bigger wheels or lowering springs?

[jhonny135i]

Sorry for the dumb question guys but please bare with me i'm new to this.

I hate the gap between my car and fender. I want to eliminate that gap WITHOUT messing up the cars handling or suspension.

What do you guys think lowering the car with h&r sport springs
keeping the oem M 18" wheels?

or

Don't lower the car and get 19" after market wheels like bbs?

but don't want mess up the ride quality

[MightyMouseTech]

Bigger wheels will make the gap look even bigger.

Search the forums, you will see what various springs look like.

[anglocanadian]

I’m also considering lowering springs on my car which is a 2013 with msport suspension .
My question is can you just fit 1” lower springs without changing the dampers ?

[850tgul]

Not recommended. The dampers are the weakest link of the stock suspension. If you pair them with lowering springs they will perform even worse than stock.

[HOGGLIFE]

I have a set of 19" bbs ch-r for sale. They fill the wheel wells nicely. Speaking from experience.

See here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1150633

[inFamousKicks]

Originally Posted by anglocanadian

I’m also considering lowering springs on my car which is a 2013 with msport suspension .
My question is can you just fit 1” lower springs without changing the dampers ?

While technically you can, it could worsen the ride and shorten the life of your dampers.

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

Not recommended. The dampers are the weakest link of the stock suspension. If you pair them with lowering springs they will perform even worse than stock.

Back when I was canvassing the country looking for my car, I ran across a CPO 135i at a BMW dealer in Plano, TX. Claim was the car's PO worked for the dealer, and had Dinan springs installed (dealer is a Dinan dealer as well). I wondered about that myself... lowering a car without changing the shocks to match. I don't need/want a car that's lower than stock, my neighborhood is littered with speed tables, and so I passed. But still....

[850tgul]

Well Dinan or BMWP arent as low as the H&R option the OP mentioned. Bottom line is you can run stock dampers with lowering springs but that doesn't mean you should. Certain dampers are designed and valved to operate with certain springs. I know the OP is looking to lower but honestly, if anything, I'd keep the stock coils and replace the dampers. Bilstein HDs would be perfect. Wouldn't drop the car but the HDs are designed to work with stock springs and would drastically improve the handling. But really the labor is such that you might as well swap out both springs and dampers while you're in there.

[Mr Rooty Von Tooty]

The valving in the shocks should match the spring rate. To lower the car, you need a shorter spring. Since suspension travel is reduced, you need a stiffer or higher rate spring and the shock to match.

The fender gap remains the same more or less with a bigger wheel. The side wall just gets shorter. However, the tire offers less cushioning and thus transmits more noise into the cabin and the feel of the ride deteriorates.

[Gray_Panther]

I have koni sport yellows and eibach springs for sale in the for sale section. Immediately ready to ship!

[Dackelone]

Go with lowering springs and matched shocks. IF you only replace the shocks... sooner rather than later... you will need to go back in to replace a blown shock bc of the lowered ride height.

Using high quality shocks like Bilsteins and Koni's and lower springs will make all the difference in looks AND handling.

Dack

[jhonny135i]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

Well Dinan or BMWP arent as low as the H&R option the OP mentioned. Bottom line is you can run stock dampers with lowering springs but that doesn't mean you should. Certain dampers are designed and valved to operate with certain springs. I know the OP is looking to lower but honestly, if anything, I'd keep the stock coils and replace the dampers. Bilstein HDs would be perfect. Wouldn't drop the car but the HDs are designed to work with stock springs and would drastically improve the handling. But really the labor is such that you might as well swap out both springs and dampers while you're in there.

yes I'm just worried about blowing the shocks with lowering springs.

well I also have a 335i with H&R sport springs with stock shocks and didn't really mess up the ride quality and I already have 6 months in with the lowering springs