[Goofs]

Hey guys,

My coils came in this week, and I'm planning on throwing them on this weekend. Got all afternoon to do it today, and tomorrow morning as well. I plan on taking my time as this is my first coilover install.

Basically I am looking for any tips or tricks to look out for while I am doing this, any advice will be greatly appreciated. My coils came with camber plates, as well as the pillow ball mount as well.

Car is a 09 328i xDrive

[nikitino25]

Yeah, don't eff it up.

Just kidding man. One of the things that I didn't have was a spreader like this one used to spread the spindle holding the front shocks; I used kind of like a rigged pry bar but the tool would be nice, if you spread that thing too far, you can break it:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben...-tool/scw3435/

Also before you start you might want to read through the process in the Bentley manual, it recommends using a lot of new bolts, lock nuts etc. Some of the lock nuts for instance are one time use only.....or just use locktite but you may want to order some such as pinch bolts/nuts

Also measure your normal ride height roughly from the bottom of the fender arch to the center of the hub and then jack each wheel back up to this position when you tighten the control arms to prevent messing up the control arm bushings

[Hvyarms]

Spent 5 min trying to figure out what was going on with your front bumper.

No advice, but make sure you post some pix. I'm planning to lower my XI so I'm sure I'll have lots of questions.

[martinblair]

Spray some PB Blaster (or something similar) the evening before, then again before you start to remove some of the bolts. All the suspension bolts are open to the environment, and prone to rust.

[Dan_Q]

I did springs and shocks last weekend myself. It was my second attempt and it went much simpler having the right tools this time.

• Have a 1/4" socket adapter to spread the mounting socket for the front struts
• Tape the front fender as everyone suggests. Once you're trying to wrestle out the struts you'll see why.
• I removed the front calipers and rotors to ease handling the front hub for the strut removal/install. Seemed like a hassle initially but it was well worth the trouble.
• I could not loosen the rear lower control arm (21 mm) with my ratchet or breaker bar due to poor access on jack stands. My POS Harbor Freight air impact wouldn't do it either. Use of a coworkers electric impact wrench broke the inner and outer bolts loose in 10 seconds though.
• Stuff a paper towel or two into the wheel wells when replacing the rear upper shock mounts. Others have had sockets or nuts fall into the cavity and removal is impossible or difficult.
• You'll need an immediate alignment. You probably know this.

It is not that bad a task at all. I spent 6 hrs on the front but that included the lower control arms which probably added ~2 hrs. The rears only took about 2 hrs. Having the electric impact wrench made some of the difficult tasks (in the rear esp) very easy. If you have the right tools it is a fairly fun project and not that difficult. My results were nothing short of amazing. Came from OEM sport suspension, installed Koni Yellow/Eibach Pro Kit and I am so happy I made the change. The handling is better in every possible way compared to the stock suspension. Have fun and enjoy!

[Goofs]

Did the job with a buddy in my driveway. Basically took all Saturday.

Def ran into some issues, but it got done!

[Hvyarms]

Originally Posted by Goofs

Did the job with a buddy in my driveway. Basically took all Saturday.

Def ran into some issues, but it got done!

Post more pix. Also, what do you think of it overall?

[matteblue3er]

Replace the mounts while everything is out. Spring pads don't really have to replaced but definitely replace the rear upper and lower mounts, bump stops, and the front strut hats if you are using the stock ones.

[Goofs]

Originally Posted by Hvyarms

Post more pix. Also, what do you think of it overall?

The height is perfect, and the car feels much tighter. I can't wait to take it down to the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee later this month and really test it out.

I am, however SLIGHTLY rubbing in the rear when hitting bigger bumps in the road. Going to get a fender roll as soon as this finals week is done.

[Hvyarms]

Originally Posted by Goofs

The height is perfect, and the car feels much tighter. I can't wait to take it down to the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee later this month and really test it out.

I am, however SLIGHTLY rubbing in the rear when hitting bigger bumps in the road. Going to get a fender roll as soon as this finals week is done.

I'm jealous, can't even lie. So with coilover, is it difficult to get all 4 corners settled right or what?

[Goofs]

Originally Posted by Hvyarms

I'm jealous, can't even lie. So with coilover, is it difficult to get all 4 corners settled right or what?

No you need patience, and correct measuring thats all.

When installing you also have to make sure each coilover goes in with the same amount of thread count for adjustment as the other side, that way you just grab a tape measure and adjust accordingly to make it even once you find the height you like. Probably took my wheels on and off at least 10 times, throughout the whole process, but I like to make sure things are done right.