[gunslinger1976]

Hi all, I've order a 435d M Sport with adaptive suspension but was not best pleased at having longer SE stiffness springs fitted as standard.

I hear good things about the ACS springs but thought I'd ask BMW if they had any plans and I got this reply:

Good morning Nick

Thanks for coming back to me about M Performance springs or suspension kits for the xDrive models.

There’s currently nothing available for xDrive models. There’s something planned for the second quarter in 2016, but no details are available at present.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with in the future.

Good morning Nick

Thanks for coming back to me about M Performance springs or suspension kits for the xDrive models.

There’s currently nothing available for xDrive models. There’s something planned for the second quarter in 2016, but no details are available at present.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with in the future.

Kind regards

Leigh

BMW Group
United Kingdom
Leigh Drummond
Customer Information Executive
Customer Information
Summit ONE,
Summit Avenue,
Farnborough,
Hampshire,
GU14 0FB
Tel: +44 (0) 800 325 600
Email: customer.information@bmw.co.uk
URL: www.bmw.co.uk

[gunslinger1976]

I should also have added that I made this suggestion a few months ago here:

http://www.bmwgroup.com/e/0_0_www_bm...g/via/via.html

seems a bit too soon though so I guess they already had plans!

[Gio72]

M Performance springs are not available for RWD Bmw with M Adaptive suspensions too
BMW should be more flexible...

[gunslinger1976]

You need to change the dampers too right?

Still you're in a better position than xDrive owners who can't even get standard M Sport springs!

[Gio72]

Originally Posted by gunslinger1976

You need to change the dampers too right?

Still you're in a better position than xDrive owners who can't even get standard M Sport springs!

Yes, I know and I'm happy with my Adaptive dumpers, but I would like springs 20% stiffer: it would be perfect!

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Gio72

Yes, I know and I'm happy with my Adaptive dumpers, but I would like springs 20% stiffer: it would be perfect!

You can get springs, ACS now, Dinan eventually, and then get the shockware to increase the damping rates, so dumping everything for an m-performance suspension that requires new shocks seems a little ridiculous at this point. Would the m-performance come with stiffer sway bars?

[Gio72]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

You can get springs, ACS now, Dinan eventually, and then get the shockware to increase the damping rates, so dumping everything for an m-performance suspension that requires new shocks seems a little ridiculous at this point. Would the m-performance come with stiffer sway bars?

No, M Performance come only with stiffer springs, as far as I know.
Yes, I was thinking about ACS, but my problem is that I cannot lower the car otherwise I will not be able to go down in my garage... I have to understand how lower will be my F32 with ACS springs!

[mitrong]

so is this really happening? im desperately waiting to change out my base suspension on my xdrive

[pjkbrit]

Originally Posted by mitrong

so is this really happening? im desperately waiting to change out my base suspension on my xdrive

I have a 2013 328 Xdrive....I just got Bilstein B6s to fit and will be fitting them shortly.....will let the board know how it feels. NOT changing the springs....NOT changing the ride height....just need less bound and rebound...the B6s should achieve this and control the ride and handling properly. Std shocks and ridiculously soft

[mitrong]

Originally Posted by pjkbrit

I have a 2013 328 Xdrive....I just got Bilstein B6s to fit and will be fitting them shortly.....will let the board know how it feels. NOT changing the springs....NOT changing the ride height....just need less bound and rebound...the B6s should achieve this and control the ride and handling properly. Std shocks and ridiculously soft

let me know how that goes for you. howd you make the decision to just do shocks with the oem springs (versus coilovers/springs only/etc)


my biggest issue is the body roll. would replacing shocks and keeping the soft oem springs even improve body roll?

[E90X]

Originally Posted by pjkbrit

I have a 2013 328 Xdrive....I just got Bilstein B6s to fit and will be fitting them shortly.....will let the board know how it feels. NOT changing the springs....NOT changing the ride height....just need less bound and rebound...the B6s should achieve this and control the ride and handling properly. Std shocks and ridiculously soft

I find the exact opposite to be true. The springs are extremely soft and BMW attempt to save the handling with stiff shocks (or control the ride all together ex. Adaptive suspensions). Soft springs were most likely used to compensate for the stiffer sidewalks of the run-flats. As cornering loads increase, body roll increases as the weight of the car compresses the spring more and more. Stiffer dampers will control initial roll, but can only do so much as their purpose is to "dampen" the spring movement. The car will likely feel flatter on the street but will still roll significantly with high cornering forces while riding more brittle over expansion gaps and such. Check out car and drivers many instrument tests of various xdrive F30s, the adaptive cars put up the same ultimate G force on the skid pad as the fixed dampers when on the same tires. The adaptive cars did slightly better in the slalom however as transitions were likely slightly better controlled or "damped" but ultimately limit handling didn't improve. Probably why every says the adaptive suspensions "feel" sportier, but there doesn't seem to be much quantified data proving its any faster.

Now, if only finding stiffer stock springs was easy.

Additionally I have to wonder if the suspension engineers realized the eco biased all season tires chosen for the xdrives would be the real limiting factor in ultimate handling prowess and chose to make the ride as comfortable as possible while still being capable of reaching the limits of the tire.

[JR70]

Originally Posted by gunslinger1976

Hi all, I've order a 435d M Sport with adaptive suspension but was not best pleased at having longer SE stiffness springs fitted as standard.

I hear good things about the ACS springs but thought I'd ask BMW if they had any plans and I got this reply:

Good morning Nick

Thanks for coming back to me about M Performance springs or suspension kits for the xDrive models.

There’s currently nothing available for xDrive models. There’s something planned for the second quarter in 2016, but no details are available at present.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with in the future.

Good morning Nick

Thanks for coming back to me about M Performance springs or suspension kits for the xDrive models.

There’s currently nothing available for xDrive models. There’s something planned for the second quarter in 2016, but no details are available at present.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with in the future.

Kind regards

Leigh

BMW Group
United Kingdom
Leigh Drummond
Customer Information Executive
Customer Information
Summit ONE,
Summit Avenue,
Farnborough,
Hampshire,
GU14 0FB
Tel: +44 (0) 800 325 600
Email: customer.information@bmw.co.uk
URL: www.bmw.co.uk

I got the same answer from BMW Sweden back in march while waiting for my 340 to be delivered. They were sure about it n told me i would get em by the end of april.
I already paid BMW Sweden for the springs....

Im still waiting....

BMW keep saying they are still testing the springs.

Cheers!

[mitrong]

Originally Posted by E90X

I find the exact opposite to be true. The springs are extremely soft and BMW attempt to save the handling with stiff shocks (or control the ride all together ex. Adaptive suspensions). Soft springs were most likely used to compensate for the stiffer sidewalks of the run-flats. As cornering loads increase, body roll increases as the weight of the car compresses the spring more and more. Stiffer dampers will control initial roll, but can only do so much as their purpose is to "dampen" the spring movement. The car will likely feel flatter on the street but will still roll significantly with high cornering forces while riding more brittle over expansion gaps and such. Check out car and drivers many instrument tests of various xdrive F30s, the adaptive cars put up the same ultimate G force on the skid pad as the fixed dampers when on the same tires. The adaptive cars did slightly better in the slalom however as transitions were likely slightly better controlled or "damped" but ultimately limit handling didn't improve. Probably why every says the adaptive suspensions "feel" sportier, but there doesn't seem to be much quantified data proving its any faster.

Now, if only finding stiffer stock springs was easy.

Additionally I have to wonder if the suspension engineers realized the eco biased all season tires chosen for the xdrives would be the real limiting factor in ultimate handling prowess and chose to make the ride as comfortable as possible while still being capable of reaching the limits of the tire.

are the springs on the DHP xdrive cars the same as the springs on the base x drive suspension? would it be safe to assume that pairing the oem xdrive springs with the bilstein HD shocks will produce handling that is on par with the xdrive w/DHP package?


also, i will probably never drive the car anywhere close to its limit.. i am just looking for something that will reduce roll and floatiness in typical (occasional spirited) driving on the street.


i am not really considered with slamming my car or the ride height, so it seems like spending 2k+ (including install) for a set of coilovers is overkill.

at the same time, people say that the aftermarket springs and shocks (dinan/bilstein, h&r/bilstein) do not match up well together and there have been top mount failures, etc.


just wondering if spending money on just shocks is my best option for my purpose

[cfm56d7b]

M Performance suspension for non xDrive vehicles costs at least as much KW coilovers. If BMW does offer M Performance suspension for xDrive vehicles, the cost is likely to be at least the same. Why not consider coilovers from KW or Bilstein?

[mitrong]

Originally Posted by JR70

I got the same answer from BMW Sweden back in march while waiting for my 340 to be delivered. They were sure about it n told me i would get em by the end of april.
I already paid BMW Sweden for the springs....

Im still waiting....

BMW keep saying they are still testing the springs.

Cheers!

so you are getting a 340 xdrive and had an option to purchase a set of lowering springs? ( no struts, etc)?

interesting

[mitrong]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

M Performance suspension for non xDrive vehicles costs at least as much KW coilovers. If BMW does offer M Performance suspension for xDrive vehicles, the cost is likely to be at least the same. Why not consider coilovers from KW or Bilstein?

after thinking about it, its like when i got the mppk.

i think that it was worth it to spend the extra money to maintain my warranty, even if the value wasnt as good.


i look at it the same way with the supsension... if i am gonna spend more money, id do it to keep the warranty.


otherwise, id rather go with the cheaper option, since i am not really interested in changing the ride height at all.


am still thinking about it though, and your experience with the street comforts is definitely making me consider them.

[E90X]

Originally Posted by mitrong

are the springs on the DHP xdrive cars the same as the springs on the base x drive suspension?


also, i will probably never drive the car anywhere close to its limit.. i am just looking for something that will reduce roll and floatiness in typical (occasional spirited) driving on the street.


i am not really considered with slamming my car or the ride height, so it seems like spending 2k+ (including install) for a set of coilovers is overkill.

at the same time, people say that the aftermarket springs and shocks (dinan/bilstein, h&r/bilstein) do not match up well together and there have been top mount failures, etc.


just wondering if spending money on just shocks is my best option for my purpose

Yes. Same springs. Same part number. Check realoem.

I'd look into ACS springs. They are weight specific to your exact model (which is great for people like me with an F31) and are supposed to work well with the stock dampers. Hell, BMW dealers in the UK even install ACS springs prior to delivery and fully warrant the full suspension. Tons of reviews from the UK available if you google f30 ACS springs. I'm pretty much looking for the same thing as you in my ride and it seems to be the best solution thus far. There is a thread on here where NorthNJ put them on his F31 with stock fixed dampers and claimed its the way it should have been from the factory. Doesn't look like it lowered much at all either. Only reason I haven't pulled the trigger is I might be moving from the Midwest to California and my suspension requirements will drastically change if that happens.

[JR70]

Originally Posted by mitrong

so you are getting a 340 xdrive and had an option to purchase a set of lowering springs? ( no struts, etc)?

interesting

Yup exactly like that.
Already got the car (F31 340i) tho.

What i ordered n paid for is the m performance springs.

[mitrong]

Originally Posted by JR70

Yup exactly like that.
Already got the car (F31 340i) tho.

What i ordered n paid for is the m performance springs.

i know the 340's dampers are different than the 335's dampers so im guessing that the same set of m performance springs wouldnt apply to both cars =(

[mitrong]

Originally Posted by E90X

Yes. Same springs. Same part number. Check realoem.

I'd look into ACS springs. They are weight specific to your exact model (which is great for people like me with an F31) and are supposed to work well with the stock dampers. Hell, BMW dealers in the UK even install ACS springs prior to delivery and fully warrant the full suspension. Tons of reviews from the UK available if you google f30 ACS springs. I'm pretty much looking for the same thing as you in my ride and it seems to be the best solution thus far. There is a thread on here where NorthNJ put them on his F31 with stock fixed dampers and claimed its the way it should have been from the factory. Doesn't look like it lowered much at all either. Only reason I haven't pulled the trigger is I might be moving from the Midwest to California and my suspension requirements will drastically change if that happens.

I'm weary of adding just springs after reading the negative reviews of dinan springs on the f30 with the base shocks. Doesn't make sense to me to have one set of springs that are supposedly compatible with both base and dhp dampers.

[RedKloud]

Any updates on this?

[gunslinger1976]

After a long wait, I received this answer from BMW:

Good morning Nick

Thanks again for your emails and calls about the M Performance springs or suspension kits for the xDrive models. I’m sorry for the length of time it’s taken to get an answer to your enquiry. I can understand your concern.

I’ve finished looking into the issue for you. After ongoing product testing and evaluation some technical issues have been found with this product. So a decision has been made not to launch it, as it would be too expensive to bring to market.

I realise this isn’t the response you hoped for. But if there’s anything else I can help you with, please get back in touch.

Kind regards

Leigh

BMW Group
United Kingdom
Leigh Drummond
Customer Service Executive
Customer Service
Summit ONE,
Summit Avenue,
Farnborough,
Hampshire,
GU14 0FB
Tel: +44 (0) 370 5050 160
Email: customer.service@bmw.co.uk
URL: www.bmw.co.uk