter.

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by msk340i

What benefit would I get from installing coilovers on my car if I don't want to change the ride height or camber? What other benefits can I get?

Not much IMO (unless you're going for "feel"). Easy ride height adjustments is one of the biggest positives.

Adjustables aren't of much value either IMO, because you don't know what the damping curves look like, or what spring rates pair best with the various curves with your vehicle's weight. A lot of coilovers can make you "feel" sportier (typically by over damping), but don't really increase grip/actual speed. Of course if you're willing to do a lot of work yourself by testing different springs and settings to optimize smoothness then it could be worth it, but I reckon fewer people do that than take their cars to the track.

For about the same price as a good/high quality set of coilovers with independent compression/rebound adjustments you can get a bespoke setup from a tuner that will optimize the dampers (need a donor set) to whatever spring rates you want, your style of driving, and vehicle weight.

[Logicoeur]

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

Not much IMO (unless you're going for "feel"). Easy ride height adjustments is one of the biggest positives.

Adjustables aren't of much value either IMO, because you don't know what the damping curves look like, or what spring rates pair best with the various curves with your vehicle's weight. A lot of coilovers can make you "feel" sportier (typically by over damping), but don't really increase grip/actual speed. Of course if you're willing to do a lot of work yourself by testing different springs and settings to optimize smoothness then it could be worth it, but I reckon fewer people do that than take their cars to the track.

For about the same price as a good/high quality set of coilovers with independent compression/rebound adjustments you can get a bespoke setup from a tuner that will optimize the dampers (need a donor set) to whatever spring rates you want, your style of driving, and vehicle weight.

So you're telling him don't buy coilovers, buy custom coilovers.......?

They'd still be adjustable, in height, at the minimum.



In any case, OP, purchasing coilovers would give youoptions. You want the car lower, you can do that. You want them softer for a road tip, you can do that. You want them firmed up for a spirited drive or the track? You can do that. Whether the price for those options is worth it to someone is completely subjective, but the objective truth is that they are far better in every aspect than purchasing shocks with a set of springs. Unless you calculate the best spring rate for said shocks, and your car's weight, but then at that point you did all that work for no post-adjustability. May as well have went coilovers from the jump as that calculation is already dome for you.

Coilovers that will keep your oem height, are indeed scarce. There's only the KW street comfort @ ~$1600 USD. Then the Bilstein StreetKomfort, IF YOU CAN FIND THEM,are near ~$2200 USD. Bilsteins PSS10 is superior in dynamics than the KW, but the KW is a lot more readily available, but people say they don't really go high enough in the rear. Thats the general consensus for all of the KW Vs though.

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by Logicoeur

So you're telling him don't buy coilovers, buy custom coilovers.......?

They'd still be adjustable, in height, at the minimum.

Nope, I said if he doesn't care about ride height (the main benefit of coilovers with adjustable perches over fixed), then he can get a custom tuned setup. That doesn't have to be coilovers and can be a normal strut/shock.

Originally Posted by Logicoeur

Unless you calculate the best spring rate for said shocks, and your car's weight, but then at that point you did all that work for no post-adjustability. May as well have went coilovers from the jump as that calculation is already dome for you.

Simply not true. You really think Bilstein calculated and optimized the springs, vehicle weight, and damping curves for their coilovers when their approach is "one size fits all?" There's no way the same springs/dampers are optimal on F30, 31, 32, 34, and 36, yet they have a common coilover set PN for all those chassis with the same drive layout.

Or if you look at something even more "high quality" like Ohlins, they claim they only developed them on a 4cyl 320d car (and this is why some people who have 6cyl have been changing the front springs from 60N/mm to 80N/mm, because out of the box it's not optimized for their vehicles).

Coilovers will give you more adjustability, but you won't necessarily know what optimal is. There are plenty of coilovers that won't tell you what spring rates they even come with, and no coilover manufacturer will tell you what ride frequencies you end up with from what I've seen.

[msk340i]

Thank you guys! Very informative. Decided not to get the coilovers simply because it sounds like the OEM setup is a good combination of comfort and sportiness and it is esthetically perfect to me. Thank you

[bqik]

Originally Posted by msk340i

Thank you guys! Very informative. Decided not to get the coilovers simply because it sounds like the OEM setup is a good combination of comfort and sportiness and it is esthetically perfect to me. Thank you

FYI PSS bilstein B16 in my 435i Xdrive offer much better comfort and sportiness than the OEM Sachs suspension.

the drop I had is less than 1cm...

[Logicoeur]

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

Nope, I said if he doesn't care about ride height (the main benefit of coilovers with adjustable perches over fixed), then he can get a custom tuned setup. That doesn't have to be coilovers and can be a normal strut/shock.

Simply not true. You really think Bilstein calculated and optimized the springs, vehicle weight, and damping curves for their coilovers when their approach is "one size fits all?" There's no way the same springs/dampers are optimal on F30, 31, 32, 34, and 36, yet they have a common coilover set PN for all those chassis with the same drive layout.

Or if you look at something even more "high quality" like Ohlins, they claim they only developed them on a 4cyl 320d car (and this is why some people who have 6cyl have been changing the front springs from 60N/mm to 80N/mm, because out of the box it's not optimized for their vehicles).

Coilovers will give you more adjustability, but you won't necessarily know what optimal is. There are plenty of coilovers that won't tell you what spring rates they even come with, and no coilover manufacturer will tell you what ride frequencies you end up with from what I've seen.

Bilstein indeed has different part numbers for their coilovers between rwd and xdrive, and some of the engine variants. They do provide different springs for the curb weight of said vehicle. Where have you seen they sell the same springs and shocks for all of our vehicles? I read the specs sheet straight from Germany and the spring rates are absolutely different for the 335/40 vs the 320/38 rwd and xdrives. This is how I came to confirm bilstein rwd coilovers will work on an xdrive. The spring rates may be different but you can make up for it adjusting rebound and height.

Maybe Ohlins was lazier, but not every manufacturer will do that. In any case they may provide you the same exact shock because they are adjustable and when you adjust the dampening/rebound you are essentially adjusting the valving. None of the good coilovers will provide the exact same springs for different weighted cars. Maybe the 3-400 JOM and FK coilovers,but not kw or bilstein, or BC.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by msk340i

What benefit would I get from installing coilovers on my car if I don't want to change the ride height or camber? What other benefits can I get?

It would be nice to have ride height adjustability but I thought the premium price of coilovers was too high for me. If price were no issue I'd probably get Bilstein B16s. They have great height & damper adjustments that are very easy to do on the car.

I have a 335i xdrive. I got a set of springs and dampers that were tested together by the damper manufacturer. I installed Eibach springs with Koni Special Active dampers. The Eibach springs slightly lower the car and eliminate some of the reverse rake built into the xdrive where the front wheel gap is greater than the rear. The Eibach drop is 0.8" and rear drop is 0.6".

The Koni Special Active is like a passive version of the BMW adaptive dampers. It was developed with McLaren. The dampers have two valves tuned to separate frequencies. One frequency responds to rough roads and the other to spirited driving.

The combination of the Eibach springs and Koni Special Active dampers provides a much more comfortable ride that doesn't rattle your teeth when you hit potholes or road seams. Yet when you attack an on or off ramp it tightens up and handles curves beautifully. It's a great combination by design since they were tested together by Koni North America.

Hope this helps!

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by Logicoeur

Bilstein indeed has different part numbers for their coilovers between rwd and xdrive, and some of the engine variants. They do provide different springs for the curb weight of said vehicle. Where have you seen they sell the same springs and shocks for all of our vehicles? I read the specs sheet straight from Germany and the spring rates are absolutely different for the 335/40 vs the 320/38 rwd and xdrives. This is how I came to confirm bilstein rwd coilovers will work on an xdrive. The spring rates may be different but you can make up for it adjusting rebound and height.

Sure they do... Not. Taken right from the Bilstein catalog. It's the same for the dampers. All the same PNs across chassis and weights. Lazy lazy lazy. And RWD coilovers (the front struts) don't work on xDrive. I've seen it with my own eyes that the RWD Bilstein struts extend further down into the knuckle and rub the CV boot (causing it to wear away and tear).