[louie_perm]

Like many of you, I'd like to upgrade my suspension. However, I'd prefer the drop to be no more than 3/4", and ideally about 1/2"--just my preference. My car is my daily driver, so I'd also like my suspension to be pretty comfy.

It seems I have very few options, and I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. Please correct me if my information is wrong.

1) KW V3's seem to be a good choice (perhaps the best), except they drop a minimum of about 1" (1.2" spec);

2) H&R coilovers also drop a minimum of about 1" (1.25" spec), and it sounds like they may be a little harsher than the KW V3s can be when adjusted for comfort;

3) Bilstein coilovers are not made for the Xi;

4) Bilstein B6 and B8 struts for the Xi won't be available until later this summer or fall (if then);

5) Dinan has springs that will drop me 1/2" and Koni yellows for the rear, but no front struts;

6) H&R Sport, TEIN S-Tech, and Eibach springs all drop more than 1", some closer to 2";

7) The H&R cup kits aren't available for the Xi; and

8) BMW performance doesn't have anything for the Xi.


In summary, currently there are no front struts for the Xi. The only set of springs that are likely compatible with the stock struts for the long term are the Dinan springs, because of the minimal drop. (Here I may be wrong. Are there other ~1/2" drop springs available?) Two coilover's for the Xi exist--KW V3 and H&R Street Performance, both of which require at least a 1" drop.

My choice:

1) Forget about having only a 1/2" drop and get the KW V3s;

2) Go with Dinan Stage II (I don't need the camber plates that differentiate Stages II and III) and replace the front struts when some become available;

3) Just put some Dinan springs on with the stock struts and wait for better days;

4) Wait for the Bilstein struts in 6-8 months (if ever).

Ideally, the KW Street Comfort coilovers seem to be right up my alley, if they ever make them for the Xi.

Also, does anyone know for sure that Koni is working on front struts for the Xi? I see it talked about, but no confirmation.

[335xidave]

I think I talked to you, or you replied to another post I did about the Dinan Stage ll. I paid for Dinan to do it for me, if you are into doing things yourself you could install the kit. I don't have the time to do it, so I let them install it. Yeah it was a little expensive, but it handles so much better than stock. It will drop the car 1/2". You do get a 15% rebate, not a huge savings, but it's still money back to you. I was out yesterday cruising, and you will notice the difference, specially if you do the Stage ll ECU!

[louie_perm]

Hi Dave,
How would you describe the difference vs. stock--both from a handling standpoint (more/less grip, more/less roll, more/less bounce, etc.) and a comfort standpoint (more/less harsh, more/less jiggly at low speed)? Are you running RFTs? And, what size wheels/tires do you have?

There are basically three things about my Xi handling that I'd like to improve. First, I am disappointed with the amount of body roll. Second, I don't like the fact that my car hops sideways over mid-turn bumps at moderate speed. Third, the stock suspension is quite harsh--the wrinkles (buckles in the asphalt) on Constitution Ave, for example, cause way more drama than they should. My parents' 10-year-old 528i handles much better and is much of the reason I bought a BMW myself.

I just went through with the Dinan Stage III flash, oil cooler, and intercooler a couple of weeks ago, so my situation is similar to yours.

Thanks,
Louis

[335xidave]

Let me see,,where to start? Like you, I was disapointed the way the car would roll in a corner. I think with the new (bigger) sway bar, and the fact that its dropped 1/2" has eliminated it. I have the Run Flats on it, 18". The Dinan guy told me the car would handle better with a Z rated set of Yokohomas, or another good tire. The ride is the same as it was, not any stiffer. I was afraid of that, but it rides the same. Mine has never "hopped" as you described. I went out yesterday, just messing around, and I took it into a corner that I would normally do about 25mph,,I went into it at 35mph, and came out of it at about 40mph. I do a lot of motorcycling and I know how to take a corner, and this was rock solid in the corner. No sway, no roll (or very little) I have to say that I've been a cop for over 25 years, and have done a lot of pursuit driving/training, so my skills are pretty good. I haven't done any track racing though. I know the other guys on this site put down Dinan, but they have always worked well for me. I had an older 325i, and Dinan took good care of it. I guess I was lucky that mine came with an oil cooler, that Stage ll with the oil cooler and intercooler upgrade was fairly expensive wasn't it?

[wakeboarder109]

hey Dave,

I know I've seen it somewhere before and I did some searches, but how do I determine whether my car came with an oil cooler or not?

[335xidave]

Open the hood, look at the front. Two big hoses coming out of the oil filter area, and go in front of the engine, and under the passenger front side, into the oil cooler. The hoses are very prominate, can't miss them. I think most came with it, but dealer told me some made it out w/o.

[wakeboarder109]

Alright I'll check. Thanks

[louie_perm]

"I guess I was lucky that mine came with an oil cooler, that Stage ll with the oil cooler and intercooler upgrade was fairly expensive wasn't it?"

Yes, you are lucky, and yes it was expensive!

I'm leaning toward Dinan and a new set of non-RFT wheels/tires (18"). I'm currently running stock 17s with Conti RFTs. The 18" wheel selections are not as good as the 19s, so I'm having some trouble choosing.

The Yokohamas do look nice. I'll likely choose between them and some Michelins. I'm going all-season, as I don't want to change tires when the temps drop. Snow is not a problem in my area for the most part, but we get near-freezing and below temps for a decent part of the year.

As far as the hopping goes, there are some metal road junctions on some concrete bridges and overpasses around here. In particular, I'm thinking of the E-Street exit off of the Roosevelt Bridge coming into D.C. If I take the left-hand curve there, which is itself an overpass, at about 40-45 mph (10-15 over the speed limit), then those metal road junctions between the concrete slabs, which are at an angle in the curve, make my car hop/slide sideways a little--the whole car all at once. This is not a high-G maneuver. My 2001 Pathfinder does it better.

[335xidave]

Do they make Z rated all season tires? I also heard that if you do the Stage lll suspension, they have to cut the wheel wells for 19" wheels, but not for the Stage ll. You may want to check on that before you buy the 19"s. The Nissan has a softer ride, and has more give than the 335, also could be the tires.

[louie_perm]

I don't know if they make Z-rated all-seasons, but they do make Y-rated, which is still plenty fast enough!!

I'm not interested in Dinan's wheels--19"x9" all around. I would likely have to modify the wheel well/fender in the front for those. The only difference between the Stage II and Stage III suspension is the camber plates that are included in the Stage III. They add some extra negative camber, which I'm not interested in. The Dinan wheels are completely separate from their suspension packages.

The wheels I'm likely to go with will be 18"x8.5" (~40mm offset), and I'll probably put 235/40R18's on them all around.

[335xidave]

Well good luck, I know you'll be happy with the Stage ll upgrade if you get it, I am.

[JeffL]

I'm going with H&R coilovers this spring actually in the next couple of weeks. will let you know how they go.

[jzchen]

From the KWs website the drop is 0.6" starting, so not much different from Dinan's. I think the H&Rs are harsher because the drop is more. I has to be.

[louie_perm]

Really!? I haven't been to the KW website, only saw the specs at Mod Bargains:

"Lowering Adjustment Rates
Sedan/Coupe Front: 1.2 - 2.3 (inches)
Sedan/Coupe Rear: 0.9 - 2.1 (inches)"

I also read the post by Sparkplug, "335xi + KW v.3 = FANTASTIC," where he seems to indicate that about 3/4" plus a little settling is maximum height. Looking back at his post, however, he does say "close or at maximum height," (my emphasis) which suggests a possibility of a little less drop.

Thanks for the info JZ.


Looking forward to the report on the H&Rs, Jeff. Thanks.

[jzchen]

There may be another option someday, (emphasis on the someday!):

http://www.praxissystems.com

[Hampi]

Well, KW3 sure isnt fantastic for me; too harsh. And I have gone through several settings !

The Dinan option looks nice !

[335xidave]

I love my Dinan mod!

[Hampi]

BTW: Does anybody know, what springs KW3 is using?

[louie_perm]

The KW's are coilovers, so the springs are integrated with the stuts, which are both made by KW, presumably.

[Hampi]

Thanks

[matts335]

Originally Posted by 335xidave

I love my Dinan mod!

I get the feeling you like your suspension mod.

now you've made me want one...and I highly doubt the wife will give it the ok. Oh well, I guess I can live my stock 335.

[dakine]

I also contacted Tein about their adjustable euro system for the XI and they said they probably wont make one unless they see a lot of demand for it. Currently it's only available for the 335i