salaki

So I've got the H&R Sports and Koni Yellows on the way and I will be performing the install in my own garage.

I have everything from compressor, floor mounted spring compressor, sockets and a lot of other tools.

I'm new to E60 and I have one question:
Is there a need to trim the bump stop to allow more suspension travel like on my previous STi, DSM Eclipse, and other Japanese cars?



Or is there a pre-built shorter bump stop that is available out there?

I know H&R Sports is not low enough to think about providing more suspension travel because I already have Sport Package suspension on mine but what mine is not.

Seems like there's not much detailed DIY spring install specific to E60 so I will take pics and post my comprehensive DIY when I get a chance.

If any of you DIYers know of a special things for me to watch out for (Ex: HID leveling on the control arm) prior the install, please post up! I don't want to learn the hard way!


BTW, collections of my spring install experiences:
Benz C 320
Subaru 2.5 RS (GC8), WRX, WRX STi, Saab 92X
Mitsubishi 2gen DSM Eclipse GST/X, 3000GT
Honda Civic, DelSol, Accord
Toyota Solara SE, Celica GT, 4Runner, Tundra
BMW E46s, soon my E60!
Infiniti FX35

Thanks again

tbal

I had my bumpstops trimmed on my e63 a tad bit aswell... I dont think their are any available for the e60/63s... just trimm them

flyingpuck

Hey do you have the "Blue Man Group" doing your suspension work??


You might want to talk to DrLev99 regarding bump stop trimming etc. he had more than enough experience with his old E60!

salaki

Thank You all for the reply.

I happen to have a lot blue latex gloves and I was wearing blue jeans too

I'll PMed DrLev99 about how much to trim and which side of the bump stop to trim.

salaki

Just as an update on how the install went (I did the fronts only for now, I will be doing the rears this weekend)

I followed the DIY from M5 board:
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60-m5-e6...et-springs.html
(Scroll down to post #29 and below)

M5 has that Electronic Suspension thing on top of the OE strut but 545 does not.
Installation above applies to non AWD E60, I don't know about AWD.

I did my Front Right in 3 hours (first attempt) then 1.5 hours for Front Left.
(include cigarette break, chatting w/ buddy, etc )

Summary and some tips
0. Make sure you remove the Xenon Leveling (Passenger front). It's $$$$ if you break it!
1. You will need to remove rear control arm that bolts to the hub. (You don't have to remove the front control arm)
2. Loosen the bolt that bolt the rear control arm to the chasis.
IMPORTANT TO READ PRIOR LOOSENING: Control arm should only be tightened back w/ suspension load.
I'm a big guy, it would be NO WAY for me to crawl underneath the car w/o a "proper service bay"
My trick: After doing #1, prior to loosen the bolt that connects the chasis (#2), mark w/ white out of where the control arm rest w/o suspension load. You can align it back to its original mark when you tighten after everything is being put back together.
3. You will need to remove toe (steering) arm
4. You will need a PRY BAR to pry the hub "ear" that holds the strut. OH YES. It's a pain in the ass because the damn strut is likely stuck. Spray some WD40, wiggle, pry, wiggle, pry, IT WILL SLIDE OUT!
5. When resting the new spring on the strut, FOLLOW the groove of where the OE spring rested prior to removal. W/ H&R Sport, the top mount will be point in slightly different direction vs the OE Sprint.
6. H&R doesn't require cutting of bump stops for E60, so don't need to cut them. I found out that the dust boot ring won't be able to rest properly anyway if I had cut the bump stop. So I didn't.
7. Apply extra grease to ball bearing at the top mount. I found mine to lack of grease.

Good luck on the install, PM me if you have question, I'll be happy to help.
If you can find an experienced shop to install for less than $$250, PAY THEM. Give some business to local shop. It's worth it!
I DIYed because I want to learn E60 to add to my experiences

Rob Hall

Would you know the suspension travel you have before bump stop compression starts after your install salaki ? im guessing youve dropped around 1 in from standard ?
Must surely be sitting very close to the bump stops , as you say you havnt cut them ?

Cheers

salaki

I didn't really measure the suspension travel I just assumed BMW should have provided Sport Package E60 w/ shorter bump stop versus the non sport packaged E60.

And also I didn't cut the bump stop because it only dropped about .7" from my "Sport Package".
I was going to cut it anyway but the strut boot will have a hard time mounting "wrapping around" the bump stop if I trim. So I just leave the bump stop as is.
I also called H&R and spoke w/ the tech dept, they do not recommend trimming the bump stop at all for both E60 w/ sport and non sport. So I didn't bother.

So far, I do not feel the suspension bouncy at all.
It actually feel slightly softer than OE Sport package initially until hard driving (H&R Progressive Spring design)

salaki

The rears are done now.

It's way easierrrrr and straight forward.
Here's my version of of DIY:
0. Always check for sensors that is attached to control arm. There's a sensor on the Rear Right that is attached to the lower control arm. Remove the connection as it looks fragile and might break. So better safe than sorry.
1. Remove the Sway bar link on both end (top and bottom) and remove the link itself away. By removing this, you will have more space for the strut to "go down" to clear the top mount from the body panel.
2. Remove the bolt that attaches the strut to the hub and remove the bottom mount of the strut.
3. Remove the lower control arm bolts that CONNECTS to the hub.The lower control arm bushing has grease in it. Be careful not to tear rubber bushing. Do not loosen the control arm bolts that connects to the chassis (Not necessary). After removing this long bolt, the hub should be separated from the lower control arm.
4. Inside your trunk, BRING A MAGNET PICK and make SURE you don't drop the nuts into the chassis. Remove the top 3 bolts on the top mount of the strut assembly (2 clips for panel that covers the tail light and battery, 2 clips for the panel that cover the top mount itself. There's a "padding" to filter suspension noise, remember how it's oriented so you can put it back together correctly.
Strut assembly should drop. Call up your buddy to help because you will be pushing the lower control arm DOWN using a breaker bar for the strut assembly can slide out.
5. You don't have to compress the spring to remove it if you are pretty heavy guy. But to be safe, compress it anyway.
6. Reverse #4 to slide the new strut into it.
7. Installing is reversal of removing.
8. Drive your car about 300-400 miles neighborhood roads (not highways) for the suspension to settle before getting an alignment.

Good luck again

Rob Hall

I found with my sport package springs and bump stops that when i fitted the koni fsd's i was only 1 in off the bump stops on the front which just doesnt seem enough for a street car ( i have more travel than that on my race car ) so have trimmed 3/4 inch from them, noticing a considerable imrovement.

Im guessing if your .7 lower than that your around .3 off the b stops unless theres a difference in bump stop length between models, i think with the roads as badly maintained as they are here mine would be living on the b stops with .3 in.

How you finding the koni yellows over the stock sport dampers salaki, you pleased with them ?

salaki

I don't think there's any different in bumpstop model b/ model or maybe there's?
Might be due to weight of 545's V8 engine vs 530d engine? I'm still new to bimmer and I don't really have extensive knowledge about BMW suspension.

I remember H&R tech saying that the bump stop is a part of the suspension assembly??? It you cut than it might lower it further more???? I was confused.. I know on MB cars, there's a rubber "spacer" to drop the car but on BMW??? I don't think cutting bump stop would lower it more.

How do you measure the bump stop clearance? Load the suspension (wheels/tires resting on ground) w/o jack then peek inside the rubber boot and measure the distance b/ lowest end of bumpstop to the strut body?

Unfortunately, I sold my Koni Sport Struts last time because I thought I didn't feel the need of upgrading because my drop was only .7 (fairly conservative) and the HR Sport wasn't that significantly stiffer (not a threat to bust to Sport OE suspension). Well I admit, there's another reason . It is because of Koni's Sport limited rear adjustability.
I was upset to learn the hard way that you need to adjust the rear before you install.
http://www.koni-na.com/comp.cfm
And once it's installed, you can't adjust w/o removing the whole assembly out of the car = re-allignment, reworking, etc.
The rear design defeated the purpose of having "adjustable" suspension that you can't even adjust externally.

Currrently, I'm running on Sport OE Strut & H&R Sport temporarily and I know I will have the itch to upgrade in the future
So far so good, but I still feel it's too soft for me. Not enough dampening somehow. I want it to be a little stiffer.
Tell you the truth that I wanted to opt for H&R Race but I would hate the drop. If only H&R made a spring in between H&R Sport and Race

Right now, I'm researching on Bilstein Sport (Not HD) as a replacement maybe sometime next year.
I read around that H&R Sport is about 30% stiffer than HD.
The idea is just go w/ Bilstein Sport (Like your Koni FSD) and be done w/ it w/o caring about adjusting it at all.

When I work on the Bilstein, I will for sure cut the bump stop about .3 as you recomended or maybe even cut about .7 just to be sure. I will measure it when I get a chance.

Which side of the bump stop did you cut? Top part or the bottom part?
Top part seems to be composed of "harder" rubber than bottom part. If you the bottom, did you just "force" the rubber boot mount ring into the bump stop or maybe did a little of trimming of the ring to slide it in easier?