E61 Lowering/Firming Up with self -levelling.
#21
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Location: Arlington, VA
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My Ride: 530XI Touring
#22
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Location: Chicago
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My Ride: 2010, E61, 535i xDrive
Model Year: 2010
You can make them yourself for ~$35, I just ordered the rod ends and will locally source the rod once I get them. I can share my info once I put them together, it seems too simple to pay someone else to source it for you.
#23
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My Ride: 535xi wagon
Model Year: 2008
Engine: N54
I am interested to see what your results will be. Just had my Bilstien HDs replaced with sport shocks with the H&R sport springs... just need a small adjustment in the rear.
#24
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My Ride: 2010, E61, 535i xDrive
Model Year: 2010
CS8 8mm L-Shape Ball Joint Rod End Bearing
They seem to be the perfect size.
I went to home depot and bought a couple of 6mm Ø x 40mm long bolts which I need to shave the head off (since I haven't neen able to just find 6mm rods. I plan on putting it together just like the pictures on one of the links I posted earlier. It has costed me ~$25 USD, not bad.
i'm not in a rush t get this done, so it might take me 1 or 2 weekends to get the bolts cut and finalize the project, but I'll get it done.
#25
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My Ride: 2008 BMW 535XiT Sport Wagon
The height sensor and the rest of the automatic rear ride height adjustment system is converting mechanical height values to internal air volume and pressure values of the airbags. Lower the height by increasing weight in the rear of the wagon and the volume of air and amount of pressure in the bag increases to offset and bring it back to set values. Changing the air volume and pressure changes the height
To bring suspension back to the normal height with 500 pounds of crap in the back, the pressure (psi) increases, but not the volume of air. Because it needs more pressure, psi, to lift more weight. This way it basically creates a firmer spring, but the length of the spring is still the same.
So a lower ride height with the same weight does not change the spring settings, but does the dampener setting, since it's more compressed and travel is reduced.
I know this sounds like me being a smartass, but I own an LR3 with air suspension and I didn't know this either until not too long ago, but thought it was really cool.
#26
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My Ride: 535xi wagon
Model Year: 2008
Engine: N54
I ordered the 8mm ball rod end from VBX Ball bearings:
CS8 8mm L-Shape Ball Joint Rod End Bearing
They seem to be the perfect size.
I went to home depot and bought a couple of 6mm Ø x 40mm long bolts which I need to shave the head off (since I haven't neen able to just find 6mm rods. I plan on putting it together just like the pictures on one of the links I posted earlier. It has costed me ~$25 USD, not bad.
i'm not in a rush t get this done, so it might take me 1 or 2 weekends to get the bolts cut and finalize the project, but I'll get it done.
CS8 8mm L-Shape Ball Joint Rod End Bearing
They seem to be the perfect size.
I went to home depot and bought a couple of 6mm Ø x 40mm long bolts which I need to shave the head off (since I haven't neen able to just find 6mm rods. I plan on putting it together just like the pictures on one of the links I posted earlier. It has costed me ~$25 USD, not bad.
i'm not in a rush t get this done, so it might take me 1 or 2 weekends to get the bolts cut and finalize the project, but I'll get it done.
#27
Just to add a little for info on this point: The rear air bags do have less PSI when they are lowered, this is is due top the fact that we are using rubber but to combat this, the cone in the centre has a curved slope which makes up for this. I saw a paper on similar system on a Dodge RAM and they registered a 10% difference in effective spring rates from the lowered height to the max height which will be much larger difference than on ours so your talking less than 5% difference in stiffness but not much. One thing you need to bear in mind with air though is that they are CRAZY progressive, meaning that at ride height they are pretty soft, but on bump they are VERY stiff.
Even though it is only a small difference, you also need to take into account that you've made the fronts stiffer and the rears slightly softer.....woops
I have this on my Touring: Eibach Pro fronts and rear coded to match and I found it a nice feel on the road, front reduced roll and I always found the rear stiffer than the front so now it feels more balanced over smaller bumps. However, hit a corner on the limit and you get understeer city, its horrible and the M5 roll bar didn't help enough (and yes this was after my car had a full alignment). I would assume the M5 rear air is a stiffer spring so that could be swapped in possibly but for me it needs to go. I bought the rear springs from Picholin's ICS coilover kit (thanks again!) and cant wait to fit them.
Basically, for the road everything is fine if you lower the air, but if you like to drive at the limit, it wont suffice (IMHO) but please bear in mind these limits were found at the track.
HTH Anthony
Even though it is only a small difference, you also need to take into account that you've made the fronts stiffer and the rears slightly softer.....woops
I have this on my Touring: Eibach Pro fronts and rear coded to match and I found it a nice feel on the road, front reduced roll and I always found the rear stiffer than the front so now it feels more balanced over smaller bumps. However, hit a corner on the limit and you get understeer city, its horrible and the M5 roll bar didn't help enough (and yes this was after my car had a full alignment). I would assume the M5 rear air is a stiffer spring so that could be swapped in possibly but for me it needs to go. I bought the rear springs from Picholin's ICS coilover kit (thanks again!) and cant wait to fit them.
Basically, for the road everything is fine if you lower the air, but if you like to drive at the limit, it wont suffice (IMHO) but please bear in mind these limits were found at the track.
HTH Anthony
#29
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My Ride: 535xi wagon
Model Year: 2008
Engine: N54
I ordered the 8mm ball rod end from VBX Ball bearings:
CS8 8mm L-Shape Ball Joint Rod End Bearing
They seem to be the perfect size.
I went to home depot and bought a couple of 6mm Ø x 40mm long bolts which I need to shave the head off (since I haven't neen able to just find 6mm rods. I plan on putting it together just like the pictures on one of the links I posted earlier. It has costed me ~$25 USD, not bad.
i'm not in a rush t get this done, so it might take me 1 or 2 weekends to get the bolts cut and finalize the project, but I'll get it done.
CS8 8mm L-Shape Ball Joint Rod End Bearing
They seem to be the perfect size.
I went to home depot and bought a couple of 6mm Ø x 40mm long bolts which I need to shave the head off (since I haven't neen able to just find 6mm rods. I plan on putting it together just like the pictures on one of the links I posted earlier. It has costed me ~$25 USD, not bad.
i'm not in a rush t get this done, so it might take me 1 or 2 weekends to get the bolts cut and finalize the project, but I'll get it done.
#30
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My Ride: 2010, E61, 535i xDrive
Model Year: 2010
Mine move quite a bit as well but there's no play in the movement, so it should be okay when mounted and fastened securely. I have to go to home depot and buy 2 more nuts before I can mount them, I miscounted the amount of nuts I was going to need.