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[chris55552]

Hi folks can anyone help? I have a 2012 e92 328i xdrive coupe, manual tran with 80k miles on it now and my suspension is fixen to get overhauled. I have a cv boot that needs repair and while im at it thought it would be good to replace the front shocks and other components in the suspension based off the forum members experience and knowledge. I know the struts need replacing, and the control arms, would it be wise to change out things like the strut mounts, any of the bushings, bars, grommets or just anthing in bettween the tires and strut mounts? Also looking for a smoother ride and ditching the run flats. any suggestions for a quiet as possible all season tire, and type of replacement strut? Thanks in advance for taking time to read and offer suggestions.

[crashoverride]

So many questions. getting rid of runflats best upgrade ever smoother quieter ride. Just be sure to have towing or roadside insurance.
I just bought all the bits needed for an undercarriage refresh new shocks (I got b4 shocks for my 2006 e90 sport suspension) they also sell a kit for new mounting hardware (i got as well). I also got a 10 piece control arm kit. Check out ECS and Turner for parts.

Side note: I had to replace the wheel bearings at 160k miles for all four wheels.

[chris55552]

wow how does your motor and vehicle feel at that mileage? Really im trying to give mine the sporty bmw feel maybe 1 notch better than factory but then again I have an x drive model so I might be limited to what i am able to do with it. Im probably going to get like a koni kit with all 4 shocks and struts. Is it worthwhile to replaace the front springs?

[crashoverride]

Springs more affect the stance and ride height than anything. They really don't wear out

[chris55552]

If you were me what would you change on a 2012 328i xdrive to suck as much driving improvement as possible out of it? Im new to the mod world and dont know much about suspension systems but learning more and more from you guys so thank you for any and all advice. I cuss the run flats on it daily and they will be gone by the end of the month. Have a 4k bill to pay for my x3...35i. One of my cylinders lost compression and required an engine replacement, I was fortunate instead of paying 15k for a new N55 BMW of North america covered about 3/4 of the cost of the new engine. You talk about a sick feeling being at a repair shop and them breaking that news to you....

[335i54n]

imo in this order

rims and tires to run 245/40/18 or 255/35 square
rear subframe bushing inserts and diff brace
front sway bar
full suspension refresh

[crashoverride]

Originally Posted by 335i54n

imo in this order

rims and tires to run 245/40/18 or 255/35 square
rear subframe bushing inserts and diff brace
front sway bar
full suspension refresh

I would push back in that you might want to get your suspension fixed up before adding new tires as a bad suspension will prematurely wear out good new tires. Which the tire shop will not honor the warranty on if wear is suspension related.

[mattanderson]

If you don't care about lowering, I'd leave the springs alone and get some replacement Bilsteins + all fresh mounting hardware + bushings if possible. Then rear subframe inserts and an alignment.

For a nice street setup, I'd argue that stock springs, wheels, and swaybars are all fine.

The Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 is at the top of the performance all-season class (quiet, comfortable, great performance, OK treadwear), but I'm considering the new budget-friendly Falken FK460 to replace my worn-out Michelins to save some dough.

[chris55552]

Ive really been looking for a good performer that is quiet, im willing to sacrifice a little performance for a quieter ride, I see the michelin sports 4s are highly regarded and its tempting me big time.

[crashoverride]

The Continental DWS is a highly regarded tire and it comes with the bonus of having DWS stamped on tire tread... So once "S" wears off it's no longer good for Snow and when the "W" wears off it's no longer good on wet roads etc...

[whyzee125]

For a good quiet all season, I'd recommend Continental DWS06+ or Michelin AS4. I would go for Koni yellow shocks for a smooth ride but a little sportier than stock. Good luck!

[chris55552]

appreciate your input. Havent heard a negative thing yet about the Michelins, usually the feedback I read on them is things like best tire Ive ever owned....I listen to the people..

[whyzee125]

Keep us posted on what you end up doing! I've been trying to get my car/road feel dialed in and I finally nailed it this last weekend. It's a great feeling to finally get it feeling how you want!

[chris55552]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

Keep us posted on what you end up doing! I've been trying to get my car/road feel dialed in and I finally nailed it this last weekend. It's a great feeling to finally get it feeling how you want!

Id love to know which route you went and the things that had the biggest impact, i know its late response but im getting ready to pull the trigger on all this at the end of the month. So far my plans are as follows.
I have an XI so im limited, the thing i have going for me is I dont need alot to be pleased, ill never see a track and dont drive spirited often. I just like haviing a good well sorted confidence inspiring susprnsion tha hugs corners.

Front control arms replaced and probably bushings
Probably Koni active on stock springs
Wheel change from style 338s, to 157. 8lb weight reduction at all four corners helps with unsprung mass.
And tire change to pilot sports or continental DSW 06.

[whyzee125]

Originally Posted by chris55552

Id love to know which route you went and the things that had the biggest impact, i know its late response but im getting ready to pull the trigger on all this at the end of the month. So far my plans are as follows.
I have an XI so im limited, the thing i have going for me is I dont need alot to be pleased, ill never see a track and dont drive spirited often. I just like haviing a good well sorted confidence inspiring susprnsion tha hugs corners.

Front control arms replaced and probably bushings
Probably Koni active on stock springs
Wheel change from style 338s, to 157. 8lb weight reduction at all four corners helps with unsprung mass.
And tire change to pilot sports or continental DSW 06.

Good luck, it's very satisfying indeed! My setup is as follows:

-335i 6at rwd

-M3 front control arms and zero toe alignment
-M3 strut brace
-KW street comfort coilovers
-xDrive front mounts for additional travel
-Dinan rear upper shock mounts
-Mfactory LSD
-Bimmerworld solid aluminum subframe bushings
-Apex ARC-8, 18x9 et30 front, 18x9.5 et34 rear
-255 front, 265 rear DWS06+

In hindsight I would not do solid subframe mounts. It adds a lot of harshness over certain surfaces and overall just feels much less refined. Noise and harshness are slightly increased while vibrations are transmitted much more into the cabin.

Everything else I'm pretty happy with. My KWs did NOT like being lowered much but by using the xDrive mounts up front and Dinan mounts in the rear I was able to get to a good compromise where it still sits a good bit lower than stock but retains more travel. Aside from the rear bushings, the ride quality is good enough to pass as a factory setup with very little NVH but handling is a lot quicker and more responsive than stock.

Things that make a huge difference IMO are M3 front control arms and if you pull your pins to get max front camer (I used to run Dinan camber plates too, steering feel was phenominal at -3 but that's a bit excessive for a street car).

I hope this helps!
I've always been

[wrevilo]

That looks like a great setup. IMy car runs M3 arms up front with camber plates that results in -2 degrees of camber.

I also have:

- an ST Suspensions spring and damper kit
- all M3 arms front and rear
- rear subframe inserts and poly coffin arm bushes

I think I need to explore alignment to try to get reaction and turn in as responsive as possible. Presently the car has 5 minutes of toe up front and 21 minutes of toe rear.

[chris55552]

getting ready to order everything just cant make up my mind between koni active reds or koni yellow....Grrr

[whyzee125]

Originally Posted by chris55552

getting ready to order everything just cant make up my mind between koni active reds or koni yellow....Grrr

Koni yellow for sure. The active are good in theory but don’t work that well in practice on this platform. Btw AutoHance usually has the best deal on Konis

[mattanderson]

+1 on Koni yellow, for sure.

[chris55552]

Originally Posted by mattanderson

+1 on Koni yellow, for sure.

Do you know if I need to get new springs? I really dont care how it looks as long as it drives right. If I do what springs would be good? I dont care about dropping it unless its beneficial to ride quality and then im all in I just dont know what to get

[mattanderson]

As a general rule, I'd say no, you don't need springs to run upgraded shocks.

I think OE Sport springs + Koni yellows would be a great combo.

I briefly ran OE non-Sport springs with my Koni yellows on the lowest damping setting, and it was a bit soft and bouncy for my tastes.

If you really just want OE-quality ride, I'd consider something like the Bilstein B4's and save a few bucks. Especially if you like the stock non-Sport springs.

[whyzee125]

Koni sport with stock springs is a good combo. If you want slightly stiffer then go Dinan. Don’t lower it if you aren’t worried about looks, these cars already don’t have a ton of travel.