[AcidLotus]

I'm thinking about picking up some Eibach Pro-kit springs for my 335xi LCI sedan. However, the question holding me back at this point is how much smoother or rougher the ride will be. I'll probably stay on stock struts (for now) and stock 17" wheels and RFT tires. I've hit two or three potholes on the stock setup at highways speeds that make a pretty loud bang - one member somewhere described it on his car as "the bang that makes you think welds are popping somewhere". Would the Pro-kit springs minimize this, or make it worse?

Thanks!

[Ph0zenstone]

pro kit will make the ride worse...i ran eibachs on bilsteins and couldn't take the rough ride anymore. but then again i am in New york where the roads are much worse then Denver. however, my cd's would keep skipping because the ride was so rough...that was my cue to get rid of the lowering springs. At first i thought my headunit was broken but as soon as i put oem springs back on, no more cd skipping lol

[Sleeper]

Every person's opinion will be different. I think the stock suspension is horrid - it's bouncy, vague, loose, and unstable. You hit a bump at speed and it takes the car 10 minutes to figure out how to settle. Also, the faster you go, the sloppier and looser the car feels... pretty sketchy.

I switched to Eibach's and Bilstein's. The ride is now firmer, but definitely not harsh or rough. I'm in Canada too, so I don't have the smoothest roads that's for sure. Unless you have a super tender ass, you'll be very happy with the improvement in handling. No more vagueness, the sketchiness at high speed is gone, and the awful bounciness is gone too.

Oh, and as an added bonus, the car doesn't look like a jacked up rally car anymore.

[black 335xi]

Originally Posted by Sleeper

Every person's opinion will be different. I think the stock suspension is horrid - it's bouncy, vague, loose, and unstable. You hit a bump at speed and it takes the car 10 minutes to figure out how to settle. Also, the faster you go, the sloppier and looser the car feels... pretty sketchy.

I switched to Eibach's and Bilstein's. The ride is now firmer, but definitely not harsh or rough. I'm in Canada too, so I don't have the smoothest roads that's for sure. Unless you have a super tender ass, you'll be very happy with the improvement in handling. No more vagueness, the sketchiness at high speed is gone, and the awful bounciness is gone too.

Oh, and as an added bonus, the car doesn't look like a jacked up rally car anymore.

+1 - I agree with everything stated above. I have eibachs and bilsteins, and the ride is definitely firmer, but I wouldn't say harsh. I just switched out to an 18" staggered setup for wheels, and that did make the ride a bit harsher, but the handling improved as well as the looks. I'm in Rapid City, SD, and I'd venture that our roads are at least as bad (if not worse) than Denver's. I've seen Denver's roads and I don't think you'll have any problem.


Oh, and just a BTW- Don't try to get by with stock shocks/struts with the pro-kit - I think that you'll hate the ride if you do. The spring rates are totally different, and the shocks are valved accordingly. If you're not going to do the dampers, don't bother with the springs.

[Sam335ix]

I bought Kwv1's and I cant wait until I install them in a few weeks...

[E92xiSS]

Originally Posted by phozenstone

pro kit will make the ride worse...i ran eibachs on bilsteins and couldn't take the rough ride anymore. but then again i am in New york where the roads are much worse then Denver. however, my cd's would keep skipping because the ride was so rough...that was my cue to get rid of the lowering springs. At first i thought my headunit was broken but as soon as i put oem springs back on, no more cd skipping lol

what kind of tires? tires make huge difference in ride quality as well. we all know how stiff RFTs are because i have the same setup here in nyc(bilsteins sports w/ eibach springs) WITHOUT the RFTs and it feels soo much better than stock overall.

[Ph0zenstone]

Originally Posted by E92xiSS

what kind of tires? tires make huge difference in ride quality as well. we all know how stiff RFTs are because i have the same setup here in nyc(bilsteins sports w/ eibach springs) WITHOUT the RFTs and it feels soo much better than stock overall.

I ran 19"s with non rft's....was very firm up to the point CDs would skip. When everyone says its "better" that means the handling not the ride quality. You definitely give up ride quality in exchange for better handling. You also give up the peace of mind of rft's

[ssm3nyc]

Originally Posted by phozenstone

I ran 19"s with non rft's....was very firm up to the point CDs would skip. When everyone says its "better" that means the handling not the ride quality. You definitely give up ride quality in exchange for better handling. You also give up the peace of mind of rft's

im running 18s so i cant speak for guys with 19s. but the ride quality
definitely isnt worse than stock with RFTs. it actually feels lot better because its not bouncing all over the place.

[Sleeper]

Originally Posted by phozenstone

I ran 19"s with non rft's....was very firm up to the point CDs would skip. When everyone says its "better" that means the handling not the ride quality. You definitely give up ride quality in exchange for better handling. You also give up the peace of mind of rft's

I disagree 100%. Not only is handling better, the ride quality is infinitely better. If you enjoy the feeling of being bounced around and having to hold onto the door and steering wheel for support (ie. the stock suspension), then I guess that's your definition of ride quality. Like I said, everyone's opinion will be different.