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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Suspension | Brakes | Chassis > How long do coilovers last?



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      09-05-2018, 04:48 PM   #1
Eddiee07
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How long do coilovers last?

I currently have BC coilovers on my e90 get them about a year and a half ago only have about 20k miles on the coilovers. The ride quality of these coilovers were horrible from the start. Pretty bouncy even on the stiffest setting But recently I noticed the car legitimately bounce now. As if one of the shocks are blown out. Any bump in the road and body starts bouncing up and down my seat. I do recall a Shop telling me i’d Need new lower control arms soon can this be it? Or can it be that the shock blew out already? I’m not maxxed out at all on the coilovers still have about half an inch all around
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      09-06-2018, 02:59 AM   #2
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I have my Ohlins R&T serviced every 50K miles...
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      09-06-2018, 10:24 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddiee07 View Post
I currently have BC coilovers on my e90 get them about a year and a half ago only have about 20k miles on the coilovers. The ride quality of these coilovers were horrible from the start. Pretty bouncy even on the stiffest setting But recently I noticed the car legitimately bounce now. As if one of the shocks are blown out. Any bump in the road and body starts bouncing up and down my seat. I do recall a Shop telling me i’d Need new lower control arms soon can this be it? Or can it be that the shock blew out already? I’m not maxxed out at all on the coilovers still have about half an inch all around
Typically coilovers don't tend to last as long as a traditional shock/strut setup. Rule of thumb I have always heard is that mid-level coilovers will need to be re-valved every 30k miles or so. This of course varies heavily on the quality of your coilovers, how low you have them, your driving style, the roads you drive, etc.
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      09-06-2018, 10:27 AM   #4
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BC is crap, no surprise there. I have a few years, probably 30k or so on my Bilstein coilovers.
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      09-06-2018, 04:39 PM   #5
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Per FA when I spoke to them 65K before rebuild. I considered Bilstien because of longevity, but I couldn't justify the cost.
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      09-06-2018, 10:52 PM   #6
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Bouncy ride indicates damper issue. Coilover life varies hugely but a big factor can whether or not they use monotube dampers or twin tube and build quality. There are mono tubes that last longer than twin tubes but often do so at the expense of ride quality due to seal stiction.

Generally, Koni yellow based twin tubes coil overs have the longest service life if you take into account % of performance maintained Into the life of the set up. In this case the ‘coilover’ lasts similar (75k miles-ish) to shock and spring bc they’re essentially the same thing. Anything with a monotube set up that has low stiction seals (aka, not bilstein) generally lasts 15k-50k depending on how fancy they are. ANd the bilstein B8/6 based stuff can last up to 100k but I’m personally of the belief that the ride quality is too stiff to be worth the trade off. Which is why I’m always coming back to the Koni yellow based set up.

One potential have your cake and eat it too would the Fat cat motorsports bilstein based set up, but who knows reliable mileage out of that.

Last edited by tlow98; 09-06-2018 at 10:59 PM..
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      09-08-2018, 09:21 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddiee07 View Post
I currently have BC coilovers on my e90 get them about a year and a half ago only have about 20k miles on the coilovers. The ride quality of these coilovers were horrible from the start. Pretty bouncy even on the stiffest setting But recently I noticed the car legitimately bounce now. As if one of the shocks are blown out. Any bump in the road and body starts bouncing up and down my seat. I do recall a Shop telling me i’d Need new lower control arms soon can this be it? Or can it be that the shock blew out already? I’m not maxxed out at all on the coilovers still have about half an inch all around
Good question.

I too have BC Racing coilovers on my 328xi, along with 18s and I can't stand the ride around NYC. I bought the car with them installed and have no idea how many miles are on them.

I dislike it so much I'm swapping them out for OEM or slightly more sporty than OEM. Good luck
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      09-09-2018, 02:56 AM   #8
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My Bilstein B16IRC fronts lasted aprox 120.000 km. Just had them changed.
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      09-13-2018, 07:27 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SnapCoupe View Post
Typically coilovers don't tend to last as long as a traditional shock/strut setup. Rule of thumb I have always heard is that mid-level coilovers will need to be re-valved every 30k miles or so. This of course varies heavily on the quality of your coilovers, how low you have them, your driving style, the roads you drive, etc.
Where would one go to get their coilovers serviced?
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      09-14-2018, 10:15 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddiee07 View Post
Where would one go to get their coilovers serviced?

Talk to your local racers, there may be a rebuilder locally but it depends on what dampers you have, most require you to send them back to the factory where as there are far more rebuilders for higher end dampers like Bilstein, Ohlins, etc.
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      09-14-2018, 01:59 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddiee07 View Post
Where would one go to get their coilovers serviced?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8 View Post
Talk to your local racers, there may be a rebuilder locally but it depends on what dampers you have, most require you to send them back to the factory where as there are far more rebuilders for higher end dampers like Bilstein, Ohlins, etc.
As he said, certain shops can rebuild/revalve certain coilovers but typically a shop that is willing to do this tends to be more of a "specialty shop" and will probably charge more than its worth.

If you plan on holding on to a car for a while after installing coilovers, typically its best to find a brand that is US based and will service them for a reasonable cost. I know Fortune Auto does this with their coilovers and they have a quick turn around time for rebuilds and the prices are very reasonable.
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      10-10-2018, 10:18 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil325i View Post
I have my Ohlins R&T serviced every 50K miles...
Where do you get your Ohlins serviced ?
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      10-11-2018, 02:00 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 335dM View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil325i View Post
I have my Ohlins R&T serviced every 50K miles...
Where do you get your Ohlins serviced ?
http://performanceshock.com/index.ph...ex&cPath=1

Or directly through Ohlins USA
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      10-11-2018, 03:03 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 335dM View Post
Where do you get your Ohlins serviced ?
I'm based in the UK, and my nearest Ohlins agent does it. Details of suppliers worldwide are available on the Ohlins website.
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