[KiwiRD]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has regretted installing a Bilstein B12 kit and wished they had gone down the firmer route? Roads here in NZ are fairly similar to those in the UK (though our rural 'B' roads are worse - pot holed, poorer surface, and more uneven surfaces in my experience.

My dampers are knackered and am having the kit installed in a couple of weeks. I hear mixed reviews, some of which say the kit is not that firmly sprung, but mostly these are from guys in the US who benefit from billiard table roads. On the other hand I have read comments saying the B8 dampers are very firmly valved, which I like.

Does the B12 kit feel properly firm and provide nice flat cornering? I definitely want a firmer feel than the M Sport setup, but nothing too bone crunching. The ideal combination is good isolation from road imperfections - that 'solid' feel, flat cornering, and a general feeling of being planted / stable at speed.

As a side note, can anyone who has had their intake valves walnut blasted comment on whether noticeable power gains are made? Not sure my valves have even been done once in 100,000 miles!

[bishbosh]

Great bit of kit and the best performance mod I did

I had the B12 kit fitted to my SE and it transformed the handling. From what I've read the B12 kit is supposed to be less crashy than stock MSport suspension and so a bit more comfortable. There are a few uneven roads with potholes around my area and it copes well with those. For cornering I found that the understeer I originally had had disappeared for all intents Also the car stays nice and flat during braking/giving it welly.

That's interesting about walnut blasting as I'm planning to have mine done next week (320d) they've not been done in 160,000 miles so are probably gunked up a lot. But then I do have an oil burner!

[MattOz]

I have the Birds B3 suspension kit (Bilstein dampers and Eibach Pro springs) on my E91 and it's considerably better than the OE suspension, as you'd hope. It's never crashy and soaks up bumps very well. It's firm, but not overly so. Damping is great and body control in another league compared to OE. Definitely recommended.

[KiwiRD]

Originally Posted by MattOz

I have the Birds B3 suspension kit (Bilstein dampers and Eibach Pro springs) on my E91 and it's considerably better than the OE suspension, as you'd hope. It's never crashy and soaks up bumps very well. It's firm, but not overly so. Damping is great and body control in another league compared to OE. Definitely recommended.

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I'm really looking to restore some of that new car feel where bumps in the road cause a distant 'thud' rather than an almighty bang in the cabin. But above else, nice flat cornering. Sounds like it's just the ticket without going too hard core with coil overs.

[Lockman_321]

I'm having this installed on my e93 today so I will let you know soon! Lol

[Lockman_321]

Originally Posted by bishbosh

Great bit of kit and the best performance mod I did

I had the B12 kit fitted to my SE and it transformed the handling. From what I've read the B12 kit is supposed to be less crashy than stock MSport suspension and so a bit more comfortable. There are a few uneven roads with potholes around my area and it copes well with those. For cornering I found that the understeer I originally had had disappeared for all intents Also the car stays nice and flat during braking/giving it welly.

That's interesting about walnut blasting as I'm planning to have mine done next week (320d) they've not been done in 160,000 miles so are probably gunked up a lot. But then I do have an oil burner!

This makes me happy to hear this!!

[gaz_ball]

I'm thinking about getting the B12 Pro kit installed on my E91.

I understand the kit comes with new bump stops to suit but I'm wondering which other bits I will need to re-use (or re-new) from my current standard MSport suspension?

Can someone shed some light?!

[KiwiRD]

Originally Posted by gaz_ball

I'm thinking about getting the B12 Pro kit installed on my E91.

I understand the kit comes with new bump stops to suit but I'm wondering which other bits I will need to re-use (or re-new) from my current standard MSport suspension?

Can someone shed some light?!

I purchased a suspension refresh kit from ECS tuning (was around US$210 from memory) which includes front top hats, rear upper strut mounts (upper and lower sections) and rear lower strut mounts as well as a few washers. The kit doesn't include new spring pads so I ordered those from BMW separately (you should order front upper and lower pads and rear upper and lower pads). Together these mounts and pads will give your strut locating points and spring contact points a nice refresh, which us likely to be a good idea if your mileage is getting up there. My kit is getting installed next Monday - definitely looking forward to the improved handling!