[alddiem415]

Hello everyone!! Newbie here!! Bought a 2011 335i xdrive a week ago.
Wheel and fender is just too big of a gap.
It is my DD and i live in Jersey

Not planning on slamming the car. Priority is Comfort

Thinking about same height with 335i sport suspension. Probably 1" drop all around.

Im on stock wheel for now
Budget around $1600

1. What's the best setup for a dd and comfort is top priority?
2. Coilover or shock/spring combo?
3. What Brand of coilover?
4. What spring/shock combo?
Edit QUOTE

[Go Horns!]

If comfort is a top priority, you need to maintain a "flat ride" spring ratio of the front spring to the rear spring. BMW designs the springs to provide the car with what is known as a "flat ride." The natural frequency of the front spring is lower than the rear so that when you go over a bump the rear suspension can "catch up" to the front. If you don't maintain close to OEM ratios, then you get a jarring ride.

Most aftermarket springs and coilovers increase the front spring rate too much when compared to the rear. And that is not much of a problem on the track where the road is smooth. But out on the street, you will feel the car pitching (your head gets tossed from the front to the back) because the springs cannot sync up. The pitching is what causes factory shocks to wear out because you need increased dampening to control it. So when you add aftermarket shocks with increased dampening, to control the out of whack springs, your ride gets stiffer and less comfortable.

Stock spring rates for xi are 145 /460 (lb/in) (3.17 ratio).

You can get M-Factory coilovers right now for about $1300 after shipping. They are using a "flat ride" spring ratio design. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1335186

You might also be able to get Swift Lowering springs. The ratio is not perfect for "flat ride," but it is better than nearly any other lowering spring.

[SE7EN335]

Originally Posted by alddiem415

Hello everyone!! Newbie here!! Bought a 2011 335i xdrive a week ago.
Wheel and fender is just too big of a gap.
It is my DD and i live in Jersey

Not planning on slamming the car. Priority is Comfort

Thinking about same height with 335i sport suspension. Probably 1" drop all around.

Im on stock wheel for now
Budget around $1600

1. What's the best setup for a dd and comfort is top priority?
2. Coilover or shock/spring combo?
3. What Brand of coilover?
4. What spring/shock combo?
Edit QUOTE

Eibach Pro-kit with Koni Yellows. Cut your bump stops front and back exactly 1 inch OR replace your bump stops with e36 m3 fronts and Z4M rears. So your suspension travel can be maintained as close to OEM as possible. The ride will be certainly firmer but over bumps and imperfections it tackles it much better than stock suspension. Don't make the mistake I did when I installed the shocks and springs and didn't cut the front bump stop and only the rear as stated by Eibach instructions. It turned out the front had little suspension travel whilst the rear had substantially more and so the ride quality on the front was harsher than the rear substantially. More suspension travel equals more dampening force of the shock on compression. I cut the front bump stops just under 1 inch and now the front and rear are at the perfect ride quality with half way between full stiff and full soft on the rebound dampening.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by alddiem415

Hello everyone!! Newbie here!! Bought a 2011 335i xdrive a week ago.
Wheel and fender is just too big of a gap.
It is my DD and i live in Jersey

Not planning on slamming the car. Priority is Comfort

Thinking about same height with 335i sport suspension. Probably 1" drop all around.

Im on stock wheel for now
Budget around $1600

1. What's the best setup for a dd and comfort is top priority?
2. Coilover or shock/spring combo?
3. What Brand of coilover?
4. What spring/shock combo?
Edit QUOTE

You will have a hard time trying to find a kit that will drop your suspension down on an AWD car. Kits are out there, but they are far and few between.

Bilstein and Koni, which are probably the most popular choices on this forum, do not make a kit that will drop your suspension.

FCP Euro offers a lifetime warranty on all parts. They have a coil over kit for your car for $995.00 made by BC.

Make sure you have the special strut sockets. You can buy them at ECS tuning.

KW might be another option at $1020.00 at ECS tuning.

Also, you are looking at another $200.00 in surroundings parts like strut bearings and bump stops and the like. Lemforder is the OEM supplier.

For the money, I'd go with a Bilstein 8 ($775) or Koni FSD 2100 kit ($883)

[alddiem415]

Chris from stutmonkey suggested bilstein b4 with eibach pro

I dont see any eibach pro for awd.. i only see rwd..

Can i use rwd springs?

What other parts do i need/replace?
Tophats?