TMack

Great thread! Wish I'd found it earlier. I'm a new 535xi owner - bought an '08 Platinum Gray last week and am loving it. However, I'm used to bimmers with Sport Package, and need to do something about the suspension. But it sounds like my options are VERY limited. My dilemma is this. I drive 30K+ miles/year for business, so I can't deal with a rough riding car. (My old E39 530i with sport suspension was perfect!) I see that a few folks are running H&R Sport springs and Bilstein B8's, but I'm not seeing any detailed review of this combo. I've heard the Bilsteins are pretty rough, but would love to get more that hearsay if any of you can provide insight.

The other option, of course, is investing big $$$ in the KW KV3's. If these are fantastic and transformative, i'll consider them. But I don't want to shell out $3K installed and find out they're rough or otherwise unspectacular.

So please keep the suspension feedback coming. Anyone?

Rostman

We can check it easily.
I'd measure today space between the floor and fender. Something like this:

I've got 66 cm (26 inch) in the front and 66.7 cm (26,26 cm) in rear. If somebody with H&R springs and OEM shock absorbers can check this space - it would be great.

BlaSTiWi

Mine are 25.75 inch up front & the rear 26.25 inch ... we are 'bout the same height ... which mean visually the stretched tires setup seems to show more gap.

Note: I didn't measured mine w/ the stock OEM 17" setup.

Rostman

Thanks man! The picture with oem 17 inch wheels is not mine. It's from german forum.
I've got 235/35 in the front and yours is 245/35. The overal diameter of my front wheel is less then yours on 0.028 Inch. It means my car is lower then yours in the front on 0.14 inch. If i will measure my height with your wheels it will be 26.14 inch. Difference is 0.39 inch. In the rear difference is 0.12 inch (265/30 vs. 275/30). So with your wheels this height must be 26.38.
I think its a lot.
I can put two fingers in the gap between tire and fender in the front. My finger is aprox 0.4 ich toll.
How many mileage you get since you installed this springs?

BlaSTiWi

I'm on it almost 3 yrs w/ more than 27K mls.

W/ your tires size it shows less meat of the tire so it shows more gap between the top of tire (not from the ground) and the fender, w/ wider (or taller) sidewall it shows more meat of the tire and fill more gap. Similar to w/o lowering the OEM stock 17" looks less gappy than the 19".

wildadvance

I know this may be repeating, but could someone let me know of the correct offset for my 2007 530xi on a set of 20x8.5 rims all around?
you would be a GOD !!!

norsecarnut

^ ET32 would be safe and look about right on any 8.5" rim. The only reason I am getting away with ET29 /8.5" is my wheels are 18" and I'm sticking with stock sport suspension. However, note that my wheels are all the same size such that the rear could use a spacer to look better. I wanted to be able to easily rotate tires so I went with all equal sizes.

BlaSTiWi

I'm sure you know ... there's no such thing of sport suspension on the xi/xDrive/AWD model ... the suspension itself is identical w/ non-SPK.
Sport Package on our model is just simply cosmetic (i.e. shadow line around the windows) ... if you go check suspension part number there's only one kind.

For reference:
item #1 for AWD = http://realoem.com/b...730&hg=31&fg=10 (only 1 p/n )
(if wagon = http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...30&hg=31&fg=10)

in comparison w/
item #1 for RWD = http://realoem.com/b...660&hg=31&fg=10 (3 p/n)

norsecarnut

^ actually I didn't know if it was any different, but I didn't really care either. I just guessed it was slightly lower but maybe not and that's why I'm able to fit my larger tire size too, which is ideal for me. I use a 245/45x18" which is 1" larger diameter than stock.

I used to have a 328it6 with sport package and on that car I think it actually was a different suspension - but maybe not. Part of this was assuming similar changes that Audi does from A4 to S4 but obviously Audi does a lot more with the true S cars vs non-S. The 2008 Audi S4 Avant I have is noticeably lower than an A4 and the suspension itself feels completely different, as do the larger brakes. All of that combined so much that when we test drove an A4 Avant 6spd, it felt sort of boring, not very special, however when we then drove the S4, not only does the V8 bring big grins, the suspension and brakes are also up to task. So much so that on the track my brakes never faded and the car handled beautifully for something over 4000 lbs and front heavy.

C's Bimmer

LOL! This thread cracks me up.