[scotthilly]

Hey everyone,

Have a 2011 335i rwd sport pack with 90k miles and need to get a new suspension. My number one priority is maintaining oem levels of ride quality (not much stiffer), and I’m willing to pay slightly more for better kit.

The Birds B3 really catches my eye, but I don’t see many reviews for it out there aside from 2009 magazines. Does anyone have experience with it or can report back on it vs the stock sport suspension or compared to the Bilstein B4 people recommend as a replacement?

Thanks!

[Jaronbwall]

Is Birds a UK company? Some of the reviews (pretty limited) looks like from owners in other countries. The company and the websites I found look crazy outdated as if it's no longer in business.
I'm in the same camp with worn out suspension. I'm at 120k miles with a blown front strut. I've been down the rabbit hole a few times. Do I replace the strut, move on, and see how long everything else last? Do I upgrade (Bilstein B14 kit, etc>), replace various other parts, and get lowering and better performance for 2X the price? If you're on a budget it's hard to say. I had about $1200 worth of suspension parts in my shopping cart last month but then the new years sales ended, and the same s**t is $1800. Rant over. I will say go with Bilstein B4 or one of the performance kits over Bird.

[scotthilly]

Originally Posted by Jaronbwall

Is Birds a UK company? Some of the reviews (pretty limited) looks like from owners in other countries. The company and the websites I found look crazy outdated as if it's no longer in business.
I'm in the same camp with worn out suspension. I'm at 120k miles with a blown front strut. I've been down the rabbit hole a few times. Do I replace the strut, move on, and see how long everything else last? Do I upgrade (Bilstein B14 kit, etc>), replace various other parts, and get lowering and better performance for 2X the price? If you're on a budget it's hard to say. I had about $1200 worth of suspension parts in my shopping cart last month but then the new years sales ended, and the same s**t is $1800. Rant over. I will say go with Bilstein B4 or one of the performance kits over Bird.

It is a UK company, and it's still in business! It's got a lot of F30 products out there; a few UK mags did Birds kits vs M340d and stuff like that. They sent me some pricing quotes too, and it was about $1,300 usd shipped.

[Jaronbwall]

Originally Posted by scotthilly

It is a UK company, and it's still in business! It's got a lot of F30 products out there; a few UK mags did Birds kits vs M340d and stuff like that. They sent me some pricing quotes too, and it was about $1,300 usd shipped.

$1300 isn't bad. If you're replacing everything I'd consider new front and rear strut mounts and associated hardware. The rubber mounts for the shocks go bad over time, especially if you drive hard or the roads are rough. Turner Motorsports sells a kit that includes everything for $152.

[Malteser_wfj]

Originally Posted by scotthilly

Hey everyone,

Have a 2011 335i rwd sport pack with 90k miles and need to get a new suspension. My number one priority is maintaining oem levels of ride quality (not much stiffer), and I’m willing to pay slightly more for better kit.

The Birds B3 really catches my eye, but I don’t see many reviews for it out there aside from 2009 magazines. Does anyone have experience with it or can report back on it vs the stock sport suspension or compared to the Bilstein B4 people recommend as a replacement?

Thanks!

I would be tempted by the birds kit when I get round to replacing mine, but might end up going with SACHS or Bilstein B4 due to budget and prices.

From the old comparison and review videos I've seen I'd have good confidence that it'll be great for our roads and be nice and compliant.

Do let us know if you end up taking the plunge as I'd be excited to hear your feedback!