[MacklinUSOB]

Originally Posted by kern417

Just FYI, my kit came with both (helper spring and the spacer). Without the helper spring, the main spring becomes unloaded when the rear suspension is at full extension. Unless that's the case for yours, it's really not adding anything height-wise because the helper spring compresses fully as soon as you lower the car. Otherwise all it does is keep some tension on the main spring. You can see in this pic with the car jacked up, the helper spring is already extending to keep the main spring in place. When the car is on the ground it's maybe giving a 1/4" of additional height, if that.
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Funnily enough, I have some specific photos on this.

The shop had accidentally installed the helper to the front suspension and left the rear without it. In the photo showing the rear suspension you see the adjustment perch. The shop noted on my invoice that they were to their full safe extension before repositioning the helper. You see the before and after. Now that the helper spring is installed you can see the ride height increase. This also brings my perch to nearly the top of the threads, affording well over an inch of adjustment, on top of the 3/4" I already gained.





My car has a completely separate OE sensor and line holder.

[kern417]

That is really weird. I've also seen some pics of kits that without helper springs at all. But I understand your shop's mistake because I almost did the same thing. Actually the only pic I have of the entire kit shows how I initially assembled them with the helpers up front. And our front shocks have so many threads that it's easy to lower the spring to the point where it doesn't contact the strut mount as well. I guess my kit came with shorter rear springs than yours.

[quick_335i]

Great KW info on this thread!

So to add:

I got everything tightened up and went for a spin, the steering felt good but I was still concerned how it was rubbing when jacked up.

With the car running and on the ground I turned full right all was good, when I went to turn full left I didn't feel anything in the steering, but the sway end link broke off!

When speaking more with KW they stand firm that non EDC car has a different strut housing, and that EDC cars have L and R where non EDC cars both sides are the same.

Can I make this work with adjustable sway bar end links?

Can I flip the end link so it bolts on to the correct side and does not bind?

Kern417 I would love to see how your passenger side looks! these things drive and look great im hoping I can get this to work.

I temporarily removed sway bar so I can move the car around but I need this resolved!!!

[MacklinUSOB]

Originally Posted by quick_335i

Great KW info on this thread!

So to add:

I got everything tightened up and went for a spin, the steering felt good but I was still concerned how it was rubbing when jacked up.

With the car running and on the ground I turned full right all was good, when I went to turn full left I didn't feel anything in the steering, but the sway end link broke off!

When speaking more with KW they stand firm that non EDC car has a different strut housing, and that EDC cars have L and R where non EDC cars both sides are the same.

Can I make this work with adjustable sway bar end links?

Can I flip the end link so it bolts on to the correct side and does not bind?

Kern417 I would love to see how your passenger side looks! these things drive and look great im hoping I can get this to work.

I temporarily removed sway bar so I can move the car around but I need this resolved!!!

Oh shit!! RIP end links. I can confirm that my R&L housings are identical, but we've already illustrated that my set is a bit different than each of yours.

I would assume adjustable links would make it work without snapping them, but I feel like they really shouldn't have snapped in the first place and that might just be covering up another issue...

Interested in seeing Kern's Passenger well, too.

[kern417]

Dagnabbit. You scared me enough to go check in the middle of the work day, and sure enough mines snapped too. I stuck my phone camera in the wheel well and it's hard to see because it's still tucked up in the proper location, but if I look closely I can see it's not connected to the bracket.

So what's the difference? Just the EDC cars have different endlinks?

Edit: EDC cars have a different endlink for the front right. Part number 31306792212. I'm about to order it.
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=31_0951

[MacklinUSOB]

Originally Posted by kern417

Dagnabbit. You scared me enough to go check in the middle of the work day, and sure enough mines snapped too. I stuck my phone camera in the wheel well and it's hard to see because it's still tucked up in the proper location, but if I look closely I can see it's not connected to the bracket.

So what's the difference? Just the EDC cars have different endlinks?

Edit: EDC cars have a different endlink for the front right. Part number 31306792212. I'm about to order it.
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=31_0951
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Who woulda thunk! That is very interesting. Glad you caught it.

[kern417]

Originally Posted by MacklinUSOB

Who woulda thunk! That is very interesting. Glad you caught it.

Me too. The way it snapped I would have never noticed without sticking my head all the way in the wheel well, because even now it's still pointing straight up where it was before.

Recently I put new wheels and tires on and I have been chasing a weird issue where only my front left wheel rubs in weird times, but my right wheel doesn't. It makes sense that they are both traveling in different manners when going over bumps/around turns with only one endlink attached. Hopefully this fixes my issue.

[quick_335i]

Originally Posted by kern417

Me too. The way it snapped I would have never noticed without sticking my head all the way in the wheel well, because even now it's still pointing straight up where it was before.

Recently I put new wheels and tires on and I have been chasing a weird issue where only my front left wheel rubs in weird times, but my right wheel doesn't. It makes sense that they are both traveling in different manners when going over bumps/around turns with only one endlink attached. Hopefully this fixes my issue.

Jeez glad this got noticed so you can get that hooked back up!

Can you let me know when the part comes in if it fits? I am going to be ordering the same one im hoping I can properly use these coils with the new EDC sway bar endlink.

[kern417]

Will do. It just came in and I should be installing it this evening. It's $15+shipping on Rockauto.

[total0wnage]

Good thing the used set of KW's I found were edc cause I have a edc car! Interested to see what else comes up.

[kern417]

Everything installed fine. The main difference between the two is that they have different orientation. You can see where mine broke, basically the bearing popped out of the end of the endlink. But It stayed sitting straight up and between that and still seeing something attached to the arm on the strut, it just never registered that it was broken for all the times i've had the wheels off for other things. Whatever it was that broke it, it definitely got torqued in their hard though. I went through one of my T30s before hitting it with an impact wrench to at least loosen it up.

The new endlink is Delphi brand, hence the different look. No plastic on the ends, the nut is slightly bigger (17mm vs 16mm) and counter hold in the endlink tip is different (5mm allen vs T30). It was $15 vs $50+ for OEM from the dealership or other websites. Purchased from RockAuto.

Link:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/partsear...um=31306792212
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...1928&jsn=10407

Pics

[s3ri3s1]

Was the part that held the ball in place made of plastic on the factory one?

[kern417]

Originally Posted by s3ri3s1

Was the part that held the ball in place made of plastic on the factory one?

I didn't do a close inspection, but I didn't see any metal inside it. You can see in the pics the housing is basically just plastic with grease inside. The Delphi style one is what I'm used to seeing on other platforms being all metal, but I'm sure the plastic is cheaper so BMW went with that.

[s3ri3s1]

Originally Posted by kern417

I didn't do a close inspection, but I didn't see any metal inside it. You can see in the pics the housing is basically just plastic with grease inside. The Delphi style one is what I'm used to seeing on other platforms being all metal, but I'm sure the plastic is cheaper so BMW went with that.

It blows my mind that that piece would be made from plastic. Just based on this post, I ordered a new end link (metal) as my KWs should be here later on this week.

[kern417]

Originally Posted by s3ri3s1

It blows my mind that that piece would be made from plastic. Just based on this post, I ordered a new end link (metal) as my KWs should be here later on this week.

Definitely not a bad idea. I didn't think twice about it since my car has less than 5k miles and everything is so new I don't see it failing any time soon, but it's obvious where most of the stress will go in hard turns/bumps.

[quick_335i]

great that worked out.

So I was about to order a stock EDC end link to replace my broken non EDC endlink when I thought, since my car is pretty low should I upgrade to adjustable sway bar end links?

Is this worth the money, also what brand?

[kern417]

No, no benefit for street driving. Kind of like coilovers, it's just another way tor corner balance your car if you want to apply more torque to one side or the other. It's actually safer to get OEM so both sides are the same length and respond the same way.

I'm maybe 1/2" from all the way down in the front. I raised it after swapping the endlinks to get rid of some rubbing I had with 245 tires up front. But I was plenty low previously with my stock wheels.

[s3ri3s1]

Wait, you live in Cincy and drive it that low! You are a brave man!

I have mine about an inch above the tire tread and the roads in KY/TN aren't too bad.

[kern417]

Originally Posted by s3ri3s1

Wait, you live in Cincy and drive it that low! You are a brave man!

I have mine about an inch above the tire tread and the roads in KY/TN aren't too bad.

Granted I don't drive it everywhere and I have pretty good luck with my typical routes. It makes it in and out of my driveway just fine. The only thing that scrapes are the little plastic flaps under the bumper that are supposed to direct air around the wheels, but that doesn't really bother me.

But if I have to drive through downtown, aka the pothole warzone, I usually take the X5 lol.