[Nonecure]

Front

[Nonecure]

Rear

[amclint]

Originally Posted by Nonecure

The lowering perches don't seem to do much. To get an 1/8" drop and pay for the perches and rwd tophats is a waste of time and money.

So skip the perches and rear tophats? Also how much labor did you end up paying for install?

[Pe90X]

[ajsalida]

Before you do anything see if you can get under the car in front and make sure the struts were installed all the way down into the hubs. This has been discussed here and is the a common reason not to get enough drop in front on Xi's. Should look like this (these are konis but the idea is the same):

[Nonecure]

It looks like the Koni's and stock struts have a detail that extends down about 2 inches. The Bilstein does not have this.

The lowering perches might give a 1/4" drop since the pocket that the spring sits in looks deeper, but I don't see a 1/2" drop like advertised. I'm wondering if the tophat settles at all.

[Nonecure]

Originally Posted by mykal335xi

So skip the perches and rear tophats? Also how much labor did you end up paying for install?

It takes 6.5 hours for a pro to do the job, so the cost depends on the labor rate of your mechanic. Plus you have to get a 4 wheel alignment, so include that in your cost.

[Nonecure]

Originally Posted by ajsalida

Before you do anything see if you can get under the car in front and make sure the struts were installed all the way down into the hubs. This has been discussed here and is the a common reason not to get enough drop in front on Xi's. Should look like this (these are konis but the idea is the same):

How long did it take for your springs to settle, and how much additional drop did you get? So far I just have a 7/8" drop in the front, very disappointing.

I thought the springs should get me 1.4" and the perches another .5". My first drive impression is the spring rate is just right, but the struts feel a little light on dampening.

[ajsalida]

Originally Posted by Nonecure

How long did it take for your springs to settle, and how much additional drop did you get? So far I just have a 7/8" drop in the front, very disappointing.

I thought the springs should get me 1.4" and the perches another .5". My first drive impression is the spring rate is just right, but the struts feel a little light on dampening.

I did not know that about the Bilsteins not having the lower part. My car got approx 1.5" drop in front, right away, which is what most people seem to get with the K/E combo. No further settling that I can tell.

[ajsalida]

It might still be worth getting under there and checking if it is as low as it can go inside the hub. From the looks of it, they should be flush with the bottom of the cup.

Also be aware by design the Bilsteins will have as much as couple hundred lbs offset force at each corner from the high pressure gas monotube design. So they will always sit a bit higher than a twintube like the konis. The Bilsteins have a tendency to trap air inside the strut tube as well so you may see a lot of settling from that farting out past the seals over time. This latter issue is only on the fronts.

edit: The other thing I hate to ask is did your shop install bump stops on the front? Because they don't need to, they are internal on the Bilsteins. See this pic:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...5&postcount=41

[Nonecure]

Springs normally settle some over a few weeks. My other thought is maybe the new tophat will need time to settle. Since the bearing is housed in rubber, I would think that it would also compress a little.

[ajsalida]

Still worth checking the strut is all the way in the hubs just to rule that out, and that no bump stops were installed in front (people do it).

A number of folks here have gone with Bilstein + Eibach here and not been totally pleased with the drop.

[kodathedog]

Hello all,
First time post, long time lurking.
I have an 06 325xi Wagon with 6 speed that I love.
I just put new Bilsteins on this weekend. Took me about 7 hours.
I used my stock springs because I don't want the car slammed down. The roads in the NYC area suck. I have already busted 2 rims.
Anyway, the front of my car sits higher and I am assuming that the shocks need time to settle. I made sure that the front shock was fully seated in the carrier, it is much shorter than the stock shock I took out.
The car feels tighter than the stock set up, you do feel all of the road imperfections but they aren't as bad as some race cars I have been in with poly bushings.
If any one needs a pair of stock rear shocks for a wagon that are only 3 months old, let me know. I will sell them for 100/pair.

[instigat0r]

I just replaced my stock front struts with Bilstein HD's and noticed during the install that one of my tophats/strut mounts needed replaced too (there was a fair amount of play in the bearing). Is there any reason why I can't use a rwd ("I") tophat instead of the "xi" tophat? The rwd ("I") tophat is way cheaper ($35 instead of $75).

Nonecure, did you see any difference between the "I" and "xi" tophat? Do you think I could just use the "I" tophat without the lowering perch, instead of the "xi" tophat?

[Nonecure]

For some reason I feel like I just answered this post already. Yes the i tophat will work just fine.

[SM335i]

Originally Posted by Nonecure

For some reason I feel like I just answered this post already. Yes the i tophat will work just fine.

Even though they work, you said its a waste of money though right, since it creates no difference?

[Nonecure]

Yes the i and xi tophats create no difference. If you are like instigator and need new tophats, you can save $40.

[instigat0r]

Just installed the 'i' top hats on my 'xi'. No problems at all, they fit fine but now my front is about .5 inch higher because the new tophats' rubber is not compressed like my worn out old ones.

Can I remove that .25 inch reinforcement plate that sits on top of the top hat to get a small drop? Anyone know if that plate is necessary?