[Kirby86]

My car is a 2013 328i xDrive M Sport. Do KW Street Comfort offer the highest ride height of any other coilovers at their highest setting? Are their any other brands that offer a higher maximum ride height? I am looking to buy some coilovers. I get a lot of snow where I live in the winter (I live 1 mile away from the base of a ski area) and would like to set them as high as possible for 3-4 months every year.

[Logicoeur]

Bilstein has a streetKomfort version as well.
The other basically stock height coilover is ohlins RT. They have an xdrive version now too.

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by Logicoeur

Bilstein has a streetKomfort version as well.
The other basically stock height coilover is ohlins RT. They have an xdrive version now too.

Ok thanks! I'll check out those two as well.

[skow]

What did you end up finding / going with?

I'm due to replace my shocks/struts and also live in a high snow area. The car is unstoppable on the snow/ice, until the snow level gets too high, getting an extra inch or two of ground clearance would be huge.

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by skow

What did you end up finding / going with?

I'm due to replace my shocks/struts and also live in a high snow area. The car is unstoppable on the snow/ice, until the snow level gets too high, getting an extra inch or two of ground clearance would be huge.

Haven't figured anything else out. As of right now I have only heard that Street Comforts will ride the highest from what I gathered in other posts.

At this point I think I'm going to go through one more winter at stock xdrive height. I bought a set of summer rims about a year ago and they have just been sitting in storage. I thought I was going to be able to buy some tires and dial in a set of coilovers before the summer got too far along but it dosen't seem worth it at this point. I'll probably wait till next spring to get it all sorted out and just slowly buy the tires and a set of coilovers over the winter.

Even though I do get a significant amount of snow where I am, my commute is non-existent because I live directly above the shop I work at. And the mountain I go snowboarding at is a 15 minute walk. With this in mind I have also considered the (somewhat taboo) route of just buying springs and continuing to use my adaptive shocks.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by Kirby86

My car is a 2013 328i xDrive M Sport. Do KW Street Comfort offer the highest ride height of any other coilovers at their highest setting? Are their any other brands that offer a higher maximum ride height? I am looking to buy some coilovers. I get a lot of snow where I live in the winter (I live 1 mile away from the base of a ski area) and would like to set them as high as possible for 3-4 months every year.

Are you assuming that coilovers will raise a car to more than its stock ride height? Most coilover specifications show how much they will lower from the stock height as a starting point. To use coilovers to actually raise the stock height, they would probably have to be made for that purpose.

You should contact KW and other coilover manufacturers and discuss with them.

I did an experiment with my 2015 335i XDrive a few years ago with some snow drifts before the plows arrived. My car is lowered in front by 0.8" with Eibach springs. I drove straight into snow drifts until the car got stuck and then measured the snow height. It could handle up to 6" of unplowed snow despite being lowered.

It's not really a concern for me because I live in suburban NJ so it's not likely that I would be driving in unplowed snow higher than 6". When it snows more than that no one drives.

Note: Besides possibly gaining height from your suspension choice, you can also gain clearance height through your winter tire size selection.

For example, say you went with a Blizzak WS-90 tire which is great in heavy snow. The stock 225/45-18 tire is 25.9" in diameter. But if you choose a 225/50-18, that is 26.9" in diameter. It maintains the thin tread width to cut through the snow (rather than hydroplane on top of it) but the higher sidewall actually raises the car by 1/2" and it cuts a 1/2" of tire/fender gap for appearance. So you gain 1/2" of clearance under the car.

Hope this helps!

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by johnung

Are you assuming that coilovers will raise a car to more than its stock ride height? Most coilover specifications show how much they will lower from the stock height as a starting point. To use coilovers to actually raise the stock height, they would probably have to be made for that purpose.

You should contact KW and other coilover manufacturers and discuss with them.

I did an experiment with my 2015 335i XDrive a few years ago with some snow drifts before the plows arrived. My car is lowered in front by 0.8" with Eibach springs. I drove straight into snow drifts until the car got stuck and then measured the snow height. It could handle up to 6" of unplowed snow despite being lowered.

It's not really a concern for me because I live in suburban NJ so it's not likely that I would be driving in unplowed snow higher than 6". When it snows more than that no one drives.

Note: Besides possibly gaining height from your suspension choice, you can also gain clearance height through your winter tire size selection.

For example, say you went with a Blizzak WS-90 tire which is great in heavy snow. The stock 225/45-18 tire is 25.9" in diameter. But if you choose a 225/50-18, that is 26.9" in diameter. It maintains the thin tread width to cut through the snow (rather than hydroplane on top of it) but the higher sidewall actually raises the car by 1/2" and it cuts a 1/2" of tire/fender gap for appearance. So you gain 1/2" of clearance under the car.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the insight! Although I am concerned a little about reduced clearance in the winter after potentially installing a set of coilovers that may end up leaving me slightly lower than stock height even at their highest setting, there is also another reason for my question...
In the summer I plan on running 20x9 ET35 square with 245/35zr20 tires. I really want to fix the reverse rake and remaining fender gap by lowering very slightly. 05-22 Eibachs would solve this perfectly. However I would be stuck at that height all winter. If I could find coilovers that would only lower the back by 0.6 inches from stock xdrive height and slightly more in the front like 1.2-1.4 inches that would be ideal. Hence, why I am wondering the highest (rear) ride height of any coilover available for xdrive F30's.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by Kirby86

Thanks for the insight! Although I am concerned a little about reduced clearance in the winter after potentially installing a set of coilovers that may end up leaving me slightly lower than stock height even at their highest setting, there is also another reason for my question...
In the summer I plan on running 20x9 ET35 square with 245/35zr20 tires. I really want to fix the reverse rake and remaining fender gap by lowering very slightly. 05-22 Eibachs would solve this perfectly. However I would be stuck at that height all winter. If I could find coilovers that would only lower the back by 0.6 inches from stock xdrive height and slightly more in the front like 1.2-1.4 inches that would be ideal. Hence, why I am wondering the highest (rear) ride height of any coilover available for xdrive F30's.

Ah, makes more sense now. So the KW V2 Comforts may be your best bet. They're an excellent choice, even if you weren't concerned about raising them for winter

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by johnung

Are you assuming that coilovers will raise a car to more than its stock ride height? Most coilover specifications show how much they will lower from the stock height as a starting point. To use coilovers to actually raise the stock height, they would probably have to be made for that purpose.

You should contact KW and other coilover manufacturers and discuss with them.

I did an experiment with my 2015 335i XDrive a few years ago with some snow drifts before the plows arrived. My car is lowered in front by 0.8" with Eibach springs. I drove straight into snow drifts until the car got stuck and then measured the snow height. It could handle up to 6" of unplowed snow despite being lowered.

It's not really a concern for me because I live in suburban NJ so it's not likely that I would be driving in unplowed snow higher than 6". When it snows more than that no one drives.

Note: Besides possibly gaining height from your suspension choice, you can also gain clearance height through your winter tire size selection.

For example, say you went with a Blizzak WS-90 tire which is great in heavy snow. The stock 225/45-18 tire is 25.9" in diameter. But if you choose a 225/50-18, that is 26.9" in diameter. It maintains the thin tread width to cut through the snow (rather than hydroplane on top of it) but the higher sidewall actually raises the car by 1/2" and it cuts a 1/2" of tire/fender gap for appearance. So you gain 1/2" of clearance under the car.

Hope this helps!

Also, I really appreciate the winter tire size suggestion. I currently run Pilot Sport AS 3+ year round in 225/45r18 but would like to run a dedicated winter tire with a taller sidewall so 225/50r18 sounds good. I will absolutely consider this when the Michelins wear out.

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by johnung

I did an experiment with my 2015 335i XDrive a few years ago with some snow drifts before the plows arrived. My car is lowered in front by 0.8" with Eibach springs. I drove straight into snow drifts until the car got stuck and then measured the snow height. It could handle up to 6" of unplowed snow despite being lowered.

For example, say you went with a Blizzak WS-90 tire which is great in heavy snow. The stock 225/45-18 tire is 25.9" in diameter. But if you choose a 225/50-18, that is 26.9" in diameter. It maintains the thin tread width to cut through the snow (rather than hydroplane on top of it) but the higher sidewall actually raises the car by 1/2" and it cuts a 1/2" of tire/fender gap for appearance. So you gain 1/2" of clearance under the car.

I'm guessing your snow is quite wet like most Scottish stuff? We had the luck of getting some proper light, dry and powdery stuff this last winter on a few occasions. So a bit of a story. Most climbers aren't car guys, they aren't even 'like driving' very much guys. It's funny actually, some of them are terrible judges of risk in the mountains and see none yet think driving is the worst thing in the world. My reputation amongst most of my climbing partners is thus 'the nut job behind the wheel'. Cementing that was getting back to the car after a day climbing earlier in the year and discovering that the fluffy snow we'd been walking back through had drifted in across the single track road (for Americans, a ribbon of tarmac the width of your car with ditches either side). The cutting was completely filled in, as were the ditches and everything else. What had originally been a snaking road with undulating ground either side was now completely smooth, devoid of all landmarks. My partner was panicking about how we'd get home (I have a shovel, it was fine) while I maintained a calm air, internally thinking 'this could be interesting'. So I pulled off the bit I'd parked in and instantly started pushing snow with he bumper, but because it was so light it was just moving out the way. A little deeper, 'hmm, this might be exciting'. At the point where it was coming over the bonnet my climbing partner had his eyes closed and seemed to be whimpering. I was just going at a speed where I'd be able to feel the road dropping away to the side and avert falling into a ditch. Needless to say it was fine, but I'm not sure I'd have been so successful if it had been the same depth of our wet and sticky stuff! He later asked how we'd have got out if we hadn't been able to push our way through. When I suggested a spade and him getting very warm he didn't seem too chuffed. 'A bit unfair' he said. 'Well, would you rather have done the driving?'. He seemed keener on being the manual labour after that... That wasn't even with particularly aggressive winters like you can get in the US and Nordic's, just some Sottozero 3's.

Anyway, with modern tyres they're designed to sit on the surface and compress the snow to bond to it with all the sipes but there's clearly a point where this becomes less helpful. It would be interesting to see some testing to determine the ideal width for a tyre at given loads, that way you could actually determine the best performing tyre size for your car.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

I'm guessing your snow is quite wet like most Scottish stuff? We had the luck of getting some proper light, dry and powdery stuff this last winter on a few occasions. So a bit of a story. Most climbers aren't car guys, they aren't even 'like driving' very much guys. It's funny actually, some of them are terrible judges of risk in the mountains and see none yet think driving is the worst thing in the world. My reputation amongst most of my climbing partners is thus 'the nut job behind the wheel'. Cementing that was getting back to the car after a day climbing earlier in the year and discovering that the fluffy snow we'd been walking back through had drifted in across the single track road (for Americans, a ribbon of tarmac the width of your car with ditches either side). The cutting was completely filled in, as were the ditches and everything else. What had originally been a snaking road with undulating ground either side was now completely smooth, devoid of all landmarks. My partner was panicking about how we'd get home (I have a shovel, it was fine) while I maintained a calm air, internally thinking 'this could be interesting'. So I pulled off the bit I'd parked in and instantly started pushing snow with he bumper, but because it was so light it was just moving out the way. A little deeper, 'hmm, this might be exciting'. At the point where it was coming over the bonnet my climbing partner had his eyes closed and seemed to be whimpering. I was just going at a speed where I'd be able to feel the road dropping away to the side and avert falling into a ditch. Needless to say it was fine, but I'm not sure I'd have been so successful if it had been the same depth of our wet and sticky stuff! He later asked how we'd have got out if we hadn't been able to push our way through. When I suggested a spade and him getting very warm he didn't seem too chuffed. 'A bit unfair' he said. 'Well, would you rather have done the driving?'. He seemed keener on being the manual labour after that... That wasn't even with particularly aggressive winters like you can get in the US and Nordic's, just some Sottozero 3's.

Anyway, with modern tyres they're designed to sit on the surface and compress the snow to bond to it with all the sipes but there's clearly a point where this becomes less helpful. It would be interesting to see some testing to determine the ideal width for a tyre at given loads, that way you could actually determine the best performing tyre size for your car.

Interesting story. Thanks for sharing! You are correct.

Snow in the Northeast US is damp. Skiing can be quite frightening since it's pretty much skiing on ice and hurts like hell when you fall. Smacking the ice hip first is the worst. Major bruises. You learn quickly to ski with your weight more forward and dig your edges sharply into the ice surface to have any control.

Snow in the western US is totally different. Lack of humidity creates a wonderful soft powder. Skied Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley, etc once. It was such a joy to ski without knuckle whitening fear. Falling was like being a kid playing in the snow again. Learned quick to ski with my weight back to keep tips up and avoid catching them in the snow.

Funny story. In the afternoon shade fell on this one small slope at Squaw Valley and made it icy. It was really just a 90 degree right turn, a 30 yard down slope and then a 90 degree left turn. But it was dangerous to fly out of bounds.

Well it brought out a giant portion of the ski patrol. Folks who grew up on western powder had no clue how to not kill themselves on ice. The ski patrol set up a line to teach each person in order what to do. The folks in my group were all veterans of icy slopes in NY State and Vermont so we just breezed through in a few seconds. Felt bad for those feeling that icy terror for the first time.

Alohasurftoad has posted some things about the relationship between wheel width and tread width. Ideally for best handling, tread width should be same as or within 0.5" less than wheel width. That's where the TireRack measured values can be important.

There's an automatic tendency for guys to think that the widest wheel is always best. But that often stretches the tire leaving the expensive wheel rim unprotected. And it can mean choosing a tire size with less than ideal performance. So the best method is often to choose tire model and size first, then determine the ideal wheel width and offset.

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by Kirby86

Haven't figured anything else out. As of right now I have only heard that Street Comforts will ride the highest from what I gathered in other posts.

At this point I think I'm going to go through one more winter at stock xdrive height. I bought a set of summer rims about a year ago and they have just been sitting in storage. I thought I was going to be able to buy some tires and dial in a set of coilovers before the summer got too far along but it dosen't seem worth it at this point. I'll probably wait till next spring to get it all sorted out and just slowly buy the tires and a set of coilovers over the winter.

Even though I do get a significant amount of snow where I am, my commute is non-existent because I live directly above the shop I work at. And the mountain I go snowboarding at is a 15 minute walk. With this in mind I have also considered the (somewhat taboo) route of just buying springs and continuing to use my adaptive shocks.

My previous car - 2013 BMW 335i xDrive sedan - had KW Street Comfort coilovers set at near OEM height. Worked well for me.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

My previous car - 2013 BMW 335i xDrive sedan - had KW Street Comfort coilovers set at near OEM height. Worked well for me.

Curious if you experimented with the KW damper setting and where you typically set it? Would you say your F3x suspension preference leans more towards stiff or towards comfortable?

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by johnung

Curious if you experimented with the KW damper setting and where you typically set it? Would you say your F3x suspension preference leans more towards stiff or towards comfortable?

I tried several settings and at the end selected the default value recommended by KW. Forget the actual number but it is mentioned in the installation instructions.

The suspension behavior can be best described as slightly stiffer than stock, little or no body roll, with the small road imperfections absorbed with confidence while maintaining comfortable ride.

Larger road imperfections produced a more noticeable / jarring response in the suspension which I over time began to ignore - not much could be done about it.

KW V3 coilovers offer independently adjustable rebound and compression controls. I would select KW V3 coilovers to tune a more responsive compression cycle but the lowering range was more than I was willing to accept since the OEM suspension height has been the original goal.

[alohasurftoad]

i've read one option is to do springs only with adaptive? if so, consider eibach 4-22 which is 0.8" front, 0.6" rear. it is the least low spring drop but still enough to get rid of the hideous x-drive gap. it also fixes the reverse rake. pair this with f80 bumpstops if going this route.

https://eibach.com/us/1948/E10-20-03...xDrive-pro-kit

another reason for eibach 4-22. for next summer, since you are planning 245/35/20 which is 26.8" tall, compared to oem(26.0") the wheel gap will reduce 0.4" just due to tire diameter by itself, so you need not lower it as much to tighten the x-drive gap. the link below has an F31 with 245/35/20 notice how the gap is reduced and also how close the top of a 26.8" tire is to the spring perch. there is no relative movement, so it would never rub, but still...

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=849595

regarding winter tire size upgrade, on the stock 18", consider 235/45/18 which is 26.3". i understand that narrow is better for snow, but with current winter tire technology(tread patterns and compounds), the extra 10mm width over a 225, should not be a problem*.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...&postcount=162
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...1634952&page=2
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1844734

*disclaimer, i'm in hawaii, where the only snow possible is at the top of 14000' mauna kea during winter so take my winter tire advice like a grain of salt.

ADDED: this member has 245/45/18(26.7"). this size can also fit on your OEM 18x8
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...&postcount=212
.

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

i've read one option is to do springs only with adaptive? if so, consider eibach 04-22 which is 0.8" front, 0.6" rear. it is the least low spring drop but still enough to get rid of the hideous x-drive gap. it also fixes the reverse rake. pair this with f80 bumpstops if going this route.

https://eibach.com/us/1948/E10-20-031-04-22-BMW-328i-xDrive-pro-kit

another reason for eibach 4-22. for next summer, since you are planning 245/35/20 which is 26.8" tall, compared to oem(26.0") the wheel gap will reduce 0.4" just due to tire diameter by itself, so you need not lower it as much to tighten the x-drive gap. the link below has an F31 with 245/35/20 notice how the gap is reduced and also how close the top of a 26.8" tire is to the spring perch. there is no relative movement, so it would never rub, but still...

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=849595

regarding winter tire size upgrade, on the stock 18", consider 235/45/18 which is 26.3". i understand that narrow is better for snow, but with current winter tire technology(tread patterns and compounds), the extra 10mm width over a 225, should not be a problem*.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20881144&postcount=162
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1634952&page=2
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1844734

*disclaimer, i'm in hawaii, where the only snow possible is at the top of 14000' mauna kea during winter so take my winter tire advice like a grain of salt.

ADDED: this member [...]

Well originally I was leaning toward the 04-22 Eibachs because they were the only springs that would lower more in the front more than the rear that I could find. I then became aware of the Euro spec 05-22 springs from another members xdrive gran coupe. The way the front sat compared to the rear looked perfect so that's why I started moving more towards the 05-22 springs.

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

i've read one option is to do springs only with adaptive? if so, consider eibach 4-22 which is 0.8" front, 0.6" rear. it is the least low spring drop but still enough to get rid of the hideous x-drive gap. it also fixes the reverse rake. pair this with f80 bumpstops if going this route.

https://eibach.com/us/1948/E10-20-031-04-22-BMW-328i-xDrive-pro-kit

another reason for eibach 4-22. for next summer, since you are planning 245/35/20 which is 26.8" tall, compared to oem(26.0") the wheel gap will reduce 0.4" just due to tire diameter by itself, so you need not lower it as much to tighten the x-drive gap. the link below has an F31 with 245/35/20 notice how the gap is reduced and also how close the top of a 26.8" tire is to the spring perch. there is no relative movement, so it would never rub, but still...

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=849595

regarding winter tire size upgrade, on the stock 18", consider 235/45/18 which is 26.3". i understand that narrow is better for snow, but with current winter tire technology(tread patterns and compounds), the extra 10mm width over a 225, should not be a problem*.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20881144&postcount=162
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1634952&page=2
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1844734

*disclaimer, i'm in hawaii, where the only snow possible is at the top of 14000' mauna kea during winter so take my winter tire advice like a grain of salt.

ADDED: this member [...]

In another thread, you stated that Eibach produces a set of springs with part number E10-20-031-2-22
Which is supposedly the American equivalent to the European 05-22 springs. Can you elaborate any further?

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by Kirby86

In another thread, you stated that Eibach produces a set of springs with part number E10-20-031-2-22
Which is supposedly the American equivalent to the European 05-22 springs. Can you elaborate any further?

i believe the 5-22 is for F3/4 with 6-cyl engines.

my eibach knowledge is mostly from this forum and other internet searches. i don't believe there is an american equivalent and use eibachshop.com to determine the eibach spring recommended. eibach/US seems less reliable. johnung has an Eibach/KoniSA combo and is way more informed about it all. he has also contacted eibach, koni and FaRKle!(suspension guru) more than a few times.

personally, i would follow what eibachshop.com recommends, which is the 4-22. the 5-22 spring rates are probably higher and may not work as well for your 328i. hopefully johnung can chime in and inform us more. sorry i cannot provide a better answer but i'm still learning new things as well.

https://eibachshop.com/index.php?p22...-springs-bmw-3

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

i believe the 5-22 is for F3/4 with 6-cyl engines.

my eibach knowledge is mostly from this forum and other internet searches. i don't believe there is an american equivalent and use eibachshop.com to determine the eibach spring recommended. eibach/US seems less reliable. johnung has an Eibach/KoniSA combo and is way more informed about it all. he has also contacted eibach, koni and FaRKle!(suspension guru) more than a few times.

personally, i would follow what eibachshop.com recommends, which is the 4-22. the 5-22 spring rates are probably higher and may not work as well for your 328i. hopefully johnung can chime in and inform us more. sorry i cannot provide a better answer but i'm still learning new things as well.

https://eibachshop.com/index.php?p226,eibach-pro-kit-springs-bmw-3

Ok cool, thanks for your help! I think it would be wise of me to stick to the 4-22 springs if the 5-22 springs are designed to carry the extra weight of the 6 cylinder. I get the feeling that if I were to use the 5-22 springs it may ride stiffer and higher than I would hope. Possibly not even improving the xdrive reverse rake.

[alohasurftoad]

Originally Posted by Kirby86

I think it would be wise of me to stick to the 4-22 springs if the 5-22 springs are designed to carry the extra weight of the 6 cylinder. I get the feeling that if I were to use the 5-22 springs it may ride stiffer and higher than I would hope. Possibly not even improving the xdrive reverse rake.

tbh, i was hoping you would "take one for the team" and be the guinea pig to try the 5-22 on the 4-cyl, haha. it will definitely ride stiffer and since the 4-cyl doesn't have as much weight to compress it, i speculate the front ride height would be lower than 4-22 but not as low as 5-22(6-cyl). the problem is we really have no idea of the outcome and if it worked out poorly you'd have to (regretfully) live with it, or spend more $$$ redoing it with the 4-22.

the taller the tire, the less you need to lower it to reduce gap. since your planned summer setup is a quite tall 245/35/20(26.8"), your wheel gaps will still be nice and tight with the 4-22.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by Kirby86

In another thread, you stated that Eibach produces a set of springs with part number E10-20-031-2-22
Which is supposedly the American equivalent to the European 05-22 springs. Can you elaborate any further?

No, the two spring kits are very different. The -02 kit is primarily setup for the RWD 335i/435i while the -05 kit is specified for the heavier European XDrive 335i. Attempting to use either kit on a different car with different axle weights and starting heights, could bring unintended negative results.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by alohasurftoad

i believe the 5-22 is for F3/4 with 6-cyl engines.

my eibach knowledge is mostly from this forum and other internet searches. i don't believe there is an american equivalent and use eibachshop.com to determine the eibach spring recommended. eibach/US seems less reliable. johnung has an Eibach/KoniSA combo and is way more informed about it all. he has also contacted eibach, koni and FaRKle!(suspension guru) more than a few times.

personally, i would follow what eibachshop.com recommends, which is the 4-22. the 5-22 spring rates are probably higher and may not work as well for your 328i. hopefully johnung can chime in and inform us more. sorry i cannot provide a better answer but i'm still learning new things as well.

https://eibachshop.com/index.php?p22...-springs-bmw-3

Here's my two cents about springs...
Below is my typical methodology.

I've gained my knowledge from researching, and also learning from and continuing to learn from FaRKle!

I look to Eibach as a manufacturer first because they have a comprehensive selection of products that they tailor to specific vehicles. Other spring manufacturers tend to have kits that they specify for too wide a range of cars with very different axle weights which doesn't make sense.

I don't even look at the Eibach US catalog anymore. It only contains a small subset of information. I use the Eibach European catalog which shows all of their products for all of the BMW worldwide models. And it shows the details as to which front and rear spring part numbers are contained within an Eibach spring kit.

LINK TO EIBACH GERMANY CATALOG
http://web2.carparts-cat.com/default...004&12=100

Always enter the exact information for your car to retrieve the Eibach spring kit recommendation. You'll see kit part number, estimated front & rear drop for your car (which turned out to be very close for my own car), and the individual part numbers for the front & rear springs contained in the kit. It shows individual specs for those springs. I wish it listed spring rates, but Eibach Tech Support will give them to you over the phone.

They have been excellent for me. But I encourage you to do your homework first. Research the Eibach part numbers and specific questions you have. If you just call like a newbie and say "hey what Eibach spring should I put on my car", you're going to get the same response/part number that you could have looked up yourself in their catalog. But if you do your homework and ask intelligent questions, they will provide technical information that will be helpful.

If you are in the US and you desire an Eibach part number that is difficult to find in the US, then try Tunershop. They are worldwide and ship to the US. Their Tech Support has been excellent too.

NEVER look at a listing in the catalog that was done for another model/type car, and assume that it applies to your car. People often do this with drop estimates. A drop estimate is based on a specific car. If your car is different then that spring set will likely have a different drop on your car.

People often forget spring rates. If the spring rates of a spring set are different from the spring rates intended for your car, then the car is likely to handle differently, possibly worse than your expectations.

A car's suspension is actually complex. It's made up of many parts that form a system. Changing one component can very much effect the entire suspension system positively or negatively. Often Springs should be the first consideration when upgrading/modding a suspension because the spring rates effect the choice of dampers. And spring rates effect the choice of sway bars.

FaRKle! has done a tremendous amount of research and hands-on suspension testing. I encourage folks to check out what he has published in his posts and on his YouTube channel- which is excellent!

Here's the link to his channel:
https://youtube.com/user/FaRKle0079

This video is pertinent to our conversation here:

Hope this helps!