Hi,
I own a 91 525i E34 and the ride is getting very very bouncy at the front end, along with some vibrating noises when I hit even small bumps.

I was looking at bimmerzone.com for the strut inserts.
I'm seeing some from KYB, Boge and other brands... and I'm pretty much clueless on which is the best one to get for the price.

I'm just looking for some feedback as to which kind of struts I should be looking for, which ones ya'll would recommend. I'm a student and don't have very much $$$ but I need something that will last and will make the ride much smoother.

Also, will I need any other parts beside the strut inserts??

Any help?

THANKS!

EDIT: I'm in the Los Angeles area right now.

I just put new Boge "automatic" shocks and struts on my '93 325is They are original equipment "stock" valved. I am very satisfied with the ride. Not too harsh (like bilstein). I have read that KYB only makes rear shocks for late model BMW's.

check bimmerparts.com as well as tirerack.com
the former should answer ? whether your model accepts cartridge or only has the strut replacement. the e36 does not accept cartridge replacement.
the latter i know, market kyb's and has good prices. check for availability for your model.

I have Koni on my E36 M3, but it did require cutting the front strut housing (which I did DIY w/ a Lisle pipe cutter from Napa for about $18). They are generally softer than Bilstein on compression, but probably stiffer on rebound damping (certainly if you adjust them to be so!). Depending on the price of OE replacements, you might want to consider Koni or Bilstein. What about Eibach's pro-kit, is it made for your car? Those come w/ matched springs and dampers. Not sure who makes the dampers on it. I'm not familiar w/ KYB.

I'm pretty sure they are cartridges. The boge are OEM. The vibrations you feal going over bumps are most likely the thrust arm bushings.