Recommended Shock/Spring Set

[hxman]

Can anyone recommend a good front aftermarket shocks/spring set as I am about to install my M front upper/lower control arms?

Thanks

[Pig Farmer]

Reach out to Harold at HP Autowerks. He has a ton of experience with the 135 and 1M suspension. If you're willing to spend a bit more, I would recommend coilovers with Swift springs. I went with TC Kline DA coilovers with Swift springs (336lb front and 728lb rear). The car is much more planted and actually much more comfortable. The car stays flat through turns, during hard braking and under acceleration, but eats up bumps without any unwanted bounce or jarring impacts. Good luck.

[hxman]

Are any spring and shock kits that are good for both street and track that are auto adjustable???

[mike the snake]

The Ohlins Road and Track kit is complete with shocks and springs, and is very nice.

I have it on my 135 (with stiffer rear springs) and I love everything about the Ohlins R&T kit.

The shocks are adjustable, one screw adjusts both compression and rebound from soft to stiff.

[TheBreeze]

Originally Posted by hxman

Can anyone recommend a good front aftermarket shocks/spring set as I am about to install my M front upper/lower control arms?

Thanks

There are lots of options for both coil-over setups and conventional shock/spring setups. It really depends on what you want/need. What are you planning to do with the car? How much track vs street duty? How much lowering are you after? What kind of ride are you after? What are the roads like where you typically drive? What's your budget? There's no one size fits all answer.

As others have said, coil-overs are a great option if you need maximum adjust-ability (ride height and dampening). Be prepared to pay a big premium for good coil-overs.

For conventional setups, the only real "self-adjusting" setup I'm aware of are Koni FSDs (according to the marketing literature), but most favor the Koni yellows which are adjustable via knobs on the top and are more track-worthy than FSDs. On my car, I run:

- Dinan Stage 1 kit (Dinan springs and Dinan-tuned Koni yellows)
- Dinan camber plates
- M wishbones and tension rods
- VMR 18x8.5/45 and 18x9.5/50 v701 wheels
- Michelin PSS 225/255 tires
- front alignment -1.6* camber, 1/16" toe-out
- rear alignment -2* camber 1/16" toe-in

Initially I was going to go with BMW Performance Yellow springs with Koni Yellows, but I got a great deal on the Dinan setup from another forum member. I suspect the BMW/Koni setup would be very similar in performance (and a bit cheaper than getting Dinan stuff new).

I'm very satisfied with this setup. Ride is great, handling is great, NVH is great, and ride height is just about perfect. I plan on doing rear guide rods soon to tighten up the rear a bit. Many people do the M3 front sway bar (it's an easy mod), but I opted not to as I did not want to induce understeer. I haven't tracked this setup yet but I have yet to experience *any* understeer at all on the street (car plowed big time with the stock setup). The car takes a great set and sticks like white on rice .. it drives like a totally different car compared to stock. Once I get some track time, I may do more mods (like rear subframe bushings if the rear still gets squirrel-ly). My goals were to have a car that drives great on the the street and inspires confidence on the track. It is my daily driver, so comfort is a big consideration. I track for fun, so I don't need a no-holds-barred track setup. This really fits the bill.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by hxman

Can anyone recommend a good front aftermarket shocks/spring set as I am about to install my M front upper/lower control arms?

Thanks

If you are only after springs and performance dampers, the BMW Performance Springs and Koni Yellows are a very good combo. Eibach and H&R will be okay as well.

[ShortShift]

HP Autowerks,

what would be the best shocks for performance paired msport springs for aggressive canyon runs and HPDE? Does not have to be comfortable..
thanks

[BMWUKBlue]

I have ASTs with Swift springs and Vorshlag camber plates, use as a daily driver and for track days. Works well on the street and the track, good balance from my perspective.