Bmw 135i best lowering springs or coil-overs?

[Steven135i]

Im trying to see what the best lowering springs or coil-overs for the money would be? Any suggestions?

[bchalks]

What's your budget? What do you plan on using the car for?

[Gangplank]

Since you put an OR in the question it's a bit confusing. Are you looking for the best coilovers or are you focused on lowering your car?

If you want the best you'll gets lots of opinions, but both Ohlins R&T and TC Klein should be on your research list. I went with the Ohlins and they are fantastic. They do not really lower the car much if that's what you are looking to do. Personally I didn't care about lowering. The 1er is low enough already and it's my daily driver. The ride & control is top notch.

If you want lowering springs for looks pick the height you want and go from there. Matching them to Koni or Bilstein shocks is a common upgrade.

[gds52]

Originally Posted by Steven135i

Im trying to see what the best lowering springs or coil-overs for the money would be? Any suggestions?

If it's a street car, I wd go for springs, cheap reliable option.
If for track, then go for coilovers...more money.

[duder13]

It really depends what you want and how much you want to spend. The Bilstein B12 Prokit with Dinan camber plates in front (Dinan shock mounts in back) is a nice drop for the street, improves handling, and is a very reasonable price. That’s what I went with, rather than shelling out for coil-overs, since this is primarily a street car:

[MightyMouseTech]

The factory shocks are pretty bad, so plan on replacing those.

[ShocknAwe]

Best springs are swift spec r. Hands down. But you'll need dampers too no matter what you do.

[Just Apex It]

It really depends on your needs and wants. If you want a slight drop with good handling and adjustable rebound and don't care for coilovers, a good spring like the Swift Spec R and shock like the Koni Yellow are a GREAT pairing. It's what I run in addition to Dinan camber plates and other suspensions goodies.

If you want coilovers for $1-1.5k the ST X and XTA are going to be your best coilover. If you want to spend more, Ohlins R&T, TC Kline, etc. are also phenomenal options.

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Best springs are swift spec r. Hands down. But you'll need dampers too no matter what you do.

THIS!!! These are the highest spring rate lowering springs you can get and I absolutely love mine! Spring rates are around ~201 lb/in front and ~503 lb/in rear.

[CH400EM]

Originally Posted by Just Apex It

It really depends on your needs and wants. If you want a slight drop with good handling and adjustable rebound and don't care for coilovers, a good spring like the Swift Spec R and shock like the Koni Yellow are a GREAT pairing. It's what I run in addition to Dinan camber plates and other suspensions goodies.

If you want coilovers for $1-1.5k the ST X and XTA are going to be your best coilover. If you want to spend more, Ohlins R&T, TC Kline, etc. are also phenomenal options.

THIS!!! These are the highest spring rate lowering springs you can get and I absolutely love mine! Spring rates are around ~201 lb/in front and ~503 lb/in rear.

Car looks great. What wheels/tires and suspension kit are you running?

Edit: I read your on Swift and Koni Yellow - could you also comment on ride quality? I'd really appreciate it!

[gjm120]

Another choice if you want a minimal drop are the BMW Performance springs. Not a one size fits all so you won't get an unexpectedly high or low ride height. There are 4 or more spring rates available selected depending on your car's weight.

However, they do cost a bit more.

They pair well with either Koni's or Bilsteins. No need to go for the BMWP dampers.

[Just Apex It]

Originally Posted by CH400EM

Car looks great. What wheels/tires and suspension kit are you running?

Edit: I read your on Swift and Koni Yellow - could you also comment on ride quality? I'd really appreciate it!

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words.

Setup is as follows:

Vertini RF1.2 Wheels in brushed silver
19x8.5/9.5 ET35/45
225/35R19 & 255/30R19 Hankook Ventus V12

Koni Yellows
Swift Spec-R Springs
Dinan Camber Plates
E36 M3 front bumpstops and E86 Z4M rear bumpstops
M3 Control Arms front and rear
Rogue Engineering Monoballs
ECS Tuning rear trailing arms
Powerflex rear upper shock mounts


The ride quality is OEM+. It's everything you want for a street car. Nice and compliant and comfortable while also being a bit stiffer and lower than stock. Could definitely use a set of sway bars to decrease body roll even more, but I'm extremely happy with the setup. It does still seem to suffer from the typical lowering spring rake with the front being lower, but the camber plates did help raise it back up another 1/4".

[CH400EM]

Just Apex It

Thank you for the detailed response. My favorite wheels all time are probably BBS FI-R and I haven't come across any similar in the 1er (non-M) fitment. So to me these look great.

Also, it sounds like the suspension is nearly perfect - I bet it's night and day compared to aggressive driving with the stock m-sport kit.

[Just Apex It]

Originally Posted by CH400EM

Just Apex It

Thank you for the detailed response. My favorite wheels all time are probably BBS FI-R and I haven't come across any similar in the 1er (non-M) fitment. So to me these look great.

Also, it sounds like the suspension is nearly perfect - I bet it's night and day compared to aggressive driving with the stock m-sport kit.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but you could possibly talk to slicer about importing a set of BBS RI-A in 18x8 ET45 and 18x9 ET50 as those would be similar to the FI-R while being about 1/2 the price.

It honestly is a fairly perfect street setup and really is night and day. It's how the car should've came from the factory to be honest. Still a few suspension bits I'd like to add but it's a great performer as it sits currently.

[slicer]

Originally Posted by Just Apex It

I'm not sure what your budget is, but you could possibly talk to slicer about importing a set of BBS RI-A in 18x8 ET45 and 18x9 ET50 as those would be similar to the FI-R while being about 1/2 the price.

It honestly is a fairly perfect street setup and really is night and day. It's how the car should've came from the factory to be honest. Still a few suspension bits I'd like to add but it's a great performer as it sits currently.

Thank you! Yes, the forged RIA is an amazing option. Best BBS bang for buck.

[CH400EM]

slicer Just Apex It

Thanks to you both. I never liked the graphite color and hadn't seen offsets that would work. But those you mentioned would be great in silver. I'll keep it in mind and DM with further questions etc. Thanks again.

[slicer]

Originally Posted by CH400EM

slicer Just Apex It

Thanks to you both. I never liked the graphite color and hadn't seen offsets that would work. But those you mentioned would be great in silver. I'll keep it in mind and DM with further questions etc. Thanks again.

I can get them in silver, gold, diamond black or matte gray.

[lemansblau135is]

how much for a set of BBS RI-A

[Happy Jose]

Springs seldom wear out. Just replace the stock shocks with a set of Bilsteins. In fact, there is likely a set of BMW OEM shocks made by Bilstein.

Actually the shocks last practically forever too. Are yours leaking? If they aren't, they don't need replacing. But I guess you amateur wrenches need something to do!

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by Happy Jose

Springs seldom wear out. Just replace the stock shocks with a set of Bilsteins. In fact, there is likely a set of BMW OEM shocks made by Bilstein.

Actually the shocks last practically forever too. Are yours leaking? If they aren't, they don't need replacing. But I guess you amateur wrenches need something to do!

Shocks definitely wear out lol

[Happy Jose]

Originally Posted by desertman123

Shocks definitely wear out lol

As I said, check the shock for leaking oil. If there are any signs of oil, then replace all four.

Suppose there aren't any signs of oil? Drive the car down a badly rutted road. Is the car bouncing around as it hits bumps or ruts? If the vehicle maintains its composure, the shocks are OK.

People often confuse worn shocks for a hard or noisy ride. The One has a stiff suspension, and it will complain a lot over bumps. If you want a plush ride, put in taller springs with more suspension travel.

[MN.BIMMER]

Originally Posted by Just Apex It

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words.

Setup is as follows:

Vertini RF1.2 Wheels in brushed silver
19x8.5/9.5 ET35/45
225/35R19 & 255/30R19 Hankook Ventus V12

Koni Yellows
Swift Spec-R Springs
Dinan Camber Plates
E36 M3 front bumpstops and E86 Z4M rear bumpstops
M3 Control Arms front and rear
Rogue Engineering Monoballs
ECS Tuning rear trailing arms
Powerflex rear upper shock mounts


The ride quality is OEM+. It's everything you want for a street car. Nice and compliant and comfortable while also being a bit stiffer and lower than stock. Could definitely use a set of sway bars to decrease body roll even more, but I'm extremely happy with the setup. It does still seem to suffer from the typical lowering spring rake with the front being lower, but the camber plates did help raise it back up another 1/4".

Could you explain a bit why you upgraded the bump stops, and why you choose the parts from an E36 and E86? I've seen people mention bump stops here and there, but never really saw much explaining the mod.

[Just Apex It]

Originally Posted by MN.BIMMER

Could you explain a bit why you upgraded the bump stops, and why you choose the parts from an E36 and E86? I've seen people mention bump stops here and there, but never really saw much explaining the mod.

Typically you need a shorter bump stop when you lower the vehicle. Thankfully there's lots of great advice on the forums out there and included a couple of links below. The E36 M3/E85 Z4 bump stop pairing is a popular one since you don't have to bother with trimming your current bump stops as they're the perfect size.

https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=775835

https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1292252

Hope this helps! 🙂