[_cruster]

Hey there - I'm looking for advice or experience from folks who may have done this already with some E90 variant...I got my wife an '07 E93 over the summer, which happens to have M Sport Suspension installed. The front is...low, especially for a daily driver, especially for someone who isn't really driving it all that enthusiastically (she loves the car, she just takes it easy).

I've gone through the forums to try to figure out the best option to get some lift without making it look lifted. Right now, the front measures 13.5" hub to fender, and the rear sits 13" hub to fender.

- How much lower are the M Sport springs compared to the standard E93 springs? Swapping springs would be an option...and are the E90 springs the same across body styles, or are the E93 rears going to have a higher rate to support the weight of the top?

- Am I going to end up with reverse rake if I opt instead for the front shims from the rough road package? And... are there rear shims from the rough road package? I couldn't find any.

- Opting instead for the E30 spring plates...what modifications would be required? A set of these seems like it might be the cheapest bet for getting a half inch or so of clearance back.

Thanks very much for any assistance - on behalf of my wife as well as the lower front valance of her (quite lovely) car.

[BB_cuda]

I have E90 version of Msport. I too was not liking how low the valence is to the street and the ever present scrape as i enter and leave our driveway. My solution was a bit pricey but also greatly sported up the handling. I went to ground control coil over setup that is adjustable. Yes, i cranked the height up about 1/4" on each corner. I wanted to go up enough to no longer scrape. I did convert the suspension over to M3 parts too. Big job with the majority of effort in the rear suspension. Front suspension is pretty straight forward.

[chris@strutmonkey]

Your best bet is to replace your sport suspension with non-sport shocks and springs. This will raise your car a half inch. With a 2007, I am sure your suspension is overdue for a refresh anyway. Here is the kit you want:

Originally Posted by _cruster

Hey there - I'm looking for advice or experience from folks who may have done this already with some E90 variant...I got my wife an '07 E93 over the summer, which happens to have M Sport Suspension installed. The front is...low, especially for a daily driver, especially for someone who isn't really driving it all that enthusiastically (she loves the car, she just takes it easy).

I've gone through the forums to try to figure out the best option to get some lift without making it look lifted. Right now, the front measures 13.5" hub to fender, and the rear sits 13" hub to fender.

- How much lower are the M Sport springs compared to the standard E93 springs? Swapping springs would be an option...and are the E90 springs the same across body styles, or are the E93 rears going to have a higher rate to support the weight of the top?

- Am I going to end up with reverse rake if I opt instead for the front shims from the rough road package? And... are there rear shims from the rough road package? I couldn't find any.

- Opting instead for the E30 spring plates...what modifications would be required? A set of these seems like it might be the cheapest bet for getting a half inch or so of clearance back.

Thanks very much for any assistance - on behalf of my wife as well as the lower front valance of her (quite lovely) car.

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by chris@strutmonkey

Your best bet is to replace your sport suspension with non-sport shocks and springs. This will raise your car a half inch. With a 2007, I am sure your suspension is overdue for a refresh anyway. Here is the kit you want:

It’s only 42k so I’m not entirely sure it’s blown, but - unless my phone is doing something weird with your post, I don’t see a link to that kit - can you share one? When I look at your site I’m only seeing a Bilstein B8 kit and a couple of Koni kits.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by chris@strutmonkey

With a 2007, I am sure your suspension is overdue for a refresh anyway.

Originally Posted by _cruster

It’s only 42k so I’m not entirely sure it’s blown.

Chris is correct. Your suspension is 12y old. Even if you have 4.2k miles probably is for the best to replace the struts/shock with new.

[chris@strutmonkey]

Sorry about that... we were updating it for the new year... here is link:

https://www.strutmonkey.com/store/p6...rsion_kit.html

Use "monkey50" and you'll save $50 until Fri midnight.

Originally Posted by _cruster

It’s only 42k so I’m not entirely sure it’s blown, but - unless my phone is doing something weird with your post, I don’t see a link to that kit - can you share one? When I look at your site I’m only seeing a Bilstein B8 kit and a couple of Koni kits.

Although taller, non-sport springs are also softer; too soft IMO and a step in the wrong direction. I vote that you keep your stock springs and use a combination of tops hats, shims, taller tires, etc. to make up the difference in height.

What are your current spring codes?

[techwhiz]

Originally Posted by _cruster

Hey there - I'm looking for advice or experience from folks who may have done this already with some E90 variant...I got my wife an '07 E93 over the summer, which happens to have M Sport Suspension installed. The front is...low, especially for a daily driver, especially for someone who isn't really driving it all that enthusiastically (she loves the car, she just takes it easy).

I've gone through the forums to try to figure out the best option to get some lift without making it look lifted. Right now, the front measures 13.5" hub to fender, and the rear sits 13" hub to fender.

- How much lower are the M Sport springs compared to the standard E93 springs? Swapping springs would be an option...and are the E90 springs the same across body styles, or are the E93 rears going to have a higher rate to support the weight of the top?

- Am I going to end up with reverse rake if I opt instead for the front shims from the rough road package? And... are there rear shims from the rough road package? I couldn't find any.

- Opting instead for the E30 spring plates...what modifications would be required? A set of these seems like it might be the cheapest bet for getting a half inch or so of clearance back.

Thanks very much for any assistance - on behalf of my wife as well as the lower front valance of her (quite lovely) car.

You can get almost an inch of sag and a very crappy ride with blown stock units. My car sagged that much in the front and rear with crappy stock units that had no damping left. I could compress them with my hand and they would never rebound.

I think you just need some new Bilstein B8's.

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Although taller, non-sport springs are also softer; too soft IMO and a step in the wrong direction. I vote that you keep your stock springs and use a combination of tops hats, shims, taller tires, etc. to make up the difference in height.

What are your current spring codes?

If I were driving it, it standard springs might be a step in the right direction...for my wife, I'm not so sure! That said - if I could raise it without swapping the springs, that would be my preference. I did find part numbers for the shims for the rough road kit for the front; I haven't found anything for the rear, though - and maybe there are no shims for the rear, I haven't been able to confirm that. I don't want to put the front shims in and find out I've got reverse rake.

I'd have to pull the codes off the springs - it's got the option 704 MSport suspension kit.

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by chris@strutmonkey

Sorry about that... we were updating it for the new year... here is link:

https://www.strutmonkey.com/store/p6...rsion_kit.html

Use "monkey50" and you'll save $50 until Fri midnight.

Thanks for circling back on this - just a heads up that, on Safari on my iPhone (iOS 11.2.2), I can't get to my cart on your site. I'm not sure if it's adding items - I click "add to cart"; nothing happens...and there's no option to select my shopping cart. Works fine on my desktop but no luck on iPhone.

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by techwhiz

You can get almost an inch of sag and a very crappy ride with blown stock units. My car sagged that much in the front and rear with crappy stock units that had no damping left. I could compress them with my hand and they would never rebound.

I think you just need some new Bilstein B8's.

I'm starting to wonder if that isn't the case. I gave everything a visual once-over when I did the front brakes last weekend; no leaks and all the rubber looks good...it does seem really low, though.

Anyone know what the wheel to fender measurement should be in the front with the MSport suspension?

[feuer]

Originally Posted by _cruster

I did find part numbers for the shims for the rough road kit for the front; I haven't found anything for the rear, though - and maybe there are no shims for the rear, I haven't been able to confirm that.

I think there isn't such thing as shim kit for rough roads. Post the part number here. Regarding raising the rear, that's very easy. Search the forum. People, including myself had successfully raised the rear by implementation of e30/36/46 spring pads that come in 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15mm variations.

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by feuer

I think there isn't such thing as shim kit for rough roads. Post the part number here. Regarding raising the rear, that's very easy. Search the forum. People, including myself had successfully raised the rear by implementation of e30/36/46 spring pads that come in 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15mm variations.

There absolutely is a factory shim for the front - 31306779671. From option package S815A, “Poor Road Package”.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by _cruster

There absolutely is a factory shim for the front - 31306779671. From option package S815A, “Poor Road Package”.

Oh wow! Good find. Go with that. Should be easy to install. Match the rear with 15mm spring pads.

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by feuer

Oh wow! Good find. Go with that. Should be easy to install. Match the rear with 15mm spring pads.

By chance do you have the part number for the 15mm pads? Are they the E46 pads?

[feuer]

Originally Posted by _cruster

By chance do you have the part number for the 15mm pads? Are they the E46 pads?

Both e36 and e46 use the pad. Part 33531094754. You need to cut the middle off and fit it as spacer between the chassis and the spring cup. Then you cut/trim the pad to be flushed with the chassis in order not to rub on the shock. I did this with 10mm pad on my 335i

[_cruster]

Just wanted to say thanks for the tips on this. I ended up going with the E46 spring seats with thicker pads in front, and the trimmed spring pads in back. Got me roughly 3/4” each end on my wife’s car, which is perfect. Parts were about $80. Install was...well, front suspension on the sport package is kind of a pain, but it was worth the half day of work.

Originally Posted by _cruster

Just wanted to say thanks for the tips on this. I ended up going with the E46 spring seats with thicker pads in front

How do the E46 spring seats compare to the E30 and E90?

What pads specifically did you use?

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

How do the E46 spring seats compare to the E30 and E90?

What pads specifically did you use?

I believe the the front spring plates are the same for E36 and E46; they are 12mm taller (above where the spring sits) than the E90 plates. The upper spring pad (31331128522) is good for another mm or 2. They swap right into the E90.

In the rear I added the 15mm E46 spring pad (33531094754KT). The pad needs to be modified slightly: cut the middle out so it will fit over the upper spring cup, and cut about .75" off of one side so it won't rub on the strut.

Overall, it was an easy swap; my issues were just those of working on a 10 year old car: the front shocks did not want to be released from the steering knuckle, and trying to compress the springs enough to swap was not easy with the whole thing still mounted to the car...in the back, I had a heck of a time getting the bushing on the lower control arm to play nice so I could bolt everything back together. The 'real' work of modifying/installing the rear pads and swapping the front plates/pads was not hard.

Even my wife agrees that her E93 looked "cooler" sitting lower, but being able to back out of our garage without scraping in the front is even cooler, especially as it's her daily driver.

Originally Posted by _cruster

I believe the the front spring plates are the same for E36 and E46; they are 12mm taller (above where the spring sits) than the E90 plates.

That's where I'm getting confused...are you talking about spring perches, or just a plate that sits between the assembly and the shock tower (a spacer, if you will)?

[_cruster]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

That's where I'm getting confused...are you talking about spring perches, or just a plate that sits between the assembly and the shock tower (a spacer, if you will)?

Sorry - they'd be more accurately called perches. Most of the resellers seem to refer to it as a seat or plate (my ECS order, where I grabbed the part number for you, called them plates). The design of the top of the perch - above the spring - is such that it's 12mm deeper than the OEM E90 perch.

There are also plate options: there's a factory plate that goes atop the strut mount; I have seen a few posts where people doubled or tripled those up to get a few extra MM...or there is the thick Rough Road package plate I referenced earlier in this thread, which is 12mm. That would be a lot less work to install: remove the wheel, unhook ABS and pad wear sensors, unbolt the strut mount, mount the Rough Road plate with everything still on the car, and reassemble. I went with the perches because they were a lot cheaper (roughly $28 for 2 perches and pads, vs. $150 or so for the two Rough Road plates).

[feuer]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

That's where I'm getting confused...are you talking about spring perches, or just a plate that sits between the assembly and the shock tower (a spacer, if you will)?

Same here. Photos would help.