[tscdennab]

Hi,

Does anybody know the spring rates of Eibach Sportline (not Pro-Kit) ? I can't seem to find this information anywhere...I am not sure what to choose between Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit (includes Eibach Pro-Kit springs) and Sportline (includes Eibach Sportline springs). I am sure the Pro-Kit is very similar to my M-Sport judging by the spring rates, but I'm not sure how the Sportlines are much stiffer or not ?

Thanks !

[cssnms]

You're right abotu the Pro Kit springs, not sure about the Sportline spring rates though. Have you tried contacting Eibach? Give them a call, they have been very helpful/knowledgable whenever I called them.

[tscdennab]

Originally Posted by cssnms

You're right abotu the Pro Kit springs, not sure about the Sportline spring rates though. Have you tried contacting Eibach? Give them a call, they have been very helpful/knowledgable whenever I called them.

After a bit more research I found out that the Sportlines have the same spring rates as the Pro-Kit, they just lower the car more:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189173

[tr3flip]

Keep in mind that Eibach has a different spring kit for the 335 than what you're looking up. The part numbers in your post above are for the 328 and 330. Eibach does not offer a Sportline for the 335.

[tscdennab]

Originally Posted by tr3flip

Keep in mind that Eibach has a different spring kit for the 335 than what you're looking up. The part numbers in your post above are for the 328 and 330. Eibach does not offer a Sportline for the 335.

You are right, thanks. This made my choice easier, I have already ordered the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit suspension

[dcaron9999]

Thread revival time.

In the last 2 yeras, Ive used my 135i on the track 70% of the time, and on the street 30% of the time. Looking for better handling, less weight transfer and squat during cornering, braking, accelerating.

I dont care for adjustments, want something low maintenance, and budget is limited, so no coilovers.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on damper/spring upgrade for my E82/135i within a few days.

My short list is the following, all sitting at the same price level:

1. Bilstein B12 kit (Bundled Eibach springs have 148+456 lb/in rates)
2. Bilsteins B8 with Swift Spec-R springs (201+503lb/in rates).
3. Koni Sport with Swift Spec-R springs (201+503lb/in rates).

Which kit would you choose and why?

[matty088]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

Thread revival time.

In the last 2 yeras, Ive used my 135i on the track 70% of the time, and on the street 30% of the time. Looking for better handling, less weight transfer and squat during cornering, braking, accelerating.

I dont care for adjustments, want something low maintenance, and budget is limited, so no coilovers.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on damper/spring upgrade for my E82/135i within a few days.

My short list is the following, all sitting at the same price level:

1. Bilstein B12 kit (Bundled Eibach springs have 148+456 lb/in rates)
2. Bilsteins B8 with Swift Spec-R springs (201+503lb/in rates).
3. Koni Sport with Swift Spec-R springs (201+503lb/in rates).

Which kit would you choose and why?

What kit did u go with?

[dcaron9999]

Originally Posted by matty088

What kit did u go with?

Bilsteins B8 with Swift Spec-R springs (201+503lb/in rates), rear M3 guide rods, and Dinan Rear Shock Mounts. Parts will get installed by a local shop in about two weeks ...

Longest lasting dampers and stiffest springs out there, short of a coilover. More wheel clearance than a coilover setup.

I get to keep using my four 18x8.5 ET52 rear stock wheels and hopefully 255/35R18 tires.

Should be a step up from stock dampers and springs, which Ive been abusing at the track for two years.

More money left for for tracking events.

[matty088]

Any idea how much of a drop those springs are? I am leaning towards the koni yellows now but worried the hr springs will be too much of s drop

[jezzy]

Hey Dcaron, ca va?

How's those B8 struts? I just ordered a set of XI ones and eying a set of Eibach Pro Line springs for my car..

thanks!

[matty088]

Love to hear about drop on those swift spec r springs. I think the b12 kit isn't much of an upgrade in the handling department over stock sport suspension. I like the konis but there is no way I want the hr springs that slam the car. The silly looking. Perhaps the swift are the key??

[kentgbr]

Originally Posted by matty088

I think the b12 kit isn't much of an upgrade in the handling department over stock sport suspension

Based on what experience with the kit? My '11 E90 with sports suspension handles nowhere near as good as my previous '08 with the B12 kit. I've gone from sports to B12 and now back to sports and IMO it's a big handling upgrade.

[matty088]

Originally Posted by kentgbr

Based on what experience with the kit? My '11 E90 with sports suspension handles nowhere near as good as my previous '08 with the B12 kit. I've gone from sports to B12 and now back to sports and IMO it's a big handling upgrade.

Seems like a pretty antagonistic response.
Like everyone else that frequents forums I have researched reviews and my comment is based on this second hand knowledge. Is that ideal? Of course not. But this is generally the purpose of forums. That's why I am here at least. To Learn.

They seem like a comfort upgrade first and perf upgrade second. Even the sales pitch on the websites speak to a small performance upgrade and are good if "your stock suspension is getting old". Trust me id rather get the b12. It's a very cheap option. But I struggle to find reviews that aren't speaking about how comfortable they are as the MAIN message of the review.

Most importantly, Intuitively it doesn't sound too great to me to upgrade a suspension to the same spring rates.
Apparently you think these are a big perf upgrade. Could you expand where you are feeling the main improvements?

[kentgbr]

Originally Posted by matty088

Seems like a pretty antagonistic response.
Like everyone else that frequents forums I have researched reviews and my comment is based on this second hand knowledge. Is that ideal? Of course not. But this is generally the purpose of forums. That's why I am here at least. To Learn.

They seem like a comfort upgrade first and perf upgrade second. Even the sales pitch on the websites speak to a small performance upgrade and are good if "your stock suspension is getting old". Trust me id rather get the b12. It's a very cheap option. But I struggle to find reviews that aren't speaking about how comfortable they are as the MAIN message of the review.

Most importantly, Intuitively it doesn't sound too great to me to upgrade a suspension to the same spring rates.
Apparently you think these are a big perf upgrade. Could you expand where you are feeling the main improvements?

Didn't mean to antagonize - just wanted to respond to your comments with opinions based on direct street and track experience with the product. The B12 kit feels tighter and more controlled than OEM sports suspension - it's very noticeable. Eibachs seem stiffer than the D8/D4 ZSP springs they replaced. I'm skeptical of the "same spring rate" common knowledge until real test data is presented as proof. Wouldn't recommend it as is for 70% track use like dcaron9999's requirement, but it's good for spirited driving and the occasional HPDE. Good luck with whatever you decide to get.

[matty088]

Great response. Ty very much. Solid all around

[kevinlevrone]

Ok, so I have a strong relation with the original poster which for some reason is not allowed to post on this forum since some years ago.

After 2 years and about 25000 kilometers with the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit (B8 + Eibach Pro-Kit), clunking noises begun to develop on the front dampers after the dampers are warmed up (very quickly in summer, after about 30 minutes of driving in the winter). Identical noises happened to a friend of mine who (at my recommendation) bought the Bilstein B12 Sportline for his e90 320D. The noises are from the shocks and not from other suspension elements. There are tons of Bilstein clunking noise after warm-up reports on the Internet. A mechanic friend said that the problem comes from the monotube design, after some time the inner rods begin to bang on the outer shell due to wearing of some guides.

Also, the rear damper top mounts showed very heavy wear after one year, and they were new Lemforder parts mounted along with the B12 dampers. Not sure what caused this but if you hear clunking noises from the trunk this is probably the cause.

So at this time I cannot recommend the Bilstein monotube shocks, at least not the B8's. The ride is great, better than stock M-Sport and not harsh at all, I really can't complain. But I hate the noises and it can't be a coincidence to happen on two e90 cars at once. Springs have similar spring rates to stock M-Sport, the Eibach sway bars are highly recommended for significantly reduced roll, otherwise the roll is significant in turns, not reduced compared to M-Sport.

I bought a set of Koni Sport dampers which are waiting to be installed probably early next week or even this week. I will write a comparative review (Bilstein B12 vs Koni Sport + Eibach Pro-Kit) after installation.

[kevinlevrone]

Originally Posted by matty088

They seem like a comfort upgrade first and perf upgrade second. Even the sales pitch on the websites speak to a small performance upgrade and are good if "your stock suspension is getting old". Trust me id rather get the b12. It's a very cheap option. But I struggle to find reviews that aren't speaking about how comfortable they are as the MAIN message of the review.

I can testify that indeed the B12 (without the Eibach anti-roll bars) is just marginally better than the M-Sport suspension in turns, however the ride quality is quite significantly improved. Basically by installing the B12 you can be sure that you are not ruining (you are even improving) the street manners of the car, while you do get a minor performance upgrade.

Also see my previous post about how long they last.

[kentgbr]

Originally Posted by kevinlevrone

Ok, so I have a strong relation with the original poster which for some reason is not allowed to post on this forum since some years ago.

After 2 years and about 25000 kilometers with the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit (B8 + Eibach Pro-Kit), clunking noises begun to develop on the front dampers after the dampers are warmed up (very quickly in summer, after about 30 minutes of driving in the winter). Identical noises happened to a friend of mine who (at my recommendation) bought the Bilstein B12 Sportline for his e90 320D. The noises are from the shocks and not from other suspension elements. There are tons of Bilstein clunking noise after warm-up reports on the Internet. A mechanic friend said that the problem comes from the monotube design, after some time the inner rods begin to bang on the outer shell due to wearing of some guides.

Also, the rear damper top mounts showed very heavy wear after one year, and they were new Lemforder parts mounted along with the B12 dampers. Not sure what caused this but if you hear clunking noises from the trunk this is probably the cause.

So at this time I cannot recommend the Bilstein monotube shocks, at least not the B8's. The ride is great, better than stock M-Sport and not harsh at all, I really can't complain. But I hate the noises and it can't be a coincidence to happen on two e90 cars at once. Springs have similar spring rates to stock M-Sport, the Eibach sway bars are highly recommended for significantly reduced roll, otherwise the roll is significant in turns, not reduced compared to M-Sport.

I bought a set of Koni Sport dampers which are waiting to be installed probably early next week or even this week. I will write a comparative review (Bilstein B12 vs Koni Sport + Eibach Pro-Kit) after installation.

Did your friends attempt to get the defective shocks replaced under the Bilstein lifetime warranty? If so, how was it handled by Bilstein and the retailer that sold them?

[kevinlevrone]

Originally Posted by kentgbr

Did your friends attempt to get the defective shocks replaced under the Bilstein lifetime warranty? If so, how was it handled by Bilstein and the retailer that sold them?

No, because in Europe there is no lifetime warranty, only 2 years. But even if it was lifetime warranty, how would I do it ? I can't leave the car without shocks and send them to Bilstein. And if I buy another set of Bilsteins first and wait for the refund after I send in my set, what if they deny warranty for some reason and I am stuck with another set of faulty Bilsteins instead of buying another brand ?

[kentgbr]

Originally Posted by kevinlevrone

No, because in Europe there is no lifetime warranty, only 2 years. But even if it was lifetime warranty, how would I do it ? I can't live the car without shocks and send them to Bilstein. And if I buy another set of Bilsteins first and wait for the refund after I send in my set, what if they deny warranty for some reason and I am stuck with another set of faulty Bilsteins instead of buying another brand ?

Too bad about the limited warranty in Europe. In the U.S., Bilstein requests that defective units be returned where purchased, which is why I asked how the retailers handled it. Agree with you that exchanging a defective part would be highly inconvenient. Perhaps someone who has dealt with a warranty exchange can share their experience.

[ironduke2010]

Originally Posted by kevinlevrone

Ok, so I have a strong relation with the original poster which for some reason is not allowed to post on this forum since some years ago.

After 2 years and about 25000 kilometers with the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit (B8 + Eibach Pro-Kit), clunking noises begun to develop on the front dampers after the dampers are warmed up (very quickly in summer, after about 30 minutes of driving in the winter). Identical noises happened to a friend of mine who (at my recommendation) bought the Bilstein B12 Sportline for his e90 320D. The noises are from the shocks and not from other suspension elements. There are tons of Bilstein clunking noise after warm-up reports on the Internet. A mechanic friend said that the problem comes from the monotube design, after some time the inner rods begin to bang on the outer shell due to wearing of some guides.

Also, the rear damper top mounts showed very heavy wear after one year, and they were new Lemforder parts mounted along with the B12 dampers. Not sure what caused this but if you hear clunking noises from the trunk this is probably the cause.

So at this time I cannot recommend the Bilstein monotube shocks, at least not the B8's. The ride is great, better than stock M-Sport and not harsh at all, I really can't complain. But I hate the noises and it can't be a coincidence to happen on two e90 cars at once. Springs have similar spring rates to stock M-Sport, the Eibach sway bars are highly recommended for significantly reduced roll, otherwise the roll is significant in turns, not reduced compared to M-Sport.

I bought a set of Koni Sport dampers which are waiting to be installed probably early next week or even this week. I will write a comparative review (Bilstein B12 vs Koni Sport + Eibach Pro-Kit) after installation.

any update on this? trying to decide on Bilstein B8's or Koni Sport to use with the Eibach Pro-kit on my e92 xdrive. i was about 90% sure the (x-drive specific version of the) Bilstein B8's with the Eibach Pro-KIT (for non x-drive cars, to attain mild lowering) was the way to go before i read about your "clunk".

[jezzy]

I say go koni. I just installed b8 with eibach pro from a e93 on my wagon. quite stiff and bottoms out in the front with supreme lowering perches.. i hear koni are smoother.