[mob17]

I fitted the Ohlins Road and Track coilovers to my E92 335D a few weeks ago. They amazed me straight away, but i wanted to test them fully until i wrote a review. I hope this review helps and i will try and answer any specific questions you may have. I don’t have the suspension knowledge to write a fully in-depth 100% accurate review, but i’ll try my best.

I bought my car in January 2013 coming from an E90 320D SE with 17” NRF tyres. I thought the 19” with NRF tyres would be a bad ride. I was pleasantly surprised and loved the handling, thought it was awesome. And maybe it was compared to my previous car. About a month later i realised a lot could be improved, i just wasn’t sure where to start. Over rough roads the suspension could not handle the bumps and it would be uncomfortable, and when pushing the car, it did not feel planted, a lot of movement. So, I met up with a friend who had the Ohlins and all M3 bits install and immediately fell in love. So i made it my mission to get these, which i have now.

Before i start, i fitted new Michelin PSS tyres all round before i got the Ohlins. These tyres have a HUGE amount of grip. I also bought a CG Lock. This is really good and keeps you planted in your seat!

Ohlins Road and Track coilovers are high quality and have dual flow valves, which basically means there are 2 paths for oil flow, one for high speed and one for low speed. For example, if you hit a sudden bump, the bigger valve opens up and oil can flow immediately. However, if the damper is slowly compressing, i.e on a corner, there is only one valve and oil flow is more limited, so the damper will resist compression more compared to the pothole scenario. I think that’s how it works! There are around 28 damper settings for the front and rear. Very easy to adjust, in the front you just have to turn the steering wheel and reach underneath and twist a knob. On the rears i have adjuster coming through the boot trim.

Needless to say when i got the coilovers they looked amazing, oozing quality. It’s a shame i didn’t take any pics of them, but there is some pics on another thread, courtesy of oldgreysteve.

I got them fitted at my local motorsport outfit, who did a good job. No knocking or any weird sounds. They set the ride height to Ohlins recommendations. I don’t understand this as they only recommend one ride height for the E90 range, different car weights must have different ride heights if using the same settings? Who knows, i just thought it would be best to get it set to what Ohlins say and adjust later if necessary. I also had a full 4 wheel alignment done.

I have now tried the Ohlins on a variety of settings. I’ve tried 1.1 (full stiff front and rear), 2.3, 5.5, 10.10, 15.15, 20.20, 28.28 (full soft). I won’t bore you with explanations for each settings. 10.10 setting is Ohlins recommendation, and is probably a good setting for driving daily, and i’ll base most of my review on this.

The first time i drove it i was amazed that i could literally drive TWICE as fast as before on rough surfaces. It feels like you are just gliding over the bumps. Previously this would cause the whole car to jolt and you would feel it bang. Not with these. Another example, before i had to slow down to around 20mph on speed bumps (the small ones where there are 3 accross the road), if i didn’t slow down it would unsettle the whole car and be very uncomfortable. The rear would move and sometimes in certain conditions the DSC light would fliker! Now, believe me or not, i can do 50MPH over these same speed bumps and i don’t even feel much. I obviously feel the bump, but it’s much more comfortable and controlled. I suspect i can go even faster but not a good idea to go high speeds in these types of areas. When going around 30mph over the speed bumps, it feels so soft, like you’re on a pillow.

The next thing i noticed was when cornering hard on high speed corners, around 70mph. Body roll is vastly reduced (still some roll), and the first time i took a high speed corner i was very happy. As soon as you turn, you can immediately feel the resistance of the outer spring/damper. Previously the spring/damper used to compress a little and then stop, causing some roll, but now it’s immediate. I knew there was something there keeping me flat and on course. On low speed corners there is also less body roll and turn in has improved, but i think that may be because of the wheel alignment changes i made.

Next i tried stiffening things up and used 5.6 as the settings, and went for a 1 hour drive into the Northamptonshire countryside. Previously the car used to be VERY bumpy on country lanes and you couldn’t really go faster than 50mph. I was constantly looking for a piece of flat road. It didn’t used to inspire me with confidence. However this was one of the most enjoyable drives of my life. It had everything, long straights, hills, high and low speed corners. I felt in total control, never did the car cause me to lose confidence. It was not bumpy and was planted to the road. During hard cornering I could feel the whole car was sticking to the road and it felt like a totally different car, the rear felt a lot more planted than before. I was oozing confidence, until i decided it was best to head back home.

Being nervous or avoiding potholes or dips in the road is a thing of the past, they don’t unsettle the car anymore. I was surprised that by going 5.6 from stiff that it was still quite comfortable, and easily driveable as a daily driver.

Next i thought f**k it go all out and try 1.1. I assumed full stiff would be unbearable on our roads, but it still handled bumps and potholes quite well. However I immediately felt bumps in the road that i didn’t know were there before, even on roads which looked flat. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it’s something which after an hour worth of driving may annoy you. However, when pushing the car this setting was awesome. It basically stiffened the whole car up and felt more like a race car (yes i know its a diesel but bear with me).

I also tried full soft front and rear just to feel it. Needless to say, it was very comfortable. The ride felt like a 4x4. This setting would be very good for someone with a bad back, tired, or driving women.

I really love these coilovers. The car feels like a completely different car to the one i drove before. I like the fact i can change the damping settings and change the characteristics of the car whenever i want. I know some people say they never change them, but with these coilovers you can feel the difference on each of the settings, and they do make a big difference. I can’t wait to try them out on track and test them fully.

The E9X chassis has many problems, the springs and dampers aren’t the sole problem. There’s the RFT tyres, bushings, arms, no LSD etc. If you think you can buy a set of coilovers and have an amazing handling car then think again! I have bought one of the best available and my journey for better handling still hasn’t stopped. My next steps are:

Rear M3 bushings and rear 672lb/in swift springs
LSD!!!
M3 suspension arms
Anti roll bars

Here are some pics of my car. I didn’t note down the before and after ride height unfortunately, but from memory, the rear has raised a touch and the front has lowered a touch. Obviously i didn't buy these coilovers to go for the slammed look!

I know there is still enough space to lower the front and rear, but i'm not sure i will do that as i don't want it to affect the performance. I don't know, i will have to have a think.

























I hope this has been useful and look forward to reading any comments you have. If i have missed anything out then please ask!

[cdgatti]

Fantastic. Congratulations on a great mod on a great car!

[JoeyH335i]

Awesome write up! Makes me want this brand even more.

Was the ride height setup with your weight in the car or just level on it's own?

[swagon]

Awesome write-up, mate. Very helpful and informative, thank you.

Enjoy the car!

[11SEC]

Nice write-up.

Personally I would go half an inch lower in the front and rear.

[ihc95]

Great review man. The car looks great as well. I was seriously considering the Ohlins coilovers but there are 3 things that have made me cross them off my list.

1) There have been issues with rust as these coilovers are simply galvanized steel with a spray on coating.

2) The rear springs are WAY too soft. Yes you can go Swift springs in the rear but that adds additional cost and I'm not a fan of mis-matching parts on an expensive kit.

3) The Ohlins only have the ability to lower the car .5-.75 inches. I'm not trying to "slam" my car but I'd like a little more flexibility with ride height than that.

Because of these reasons, I think I am eventually going to go with TC Kline SA coilovers with 350f/600r springs.

[11SEC]

Originally Posted by ihc95

Great review man. The car looks great as well. I was seriously considering the Ohlins coilovers but there are 3 things that have made me cross them off my list.

1) There have been issues with rust as these coilovers are simply galvanized steel with a spray on coating.

2) The rear springs are WAY too soft. Yes you can go Swift springs in the rear but that adds additional cost and I'm not a fan of mis-matching parts on an expensive kit.

3) The Ohlins only have the ability to lower the car .5-.75 inches. I'm not trying to "slam" my car but I'd like a little more flexibility with ride height than that.

Because of these reasons, I think I am eventually going to go with TC Kline SA coilovers with 350f/600r springs.

I agree. If I were to go coilovers, it'd be TCK, JRZ or AST

[mob17]

Thanks for all the kind comments!

Originally Posted by JoeyH335i

Awesome write up! Makes me want this brand even more.

Was the ride height setup with your weight in the car or just level on it's own?

Thanks mate!

The fitters set the ohlins shocks to a specified length (given in the manual).

Originally Posted by 11SEC

Nice write-up.

Personally I would go half an inch lower in the front and rear.

There is still plenty of adjustment to go lower, so i may do, but i don't want to sacrifice the suspension geometry.

Originally Posted by ihc95

Great review man. The car looks great as well. I was seriously considering the Ohlins coilovers but there are 3 things that have made me cross them off my list.

1) There have been issues with rust as these coilovers are simply galvanized steel with a spray on coating.

2) The rear springs are WAY too soft. Yes you can go Swift springs in the rear but that adds additional cost and I'm not a fan of mis-matching parts on an expensive kit.

3) The Ohlins only have the ability to lower the car .5-.75 inches. I'm not trying to "slam" my car but I'd like a little more flexibility with ride height than that.

Because of these reasons, I think I am eventually going to go with TC Kline SA coilovers with 350f/600r springs.

Thanks for the kind words

Each to their own re looks i guess

I do agree re the rear springs, which is why i'll upgrade them when i get M3 rear SF bushes. But at the moment with non-m SF bushes they are fine.

I read somewhere that you will sacrifice suspension geometry if you lower mcpherson struts over 1" from stock, so didn't really want to do that. I can provide my reference if wanted?

[SeanS54]

along with the Ohlins I have:

Rear M3 bushings and rear 672lb/in swift springs
LSD!!!
M3 suspension arms


By far, the rear M3 bushings and rear swift springs make the Ohlins 3X better... definitely get them!

[JoeyH335i]

Originally Posted by CalBear_335i

along with the Ohlins I have:

Rear M3 bushings and rear 672lb/in swift springs
LSD!!!
M3 suspension arms


By far, the rear M3 bushings and rear swift springs make the Ohlins 3X better... definitely get them!

How did you get the combination of the Swift springs?

I am looking to see where I can buy the Ohlins R&T with stiffer springs?

[solishe]

Originally Posted by JoeyH335i

How did you get the combination of the Swift springs?

I am looking to see where I can buy the Ohlins R&T with stiffer springs?

Harold at HPA can order you the kit like that. But the lead time is like 6-8 weeks because he orders the dampers only as a replacement kit then fills the order with the stiffer swifts.

[SeanS54]

Originally Posted by solishe

Harold at HPA can order you the kit like that. But the lead time is like 6-8 weeks because he orders the dampers only as a replacement kit then fills the order with the stiffer swifts.

Yup... I bought the standard kit from Harold but I bought the rear springs a la carte from another company...

[mike-y]

I seem to remember someone with this kit that had issues when running stiffer rear springs. it was a multi-page thread iirc.. they may have been stiffer than 672 lb/in though, I can't remember.

Just bringing this up so you can do some research on it. CalBear, have you run into any issues with the swift rears?

[SeanS54]

Originally Posted by mike-y

I seem to remember someone with this kit that had issues when running stiffer rear springs. it was a multi-page thread iirc.. they may have been stiffer than 672 lb/in though, I can't remember.

Just bringing this up so you can do some research on it. CalBear, have you run into any issues with the swift rears?

Zero issues. Some say 800 lb rears are too much for the ohlin valving. Before the rear swift springs and the m3 subframe bushings the rear didn't feel planted even with a quaife LSD. The m3 subframe bushings are a definite must!

[Phil325i]

What do the M3 subframe bushings do for ride quality..?

[M535i]

Mob17 before you put stiffer springs on have a butchers of http://www.bimmer-mag.com/issues/101...2#.U8kA_d6wVZt

Birds go with softer springs, quality dampening and stiffer arbs. In the Ohlins system you have a very good system, swapping bits out without all the tech-specs and knowledge to make sure the new springs integrate with the dampers. It's engineering not stick your finger in the air and it feels like the wind is blowing from the east. You need equipment to make accurate measurements and base it of that. Ohlins didn't just drive around with different springs and say yes that feels right.

I'm going with FSDs, SE springs and 16 inch alloys with normal tyres...

[TurboBimmer]

The ride will get a bit harsher but the rear will be more "precise" and planted.

[Phil325i]

Originally Posted by Autobahn335i

The ride will get a bit harsher.

Thanx. Shan't be doing that then...

[mob17]

Originally Posted by M535i

Mob17 before you put stiffer springs on have a butchers of http://www.bimmer-mag.com/issues/101...2#.U8kA_d6wVZt

Birds go with softer springs, quality dampening and stiffer arbs. In the Ohlins system you have a very good system, swapping bits out without all the tech-specs and knowledge to make sure the new springs integrate with the dampers. It's engineering not stick your finger in the air and it feels like the wind is blowing from the east. You need equipment to make accurate measurements and base it of that. Ohlins didn't just drive around with different springs and say yes that feels right.

I'm going with FSDs, SE springs and 16 inch alloys with normal tyres...

Totally agree, but what Ohlins didnt take into account was the changing of SF bushes. Which is why i've been in touch with a friend of mine who is an aircraft engineer and in his spare time makes transmissions and set ups for race cars. He did a lot of research with Aurok UK, who are an Ohlins UK service centre, and he says they will be fine. Search for a thread on here called "Ohlins set up".

[M535i]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

What do the M3 subframe bushings do for ride quality..?

Powerflex inserts are another, as well the powerflex bushes...

[M535i]

Originally Posted by mob17

Totally agree, but what Ohlins didnt take into account was the changing of SF bushes. Which is why i've been in touch with a friend of mine who is an aircraft engineer and in his spare time makes transmissions and set ups for race cars. He did a lot of research with Aurok UK, who are an Ohlins UK service centre, and he says they will be fine. Search for a thread on here called "Ohlins set up".

I stand corrected but you've done the right thing there as you have a very nice set-up. 320d FSDs, 16 inch alloys and normal tyres my needs are different, daily drive workhorse ease, practicality, comfort and handling. 120d hatch I prefer more for fun because the smaller size just lends better to country lanes. If money was no object I'd get the Ohlins on both. A very nice suspension system they are...

[SeanS54]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

What do the M3 subframe bushings do for ride quality..?

not much.. going w/ coilovers the ride is intended to be firmer anyway...