[halcyon_waves]

TL;DR: Which coilovers provide the most minimal drop possible?

I'm getting ready to upgrade the suspension on my 2013 F30 335i M Sport and I finally settled on the Bilstein B14 coilovers, which lower the car 30-50mm in the front. I currently also have an M Perf style front lip, and keep in mind I'm already 10mm lower due to the M Sport suspension. The problem is that my driveway is very steep, and once in a while I'll scrape if I'm not careful enough. I just had a buddy help determine my clearance and it seems like if I attack it at a steep enough angle I have about 2 inches to work with, but I want to also account for the times when traffic won't let me comfortably enter (I live in LA).

I'm wondering if there are other quality coilovers out there that don't lower your car so much? I'd love to go with coilovers if possible - otherwise I'll have to stick to the good ol' shocks n springs (in which case, probably B8's and I don't know which springs yet, but something that won't lower as much but will still enhance performance - maybe Dinan?).

[upsidedownfunnel]

Isn't the 30mm drop based on non M Sport cars? The geometry is the same so it's not like it's a 30mm drop whether you have M Sport or not. It's just a 30mm drop for all F30s. If you have M Sport, it'd be 20-40mm and if I swapped out my M Perf suspension it'd only be 10-30mm.

I've heard KW Street comfort coilovers have the least amount of drop at about 1" in front and rear. They cost a tad more than Bilstein B14s, though. Actually, 30mm is just over 1" so I doubt there's much of a difference, though.

That said, do you really need the adjustability of coilovers or are you just looking for a mild drop and better handling? Because the M Performance suspension is about the same price ($600 for the kit and $450 for springs). It will give you about a 10mm drop on top of your M Sport suspension which is just enough to know it is lower, but not enough to make much of a difference on curbs and driveways. The suspension is a good bit stiffer and the annoying F30 body roll is pretty much eliminated. I'm 175lbs and the car doesn't even move when I get in or out. The car just feels much more planted and sure-footed overall and its handling limits go way up.

[halcyon_waves]

Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel

Isn't the 30mm drop based on non M Sport cars? The geometry is the same so it's not like it's a 30mm drop whether you have M Sport or not. It's just a 30mm drop for all F30s. If you have M Sport, it'd be 20-40mm and if I swapped out my M Perf suspension it'd only be 10-30mm.

I've heard KW Street comfort coilovers have the least amount of drop at about 1" in front and rear. They cost a tad more than Bilstein B14s, though. Actually, 30mm is just over 1" so I doubt there's much of a difference, though.

That said, do you really need the adjustability of coilovers or are you just looking for a mild drop and better handling? Because the M Performance suspension is about the same price ($600 for the kit and $450 for springs). It will give you about a 10mm drop on top of your M Sport suspension which is just enough to know it is lower, but not enough to make much of a difference on curbs and driveways. The suspension is a good bit stiffer and the annoying F30 body roll is pretty much eliminated. I'm 175lbs and the car doesn't even move when I get in or out. The car just feels much more planted and sure-footed overall and its handling limits go way up.

Yeah, I understand that I'm looking at a 20-40mm drop because of my M Sport suspension. Even then, it's still a bit much of a drop considering my driveway/clearance. I also considered perhaps removing my front lip, but it just looks too good :P

I'm thinking coilovers because if I happen to move in the near future to a place with a flatter driveway I'll be able to lower my car even more, but I guess this isn't absolutely necessary. Also getting the matching system always seems like a better idea than different shocks/springs.

How do you like the M Perf suspension? I've looked into it a bit but the only thing stopping me is due to the fact that it's still BMW, and I've read countless posts where members' OEM shocks started to go at around 50-60k (I'm currently at 63K and pretty sure my shocks are done as well). Are they much better constructed than your standard OEM shocks? What's the known/average lifespan for them? I feel like I would trust the Bilstein longevity, and the fact that they have a lifetime warranty. Perhaps B8 + M Perf springs is something I can look at as well. I gotta say, the F30 body roll is really disappointing, especially when you market the car as "M Sport". I live right by one of the curviest freeways in LA (the 110) and my F30 pretty much handles the same as my previous car, a 2005 Mazda6. You mention your car being planted, which is definitely top of my list. How about comfort with the M Perf?

Edit: Just checked pricing on the M Perf suspension kit and it runs pretty much the same as a set of B14s, which is also why I'm leaning towards the coilovers.

[upsidedownfunnel]

Originally Posted by tarheelsauce

Yeah, I understand that I'm looking at a 20-40mm drop because of my M Sport suspension. Even then, it's still a bit much of a drop considering my driveway/clearance. I also considered perhaps removing my front lip, but it just looks too good :P

I'm thinking coilovers because if I happen to move in the near future to a place with a flatter driveway I'll be able to lower my car even more, but I guess this isn't absolutely necessary. Also getting the matching system always seems like a better idea than different shocks/springs.

How do you like the M Perf suspension? I've looked into it a bit but the only thing stopping me is due to the fact that it's still BMW, and I've read countless posts where members' OEM shocks started to go at around 50-60k (I'm currently at 63K and pretty sure my shocks are done as well). Are they much better constructed than your standard OEM shocks? What's the known/average lifespan for them? I feel like I would trust the Bilstein longevity, and the fact that they have a lifetime warranty. Perhaps B8 + M Perf springs is something I can look at as well. I gotta say, the F30 body roll is really disappointing, especially when you market the car as "M Sport". I live right by one of the curviest freeways in LA (the 110) and my F30 pretty much handles the same as my previous car, a 2005 Mazda6. You mention your car being planted, which is definitely top of my list. How about comfort with the M Perf?

Edit: Just checked pricing on the M Perf suspension kit and it runs pretty much the same as a set of B14s, which is also why I'm leaning towards the coilovers.

I like it. It rides over small bumps and road imperfections very well but is very well controlled over all kinds of surfaces. There are some reviews on here so I'd take a look at those. I consider it the single best modification I've done on my car. But the stock suspension was underwhelming to say the least, so maybe that's not saying much. I wanted to keep the car as stock as possible while improving handling and making it look just a bit more aggressive and that's exactly what the MP suspension does.

I can't speak to durability since I've only had mine the past two years and they're obviously still doing fine. I never noticed much of a difference in build quality when I installed them, but I wouldn't say the OEM dampers felt poorly made. Honestly, I'm not sure how i could gauge the potential lifetime of dampers by looking at the construction quality. Coilovers will obviously have much higher build quality since they're meant to be rebuilt and re-used while struts and shocks are disposable.

[halcyon_waves]

Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel

I like it. It rides over small bumps and road imperfections very well but is very well controlled over all kinds of surfaces. There are some reviews on here so I'd take a look at those. I consider it the single best modification I've done on my car. But the stock suspension was underwhelming to say the least, so maybe that's not saying much. I wanted to keep the car as stock as possible while improving handling and making it look just a bit more aggressive and that's exactly what the MP suspension does.

I can't speak to durability since I've only had mine the past two years and they're obviously still doing fine. I never noticed much of a difference in build quality when I installed them, but I wouldn't say the OEM dampers felt poorly made. Honestly, I'm not sure how i could gauge the potential lifetime of dampers by looking at the construction quality. Coilovers will obviously have much higher build quality since they're meant to be rebuilt and re-used while struts and shocks are disposable.

After checking out the reviews it seems like this is exactly what I need - thanks for chiming in and sharing your experience. I did some poking around and getbmwparts.com has a pretty good offering at $1040 for the entire kit + springs for my 2013 335i (not sure why, but the cars manufactured after 1/2015 cost an additional $700 for the exact same suspension - what are the differences?).

At this price, it leads me back to considering the Bilstein B14 which is pretty much the exact same amount, but again, I have clearance issues. I guess if I do go with the MP and the shocks wear out I could just replace with Bilstein B8's. I suppose another downfall of the coilovers is the downtime needed to rebuild.

I was also wondering if you or anyone else knows who manufactures the MP shocks/struts? I can't remember where I read it but someone said either Bilstein or KW.