[LaLakers91tc]

Originally Posted by CT335xi

Wilazn you say there stiff , how would you compare them to a 335xi with 17inch rft on stock suspension? My car really feels harsh on broken up pavement and potholes as if there isn't even a suspension. My car has 35000 miles and the suspension just flat out sucks. I have a evo 8 on Tein coilovers set on a firm setting and it does't bang like the bmw.

Will's car os really stiff, and the impacts on the road are definitely on the harsh side, but thats what you pay for when you want a low car and go handling.

Now to go against what everyone is saying, I have H&R sports with new ZSP shocks (I had non zsp, and put new zsp ones in when I put the H&R's in), and I've had this set up for well over 30k miles, and the shocks have not blown yet, but the roads where I live in NJ are very smooth, so that is probably why they have lasted this long. I installed them myself so I was not worried about the financial hit of replacing them, and once they blow I will get some Koni Yellow's but untill them, its not that bad. Although with NY's fucking terrible roads, you might be better off replacing the shocks now.... but its not as bad as everyone makes it out to be

[D335NUTZ]

When i was on Stock suspension on my xi with 17" RFT i hated it. I had so much body roll and the ride was bouncy as fuck. THE RFT made u feel everything on the road because the sidewalls are thick as fuck. mad hitting a pothole sound like you got shot by a shotgun.

[DonJuan360]

I had rft and switched to 19 real tyres and the ride was much better and the wheel gap was greatly reduced ...now im thinking of getting BMW sport spring/shock because h&r will lower it too much and make it ride more stiff.


Anyone who has done this please chime in. I have e92 xi

[Freelo]

You could consider the BMW performance springs--I think they make them for xi. And then pair with konis or BMW performance shocks.

There must be people on the forum with this combo.

I have RWD with Koni sport and BMW performance springs and am very happy.

[Waylo]

fellas,
I have a '08 335xi coupe w/ 30k miles on it that I bought used. It's my DD in NYC - I never plan to take it to the track.

I've switched out the tires for continental, so no RFT's. 18"

The suspension is pretty lame, I was expecting more from a BMW. I can feel every single bump and at higher speeds the car tends to feel unstable and wobbly.

What's the recommendation for the best investment to improve the car's handling? I'd rather do it right and enjoy it for the next 30-50k miles.

Is there a good option for the xi? I want comfort and for the car to feel solid on the road - great handling.

I don't care about lowering the car - I just want better handling.

Also, where do I go to get the job done? NYC area please.

Thanks!

[gtrokin330]

I had KW V2's on my e92 and i drove from Manhattan to Nassau almost daily for 2 years. The coils held up and were a VERY comfortable ride. I nailed a couple potholes a little too hard and it damaged the front coils. Oh and my car was leased...i dont see the problem with putting coils on a leased car because its only going to cost you take them out and you can just resell them...

Coils were the best mod i ever did.

[tofu-]

this is what i run on my e92: http://hpashop.com/HPA-E82-E9X-Koni-...it-e82-e9x.htm

they make a version for XI as well for around the same price.

my advice is as follows:

1) Don't even consider springs without a strut upgrade. It's horrible. I don't care what anyone says.
2) Bilsteins are going to rattle your teeth out. They're unnecessarily harsh, especially for a street setup.
3) KWs are fine for comfort, but from my limited experience with them, they're too bouncy; likely due to the progressive springs.

My koni/swift setup is at the very least EQUAL to stock comfort (better IMO, but that is subjective) and is better than anything KW is offering from a pure performance point of view.


edit: and to be fair there are much better offerings that are in different classes, but expect to pay more than $2k for them.

[kamek]

Def Koni/Bilstein if you're keeping the springs.

I have KW V1's and no regrets.

[RedKev335]

First off welcome OP

To each they own in this forums i see people swear by a spring/shocks combo and some by Coilovers.

I'll share my Personal exp and hopefully level you up lol
I too have a xi (coupe) but like your sedan the wheel gap is horrendous.
I took more noticed after i threw on some 19's you could literally see my springs and shocks when looking....sigh

With the stock suspension it would bang hard on bumps and that was on 17's i couldn't take the stock ride with the 19's for even a week. I went with KW v1's best choice i ever made its a more of a soft ride and i didn't drop it to the floor or i would never get up my driveway ::

Keep in mind the Kw's are not stiff at all actually i think it's more comfortable than stock, so if your looking for a more "stiff" ride i would go with something else. (or i could be wrong and if you drop it to the floor it'll be stiffer...fellow E90ers chime in anytime)
The car should have came this way to me why does BMW put crappy high rise suspension on there xi's..lol

Anyway good luck in your choice

[danniexi]

my two cents:

Maybe I'm getting old or I just have a horrible back, but the ride on the KW V1's were horrendous. Not to mention the build quality is sub-par.

I'm now on H&R/Bilstein combo for a couple thousands miles. And while the ride is better than the V1's, it is still a litttle stiff and a bit uncomfortable for my taste, especially in NJ/NY.

Don't get me wrong. The handling was absolutely fabulous in the V1's. Carving up through curves were effortless, as if the car were on rails. The H&R/Bilstein combo is decent. I can still sense a tiny bit of roll, but nothing compared to boat-like turns of the OEM suspension. But again, for a daily driven car, the ride is unacceptable.

Now, after doing more reading, I've read that the Koni shocks are much better in terms of ride/comfort in comparison to the Bilsteins. (IIRC, Bilstein's are monotube, which are better for higher spring rates, and the Koni's are twin tube shocks, better for street spring rates).

Hopefully this summer, I'll be switching out the bilsteins for the Koni Yellows, finding that perfect combination between handling and comfort.