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      05-03-2017, 01:50 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehatchblack View Post
Yeah I don't mind renting (for free) a spring compressor. I just want to make the install and storage as easy as possible.

Does anyone have the part numbers for the top hats and whatever else I'll need?
You can look it up on RealOEM.
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      05-03-2017, 03:20 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
This is super helpful but any idea where to get the torque specs for the various bolts?
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      05-03-2017, 03:23 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anthony412 View Post
This is super helpful but any idea where to get the torque specs for the various bolts?
I believe the torque specs are in the PDF I posted at the beginning of the thread.
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      05-04-2017, 11:53 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
I believe the torque specs are in the PDF I posted at the beginning of the thread.
Thanks. Got it. I was initially confused by the terminology used, ie:Tightening torque 34 11 2AZ

Found the specs at the end. Thanks again!
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      05-04-2017, 12:07 PM   #27
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Just a couple of tips guys...for those of you who are buying an extra set of top hats, you might as well buy the shock spreader tool as well. Don't use a chisel or some other device not meant to spread the shock. In addition, the front shock will "swing" out from underneath the fender;make sure you either cover the top of shock or the actual fender with a towel. The last thing you want to do, is scratch your paint or dent your car.
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      05-04-2017, 02:39 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zcspec View Post
Just a couple of tips guys...for those of you who are buying an extra set of top hats, you might as well buy the shock spreader tool as well. Don't use a chisel or some other device not meant to spread the shock. In addition, the front shock will "swing" out from underneath the fender;make sure you either cover the top of shock or the actual fender with a towel. The last thing you want to do, is scratch your paint or dent your car.
Used a big flat screwdriver to spread the knuckle, worked fine.
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      06-17-2017, 03:15 PM   #29
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BMW M Performance Suspension Kit assembly

Some free time at last...

I was able to start the BMW M Performance Suspension Kit assembly this weekend while my girlfriend was doing an oil change for her 2016 X3 35i. This is the first time I've worked on suspension... ever. I plan on actually installing it into my 2014 335i M Sport RWD SAT next weekend.

Here's a picture of the BMW DIY crowd at APG Auto Crafts Shop:




Tools used:
  • Schwaben 18mm Strut Socket for front strut (allows the use of an Allen key to counter-hold the strut)
  • 6mm Allen key for front strut
  • 5mm Allen key for rear strut
  • 16mm go-through socket set for rear strut (Schwaben did not sell a 16mm Strut socket and the torque specification was only 3x N-m so hand tight with 3/8" rachet go through socket was sufficient)


Here are a few notes from my assembly:
  • Lay out the parts prior to assembling. There aren't many parts so it should not be too complex. A quick peak at the parts diagram from RealOEM should be sufficient to figure out how the top hat, bump stops, upper spring perch/boot, spring, lower spring perch, and strut go together.
  • Receive and seek advice on how to use a spring compressor if you are unfamiliar with its operation. I ended up using the shop's wall mounted spring compressor which made the job pretty easy. I still had to consult with some of the staff to make sure it was set up correctly so I didn't end up killing myself or other people.
  • You'll have to make sure the spring is positioned correctly with the wall mounted unit. If it's not, the spring might twist while you're compressing/de-compressing it.
  • We ended up compressing from the top hat because the springs are relatively short compared to the average vehicle setup.
  • Make sure you properly line up the end of the springs with the spring pads notches. Not doing so means you'll have to put the entire assembly back onto the spring compressor and make adjustments which is more time consuming than doing it right in the first place.
  • Front strut collar nut will take quite a few rotations before you hit the torque spec. Be prepared to re-position that strut socket with Allen key for a bit.
  • Rear struts are relatively easy. See note on 16mm go through sockets above.


Using a wall mounted spring compressor for assembly:




Fully assembled kit ready for install next weekend:





On a side note my girlfriend and I added a DeWalt DCK398HM2 combo kit to our tool collection this past week:



It came in handy for her tire rotation while we were at the APG Auto Crafts Shop:
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      06-17-2017, 04:53 PM   #30
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I had to do a double take, your photos look just like the auto hobby shop on SJAFB.
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      06-25-2017, 06:50 AM   #31
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I attempted to install my M Performance Suspension yesterday but experienced a fail along the way so I'll be attempting it again in approximately 2 weeks. The short story is that I applied the wrong torque setting to the hex bolts that fasten the front top hat to the strut tower. My car originally came with M10 (steel) bolts that are spec'd to 41 ft. lbs. + 90 degrees. The M Performance Suspension kit comes with the weaker M8 (aluminum) bolts that are spec'd to 21 ft. lbs. + 90 degrees. The M8 bolts sheared off inside the top mount and I had to spend an extra hour or two dissembling the front spring/strut assembling and extracting the partial bolt.

Regardless, here's a few items that you may want to order since the M Performance Suspension kit doesn't have or doesn't have enough of if your install doesn't go perfect:

- Strut bar to strut tower Torx bolt
- Extra M8/M10 top-hat (guide support) to strut tower bolts
- Sway bar to strut nut
- Steering knucke bolt + nut
- M12 self-locking collar nut (if you somehow need to disassemble the front spring strut assembly, you'll need a new nut and these are also used in the rear to secure bottom of strut to control arm)
- Hex screw + self locking collar nut (secures rear control arms to wheel carrier)

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      07-08-2017, 08:02 PM   #32
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Success!

We finally installed the M Performance Suspension kit on our 2nd attempt.

Our 1st attempted ended in a failure because we applied the M10 (steel bolt) torque spec to the top hat to strut tower M8 (aluminum) bolts about 2 weeks ago. It sheared the M8 aluminum bolts inside the top hat which we were able to extract after disassembling the spring strut assembly due to the taper direction.


Here are some pictures and comments in *rough* (not exact) order... This is not meant to be comprehensive. It is meant to supplement the official procedures found in either ISTAD and/or Bentley Service Manual. I have posted the ISTAD PDFs earlier in this thread.


Front Suspension


Do not re-use any bolts/nuts that the manual (PDF or Bentley Service Manual) states to replace.


Make sure when you position your car on a lift, you account for the fact that your car may sit lower once you replace the suspension.


Unclip your ride height sensor.


Remove the brake hose clips.




Remove all the lines/cables/wires.






Remove the nut securing the tie rod links to strut. I used a 3/8 electric impact to remove, but I used go-thru sockets and an alley key for the re-install.




Remove bolt securing steering knuckle to strut. You'll need a 16mm and 18mm socket.


This will allow you to remove that bracket which previously secured a lot of your wires.


Support the weight of the front hub assembly using a jack.




Remove the top hat to strut tower bolts along with the strut brace to top hat/strut tower Torx bolt. The Torx bolt removal can be done with a standard hex socket but we ended buying inverted Torx sockets just to be safe. I believe it was either an E18 or E20 socket (more likely E20 socket) that worked.




Using the knuckle spreader tool so that the knuckle isn't clamping to the bottom of the strut.


Make sure you have protected the paint around the edges of the front quarter panel.
Push the entire hub assembly as far downwards as possible. This will probably require 2 people: 1 to push the hub assembly down and 1 to guide the spring strut assembly out of the hub/knuckle.


Remove the spring strut assembly out. You may need to rotate either the top hat or the assembly to avoid scratching the paint.


Re-install in reverse order. Follow the torque specifications in the PDFs I have posted earlier.


The install should look somewhat like this:









Rear Suspension

The install of the rear suspension is much easier.


Remove your rear control arm covers.


Unclip all your wires/hoses to allow for move vertical movement of the control arm.


Place a jack underneath the rear control arm and apply slight force upwards on the control arm. This will help you remove the strut to control arm bolt. Remember to counter hold the other side of this bolt during removal.




Remove the strut by using inverted Torx sockets on the three Torx bolts connecting the top hat to the strut tower.




Now it's time to remove the spring. Take your jack and apply significant pressure on the bottom of the control arm. Make sure you're not placing the pad directly underneath the rear hub because that will not allow the control arm to clear the rear hub. Position your jack pad the way I have done two pictures above.


Now remove the bolt connecting the rear control arm to rear hub. If I remember correctly, you needed a 20mm or 22mm socket for this. Remember to counter hold the other side of the bolt/nut while you do this.


This part was challenging. Everytime we were in the process of removing this bolt, it would clear one side of the control arm and then the bolt would be forced at a weird angle that prevented a clean removal. You'll have to play with the jack to get the alignment right. An impact wrench will definitely make this part a lot easier.


Once you remove the bolt, allow the control arm to drop. You may have to pull it down a bit and then you'll be able to remove the original springs.


Re-install is in reverse order. As you jack up the control arm back into position with the new spring seated properly, you may need to either push or pull the control arm forward/backwards to get the hole lined up for the control arm to rear hub bolt. A bolt alignment tool may help you do this quicker.


Don't torque these bolts to spec yet. We'll do this once we have the shock installed and used the jack to apply enough force that the spring is compressed to what it might look like once the car is back on the ground.


Install the strut by hand compressing it so you can insert it back into position. Seat the top hats and secure those Torx bolts into the strut tower. Align the bottom of the strut to the holes in the control arm. This will probably require you to rotate the strut a bit. Now use the jack to position the control arm in such a way that the strut to control arm bolt will slide right through. Torque the Torx bolts at the top hat.


Compress the control arm a bit more with the jack and now torque down all your bolts.


It should look like this:







Review of BMW M Performance Suspension Kit (vs. original 704 passive Sport Suspension with 77,000 miles)

It's a huge improvement!

Body roll is significantly reduced. The floaty feeling of the original Sport suspension is gone. There's significantly more cornering grip and much better control through successive corners like S-corners.

Traction is also increased. There's almost no DSC intervention when exiting out of corners hard. Having the M Performance Limited Slip Differential is a contributing factor as well.

Braking is slightly improved. When you apply the brakes, the front end dips less which means that weight transfer is being applied more efficiently.

The noise and vibration has increased but it's not significant. The bright side is that the engineers at BMW have determined the optimal point where handling is significantly improved but noise/vibration/harshness is only slightly increased as far as a spring/strut combination. You'll be hard pressed to find a better spring/strut combo. High end coilovers such as Ohlins Road and Track and AST 5200 will still be better.

I'm headed out to a HPDE at Summit Point in a few weeks and will report back.

Here's a video after the install for your viewing pleasure:

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      07-08-2017, 08:28 PM   #33
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Nice work! With the right tools and specs, this isn't too daunting of a task. I'm actually considering redoing my suspension and going with PSS10s over my EDC. For track use, the EDC with H&R springs AND...Dinan's shockware doesn't feel confidence inspiring enough for me.
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      07-09-2017, 07:44 PM   #34
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      07-09-2017, 11:34 PM   #35
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      07-10-2017, 10:19 AM   #36
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Polo - man I needed these instructions 2 years ago when I did the PSS10 install.
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      07-10-2017, 11:14 AM   #37
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high level question, aside from adjusting height, is there any difference between installing coilovers vs springs & struts?

I guess is it any more difficult to install coilovers? Looking to DIY then take to shop for alignment afterwards.
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      07-10-2017, 12:42 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _bdiddyb_ View Post
Polo - man I needed these instructions 2 years ago when I did the PSS10 install.
Usually, I only upgrade when I need to replace the original parts due to its service life coming to an end. My stock suspension has lasted me 78,000 miles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Insane435 View Post
high level question, aside from adjusting height, is there any difference between installing coilovers vs springs & struts?

I guess is it any more difficult to install coilovers? Looking to DIY then take to shop for alignment afterwards.
It shouldn't be more difficult to install coil-overs. The challenge really comes down to whether you've done this procedure before and have some experience. Fortunately, the BMW kit comes with all the necessary components to break this install into a 2 part process: assembly of the spring/strut and the actual install into the vehicle. You don't need to re-use parts that are on the original spring/strut.

If you decide to go the route of re-using parts, then you take the risk of not being able to complete the procedure and not being able to quickly revert to the previous setup if something goes wrong.
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      07-10-2017, 01:32 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
Usually, I only upgrade when I need to replace the original parts due to its service life coming to an end. My stock suspension has lasted me 78,000 miles.



It shouldn't be more difficult to install coil-overs. The challenge really comes down to whether you've done this procedure before and have some experience. Fortunately, the BMW kit comes with all the necessary components to break this install into a 2 part process: assembly of the spring/strut and the actual install into the vehicle. You don't need to re-use parts that are on the original spring/strut.

If you decide to go the route of re-using parts, then you take the risk of not being able to complete the procedure and not being able to quickly revert to the previous setup if something goes wrong.
If I DIY this, I will 100% be doing the 2 stage process. I want it to be just a simple unbolting of the old and installing the new.

With that being said, aside from ride height adjustment, why pick coilovers over spring sturt combos?
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      07-10-2017, 06:14 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Insane435 View Post
If I DIY this, I will 100% be doing the 2 stage process. I want it to be just a simple unbolting of the old and installing the new.

With that being said, aside from ride height adjustment, why pick coilovers over spring sturt combos?
You may want to look at post #31 and evaluate whether you want to order a few extra bolts/nuts just in case.

As for why coilovers or spring/strut combos, the high end coilovers will perform better both in terms of performance and comfort. There is no doubt in my mind that the Ohlins Road and Track will outperform the BMW M Performance Suspension kit.

However, there's a few reasons to go with a spring/strut combo. Since the M Performance Suspension kit includes all the components to separate the install into two stages without needing to re-use old components, it made it easier for someone who is new to suspension installs. Also, coilovers will eventually need to be sent in for re-builds. I believe Ohlins recommends every 30,000 miles for optimum performance. This may cause some downtown and inconvenience if this is your daily driver. With a spring/strut combo, it's as easy as order new shocks/struts.
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      07-10-2017, 09:01 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
You may want to look at post #31 and evaluate whether you want to order a few extra bolts/nuts just in case.

As for why coilovers or spring/strut combos, the high end coilovers will perform better both in terms of performance and comfort. There is no doubt in my mind that the Ohlins Road and Track will outperform the BMW M Performance Suspension kit.

However, there's a few reasons to go with a spring/strut combo. Since the M Performance Suspension kit includes all the components to separate the install into two stages without needing to re-use old components, it made it easier for someone who is new to suspension installs. Also, coilovers will eventually need to be sent in for re-builds. I believe Ohlins recommends every 30,000 miles for optimum performance. This may cause some downtown and inconvenience if this is your daily driver. With a spring/strut combo, it's as easy as order new shocks/struts.
Yea having downtime and removing the entire suspension is not exactly something I want to do. Whats the best strut/spring combo I can get? I do not want H&Rs because of how many people complain about the ride quality. I hear good things about the Dinan springs but not sure which sturts i should get. I dont want to sacrifice ride comfort, yet I do want improved handling because I will be tracking.
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      07-10-2017, 09:36 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Insane435 View Post
Yea having downtime and removing the entire suspension is not exactly something I want to do. Whats the best strut/spring combo I can get? I do not want H&Rs because of how many people complain about the ride quality. I hear good things about the Dinan springs but not sure which sturts i should get. I dont want to sacrifice ride comfort, yet I do want improved handling because I will be tracking.
I'm not convinced there are any great spring/strut combos for xDrives at the moment. No reputable company makes a complete solution. Mixing and matching is trial and error.
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      07-11-2017, 08:14 AM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
I'm not convinced there are any great spring/strut combos for xDrives at the moment. No reputable company makes a complete solution. Mixing and matching is trial and error.
What about coilovers?
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      07-13-2017, 07:08 AM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mdai245 View Post
Where do you get these docs? From the rheingold software?

Anything for the F32? Ridiculous labor qoutes on dinan springs are making me contemplate DIY
I want Dinan springs installed in my car and I've gotten quotes from $275 (independent) up to $2,5000 (dealership) . Some of the labor charges are unreal!
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