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      07-05-2017, 09:52 PM   #16
Bimmer-Bob
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Drives: 2010 128i
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Anacortes, WA

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I didn't see anything in the thread about how much you were looking to spend - that makes a huge difference.

I've gone through a few different suspensions on this car - the stock M-Sport, then Bilstein PSS9's, and finally Ohlins. I've played with a few different spring rates, a couple of different sway bar sizes, and several sets of tires. I've done the stock RSFBs, the Whiteline inserts, and finally the full poly Whitelines.

I think before you do anything else to the suspension, you should try the Whiteline inserts. They're not as good as the full poly bushings, but they are like an 80% solution, and at $45 plus a couple hours of your time, they have to be one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) bang for your buck mods out there. I only wish I had done them sooner - depending on your needs, you might find you're okay with leaving everything else stock.

As far as coilovers, I can concur that the Bilsteins err on the side of harshness. Sure, there's body control and it feels sportier than stock, but you will feel the road more, and not always in a good way. The Ohlins are head and shoulders above them, but offer (paradoxically) a ride that is better than stock, and handling that is much better. The downside is they are pretty pricey. Supposedly they need rebuilding every 20,000 miles, too - although I've done more than that without any perceived degradation in function, or any weird noises or leaks.

I wouldn't mess around with sway bars until the end - they're more of a finishing touch than a starting point. I really liked the addition of a larger rear bar when I finally got one, but it went in at the same time as an LSD with a shorter final drive. I wouldn't have necessarily touched the rear bar otherwise.
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