05-23-2016, 09:20 AM | #1 |
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Fitted B6 Bilsteins this weekend....review of job/result
So here's the promised review;
2013 328 Sportline XDrive...I was dismayed to say the least at the floaty SOFT handling of this car when I got it this past January. This is my first BMW but I had driven an E90 Coupe extensively and my son has an E46. I was more than surprised by the F30 especially as I HAD driven 3 abroad as rental cars on vacation....non of them had this issue. SO firstly, I got rid of the runflats for michelin AS3s....much improved but still the floatiness, roll and high speed cornering instability was there....I have 40K on my car; The Job....I did not want to lower the car...I live in the Tri State area so lowered cars just get damaged...that simple. 1. Rear Shocks....VERY easy to do...took me 45 mins for both sides, lots of info on the Internet on changing these out so I won't bore you. 2. Fronts....could only find videos on the E46 and E90 cars...my Bentley Manual suggested removal of driveshafts/brakes/rotor etc etc. Then undo top mountings and tilt down with tape covering your paintwork etc etc.....you do NOT need to do any of this. Once you remove the pinch bolt and before loosening the upper mount you can kick the hub off the lower shock stem and there IS room to then undo the top mount bolts (4) and remove the whole strut. I DID remove all lower panels and loosen,(but not remove) the Thrust Arm and Lower link mount bolts so the suspension would allow the hub to drop low enough to clear the shock stem. I am writing this because I could not find this info ANYWHERE on the internet or this board....so if you are wondering if it can be done this way like I was...it can. Each side took me about 2 hours total including compressing the springs off the old shocks and replacing them onto the new ones. (Disclaimer; Do NOT attempt unless you know what you are doing and have GOOD spring compressors). I was very careful and methodical....I DO have air-tools and I have worked on cars since I was 13, but any competent home mechanic should be able to do this job DIY. 3. Results....WOW...; this IS a great upgrade to std suspension...oh...and the shocks that came off were UBER soft....crazy. No wonder I was all over the place on the road at speed. If I didn't know they were supposed to be like this I'd say they were long worn out!!! Ride is much firmer but not jiggly or harsh in any way. I can hit yumps in the road and they work GREAT. Cornering is awesome....the car hangs on like crazy and does not roll. Steering feel is also MUCH improved. FINALLY I have the ride and handling I want, (and frankly bloody expected)....$600 well spent on the shocks...and being Bilsteins I will never have to do them again... IF I had half decent roads around here I would probably do the Dinan lowering springs also but I would NOT go for even firmer springs....not here in NY.....too many serious potholes and really banged up roads that are 'repaired' by people who frankly do not care. (Potholes get filled and become hillocks instead). Anyhow...that's my 02c for a Monday morning...hope this helps someone. British Pete Oh...I have 4 OEM shocks available but really I think I would ONLY sell them to someone needing them for lease return...they SUCK! |
05-23-2016, 02:29 PM | #2 |
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So, undo hub pinch bolt then lever hub down and off the shock stub while the tophat is still in place then undo tophat and remove whole unit?
How much force is needed to push the hub off the shock stub? Do you know the torque setting to do up the tophat bolts? Thanks. |
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05-23-2016, 02:32 PM | #3 |
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Interesting! happy that this works well for you.
There are different options for suspension, normal, M Sport and adaptive, perhaps you had the M Sport when you tried the F30s before? With the adaptive suspension i'm quite happy, reasonable firm in comfort, firm enough in Sport/Sport+, could be more firm but I don't see many shocks compatible with EDC (I want to keep this ability to switch) and not sure about the value i'd get for the money.
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05-23-2016, 10:21 PM | #4 |
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I did the same thing this weekend. Spent plenty of time looking for information only to find a rear shock only change and mixed info.
The whole thing was pretty easy but I took my time sorting through all the worthless information. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance. MUCH BETTER RIDE FOR THE XDRIVE. |
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05-24-2016, 08:06 AM | #5 |
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25 ft lbs plus a quarter turn using new bolts...(TTY bolts). Once you remove the pinch bolt, you have to spread the clamp with a suitable screwdriver in the gap at the back of the knuckle assembly...just took a quick spray of WD40 and a moderate kick and both came off easily on my car.
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05-24-2016, 08:08 AM | #6 | |
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05-29-2016, 12:40 PM | #12 |
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do you need alignment after? so body roll is gone even with the same springs? if i have luxury line, are my springs softer? will i get the same outcome?
tks
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05-30-2016, 01:00 PM | #13 |
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are them also fitting on F36 428i gc xd?thanks
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05-31-2016, 08:43 AM | #14 | |
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Keeping the ride height the same means no change in geometry...if you lower the car an alignment is a must because it WILL need correcting. |
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05-31-2016, 08:46 AM | #15 |
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