Aftermarket suspension photos compilation

[Ski Killset]

Koni yellows, Cobb springs, Whiteline rear subframe bushing inserts

[Ski Killset]

And again

[brocklanders]

Swift spec r before and after.

[neverdone]

Stock shocks, eibach pro-kit, style 313s 18x8.5 +52 all around, all fenders rolled, no rubbing.

[BTXP.XD]

Originally Posted by neverdone

Stock shocks, eibach pro-kit, style 313s 18x8.5 +52 all around, all fenders rolled, no rubbing.

is that base shocks, like what you get form a 125i/ 128I base model?

[neverdone]

It's a base 128i, yep.

[brocklanders]

I'm just sayin, I've had eibach sportlines with pro dampers and after living with swift and bilsteins there are no better combinations besides high end coilovers.

[neverdone]

Eventually I will get something better than the stock shocks, but I need an everyday comfortable ride that isn't too low, my wife drives this thing too.

So far the ride is barely any different than stock and I like it that way. My TL on coilovers is about an inch lower than the 1er, but rides like shit comred to it.

[BTXP.XD]

Originally Posted by brocklanders

I'm just sayin, I've had eibach sportlines with pro dampers and after living with swift and bilsteins there are no better combinations besides high end coilovers.

LOL i think just stock shocks with aftermarket springs are just budget lowering, thts my logic and that is why I'm doing it. I feel so high with my bumper LOL

[BTXP.XD]

Originally Posted by Ski Killset

Koni yellows, Cobb springs, Whiteline rear subframe bushing inserts

I noe this is a noob/dumb question, but what does rear subframe bushing inserts do, or just bushing inserts in general? Thanks :P

[EM58NDS 135i]

ST Suspension ST-XA Coilovers

[Kgolf31]

TCKline Dual Adjustable Coilovers.

1 Turn from full bottom in the rear, rake set appropriate in the front.

17x8.5 ET40 w/245/40 Hankook RS3s squared.

[sympL128]

Swift springs with Koni Yellows. Just right drop, great ride quality, no rubbing, daily driver.

[Fidiman]

Hi everybody, here is my contribution. I will have to update it in a few months ... I didn't write all the modification I did on the chassis.

So, summer my setup is:
- ST XTA coilovers (basically the KW v2 coilovers + linear springs + camber plates)
- VMR vb3 wheels 8,5" front ET45 and 9,5" rear ET40
- Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in 215/40/18 and 245/35/18

Pics were taken befor the rear spring adjustement, now it's lower, that's why I will need to update my contribution.

My winter setup is (lower than the summer one, I adjusted it one month ago):
- OEM 207M wheels
- Pirelli Sottozero 2 in 205/50/17 front and 225/45/17 rear

I added these 1M front anti strut brace to adjust the front camber too :

I have -1°27' front and 0.9 of toe. Rear is set up like -1°35' and 1.1 of toe. Rear settings changed because of the lowering. I will take other pics when I will put my 18" wheels in a couple of months. No rubbing at all.

[HarveyBuh]

So what's the difference between the H&R Sports and the H&R Super Sports? Will i be able to keep my stock shocks if I lower my car on either on those suspension set-ups?

[BMW86]

KW V2

[E82MSport]

I'm running Ohlins Road and Track coilovers with Swift 7" springs in front and Ohlins supplied rear springs. Ground Control Street camber plates. Car is slightly lower in the rear now, as I adjusted front and rear height before the alignment.

Alignment:
Front -2.5 camber with 1mm negative toe each side
Rear -1.5 camber with 1.5mm negative toe each side

Wheels/Tires:
Apex ARC 8's

Front: 18x8.5 +45 with Michelin Pilot Super Sports (245/35/18)
Spacer: 3 mm
Trimmed bumper tabs and full roll with slight fender pull

Rear: 18x9.5 +62 with Michelin Pilot Super Sports (255/35/18)
Spacer: none

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by E82MSport

I'm running Ohlins Road and Track coilovers with Swift 7" springs in front and Ohlins supplied rear springs. Ground Control Street camber plates. Car is slightly lower in the rear now, as I adjusted front and rear height before the alignment.

Alignment:
Front -2.5 camber with 1mm negative toe each side
Rear -1.5 camber with 1.5mm negative toe each side

Wheels/Tires:
Apex ARC 8's

Front: 18x8.5 +45 with Michelin Pilot Super Sports (245/35/18)
Spacer: 3 mm
Trimmed bumper tabs and full roll with slight fender pull

Rear: 18x9.5 +62 with Michelin Pilot Super Sports (255/35/18)
Spacer: none

How are you liking this setup? I have Ohlins R&T on order(they are actually supposed to be coming in today) and I'm looking at my options for wheels and tires at the moment. Is there any particular reason you have the short springs on the front of the car, as in would they impede the installation of the wheels if not shortened? If so, is this due to your selection of a 245 front tire, or is it a concern with all aftermarket wheels when dealing with the Ohlins?

[E82MSport]

Originally Posted by feeshta

How are you liking this setup? I have Ohlins R&T on order(they are actually supposed to be coming in today) and I'm looking at my options for wheels and tires at the moment. Is there any particular reason you have the short springs on the front of the car, as in would they impede the installation of the wheels if not shortened? If so, is this due to your selection of a 245 front tire, or is it a concern with all aftermarket wheels when dealing with the Ohlins?

First I want to say you will love these coilovers but I have to point out the issues.

The Ohlins Road and Track BMS M100 kit was initially designed for the E9X and then adopted for the E82 chassis. The supplied springs in the kit are great but you are extremely limited on front tire fitment. I have the M Sport package that came with staggered wheels/tires. 215/40 front, 245/35 rear.

With rear fitment there are no issues going with wider wheels and tires. I'm running 9.5" ET62 with 255/35's. The front however is a totally different story.

On the front, without spacers I could only run the factory 7.5" ET49 215/40 wheels and tires. Even with a 215/40 on my Apex 8.5" ET45 it was still too close to the lower spring perch. I could have used a 5mm spacer and probably run a 225/40 on the ET45 but ultimately I wanted to go wider. By the way a 215/40 on a 8.5" wide wheel is at the very top of the recommended wheel width, actually being a little stretched.

I want to make a note that choosing proper offsets is really key to fitting wide rubber up front. I would look at ET45 with a +/- of 3 on the front. Others might chime in on this as well.

My main goal was to fit the widest front tire for reduced understeer (I track the car a few times a year) and better balance. I also wanted to keep the overall diameter as close to stock to avoid fender liner clearance. There are many more tire choices in the 245/40 range but the overall diameter is 25.7" for the PSS vs 24.8" in a 245/35. The stock tire (215/40) overall diameter is 24.8".

In order to fit wider tires/wheels I needed to raise the spring perch above the tire. The only way to do this without raising ride height is to get a shorter spring in the proper rate. With recommendations from people here on the forum I went with Swift (Z65-178-060 7" Length 65mm ID) in the front. These springs have a usable stroke of 106mm with 336 lbs/inch rate, which match up with the Ohlins damper stroke.

This is only one part of the equation, the other parts are alignment and fender clearance. In order to fit the tire size I chose (245/35) I needed approximately -2.5 degrees of camber. I went with Ground Control Street camber plates that have all the adjustability I needed. The other solution is M3 lower arms that will give you roughly -.75 without the alignment pins pulled. If you pull/drill the alignment pins on the top mounts you can get maybe another -.5 degrees, so a total of -1.25. This probably isn't enough so you can also opt for Dinan plates which are about $150. This will allow you to still use the stock top mounts which have better NVH, and everything will be solid mounted. All together with M3 arms and Dinan plates you could possibly see -2.5. If you're planning on running 225/40's in front you can skip the Dinan plates or the M3 arms. One or the other should give you enough room to fit 225's.

I also want to mention I rolled the front fenders and gave them a slight pull to make sure I had all my bases covered. Unless I point it out to someone, you can't really tell I've pulled the fenders. With -2.5 camber and fenders rolled and pulled I have plenty of room. I did need to trim the bumper tabs but that more to do with my ride height. Honestly I could fit a 255/35 in front without issues but I would want a wider wheel. I am running a 3mm spacer which effectively make the wheel a ET42 but it fits just fine without it. It helps to fill out the front a bit more.

If you are considering camber plates keep in mind the stack-up height difference. I believe the Ground Control plates are about 24mm (roughly and inch) shorter than the OEM top mounts. This will lower the car even more. Ohlins recommends between 3-5mm of spring preload and right now I'm about double that to get my ride height where I need it(it could actually be raised a bit more but it's proved fine at the track). I have a shop fabricating spacers that will raise my height so I can reduce my spring preload.

Here's my suggestion to you.

If you don't really need the wider tire in front I would go with a 235/40 or a 225/40, Dinan plates, Swift springs (part number mentioned above) and camber alignment maxed. Rear camber set to half of front, approx. -.75-1.0.

I got my springs and thrust sheets here, as they are the best price I've found.
http://www.frsport.com/Swift-Z65-178...m_p_62032.html
http://www.frsport.com/Swift-544202-...-_p_62409.html

Dinan Plates.
http://www.dinancars.com/product/d16...0i-335i-335is/

TRW M3 Arms
http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E82-135...ade/ES2586480/

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by E82MSport

First I want to say you will love these coilovers but I have to point out the issues.

The Ohlins Road and Track BMS M100 kit was initially designed for the E9X and then adopted for the E82 chassis. The supplied springs in the kit are great but you are extremely limited on front tire fitment. I have the M Sport package that came with staggered wheels/tires. 215/40 front, 245/35 rear.

With rear fitment there are no issues going with wider wheels and tires. I'm running 9.5" ET62 with 255/35's. The front however is a totally different story.

On the front, without spacers I could only run the factory 7.5" ET49 215/40 wheels and tires. Even with a 215/40 on my Apex 8.5" ET45 it was still too close to the lower spring perch. I could have used a 5mm spacer and probably run a 225/40 on the ET45 but ultimately I wanted to go wider. By the way a 215/40 on a 8.5" wide wheel is at the very top of the recommended wheel width, actually being a little stretched.

I want to make a note that choosing proper offsets is really key to fitting wide rubber up front. I would look at ET45 with a +/- of 3 on the front. Others might chime in on this as well.

My main goal was to fit the widest front tire for reduced understeer (I track the car a few times a year) and better balance. I also wanted to keep the overall diameter as close to stock to avoid fender liner clearance. There are many more tire choices in the 245/40 range but the overall diameter is 25.7" for the PSS vs 24.8" in a 245/35. The stock tire (215/40) overall diameter is 24.8".

In order to fit wider tires/wheels I needed to raise the spring perch above the tire. The only way to do this without raising ride height is to get a shorter spring in the proper rate. With recommendations from people here on the forum I went with Swift (Z65-178-060 7" Length 65mm ID) in the front. These springs have a usable stroke of 106mm with 336 lbs/inch rate, which match up with the Ohlins damper stroke.

This is only one part of the equation, the other parts are alignment and fender clearance. In order to fit the tire size I chose (245/35) I needed approximately -2.5 degrees of camber. I went with Ground Control Street camber plates that have all the adjustability I needed. The other solution is M3 lower arms that will give you roughly -.75 without the alignment pins pulled. If you pull/drill the alignment pins on the top mounts you can get maybe another -.5 degrees, so a total of -1.25. This probably isn't enough so you can also opt for Dinan plates which are about $150. This will allow you to still use the stock top mounts which have better NVH, and everything will be solid mounted. All together with M3 arms and Dinan plates you could possibly see -2.5. If you're planning on running 225/40's in front you can skip the Dinan plates or the M3 arms. One or the other should give you enough room to fit 225's.

I also want to mention I rolled the front fenders and gave them a slight pull to make sure I had all my bases covered. Unless I point it out to someone, you can't really tell I've pulled the fenders. With -2.5 camber and fenders rolled and pulled I have plenty of room. I did need to trim the bumper tabs but that more to do with my ride height. Honestly I could fit a 255/35 in front without issues but I would want a wider wheel. I am running a 3mm spacer which effectively make the wheel a ET42 but it fits just fine without it. It helps to fill out the front a bit more.

If you are considering camber plates keep in mind the stack-up height difference. I believe the Ground Control plates are about 24mm (roughly and inch) shorter than the OEM top mounts. This will lower the car even more. Ohlins recommends between 3-5mm of spring preload and right now I'm about double that to get my ride height where I need it(it could actually be raised a bit more but it's proved fine at the track). I have a shop fabricating spacers that will raise my height so I can reduce my spring preload.

Here's my suggestion to you.

If you don't really need the wider tire in front I would go with a 235/40 or a 225/40, Dinan plates, Swift springs (part number mentioned above) and camber alignment maxed. Rear camber set to half of front, approx. -.75-1.0.

I got my springs and thrust sheets here, as they are the best price I've found.
http://www.frsport.com/Swift-Z65-178...m_p_62032.html
http://www.frsport.com/Swift-544202-...-_p_62409.html

Dinan Plates.
http://www.dinancars.com/product/d16...0i-335i-335is/

TRW M3 Arms
http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E82-135...ade/ES2586480/

Thank you for the information Sir, I am sure you know how hard it can be to come by solid info at times, and it is invaluable to someone in my position. Just so you know where my car stands right now, it is a 2012 with the M-Sport package. I have already installed M3 Control arms front and rear, and M3 Rear Subframe bushings. Obviously the subframe bushings should not affect the wheel selection, but I mention it for the sake of thoroughness. I was considering the Dinan camber plates and their rear shock mounts which claim to add some suspension travel, but if they are not needed for my application, I will not waste the money.

I do not plan on tracking the car. I've never been on track and don't foresee it happening any time soon, so that is not a consideration for me. The roads I drive on for fun tend to be more than a little "lumpy", which is a huge part of why I went with the Ohlins as they have a good reputation for ride quality. I plan to stay relatively close to factory ride height, probably with the Ohlins recommended 20mm front and 25 mm rear settings.

I initially was looking heavily into trying to go to a 245 square setup, but the more I read about the pitfalls, the less attractive it seems to go that route. I'm very hesitant to get the fenders rolled, as I dealt with the bad side of that in my previous car and it was not pretty. Also, adding the M3 control arms made a huge difference in the front end grip that the square setup would have been aimed at fixing and I am not sure it is really needed for my purposes any more. It's rare that I truly break traction now except due to bad road surfaces, which the factory suspension does not like very much at all.

I've been kind of bouncing around mentally on what I want to do from a wheel and tire perspective recently. I actually like the idea of going with 17s, as I tend to focus much more on the practical than the aesthetic. Empirically speaking, 17s are superior in pretty much every way(lighter, better ride quality, less costly tire options, etc), they just don't look quite as cool as 18s. The problem there is that I can't seem to find much that works on both the front and rear of the car, at least not in wheels that seem to have a reputation for quality. The other option, and the leading contender at this point I would say, is APEX Arc-8's in the normal 1 series arrangement with 225s up front and 255s out back, or 235s in the front if they would fit. Due to their low stock though, there is a chance that could change by the time they get what I want back on the shelves. Tire selection will almost certainly be Michelin PSS, as I have heard a ton of positive reviews, including from my best friend.

I planned on doing the install next Thursday, and have an appointment scheduled for the next day with an alignment with a shop that is known for their work on non-factory spec vehicles. I can of course postpone that appointment if needed, but obviously would like to get them installed sooner rather than later.

So considering my specific needs and info, would you still recommend going with the swift springs? If so I will need to order them now to possibly get them in in time for the planned install. Also, I had never really heard of thrust sheets. I read the description, but wondered if you had any input on them?

Once again, thank you so much for your input. I can't say that enough.

Edit: Oh, and I forgot to mention that I think you might be able to get a little more camber out of just the M3 arms. They are right around 1.1 now without anything other than installing the arms. The guys at the hobby shop were not comfortable changing the front camber, and given I was planning on having a full professional alignment done in a couple weeks anyway, I just left it alone.

[knightarmor]

With all this talk about Ohlins R&T setup I just have to post up a couple shots of my ride!

2011 135i Msport
Ohlins R&T coilovers -2.1 camber front with Dinan camber plates, -1.25 camber rear
12mm wheel spacers up front
Factory 18" staggered setup with 245/35 Bridgestone RFT rears, 215/40 Nitto Neogen fronts





With this setup it feels like I've eliminated any understeer. I actually think I have a bit of oversteer now but it feels much better than it did with OEM suspension and the cheesy RFT's up front.

Still have much more work to do but this setup is keeping a big smile on my face right now!

[E82MSport]

Originally Posted by feeshta

I was considering the Dinan camber plates and their rear shock mounts which claim to add some suspension travel, but if they are not needed for my application, I will not waste the money.

Based on your input I wouldn't recommend doing anything further, as you have enough negative camber to fit either 215's or 225's without additional negative camber.

I do not plan on tracking the car.

If I were you i'd try out a track day, you'll get hooked

I've never been on track and don't foresee it happening any time soon, so that is not a consideration for me. The roads I drive on for fun tend to be more than a little "lumpy", which is a huge part of why I went with the Ohlins as they have a good reputation for ride quality. I plan to stay relatively close to factory ride height, probably with the Ohlins recommended 20mm front and 25 mm rear settings.

The ride quality with the Ohlins dampers is superb and the ride height you noted is what I set my car to initially

I initially was looking heavily into trying to go to a 245 square setup, but the more I read about the pitfalls, the less attractive it seems to go that route.

The pitfalls you mentioned are merely challenges and with a little research is achievable but in your situation I would stay with a narrower tire

I'm very hesitant to get the fenders rolled, as I dealt with the bad side of that in my previous car and it was not pretty.

Fender rolling on a 1-series is easier due to the return flange being at about a 45 degree angle stock. You really only have to roll the fender slightly to gain additional clearance

Also, adding the M3 control arms made a huge difference in the front end grip that the square setup would have been aimed at fixing and I am not sure it is really needed for my purposes any more. It's rare that I truly break traction now except due to bad road surfaces, which the factory suspension does not like very much at all.

Based on your post it really doesn't look like you would benefit from a square setup seeing as you don't drive the car too hard.

Empirically speaking, 17s are superior in pretty much every way(lighter, better ride quality, less costly tire options, etc), they just don't look quite as cool as 18s. The problem there is that I can't seem to find much that works on both the front and rear of the car, at least not in wheels that seem to have a reputation for quality.

I agree 17's would be lighter, cost less and tire cost would be lower but finding ideal offset might be a bit challenging

The other option, and the leading contender at this point I would say, is APEX Arc-8's in the normal 1 series arrangement with 225s up front and 255s out back, or 235s in the front if they would fit. Due to their low stock though, there is a chance that could change by the time they get what I want back on the shelves.

APEX does seem to have stock issues based on others I read about

Tire selection will almost certainly be Michelin PSS, as I have heard a ton of positive reviews, including from my best friend.

For a summer only tire in the Max Performance category it's probably the best tire out on the market

I planned on doing the install next Thursday, and have an appointment scheduled for the next day with an alignment with a shop that is known for their work on non-factory spec vehicles. I can of course postpone that appointment if needed, but obviously would like to get them installed sooner rather than later.

Based on the information you have provided I wouldn't change the springs. Run the Ohlins setup as supplied.

So considering my specific needs and info, would you still recommend going with the swift springs? If so I will need to order them now to possibly get them in in time for the planned install. Also, I had never really heard of thrust sheets. I read the description, but wondered if you had any input on them?

In regards to thrust sheets you can go without. I ran without for a year and didn't have noise issues

Once again, thank you so much for your input. I can't say that enough.

Edit: Oh, and I forgot to mention that I think you might be able to get a little more camber out of just the M3 arms. They are right around 1.1 now without anything other than installing the arms. The guys at the hobby shop were not comfortable changing the front camber, and given I was planning on having a full professional alignment done in a couple weeks anyway, I just left it alone.

Get a professional alignment. When you mentioned hobby shop I think of balsa air planes and model cars