[Atx328]

So I picked up a low mileage 328i sedan with sport package with only 35k miles last year. It's now up to 46k and I was wondering if I replace the shocks with bilstein oem style dampers, will I notice the difference?

The shocks aren't leaking and there are no obvious signs of degradation. It just seems like the car isn't quite as planted or sharp. This could also just be my brain getting used to the good suspension found on our cars so it isn't as impressed as I was at first.

I don't track or auto cross the car and the roads I drive are usually good save foe i35 near Waco and in Dallas.

Thoughts?

[Torgus]

It's not worth the cost even if you do it yourself. It's probably all in your head if it's the 2013 in your garage list. the 2011 well it's really 8 years old so yeah it could help but still a waste of $$$ if they are functioning correctly. If you just want to spend money I can link you my paypal.

[tlow98]

I would say if it's feeling soft and you want an improvement in all aspects throw in some Koni yellows.

They're adjustable and perform like an oem + upgrade when paired with stock springs.

Also, change out your run flats if you haven't already done so.

[Atx328]

Hi torgus - it is for my e90 which is why I posted the question here instead of the f30 forum.

I do enjoy the nice balance of the factory sport suspension for the type of driving that I do. I think I willl hold off for now and then go with an upgraded set of dampers around 70k miles unless I "notice" things getting softer before then.

Additionally I did change out the run flats with Conti dw recently and even going from 17" to 18" wheels, the ride is still much more compliant and quieter.

In fact I think my e90 overall is substantially quieter with go flats tires and the i6 engine than my wife's f30 328i. To me that makes it a more luxurious experience even with the much higher effort steering - which is pretty close to perfect in my book.

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by Atx328

So I picked up a low mileage 328i sedan with sport package with only 35k miles last year. It's now up to 46k and I was wondering if I replace the shocks with bilstein oem style dampers, will I notice the difference?

The shocks aren't leaking and there are no obvious signs of degradation. It just seems like the car isn't quite as planted or sharp. This could also just be my brain getting used to the good suspension found on our cars so it isn't as impressed as I was at first.

I don't track or auto cross the car and the roads I drive are usually good save foe i35 near Waco and in Dallas.

Thoughts?

no.. dont waste your money

[thakid22]

Originally Posted by Atx328

So I picked up a low mileage 328i sedan with sport package with only 35k miles last year. It's now up to 46k and I was wondering if I replace the shocks with bilstein oem style dampers, will I notice the difference?

The shocks aren't leaking and there are no obvious signs of degradation. It just seems like the car isn't quite as planted or sharp. This could also just be my brain getting used to the good suspension found on our cars so it isn't as impressed as I was at first.

I don't track or auto cross the car and the roads I drive are usually good save foe i35 near Waco and in Dallas.

Thoughts?

In my experience, BMW shocks wear more quickly than those on other cars. This is especially true of BMW's equipped worth runflats from the factory. The stiff tires make the shocks and shock mounts work harder.

I see you have fitted Continental DW to your car. These ride smoother and more quietly, but the direct tradeoff is that they will make the car less responsive and solid. This is doubly true of the DWS and DWS06, but also applies to the DW.
To find out if then lack of solidity you are experiencing is due to the soft tires, pump the pressures front and rear by about 4 psi temporarily. Is this better?


Last but not least, the E9x (Non M) chassis is simply not as well damped as some previous BMW. Here, there is a sense of too much vertical suspension movement. The back end of an E9x can hop/pogo/bounce in such a manner that would have you questioning your shocks effectiveness. A set of Dinan rear strut mounts made the rear of my car bounce free and rock solid vertically. They cost $99. That is the best $100 I've spent on any car I have ever touched. They made that big of a difference! People say the Monroe rear strut mount does the same thing for about 20 bucks. So keep that in mind too. But my experience was with the Dinans.


You say the car isn't planted, but that doesn't tell us much. Does it lazily follow steering inputs? Is it bouncing? Wiggling? Front? Rear? When you do what? Leaning too much? Be more descriptive of what is happening and when. We can give better advice then...

YES.

I typically only change things out "if I'm in there anyway" but given how bad the dampers are on these cars right from the factory, I would encourage anyone to change them out ASAP. Easily one of the only mods I would gladly do on a car right off the showroom floor even...it makes that much of a difference.

Going from OEM to OEM-style dampers is definitely a waste though. Definitely either go B6 or Koni adjustable, as already mentioned.

[Atx328]

To more clearly describe what the suspension is doing, let me describe the road I drive fairly regularly. I take Interstate 35 from Austin to Dallas and there seems to be a perpetual construction project between temple and Waco. That means that the road goes from three lanes down to two while often shifting laterally across bumps, ridges and undulations. This is all happening while I avoid 18 wheelers and cellphone zombies who are traversing the same obstacle course.

When I first drove my car through this pavement funhouse, it blew me away how composed it remained. Now it just seems like the rear isn't dealing with changes with quite of an unassailable manner as before. It isn't pogoing or bouncing like the dampers are shot, it just seems to require a bit more steering input from me to keep everything pointed in the right direction.

I might also be taking these transition areas at a slightly higher speed because I have more faith in the car's abilities. Which would explain the theory that my brain has simply gotten used to the suspension goodness and now I notice smaller reactions than before.

[Bobh59]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

YES.

I typically only change things out "if I'm in there anyway" but given how bad the dampers are on these cars right from the factory, I would encourage anyone to change them out ASAP. Easily one of the only mods I would gladly do on a car right off the showroom floor even...it makes that much of a difference.

Going from OEM to OEM-style dampers is definitely a waste though. Definitely either go B6 or Koni adjustable, as already mentioned.

Couldn't agree more. Just upgraded my '08 335xi with 40k miles to Dinan springs, Koni Yellows f/r, M3/Z4 bump stops and new mount kits. All I can say is I wish I did it a lot sooner, like when I bought the car.

This is essentially a Dinan Stage 1 upgrade but I didn't want to pay the Dinan markup on readily available aftermarket parts, so I ordered everything from StrutMonkey. The price was lower than you can realistically source everything yourself, plus everything comes pre-assembled which can make for an easier DIY or a lower shop bill.

Originally Posted by Atx328

To more clearly describe what the suspension is doing, let me describe the road I drive fairly regularly.

There's no need to. As mentioned, the stock dampers are shit; we already know that. New/upgraded/non-oem dampers fix all those issues and then some. That's why people with experience are telling you to upgrade.

Originally Posted by Bobh59

This is essentially a Dinan Stage 1 upgrade but I didn't want to pay the Dinan markup on readily available aftermarket parts

Meh, I'd be interested to hear how different the valving is between an OTS Koni and the Dinan one; especially since you're going with Dinan springs to begin with. That, plus the fact that the Dinan units incorporate an external adjustment located at the top of the shock shaft allowing adjustment without removing the shock is probably worth the extra few bucks by itself.

[Bobh59]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

There's no need to. As mentioned, the stock dampers are shit; we already know that. New/upgraded/non-oem dampers fix all those issues and then some. That's why people with experience are telling you to upgrade.


Meh, I'd be interested to hear how different the valving is between an OTS Koni and the Dinan one; especially since you're going with Dinan springs to begin with. That, plus the fact that the Dinan units incorporate an external adjustment located at the top of the shock shaft allowing adjustment without removing the shock is probably worth the extra few bucks by itself.

The fronts are top adjustable but they don't make rear top/trunk adjustable ones for my car.

Originally Posted by Bobh59

The fronts are top adjustable but they don't make rear top/trunk adjustable ones for my car.

Damn...another strike for the xi

[Bobh59]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Damn...another strike for the xi

Can't argue with that. There were definitely trade-offs to be made back then regarding awd versions, not so much today.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by Atx328

So I picked up a low mileage 328i sedan with sport package with only 35k miles last year. It's now up to 46k and I was wondering if I replace the shocks with bilstein oem style dampers, will I notice the difference?

The shocks aren't leaking and there are no obvious signs of degradation. It just seems like the car isn't quite as planted or sharp. This could also just be my brain getting used to the good suspension found on our cars so it isn't as impressed as I was at first.

I don't track or auto cross the car and the roads I drive are usually good save foe i35 near Waco and in Dallas.

Thoughts?

I guess it all depends if the shocks @ struts are toast or even on their last leg. Do you drive it hard or are the roads around you riddled with pot holes?

Best way to know, would be to take a shock off the rear and compress it. If it compresses really easy and doesn't go back to form or does it very slowly, then your shocks & struts are gone.

For a 328, I would not spend a whole lot of money on them. I would just get the Bilstein B4's kit for about $400.00.

At 50k, the surrounding hardware should still be good.

[chris@strutmonkey]

At 46K, most shocks are still in good range. However, shocks can go bad for a variety of reasons at any time. Check to see if any are leaking. If you do replace, make sure you replace all the wear and tear items as well, esp the spring pads and rear lower shock mount. "Do it once, do it right". No logic to reusing a $10 pad if you are in there already... its a big cost to replace it later.

[Atx328]

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

I guess it all depends if the shocks @ struts are toast or even on their last leg. Do you drive it hard or are the roads around you riddled with pot holes?

Best way to know, would be to take a shock off the rear and compress it. If it compresses really easy and doesn't go back to form or does it very slowly, then your shocks & struts are gone.

For a 328, I would not spend a whole lot of money on them. I would just get the Bilstein B4's kit for about $400.00.

At 50k, the surrounding hardware should still be good.

Per my original post which you quoted, the roads I typically travel are good except for i35 in Dallas. I Kiowa that the shocks and struts aren't gone. I was simply wondering if an improvement would be made by replacing the dampers now with something exactly like the bilstiein b4s.

[Atx328]

Originally Posted by chris@strutmonkey

At 46K, most shocks are still in good range. However, shocks can go bad for a variety of reasons at any time. Check to see if any are leaking. If you do replace, make sure you replace all the wear and tear items as well, esp the spring pads and rear lower shock mount. "Do it once, do it right". No logic to reusing a $10 pad if you are in there already... its a big cost to replace it later.

Per my original post, the shocks are not leaking.

[Atx328]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

There's no need to. As mentioned, the stock dampers are shit; we already know that. New/upgraded/non-oem dampers fix all those issues and then some. That's why people with experience are telling you to upgrade.


Meh, I'd be interested to hear how different the valving is between an OTS Koni and the Dinan one; especially since you're going with Dinan springs to begin with. That, plus the fact that the Dinan units incorporate an external adjustment located at the top of the shock shaft allowing adjustment without removing the shock is probably worth the extra few bucks by itself.

I was replying to a request by thekid22 to describe the suspension behavior in more detail. I don't think I agree with you that the original sport suspension is garbage. I felt like it gave an ideal balance of sport, control and character for the way that I drive my car. I just felt like maybe the sport and control portion of that equation has been fading a bit.

I think that I will put off replacement at this time but look towards a higher quality damper within the next 10k miles. It sounds like I should probably save up a few more nickels.

[Atx328]

Btw - I have had great luck with Koni yellows with other applications. If I am not looking for any drop, can I use those shocks with stock sport springs?

Or will that be overdamped for the sport spring rates?

I owned a car in the past that had heavily damped bilsteins with soft springs and it was harsh and jouncy. Would like to avoid repeating that folly.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by Atx328

Per my original post which you quoted, the roads I typically travel are good except for i35 in Dallas. I Kiowa that the shocks and struts aren't gone. I was simply wondering if an improvement would be made by replacing the dampers now with something exactly like the bilstiein b4s.

The only way you would get a better feel would be to install m3 control arms for the front & move up to a B6 or B8.

If you have an xi, then you can't get m3 control arms.

Originally Posted by Atx328

I don't think I agree with you that the original sport suspension is garbage.

That's because you have nothing else to base your opinion off of given that you have no experience with both. Ignorance is bliss, I guess...

Originally Posted by Atx328

I think that I will put off replacement at this time but look towards a higher quality damper within the next 10k miles. It sounds like I should probably save up a few more nickels.

This I can agree with.

[Bobh59]

Originally Posted by Atx328

I was replying to a request by thekid22 to describe the suspension behavior in more detail. I don't think I agree with you that the original sport suspension is garbage. I felt like it gave an ideal balance of sport, control and character for the way that I drive my car. I just felt like maybe the sport and control portion of that equation has been fading a bit.

I think that I will put off replacement at this time but look towards a higher quality damper within the next 10k miles. It sounds like I should probably save up a few more nickels.

You can't get the sport suspension on the xi, at least not on my '08. I don't know if/when that changed but the stock suspension is not very BMW-like. I've owned a 328is & a 330Ci, both with the Sport Package and always found that to have a very good ride/handling balance.

Point being - since you have the Sport suspension I'm guessing you won't see much of an improvement, if any, over your sport suspension assuming everything is in good nick. But for me with the stock suspension the upgrade made a big difference.