[Atsnow]

I though I would share my experiences so far with my 2008 Xi coupe,

First I come from a 2006 330i with ZSP suspension ( and 2003 before that with the same setup) and I loved the ride and handling of those cars , second this is my daily driver on which I put around 25K miles a year so comfort is important and last as a play toy I have a 2002 Miata that is set up for autoX with a fully adjustable suspension ( lots of fun). My wife also had a 2007 335xi but I never really drove it aggressively so I could not use it as a reference.

I first got the car mid July , it came with the sport pack 189 wheels and Bridgestone RE050 tires as I had sold this kit even prior to getting the car I did not really have time to assess it, but I was very surprised with how unglued the car felt when I took my first on ramp aggressively , I have to say I was very disappointed and could not wait to get the RFTs off and install other wheels

So first upgrade was to go on a square setup with General UHP 235/40/19 all around on VMR 715s 19X 8.5 I had these lying around as it was the one I had put on my wife’s car,
After I went for a drive to test them I came back home and apologized to her for having let her drive on these for 3 years , I was very surprised on how bad the car behaved with lots of body roll , unstable and twitchy and downright scary if you carried good speed in the curves . The reason I was so surprised is that I had the same tires on the 330i (235F and 275R) and while the car pushed a lot I loved them

VMR715




Second upgrade was a new set of wheels and Tire I went with Miro 313 reps with Hankook V12 K110 235/35/19F and 265/30/19 R
Wow talk about night and day difference I expected better but not such a drastic difference, car feels planted with a lot less understeer then my 330i had , confidence is back and I feel comfortable taking a curve at a good clip that I will be able handle it

Miro 942 with Hankook V12




Third upgrade was to install Eibach springs on the stock shocks , after much reading here on suspension upgrades and understanding my needs and requirements ( this is my DD remember) I decided on a 2 part upgrade which is try the springs first an see how I like them and if I’m not happy with them install then install Bilstein dampers. I understand that will be paying twice for install going that route but it took the shop 1h30 to install the springs which is only $125 worth it IMO They where installed yesterday and I have not driven much in them yet but I have to say I like them a lot, I was expecting a much harsher ride but its very close to what I had on the 330, you feel the bumps and road imperfections more but it’s not harsh also it does not feel as if the car will break going across rail track, obviously I will drive more before making final judgment but so far so good

Dropped with Eibach Pro Spring

[MassBimmer]

Looks good, nice write up
Let us know how the springs handle a few weeks down the road as they settle more...wouldn't mind some more pics either

[Atsnow]

Originally Posted by MassBimmer

Looks good, nice write up
Let us know how the springs handle a few weeks down the road as they settle more...wouldn't mind some more pics either

Thanks
and here are a few more shots , sorry about the quality, they're all a little overexposed as my camera was on the wrong mode and I did not notice

[Hokiegrass]

Yes, keep us updated. I have a 2011 335i xdrive m-sport ordered that should arrive in November. I'm looking into suspension upgrades and really like what I'm hearing on the eibach springs. I'm curious at to how well these springs function with stock shocks and if you have any camber issues/odd tire wear using these springs with the stock shocks. I'm all for throwing better springs on to increase handling and reduce body roll and still maintain a comfortable ride. I'm not planning on tracking the car at all, just for having fun around town. Thanks...

[nyc3r]

Looks good, I'm thinking about Bilsteins + eibach combo. Installation estimate I got was double what you paid so I just want to do it once.

[Atsnow]

So I have been rolling on these for a month now and I have done a little over 3000Km (2K Miles), and I have to say I’m very impressed at the difference, the ride did firm up a little however it is still comfortable ,

Handling has improve significantly with less leaning and turn in is much crisper I have taken DTC off a few times now and pushed the car quite hard on some favorite back roads and it was very enjoyable

All in all I’m quite happy with the results so far, next change will in the spring where I will be looking at either going down to 18inch tires or replacing the dampers

[ajsalida]

Nice thread here. Why are you either going back to the 18's or Bilsteins? Also did you measure the drop before/after on the springs? And did you get a new alignment after the spring install? Thanks.

Have a 335xi e92 as well and considering similar upgrade path. 19" wheels/tires, then ZSP springs, then Bilsteins + Eibach. Recently dumped the OEM RFT's for Conti's (AS) for winter use only, did not expect such a huge difference. That has me wondrnig how good this car could get with a little bit more aggressive but streetable suspension & tires.

[Atsnow]

Originally Posted by ajsalida

Nice thread here. Why are you either going back to the 18's or Bilsteins? Also did you measure the drop before/after on the springs? And did you get a new alignment after the spring install? Thanks.

Have a 335xi e92 as well and considering similar upgrade path. 19" wheels/tires, then ZSP springs, then Bilsteins + Eibach. Recently dumped the OEM RFT's for Conti's (AS) for winter use only, did not expect such a huge difference. That has me wondrnig how good this car could get with a little bit more aggressive but streetable suspension & tires.

I did not measure before only after , but visually you can see a big difference I would say between 1inch the back and 1 1/2 inches in front
I measured 14 in front and 13 1/2 in rear

I have been negligent on the alignment and I have not done it yet , the car does track straight tough at 70-75 and no weird tread wear

[ajsalida]

Originally Posted by jackb

I did not measure before only after , but visually you can see a big difference I would say between 1inch the back and 1 1/2 inches in front
I measured 14 in front and 13 1/2 in rear

I have been negligent on the alignment and I have not done it yet , the car does track straight tough at 70-75 and no weird tread wear

OK thanks. That drop is close to what's advertised on the Eibachs. I picked up a cheap set of used e92 335i ZSP springs but they will only do about half that drop, and the pics you have is about what I'd want. I may just skip the ZSP and go to Eibachs.

[Mrbig]

more info im about to grab a 2008 e92 coupe xi and needs to be lower but need a nice ride will the bilstiens help keep ride really nice ?

[Atsnow]

So for another update

I installed my winter tires last week 215/50/17s and it confirmed what I was suspecting , 19 inches wheels with little sidewalls and a drop is too harsh for Quebec roads , I also had the alignment done , the Eibach give only a subtle drop so alignment was not really off

Up until last year we also had a 335xi sedan which was riding on stock suspension and even with the winter wheels and tires (205/50/17s) when hitting a pothole you felt as if the car was going to break ,

My car does not feel like that anymore , the best way I can describe it is that the car is definitely firmer but it is more buttoned down and will take potholes and road imperfections much more comfortably , to put it simply I don’t cringe every time I see a small pothole like before I did before .

All in all I am very satisfied with the results , and I am very confident that next summer with the 18s it will be very satisfying

Here are a few pictures with the 17s

[Atsnow]

I tough I was time to update this thread

Since installing the springs I did about 25 000Km and I can say that the ride is still as good as when I installed them and I’m very happy the results and I would recommend this upgrade to anybody

However I did receive a set of Bilstein sport shock as a gift so I had them installed today I, also had my 18" wheels installed a few weeks ago ,

first off the OEM springs where still in great condition and could have gone along for a long time still, I only having driven the car for about 200km today but I have to say though that if you have the budget go with this combo right away as it is much better (obviously new shocks help)the ride is a little stiffer then OEM but smoother at the same time it takes it up a notch and make my car feel the way I always wanted it,

This combined with the 18 tires and wheels make for the perfect combo for the XI IMO
Here are some pics

[BrianNYC]

eibach drop is very mild but im sure its also a very stiff ride no?

[Atsnow]

Originally Posted by BrianNYC

eibach drop is very mild but im sure its also a very stiff ride no?

Brian,
The ride is stiffer yes but paradoxically is also much more comfortable , the difference in spring rate is not much but it makes for a better ride , with Bilstein and the non runflat tires the ride is perfect

you're from NYC so your roads are pretty bad but we from Mtl consider them an improvement over ours and I now I don't cringe as much when driving , finally I have compared back to back with my other XI and the difference is real not just seat of the pants

[sterz85]

how was the clearance/ride in the winter with the drop?

[Atsnow]

Originally Posted by sterz85

how was the clearance/ride in the winter with the drop?

no issue , don't forget the car is really not that low. I find that it's about the same as my old E90 which was on sport suspension

[TxWolf]

Requesting confirmation of part number: 335 B12 Pro Kit 46-180650

I know this is a very old thread but I have a 2008 BMW 335xi 2dr coupe (E92) that is approaching 80,000 miles and I've been looking for a suspension solution/upgrade that improves upon the handling while still allowing me to use it as a daily driver.

When speaking with Bilstein and Eibach they both said that this solution has not been specifically designed for the 335xi.

1) Is this the correct kit and part number for what you installed?http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-22...n-package.aspx

The kit includes both the Eibach Pro-Kit Springs and Bilstein Sports (B8) and is about $300 US cheaper than buying each separately, which covers the install cost.

2) Will I need to add a Strut/Shock Mount Kit as well?http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-11...9x-xi-awd.aspx

Included in the Xi Mount Kit:
front upper strut mounts (also known as a guide support), 31336775097 or 31306785962

A. rear upper-top shock mounts, 33506771737
B. rear upper-middle shock mounts, 33506767010
C. rear upper-bottom shock mounts, 33506771738
D. rear upper supporting cup, 33526764418 (sits over bumpstop)
rear lower shock mount (installs on spring arm), 33526768544

[ajsalida]

Non XI Bilsteins do not fit Xi.

[TxWolf]

Thank you ajasida for the quick reply.

So is my only option to purchase the Bilstein Sport Shocks separately?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-21...-set-of-4.aspx

They run $750.

I was hoping that jackb would reply with his thoughts, since he specifically went with Eibach Pro Springs and the Bilstein Sport Shocks (B8).

Also, will I still need the Strut/Shock mount kit?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-11...9x-xi-awd.aspx

[ajsalida]

I see you found the other thread, lot of discussion there.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664385

Yes your only option is to purchase the shocks separately. I would also point out quite a few people find the drop in the rear on XI with nearly any lowering springs meant for I a bit too much, looks like it is squatting in back. I did when I put Eibach pro-kit on my car with Koni sports. Just an FYI.

Also find the thread "i springs on xi" (or something like that) where people talk about putting non-XI ZSP sport package (OEM) springs on XI.

Some advice which you may or may not decide to take. Spend a week reading and price shopping. Turner is not the best price out there. The mount kit you may or may not need depending on the condition of your car. Also new mounts in front tend to raise the front 1/4 to 1/2" depending on if your old mounts are toast or not.

Lowering XI cars is not as easy, there are clearance issues with the front driveshaft that BMW had to take care of, as a result using springs meant for an I on an XI can be problematic if you do not do your homework. You basically have 3 choices, the Bilsteins, Koni SPorts; either of those paired with Eibach pro-kit for I, or H&R sports (some say these are too harsh), or in roughly the same price range some of the lower end coil overs like H&R or KW V1's. A lot of the front-rear height issues go away with the coil overs, but you get a lower quality shock in my opinion.

Lot of knowledge and opinions here in this XI section, like I said kick back and spend a week reading and shopping. You can probably get a better price with some of the vendors here on whatever you decide on, better than Turner at least. Many many people here are in a rush to buy something and assume it is cookie-cutter no-brainer but with the XI it is not. It is not with any car but with the XI it is even more so. So time spent reading is a good investment and will minimize unpleasant surprises. Would be hard to count the number of posts where people choose XYZ without enough research and then are disappointed or surprised at what they got vs what they wanted.

[Atsnow]

Originally Posted by TxWolf

Thank you ajasida for the quick reply.

So is my only option to purchase the Bilstein Sport Shocks separately?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-21...-set-of-4.aspx

They run $750.

I was hoping that jackb would reply with his thoughts, since he specifically went with Eibach Pro Springs and the Bilstein Sport Shocks (B8).

Also, will I still need the Strut/Shock mount kit?
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-11...9x-xi-awd.aspx

Hey TX you're in luck I don't really come here any more having moved on from the E92 but I opened this page by mistake and saw your post .

When I did my upgrade there was very little available springs and coil overs for the Xi so I went with this setup and was extremely happy with it , I rolled on them for 2 winters ( about 35K miles) with a few track days here and there . you do not need any Shock mount kit but you should replace the bump stops with shortened ones .

(I did bust a front Bilstein at 25K miles)
Now if I was to do it today I would simply buy a set of Coil overs from H&R like these http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E92-335...vers/ES257310/