KONI FSD vs Ohlin RT (comfortable daily/Boston winters)

[E13]

I really don’t know what to do with my suspension right now. It’s pretty beat, bounces, sags, bottoms, etc. I’m looking into getting dampers or coilovers, but I’m not sure what’s out there that’ll both satisfy my daily driver needs, as well as be a performance upgrade. I can’t lower the car too much (or at all) as I drive it in the snow. Right now I’m stuck between koni FSD (and maybe roll bars for a little performance), or Ohlins RT (super expensive, I’m on a budget). Really any insight would help. Thanks!

[ShocknAwe]

No replacement for Ohlins, but if you're on a budget I'd look at Bilstein B8 and Swift Spec R springs.

There's a lot more you can do with the price differential that makes a huge difference too.

Likely lots of worn bushings in the suspension, shot mounts, and subframe bushings screaming to be replaced with solid.

[E13]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

No replacement for Ohlins, but if you're on a budget I'd look at Bilstein B8 and Swift Spec R springs.

There's a lot more you can do with the price differential that makes a huge difference too.

Likely lots of worn bushings in the suspension, shot mounts, and subframe bushings screaming to be replaced with solid.

My only requirements here are maintain OEM ride quality, increase performance, and maintain OEM ride height. What would you do in this case?

[mkeiser]

Originally Posted by E13

My only requirements here are maintain OEM ride quality, increase performance, and maintain OEM ride height. What would you do in this case?

koni fsd IMO

[ShocknAwe]

Yep just do dampers, new mounts, new bushings etc. for your goals no need to overthink it!

[E13]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

No replacement for Ohlins, but if you're on a budget I'd look at Bilstein B8 and Swift Spec R springs.

There's a lot more you can do with the price differential that makes a huge difference too.

Likely lots of worn bushings in the suspension, shot mounts, and subframe bushings screaming to be replaced with solid.

Ok so I’m gonna get new mounts, and for the dampers, I had four in mind, koni FSD, koni yellow, bilstein b6, and bilstein b8 with BMWPS springs. Anyone have insight on some of these?

[cerealwars]

From experience, just replacing blown out suspension with all fresh OEM stuff made a night-and-day difference.

[blue135]

Went with FSD because I wanted something close to stock but somewhat better. They meet my goal and have worked very well onFlorida flatlands and in NC mountains and roads in between.
Never had this car on Tail of the Dragon, so cannot address those boundaries. Have had Bilsteins but not yellow Konis. Bilsteins worked well, but as I age, comfort takes a higher priority than it did in years past.

[sibanez]

FSD + Sport springs will probably be your winner. Any of the lowering springs will take your car too low and Ohlins are great, but you'll hate yourself when the sleeves freeze.

[E13]

Originally Posted by sibanez

FSD + Sport springs will probably be your winner. Any of the lowering springs will take your car too low and Ohlins are great, but you'll hate yourself when the sleeves freeze.

Is the freezing a big issue? This is my ski car so it will be driven in the winter

[sibanez]

Originally Posted by E13

Is the freezing a big issue? This is my ski car so it will be driven in the winter

Salt on the roads. It is extremely harsh on coilovers. Even KWs, which are stainless, will take a beating.

I'm in PA and would never run coilovers on a daily. I bought a used E46 from Pittsburgh that had 18-month old KWs on it and they were trash from the winter. Even if the components are coated, salt and road debris will chip away at it and cause corrosion. The sleeves and adjustment knobs will be hard to use and require constant maintenance.

[PcarDefector]

E13

You didnt describe your usage and tire setup other than daily driving and snow so I’ll assume you don’t need a track oriented setup.

For street use, you don’t need:
1. Track oriented coilover like Olin’s or KW with lots of compression/rebound and camber adjustments
2. Sway bars

For winter driving, I don’t think 1/2-1” drop will make that much difference. The e82 is a blunt snowplow and you have to use common sense on which side streets use if it’s snowing or unploughed.

I wouldn’t overthink which combination you use. Just keep it simple, hassle free and budget friendly.

My setup is bilstein B8 and BMWPS. It rides great on the street and is actually less stiff than my X3 in sport mode. My major complaint is that the setup is too soft for track use. I don’t find much of a difference in street oriented spring rates so you can go with something 50% stiffer without adversely affecting ride quality.


The problem you will have is finding springs in production. The e82 is an old car and not well supported. Eibach and H&R have stock but I wouldn’t buy them as spring rates are not provided.

I uploaded a image of some spring rate info for you as I can’t seem to copy the text into this post.

[E13]

Originally Posted by PcarDefector

E13

You didnt describe your usage and tire setup other than daily driving and snow so I’ll assume you don’t need a track oriented setup.

For street use, you don’t need:
1. Track oriented coilover like Olin’s or KW with lots of compression/rebound and camber adjustments
2. Sway bars

For winter driving, I don’t think 1/2-1” drop will make that much difference. The e82 is a blunt snowplow and you have to use common sense on which side streets use if it’s snowing or unploughed.

I wouldn’t overthink which combination you use. Just keep it simple, hassle free and budget friendly.

My setup is bilstein B8 and BMWPS. It rides great on the street and is actually less stiff than my X3 in sport mode. My major complaint is that the setup is too soft for track use. I don’t find much of a difference in street oriented spring rates so you can go with something 50% stiffer without adversely affecting ride quality.


The problem you will have is finding springs in production. The e82 is an old car and not well supported. Eibach and H&R have stock but I wouldn’t buy them as spring rates are not provided.

I uploaded a image of some spring rate info for you as I can’t seem to copy the text into this post.

Yeah it’s a daily car. If I wanted to track it I’d do it right and I can’t afford that. Being said, I do love some aggressive drives through the mountains, so a more capable suspension is a bonus.
I just wish they still made the performance springs. I want something slightly stiffer and lower, but it seems that’s not something that exists.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by E13

Yeah it’s a daily car. If I wanted to track it I’d do it right and I can’t afford that. Being said, I do love some aggressive drives through the mountains, so a more capable suspension is a bonus.
I just wish they still made the performance springs. I want something slightly stiffer and lower, but it seems that’s not something that exists.

Look around for dinan, Cobb or bmw ps springs. That said, even the spec r’s would work but they are 20% stiffer than BMW PS. I find the fronts too soft on my BMW PS so I would do the Spec R’s if it were my car. I’m in Toronto so I have the same issues with snow and mediocre road conditions as you.

You can also try e90/92 springs as they should fit. Generally they have more rake and are a little stiffer (due to added weight). But check with the manufacturer before you buy.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by E13

I really don’t know what to do with my suspension right now. It’s pretty beat, bounces, sags, bottoms, etc. I’m looking into getting dampers or coilovers, but I’m not sure what’s out there that’ll both satisfy my daily driver needs, as well as be a performance upgrade. I can’t lower the car too much (or at all) as I drive it in the snow. Right now I’m stuck between koni FSD (and maybe roll bars for a little performance), or Ohlins RT (super expensive, I’m on a budget). Really any insight would help. Thanks!

If your suspension is sagging, you need springs, struts, and shocks. Just the Special Actives aren't going to be sufficient.

[E13]

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

If your suspension is sagging, you need springs, struts, and shocks. Just the Special Actives aren't going to be sufficient.

I was gonna do a full reset with the FSDs and springs, just not sure what spring to go with. I wanted slightly sportier than the m sport but without significant lowering

[sibanez]

Originally Posted by E13

I was gonna do a full reset with the FSDs and springs, just not sure what spring to go with. I wanted slightly sportier than the m sport but without significant lowering

For springs, you'll want to piece together a set of BMW PE springs. Nothing else is going to match that criteria at this point.