This might be long but if you are concerned about suspension for your 540i or any other e39 5 series, then this thread would be a good one to read.

This weekend, I installed Intrax springs and Koni yellows onto my 1998 540i6 sport package along with Hawk HPS brake pads, and UUC red transmission mounts. I bought both the Intrax springs and Koni struts off of ebay. I paid 850 dollars shipped for everything. Hawk pads for 131 and UUC mounts for 40.

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96752-2/DSC_0222.JPG

My car has 90k miles on it and it still has the original suspension. After reading all I could about different types of suspension made for this car, I finally decided that the Intrax/Koni setup was the right move for me. I am so glad I do not have to worry about which suspension to get anymore. It is such a load off my shoulders.

I did all the work to the car at my local Honda Carland where my roommate works as a tecnician. I had access to all of his tools, his personal lift, and a former certified BMW master tech that works in the bay right next to him. I had access to a nice spring compressor, a very expensive snap-on electronic torque wrench that you can adjust to the 1/10th of a ft/lb of torque, along with a couple other special tools that helped out a lot.

I have read all sorts of information saying that the front would be the hardest or the rear would be the hardest. It also seems like many people took a bunch of different approaches as to how they removed the suspension. I was very interested to see how I would approach the install.

My total installation time from when I raised the lift to the time I lowered the lift was 5 hours. In that 5 hours I installed all 4 struts, all 4 springs, all the brake pads, installed new transmission mounts from UUC and checked all my spark plug holes for oil accumulation. I had a 5 minute power lunch in there somewhere. :D I

The front suspension-
It is by far the easiest. Each side took me 8 minutes to disassemble. 10 minutes to change the spring, and then another 8 minutes to install the new spring/strut. Removing the strut is simple.

*at this point Supark says it is best to remove the brake calipers to ensure that you do not stretch or break the brake lines. That is an excellent idea and is only 2 addition bolts.

Loosen the pinch bolt that holds the strut to the wheel hub.
Remove either of the sway bar end link nuts.
Remove the plastic arm off the front control arm for the headlight adjusters. It is located on the passenger side front control arm. This will most likely break if you do not remove it.
Remove the 3 13mm nuts from the engine bay.
Push the wheel hub down with your foot while pulling the top of the suspension towards you. The suspension will all clear under the fender.

Then all you have to do is pull up on the spring and strut and it will just slide out of the hub. Easy! Re-installation is the reverse of removal.

Pic-
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96758-2/DSC_0227.JPG
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96770-2/DSC_0236.JPG

The rear suspension-

Ok, the rear is definately harder. Its not hard to do but just more involved. Instead of loosening 5 bolts and your done, you have multiple items to remove to actually get to the suspension.

You have to deal with getting to the top of the suspension to remove the 3 13mm nuts and then you have to deal with actually getting the spring/strut combo out of the fender well.

For the top of the suspension you must remove the following-

Seat bottom
Seat back
left and right trim panels behind the rear windows. These are the ones that hold the little reading lights.
Remove the deck lid
remove both left and right subwoofers
pull back foam insulation
remove the 3 13mm bolts on each side of the car.

Location of strut top-
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96767-2/DSC_0228.JPG

For the bottom of the suspension you must remove the following.

Bottom bolt on the strut. Be careful because the suspension is still loaded up by its bushings. If you push the strut off the wheel hub, the wheel hub is going to fly up pretty quickly. Make sure someone applies downward pressure on the hub to prevent this.

Remove either nut on each sway bar end link to allow the hub to drop down further.

You must remove both rear fender liners.
On the passenger side, you must remove 2 10mm nuts that hold the gas filler neck to the car.

On the driver side, you must remove 1 10mm nut and unplug one wiring connector to remove the charcoal canister. That makes it able to get the spring/strut assembly out. You do not have to entirely remove the cansiter but just move it around a little.

Push down on the rear hubs while pushing the very bottom of the strut tube towards the rear differential. At the the same time, pull the top of the spring/strut towards you. Then pull side ways out of the car.

Remove old spring to get the top mount and bumpstop separate.

EDIT- added 10-24-06 thanks to Shawn C...

Before you assemble the rear Koni adjustable struts, you will have to pre-adjust them before installation. I wish Koni had installed an external adjustment screw or something because it would/will be a pain in the ass to keep disassembling the rear suspension every time you need to adjust the rear rebound.

The way you adjust the rear strut is by lightly clamping the tops of the struts in a bench vice or something that can catch the outer ring of the strut shaft. In the picture, you will see the threaded rod is not as thick as the rest of the shaft. You want the vice to be open just enough to let the smaller diameter shaft go in between but then stop at the thicker portion.
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/108566-1/DSC_0059.jpg

Once the vice is setup right, tighten the vice snug against the strut. It will not damage the threads since they have a slightly smaller diameter than the rest of the thinner rod due to the cutting of the threads. Once that is semi tight, you will stand at the back of the strut and push it forward into the vice to compress the strut all the way in.

*on a side note, i compared the amount of force it took to compress the koni strut vs the oem sport strut @ 90k miles and the koni was significantly stiffer than the oem strut. Both of them were the same. I could also tell the difference between the different levels of adjustment.

The strut reacts very slowly to your push. Dont worry, its not going to go flying away or give you a big recoil. Once you have compressed the strut all teh way in, you need to twist the strut to one extreme; fully soft or fully hard depending on your taste. If you twist the strut body counter clockwise, you will go all the way soft. If you twist the strut body clockwise, you will stop at fully stiff. The strut should come from the factory in the middle of its range. There are 4 full 360* rotations between extreme soft and extreme hard. Twist the strut until the middle shaft starts spinning along with the strut body. Thats when you know you have engauged the adjustment cam at the end. Then depending on how stiff you want it, you will turn the strut body back clockwise to stiffen it up. My personal settings are 1 full turn from extreme soft. I chose this setting because of other 540i koni users. I didnt know what to set it to so I relied on them and it seems good. Sometimes I feel it could be stiffer though- maybe a little. Its much easier to have 2 people while adjusting the strut. One can push the strut in and hold it there with a firm stance and grip. The 2nd person can rotate the strut body more accurately and ensure that it is rotated just as much as the other one. I put a black mark with a sharpie on the top dead center of the strut body. Then i rotated the strut around back to top dead center. This worked very well.

After both sides are complete, you have to modify the bump stops. I cut all my bumpstops in half using the portion that had the most 'bumpstop' to it. I sprayed down all of my rubber dust boots with a product in a white can called SQUEEKEE. It restores rubber and makes it the way it should be.

You can assemble the new strut/spring assembly now.

Re-Installation for the rears is the reverse of removal.

Brakes easy
tranny mounts easy (yet gives a slight vibration in the cabin due to the new stiffness)

Before I installed the suspension. I put my car on gauranteed perfectly level ground and got these height measurements.

Front Right= 24 1/16th inches
Front Left= 24 1/8th inches
Right Rear= 22 13/16th inches
Left Rear= 22 15/16th inches

After the suspension was on for 24 hours I re-measured the height difference and I got these measurements.

Front Right= 22 7/8th inches
Front Left= 22 15/16th inches
Right Rear= 22 3/4 inches
Left Rear= 22 7/8th inches

The front dropped 1.19 inches
The rear dropped 1/8th of an inch with the rear konis set at the lowest ring out of 3 available heights.

rear strut pic- the silver ring on the strut is the middle height for the perch adjustment.
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96761-2/DSC_0242.JPG

The intrax springs made the car sit perfectly level @ just under 23 inches with just 1 finger gap between the fender and the tire all the way around.

My impressions?

Honestly I am pretty damn happy with the results. I think the ride height of the car is perfect. It doesnt give the car that hammered look but it looks way more aggressive and has a much nicer stance to it.

I have my suspension settings adjusted half way in the front. For my rear struts, I have them adjusted 1 turn from fully soft.

I am very happy with they way they ride as well. The suspension is firmer than with the OEM setup. It is not jaring at all. It rides smooth yet firm. I feel much more planted to the road. Before, the car would feel floaty sometimes and just too soft. The car rides a little flatter but not too much. The steering feel is what i like the best. I now have more feedback through the steering wheel and that is really nice. Higher speed turns 100+mph feels much better. The car does not float anymore. It just sits flat and takes the corner without upset. I will be adding an oem M5 sway bar soon. I am interested in how much body roll its going to eliminate. Then I will add the M5 front later on after Ive experienced the car with just the rear M5 bar.

Here are some pics of the results and the install. I will try to add more pictures when I take them. These were just the first shots I could get. Its so weird, it seems like the car is lower in person than on camera.

Oh, and if you have any questions- bring it on. Now you will have to excuse me, I need to go re-aim my headlights cause they point down now.

Before-
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96745-2/540i+suspension+BEFORE.jpg
After-
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96749-2/540i+suspension+AFTER.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96773-2/DSC_0249+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96800-2/DSC_0267+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96803-2/DSC_0264+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96776-2/DSC_0238.JPG

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96764-2/DSC_0231+copy.jpg

EDIT Added new pictures!
I messed with the shadows and highlights in P'shop to make it easier to see the drop.
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/98138-2/DSC_0392+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/98141-2/DSC_0394+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/98144-2/DSC_0395+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/98147-2/DSC_0399+copy.jpg

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/98150-2/DSC_0404+copy.jpg

Even more pictures *added 11-5-06
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/110477-2/DSC_0345_001.JPG

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/110471-2/DSC_0290.JPG

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/110468-2/DSC_0255.JPG

http://carpron.com/multisite/d/110465-2/DSC_0282.JPG
1 more :) ....
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/110527-2/DSC_0035+_Large_.JPG

looks very nice :buttrock maybe if it was a tad lower. I will be going with PSS9's very soon

sweet looking drop....now is it possible to drop just the front? Being that I have a touring model with the active rear suspension, the front is all I can touch (correct me if I'm wrong)

great write up! Lookin good

Looks great, it will settle some and get a little lower, I think it looks good where it is! I am thinking of going the H&R/Koni route.

sweet looking drop....now is it possible to drop just the front? Being that I have a touring model with the active rear suspension, the front is all I can touch (correct me if I'm wrong)
sure it is possible and that's the way to do it. BTW congrats on picking up the touring.

here is my Intrax/Koni combo
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/PENER/e39-528iA034.jpg

sure it is possible and that's the way to do it. BTW congrats on picking up the touring.

here is my Intrax/Koni combo
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/PENER/e39-528iA034.jpg

Thank you much...I got it for a steal, although its going to take some work/time to get it even close to the beast you have there!
:cool

I tried putting some stock 17" wheels on the car and it looks way lower. I think there is another thread on here that SilverE39 started with his koni/H&R setup and it looks the same as that. I think my 18s make the front end look more lifted. Its weird. Ive thought about going with some style 66 17s that come on the new 540i sport. Its like an m5 wheel but with half the spokes.

I tried putting some stock 17" wheels on the car and it looks way lower. I think there is another thread on here that SilverE39 started with his koni/H&R setup and it looks the same as that. I think my 18s make the front end look more lifted. Its weird. Ive thought about going with some style 66 17s that come on the new 540i sport. Its like an m5 wheel but with half the spokes.


I agree with you John.......stockers seems to make the car visually lower. BTW, great write-up regarding a DIY.

ok...i have a questions

1. Why my cars look higher compare to all those people who had installed intrax springs with koni even bilstein ??
2. i am running intrax/bilstein B8 and my front has 1 finger gap and the rear is 2 to 3.....
3. i am happy with the front but not the rear....too high...is it because i am using bilstein ??
4. i have heard that bilstein HD will lift your car but even my B8 ??

here is some pics of mine with 18" bbs rx and 235/40/18 all around :

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/1196/img1775kh7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2279/img1776wi5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Very Nice! My rear suspension is starting to feel a bit squishy so I may be doing the same thing before long. Excellent write up! :buttrock Now if I only had access to a garage like you do - I could do all the work myself. :D

Nicely done write-up - thank you!

I turned my front suspension all the way stiff today just to see the difference and boy do i like it a lot better. The car rides flatter and its not as floaty. When i go over speedbumps, the cars nose doesnt sink down drastically after my front wheels roll off the back of the speed bump. now, it just feels firm and really good. Now i am really happy with the suspension- i cant wait to get this m5 bar on the back and see what that does.

ok...i have a questions

1. Why my cars look higher compare to all those people who had installed intrax springs with koni even bilstein ??
2. i am running intrax/bilstein B8 and my front has 1 finger gap and the rear is 2 to 3.....
3. i am happy with the front but not the rear....too high...is it because i am using bilstein ??
4. i have heard that bilstein HD will lift your car but even my B8 ??

here is some pics of mine with 18" bbs rx and 235/40/18 all around :

IMG]http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/1196/img1775kh7.jpg[/IMG] (http://imageshack.us)

IMG]http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2279/img1776wi5.jpg[/IMG] (http://imageshack.us)

I would be interested in seeing your distances between the bottom of the wheel lip to the fender lip above it. How does your drop compare to my measurements I have on post #1?

I turned my front suspension all the way stiff today just to see the difference and boy do i like it a lot better. The car rides flatter and its not as floaty. When i go over speedbumps, the cars nose doesnt sink down drastically after my front wheels roll off the back of the speed bump. now, it just feels firm and really good. Now i am really happy with the suspension- i cant wait to get this m5 bar on the back and see what that does.



I would be interested in seeing your distances between the bottom of the wheel lip to the fender lip above it. How does your drop compare to my measurements I have on post #1?

i will measure it withn 5 hours

My biggest problem with the springs available for the 540 is that they all give the car a major rake as i have seen in many photos as well as the measurments given in this thread. I really would like to find a set of springs that lower the car an equal amount (or close to equal) front and rear to keep the same stance that the car has on the factory springs... only lower - or the stance of the M5. Basically, i want the rocker panel to be somewhat level to the ground... not the same spacing in the front and rear wheel wells (since the front wheel well has a larger opening than the rear... just like my E36 M3). :(

Anyone know if the factory M5 springs would work on a 540 and give it the same ride height as an M5, or is it different suspension components/geometry that won't give it the same stance? :help

All things being equal/ unchanged, M5 springs on a 540 may raise the car a little as it is designed for the heavier M5

All things being equal/ unchanged, M5 springs on a 540 may raise the car a little as it is designed for the heavier M5
Yeah... that's what i'm finding as i search through past threads. :(

Hey! I just discovered (and haven't seen this specifically mentioned in previous E39 540i suspension threads) that H&R makes a spring set specific for the 540i sport package that lowers the front 0.75" and the rear 0.6" (the springs for the non-sport 540i offer a 1.3F/0.75R drop). Intrax and Eibach don't seem to offer springs that are specific for the 540i sport, so i think i've finally found the springs that i'll be going with. It's not much of a drop, but i honestly don't want a really low drop as this is the wife's daily driver. We scrape the front of the M3 all the damn time on it's infrequent street voyages due to the Velocity Splitters on the front lip. :stickoutt

Yeah... that's what i'm finding as i search through past threads. :(

Hey! I just discovered (and haven't seen this specifically mentioned in previous E39 540i suspension threads) that H&R makes a spring set specific for the 540i sport package that lowers the front 0.75" and the rear 0.6" (the springs for the non-sport 540i offer a 1.3F/0.75R drop). Intrax and Eibach don't seem to offer springs that are specific for the 540i sport, so i think i've finally found the springs that i'll be going with. It's not much of a drop, but i honestly don't want a really low drop as this is the wife's daily driver. We scrape the front of the M3 all the damn time on it's infrequent street voyages due to the Velocity Splitters on the front lip. :stickoutt

I believe the 2 spring sets for the sport and non-sport are pretty much the same thing. The different lowering figures are due to the different starting points, as the 540 Sport is already lower than non-Sport by around .6"-.75", so the .75" and .6" lowering is based on starting from that point.

I believe the 2 spring sets for the sport and non-sport are pretty much the same thing. The different lowering figures are due to the different starting points, as the 540 Sport is already lower than non-Sport by around .6"-.75", so the .75" and .6" lowering is based on starting from that point.
This may be true, but H&R has a completely different part number for the sport and non-sport 540i springs. Who knows for sure, though. I never imagined that selecting off the shelf springs for this car would be so frustrating. :eyecrazy

The reason eibach and intrax dont offer a spring specifically for the sport model is because it simply does not matter at all. H&R is trying to steal more money from you.

the difference in the H&R sport springs for a SPORT model 540i is that they are simply more expensive. That is all. If you were to install h&r sport springs for a NON SPORT 540i onto a 540i sport, the drop will be the exact same as if you used the 540i sport model springs. They are simply making money off the word SPORT.

If you want to lower the rear as much as the front, then the rear tire would be tucking under the rear fender by atleast 1 inch where you would still be able to see a gap between the front wheel and the fender. It would like the car is hauling ass while sitting still. I think it makes the car look funny. here is a picture of my car that would show you what it would look like if it was lowered how you want it- this pic is un edited btw.
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/61250-2/DSC_0428.JPG

If you want to lower the rear as much as the front, then the rear tire would be tucking under the rear fender by atleast 1 inch where you would still be able to see a gap between the front wheel and the fender.
Actually an equal one inch drop (which would be ideal for my preference) would not tuck the back tires.

Here is a side profile shot of my 540...
http://www.brazeauracing.com/photos/stockheight.jpg

And here is a photoshopped version with the car lowered evenly approximately one inch...
http://www.brazeauracing.com/photos/loweredoneinch.jpg

I don't disagree that H&R is using the same spring for sport and non-sport offerings. Who knows for sure what they're actually doing behind the scenes on the manufacturing floor. I'm just saying that i don't personally like the front being dropped 2 to 3 times as much as the rear on this particular car, and i wish there were more options for ride height other than coilovers. My M3 has a slight rake even with the back tires slightly tucked under the fenders (Eibach Pro-kit), but that is the nature of the body lines of that car. The body lines on the 540 also give the car a natural rake (as you can see in the photos above comparing the front and rear bumpers to the lines behind the car although the rocker panel appears level with the ground), which is why i don't want to increase the rake further with the suspension. The sport specific springs that H&R offers for the 540 are only $30 more than the non-sport springs, so it's definitely worth it (to me) to see if they give a more even drop. I'll definitely post my findings when i get around to purchasing and installing them.

Anyway... thanks for the write-up, John... great info.

the p-shoped pic of your car is how my car sits right now- The side shot i have in my first post might be a little mis leading because the camera was level but the grade of the land makes the front nose look lower. Also, i dont know how much it will affect anything but all those pictures were taken with almost an empty tank of gas. I will be filling up today so i am going to get measurements and see how much more the rear of the car drops with 19 gallons of gas in it. 19 gallons time 6.15lbs per gallon of gas equals an extra 116lbs of weight in the back.

In this picture- the front wheels have a 1 finger gap between the tire and the fender. The rear wheels have just slightly less than a finger gap. It looks just like the p-shoped 2nd pic in your thread.
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96803-2/DSC_0264+copy.jpg

It looks just like the p-shoped 2nd pic in your thread.
http://carpron.com/multisite/d/96803-2/DSC_0264+copy.jpg

I noticed that in this particular photo as well. I think you may be right about the photos being misleading. That's why i love to take pics at the top of that parking garage... it's perfectly level, and the lines in the background give an even better reference...

http://www.brazeauracing.com/rswarrior/rswarrior11.jpg

I love this pic because my bike appears to be perfectly level. :D

Anyway.... drive the car around for a while to let the suspension settle and re-measure everything and update us. I'd be interested to see if the rear drops down more than the initial 1/8". :)

i love that picture too but just because that bike looks badass :D

Ive got about 40 miles on the suspension right now so we will see if it gets any lower. I am going to re-measure it today and see what happens. Hell, i may even go to a parking deck just for you :D

i love that picture too but just because that bike looks badass :D
LOL Thanks! :cool I hope to add an R6 (preferably silver/black like yours) to my stable soon as well!

Ive got about 40 miles on the suspension right now so we will see if it gets any lower. I am going to re-measure it today and see what happens. Hell, i may even go to a parking deck just for you :D
You da MAN! :D

Nice write up!! Anyone know if the instructions for the suspension is the same for a 528i?

Nice write up!! Anyone know if the instructions for the suspension is the same for a 528i?

Im pretty sure it should be the same. I have found that the main differences are with the control arms and subframe under the car. The struts and springs should be the same.

just added a few new pictures at the bottom of post #1. The is lower now and it is exactly how i wanted it.

nice write up! :D

wow!!

for those with fold down rear seats, i don't think replacing the rears are as involved.

There is some mis-information in the above posts. Here is the real, bottom line skinny on lowering springs for the E39, excluding coilovers ......

H&R and all the rest, Eibach, etc, ALL .... ALL of them, measure drop from a non-sport suspension.

A factory sport is 0.8/0.5 F/R lower than a factory non-sport suspension. To determine how much your factory sport will drop subtract 0.8/0.5 from the published drops below.

No one makes springs specifically/exclusively for the factory sport model.

H&R makes 2 different sets one called Sport and another called Race. Race has more drop and is stiffer than Sport.

H&R is the only mfgr that makes 2 different sets.

M5 springs will raise a non-M because the M is heavier.

Dinan's drop is a just bit lower than factory sport.

Below are published drops for an E39 540. They are probably the same for a 530 though I haven't checked.

Vogtland 1.2/1.2
H&R Sport 1.3/0.8
H&R Race 1.7/1.2
Eibach 1.5/1.0
Intrax 1.6/1.2

I suggest you save this for future referance. Happy motoring.

There is some mis-information in the above posts. Here is the real, bottom line skinny on lowering springs for the E39, excluding coilovers ......

H&R and all the rest, Eibach, etc, ALL .... ALL of them, measure drop from a non-sport suspension.

A factory sport is 0.8/0.5 F/R lower than a factory non-sport suspension. To determine how much your factory sport will drop subtract 0.8/0.5 from the published drops below.

No one makes springs specifically/exclusively for the factory sport model.

H&R makes 2 different sets one called Sport and another called Race. Race has more drop and is stiffer than Sport.

H&R is the only mfgr that makes 2 different sets.

M5 springs will raise a non-M because the M is heavier.

Dinan's drop is a just bit lower than factory sport.

Below are published drops for an E39 540. They are probably the same for a 530 though I haven't checked.

Vogtland 1.2/1.2
H&R Sport 1.3/0.8
H&R Race 1.7/1.2
Eibach 1.5/1.0
Intrax 1.6/1.2

I suggest you save this for future referance. Happy motoring.
frank,

this thread is in the Link of all link thread so your input is very much noted and preserved. thanks for the insight.. never knew they measure it from the non-sport level. sneaky sob's!

I am having a hard time deciding which springs to go with. Now that I see this thread I like the drop that the Intrax offers, but I have always been a big Eibach fan, and I have always wanted to try out H&R, ahhh soo many decisions!!! What drop do you all think would be best suited for my car being that it has 20's?

I am having a hard time deciding which springs to go with. Now that I see this thread I like the drop that the Intrax offers, but I have always been a big Eibach fan, and I have always wanted to try out H&R, ahhh soo many decisions!!! What drop do you all think would be best suited for my car being that it has 20's?
with axis, none. you'll end up bending the rim because the suspension is not going to move enough to suck up the pothole.

I am having a hard time deciding which springs to go with. Now that I see this thread I like the drop that the Intrax offers, but I have always been a big Eibach fan, and I have always wanted to try out H&R, ahhh soo many decisions!!! What drop do you all think would be best suited for my car being that it has 20's?

From the picture it looks like your wheels stick out quite a bit. If they do you could have trouble dropping it any amount.

What width wheels, what offset and what tire sizes are you rolling on?

From the picture it looks like your wheels stick out quite a bit. If they do you could have trouble dropping it any amount.

What width wheels, what offset and what tire sizes are you rolling on?

Not sure about the offset but I am running 9 inch in the front and 10 in the back.

245/35/20 front, 275/30/20 in the rear.

Not sure about the offset but I am running 9 inch in the front and 10 in the back.

245/35/20 front, 275/30/20 in the rear.

I need to know the offset to help. That tells me how far towards the outside the wheel is positioned.

Maybe it's on the paperwork that came with the wheels. If not that then it's marked on the wheel on the inside, usually after the size. Some wheels are marked ETxx.

John,

Wow, you did the suspension & brakes yourself! I finally had the Konis installed with OE sport springs yesterday but I noticed something weird:

1) My stereo appears to have lost the bass and yet there are still sound from the rear deck speakers. From your picture above, the one shows the speaker, why were there two sets of wire plugs? I wonder if he missed something or...

2) I ordered to have the shocks adjusted 1/2 turn from full soft, but car seems to bounce a lot quicker and felt stiffer than my OE sport. I wonder if he set it the opposite. Did the shocks come as full soft or hard?

3) The front ended up lower and the rear at middle perch went higher resulting in a slightly rakish stance. My headlights are now aiming to the ground. I will have it put on the lowest perch next week.

Thanks,

Shawn

with axis, none. you'll end up bending the rim because the suspension is not going to move enough to suck up the pothole.



would FSD with Eibachs Pro Kit spring be good for this type of set up ... Slight drop with OEM ride ????

wow!!

for those with fold down rear seats, i don't think replacing the rears are as involved.

unfortunately it's the same amount of work with fold down vs non-folding seats to replace the rears (there's nothing that folding seats would facilitate towards making it an easier job). The main time consuming part of the rears is removing everything on the rear deck and such. But honestly after doing it once, I could probably do the rears again in not much more time than the fronts - just have to be careful not to dirty up the felt with dirty fingers!

For the OP though, I'm curious what your thoughts are on the setup after about two months riding on it.

would FSD with Eibachs Pro Kit spring be good for this type of set up ... Slight drop with OEM ride ????

that'd be an awesome setup - DO IT

John,

Wow, you did the suspension & brakes yourself! I finally had the Konis installed with OE sport springs yesterday but I noticed something weird:

etc..........


Thanks,

Shawn

1) you might just want to check all those connections again yourself. Maybe they were left unplugged on accident. I know i almost pinched a set of wires in between the car, stud, and the 13mm nut for the top of the rear suspension.

2)From what I understand, they come pre adjusted to half way between hard and soft. It really doesnt matter since you have to adjust it all the way to soft first. I have my rears adjusted to 1 turn from full soft. It seems about right. Sometimes i think it could be stiffer but not enough to take it all apart again. Not for a while atleast...

3)koni says the middle perch gives you an OEM ride height. IMO its more like, the lowest perch gives you a factory ride height, then you get a higher than OEM height, then an even higher one. Maybe my car was sagging or something....who knows. I would have it on the lowest one for sure.

hopefully you dont go to adjust your headlights up and then discover that every one of the adjusters is broken. Happend to me, twice actually...

For the OP though, I'm curious what your thoughts are on the setup after about two months riding on it.

I have no complaints, well maybe one. Its soft in my opinion but im used to riding in stiff cars. It still handles good. I drive it pretty hard daily and it keeps up. I really think it could be stiffer for high speed runs. It can still feel soft and floaty at high speeds around turns just not as bad as the oem sport suspension. Maybe Im just asking too much from the car... either way i have a lot of fun.

Hi John,

Are there enclosures or baffles for the speakers?

What are the correct procedures to adj the rear shocks before install? The website did not say which direction will result in stiffer or softer damping.

would FSD with Eibachs Pro Kit spring be good for this type of set up ... Slight drop with OEM ride ????

Koni does sell the FSD shocks with Eibach lowering springs, all in one package.

One thing I'd add on the install - when doing the fronts, you'll want to remove the brake calipers. Otherwise you'll stretch the brake line too much and may risk damaging the line. It really doesn't add much time to the install - and much better than having to replace your brake lines as part of the install ;)

One thing I'd add on the install - when doing the fronts, you'll want to remove the brake calipers. Otherwise you'll stretch the brake line too much and may risk damaging the line. It really doesn't add much time to the install - and much better than having to replace your brake lines as part of the install ;)

sparkey....

Good for you sparkey. That's a good suggestion. You suprise me.

Hi John,

Are there enclosures or baffles for the speakers?

What are the correct procedures to adj the rear shocks before install? The website did not say which direction will result in stiffer or softer damping.

There are small plastic enclosures for the rear speakers. That is what you remove to get to the rear suspension. You dont only take the speaker out. Its very easy and only takes a phillips head screw driver.

As far as the rear struts. I think im going to edit my first post and add that information in. I forgot to include that. That is something that is good to know. The koni directions are a complete waste of time. Ill try to get them up here soon.

As far as the stretched brake line, that is a very good point. I will add that in there as well. I didnt do that. :D I had the wheel turned in where the brake caliper was closer to the body of the car but Im sure i stretched it a little bit.

Oh, i also forgot to include 1 more good detail to the install for the front suspension. Any guesses?

Oh, i also forgot to include 1 more good detail to the install for the front suspension. Any guesses?



loosen the 18mm bolt on the front lower control arm to allow the spindle assembly to drop down low enough to get the top of the strut out of the wheel well?

no, i was going to mention the little plastic arm that connects to the servo for the headlight aiming. It connects to the passenger side control arm. You have to take that off as well.

Oh, i added in the new section on how to adjust the rear struts and inserted the new info along the post and gave credit where credit was due.....

no, i was going to mention the little plastic arm that connects to the servo for the headlight aiming. It connects to the passenger side control arm. You have to take that off as well.

Oh, i added in the new section on how to adjust the rear struts and inserted the new info along the post and gave credit where credit was due.....

Ah - good point - that would be for the front and rear. Very important to note because most often the plastic arm on the servo unit breaks, not the link on the control arm - and the plastic arm is integral with the sensor which cost about a hundred bucks.

This is fresh in my mind because I just got done with an eibach pro-kit install.

One thing that I found useful is to loosen the top of the nuts on top of the struts/shocks before you remove them from the shock/strut towers. Or better yet - invest in a cordless impact wrench. After doing my install and needing to bring my car to a local shop to get one stubborn strut nut off with an impact wrench, it's on my must buy list for tools.

Anyone has picture of the Xenon light sensor "rod"?

I took the car back to the installer and moved the rear spring perch to the bottom and now the car is riding 1/4" lower evenly on all 4 corners compared to OE sport. I love the new height, the only thing is the rear camber appeared to be even more negative. Do you know if you can adust the rear camber closer to 0 camber?

Shawn C

Pics of b4 and after? :)

I don't have a photo hosting site. Know any good one that's free? Mine is all stock. The drop was very minimal, only .25; you can't really tell. Here are the measurement before drop: front 14.5", rear 14"; after: front 14.25", rear 13.75.

I now have it at 1/4 turn from full soft and it actually handle better than 1.25 turn from full soft initial setting (Found out yesterday) and the ride is much better. Personally, I wouldn't go any stiffer since I got a bad back.

The guy forgot the put the "rod" back to the xenon light leveling sensor and now it's aiming fine.

To clarify the myth of Koni shocks are softer than the OE sport:
(1) I got a chance to feel the damping by hand of the rear shocks and they require a lot more force to move the rod than my OE sport shocks.

(2) The Koni shocks are very smooth, maybe that's why they feel soft but they really aren't.

To clarify the myth of Koni shocks are softer than the OE sport:
(1) I got a chance to feel the damping by hand of the rear shocks and they require a lot more force to move the rod than my OE sport shocks.

(2) The Koni shocks are very smooth, maybe that's why they feel soft but they really aren't.

No myth my friend.

The Koni compression stroke, that's when collapsing the shock not extending it, is non-adjustable. And it is soft in comparison to any Bilstein model. I've experienced both on my car, back to back.

Additionally and more important, you can not do a hand comparison because shock stiffness is a function of the collapsing velocity. And no person has the strength to collapse the shock at anything near the velocity the shock sees in normal service.

The higher the collasping velocity the stiffer any shock will become. That's why shock testing machines exist.

I've said it before and I'm sticking to my statement that a new factory sport shock, and even a new non-sport factory shock, is stiffer in compression than a new Koni.

Koni is the softest in compression and their compression side is not adjustable. Only the rebound stroke, also called the extension stroke, is adjustable.

[quote=Shawn C;7761419]I don't have a photo hosting site.

use photobucket.

I've said it before and I'm sticking to my statement that a new factory sport shock, and even a new non-sport factory shock, is stiffer in compression than a new Koni.

Koni is the softest in compression and their compression side is not adjustable. Only the rebound stroke, also called the extension stroke, is adjustable.


If this is true then how could they handle better? I don't mind the suspension being stiff I just want it to stick to the road and not roll a lot. Maybe I should just consider getting Bilsteins and keeping my stock sport springs...

Konis don't handle better. They ride very smooth because they are soft.

Bilstein is a superior handling shock. Bilstein will keep your car tight to the road. You will want to get the Bilstein HDs.

The HDs and factory sport springs make a fabulous combination. I had that combo before I went to shorter springs. They are great together.

If this is true then how could they handle better? I don't mind the suspension being stiff I just want it to stick to the road and not roll a lot. Maybe I should just consider getting Bilsteins and keeping my stock sport springs...

Ok - as far as I understand, your compression is handled by the spring itself - your shock shouldn't be doing the work there. Rebound (which is adjustable on the Koni) is what matters - because it dictates how quickly the force is released from the spring.

It's very noticeable in hard driving when your rebound and compression is not matched well. I had bilstein sports with stock sports package springs on my 540 - and IMO it was not a good match, compression was too soft and rebound was too aggressive - would have been better with a moderately stiffer spring.

This is where Konis with adjustable rebound hold their value - it allows you to match the characteristics of the spring with the shocks/struts.

Ok - as far as I understand, your compression is handled by the spring itself - your shock shouldn't be doing the work there. Rebound (which is adjustable on the Koni) is what matters - because it dictates how quickly the force is released from the spring.

It's very noticeable in hard driving when your rebound and compression is not matched well. I had bilstein sports with stock sports package springs on my 540 - and IMO it was not a good match, compression was too soft and rebound was too aggressive - would have been better with a moderately stiffer spring.

This is where Konis with adjustable rebound hold their value - it allows you to match the characteristics of the spring with the shocks/struts.

Your shock manages/controls the velocity of spring compression and also the velocity of spring rebound. Shocks are very important in compression and in rebound both.

Regarding matching. A stiff spring needs a stiff shock to control/manage the stiff spring.

The Bilstein SPs are stiff, too stiff in my opinion for any street spring and that includes factory sport springs and the aftermarket Eibachs, Intrax, H&Rs etc springs. All those springs are street springs and as such are relatively speaking, soft. Race springs easily have double the spring rate of street springs or more.

The Bilstein SPs are not a good match for any street spring in my opinion. The Bilstein HDs are a good match. The HDs are roughly 20-30% stiffer than a factory sport shock and that's plently for any street spring.

I've had both Koni and Bilsteins on my car and I can say the Bilsteins offer more car control. For fast sudden movements like very quick lane change at 80 mph the Bilstein HDs were clearly superior.

At one time I had Konis and Eibach springs together. Because the Eibachs were soft and the Konis soft on compression it would bottom very easily on bumps that my factory suspension had no trouble with. I could crank the Konis up but it didn't help a bit on straight-on bumps. It would reduce the lean on curves because the rebound side of the shock was working.

this is why coilovers are the ideal solution - because it allows you to set compression and rebound (or if you're on a budget - a matched setup like what UUC offers - though not sure if they have something for the E39..) If you're bottoming out that easily on Konis - you need to change your driving habits - they aren't that soft.

Ok - as far as I understand, your compression is handled by the spring itself - your shock shouldn't be doing the work there. Rebound (which is adjustable on the Koni) is what matters - because it dictates how quickly the force is released from the spring.

It's very noticeable in hard driving when your rebound and compression is not matched well. I had bilstein sports with stock sports package springs on my 540 - and IMO it was not a good match, compression was too soft and rebound was too aggressive - would have been better with a moderately stiffer spring.

This is where Konis with adjustable rebound hold their value - it allows you to match the characteristics of the spring with the shocks/struts.

Ok - thanks for the info...

[QUOTE=supark;If you're bottoming out that easily on Konis - you need to change your driving habits - Konis aren't soft.[/QUOTE]

Facts are facts.

Put that combo, Koni/Eibach, on your car and tell us what you find.

Facts are facts.

Put that combo, Koni/Eibach, on your car and tell us what you find.

The thing is - it's not about "facts" - in a lot of ways this is very subjective - totally depends on your driving style and how you like the car to drive. I'm sure there are plenty of people on the board that can chime in on this who have this setup. Koni/Eibach is a very common combo - and you're the first that I've heard who's disliked it.

I'm sure if Bilstein HD's and chopped springs were the ticket, companies like Dinan and Groundcontrol wouldn't be using konis. :alright

I don't consider one person's experience as 'facts'. What makes your judgement superior to the countless others on this board, the m5board, bimmerfest and others who like the koni shocks? You're the only one I've ever seen who says they're 'too soft' and that 'those are the facts' yet how a suspension feels to someone is entirely subjective.

And then you say Dinan koni's are revalved, yet there is no evidence to support that. Other people have found that the stampings/part numbers and welds are identical to that of the 'regular' konis, and that there's no observable differences except a premium increase in cost.

I am sure Bilsteins are stiffer than Konis, but there is no way the stock is stiffer than Konis. Place the shocks on the bench straight up, I can push down and pull up the stock sport shocks much easier and quicker than the Konis at full soft. I know this is not scientific, but any body try this can tell you which shock is much stiffer. Unless the Konis break in but I've already got 300 miles since last week and they don't seem to get any softer, it's me that's getting more used to the firm and yet smoother ride. I also talked to Konis tech rep and they said the FSD was designed more for comfort and Sport (the one most people use here) are for sports driving & lowering applications (stiffer). He told me full soft is slightly stiffer than OE sport. Most people with lowering springs to set on 1/4-1 turn from full soft.

Another thing to watch out on the Bilsteins is that the shocks WILL RAISE YOUR RIDE HEIGHT. This also can be verified with many people with their E39. Just do the search and you'll find out. I had Bilstein shocks on my preveous car--99 Passat and it was way stiff plus the fact that they are extemely high pressure shocks that the shocks not only had damping but also springing effect. You cannot push down these shocks unless your Arnold S. Personally, I think the Bilstein are more suitable for track.

Regarding the ride height, the Konis will drop your car 1/4" front & back if you're using the lowest spring perch on the rear shocks. The reason for the drop in the front is due to the lower location of the spring perch(there is only 1 perch in the front shock). And I love the moderate drop.

The Bilteins on the Passat had the same stiffness in HD vs sport, the only thing different was the length of the rod. The sport was shorter built for lower springs. I don't know about the E39 though.

Thanks' everyone who contributed to this thread especially John 540i6 for the great write up. I did my Intrax install today. Man, the rear was a pain. I was so happy when the back was done and I could do the front. Overall it was not that bad. This thread was very helpful. The car looks great and low. I will post some pics as soon as I put on my 19" staggered M5 replicas. Soon!

Eibach springs , factory shocks , 2 months later no complaint's.....

5zrisbmr, you got a cool looking ride! What is your current ride height? Did you have factory sports suspension or regular? Those rims are cool too, what kind are those?

5zrisbmr, you got a cool looking ride! What is your current ride height? Did you have factory sports suspension or regular? Those rims are cool too, what kind are those?

his sig reads - SSR GT3s for the rims

This is off of Dinan'sweb site. You can go there yourself but for those who can't bother I've noted it below.

In the middle of the paragraph it says..."The shock valving has been custom tuned......"


Stage 1 Suspension System
The Stage 1 Suspension System represents the foundation for high performance handling. Comprised of carefully matched performance springs and Koni rebound adjustable struts and shocks, the system reduces the pitch and roll associated with the stock suspension, providing increased grip for faster and more predictable cornering capabilities. The shock valving has been custom tuned for superior handling, without sacrificing a well dampened, comfortable ride. The rebound dampening characteristics are user adjustable, providing the driver with the ability to fine tune for varying conditions, driving style and comfort. The modestly lower ride height gives the 540 an even more aggressive stance, as well as improving suspension geometry for tight and predictable handling.

I'm sure if Bilstein HD's and chopped springs were the ticket, companies like Dinan and Groundcontrol wouldn't be using konis. :alright

I don't consider one person's experience as 'facts'. What makes your judgement superior to the countless others on this board, the m5board, bimmerfest and others who like the koni shocks? You're the only one I've ever seen who says they're 'too soft' and that 'those are the facts' yet how a suspension feels to someone is entirely subjective.

And then you say Dinan koni's are revalved, yet there is no evidence to support that. Other people have found that the stampings/part numbers and welds are identical to that of the 'regular' konis, and that there's no observable differences except a premium increase in cost.

Along with the Dinan valving point you got wrong you also expanded my very specific statement to a broader generalization that I did not make.

In essence I said that my experience with the Koni/Eibach is that it is soft in compression and that it bottoms more easily than factory stock.

That's factual. That's my experience. Until you put the same combo on your 540 you have no experience to refute me.

There are lots of peole with Koni's that love them. That does not alter the fact that the Eibach/Koni combo bottoms more easily than a factory stock combo.

You can go on about m5 boards, those who like their Konis and all sorts of other non specific inunedo about Konis but you can not refute my experience.

Put the combo on and try it. Then talk to me specifically about bottoming.

I'll be out of town and off this forum for a few days.

Here is my Intrax setup on stock struts. I am very happy with the smooth ride and the increased handling. It does not feel like I sacrificed any of the car's comfort. Like most people mention the car sits with a slight rake in the back. Thanks again for the write-up.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a106/sscott55/DSC00105.jpg

Looking good!

thanks!

Just added more pictures!

Are the SSR GT3s Rims factory or aftermarket? What size are those?

The new pics are very cool! Is the ride significantly more harsh over the stock sport supension?

Thanks! just for that, i added one more :D

Its just slightly stiffer. Its not harsh at all. It feels good but I want to get rid of the body roll. I need to at least put the m5 front sway on. I have the m5 rear already.

We will just have to meet up one day and you can drive the car. I cant do it for a while though cause im crazy busy at work and the GF just surprised me yesterday with a 7 night cruise over thanksgiving (her treat :D) so Im going to be out for a while.

Shawn C the SSR GT3 wheels are aftermarket , the sizes are 18x8.5 front & 18x9.5 rear. They look like they could've been a factory option wheel.

Thanks! just for that, i added one more :D

Its just slightly stiffer. Its not harsh at all. It feels good but I want to get rid of the body roll. I need to at least put the m5 front sway on. I have the m5 rear already.

We will just have to meet up one day and you can drive the car. I cant do it for a while though cause im crazy busy at work and the GF just surprised me yesterday with a 7 night cruise over thanksgiving (her treat :D) so Im going to be out for a while.

Definitely - work is insane for me as well. New project with a lot of visibility. Next time me and my cousin (1st 530) go for a cruise in north Georgia we will give you an invite. Got a friend with an 03 Z4 who might go as well. Could probably give that suspension a bit of flex coming down some of the road between Hiawassee and Helen. Gave my kids motion sickness... :D

very nice - I like how the drop is even front and rear. The raked look of my eibachs are kinda bugging me... the front is perfect but the rears could be like a half inch lower.

[quote=It feels good but I want to get rid of the body roll. [/quote]

Do you have STB? They work good for me.

Definitely - work is insane for me as well. New project with a lot of visibility. Next time me and my cousin (1st 530) go for a cruise in north Georgia we will give you an invite. Got a friend with an 03 Z4 who might go as well. Could probably give that suspension a bit of flex coming down some of the road between Hiawassee and Helen. Gave my kids motion sickness... :D

cool. you got a deal. Ill take my car and im sure my roommate in his m3 wouldnt miss it for the world. I have been wanting to go back to the tail of the dragon at deals gap. It was so much fun.

Hey John - gonna drop my new 540i, thinking about going the intrax route this time instead of the eibachs I had on my 528. What ebay seller did you get your intrax springs from?

thanks for the write up. I hope to do mine this spring

Just got finished replacing my blown OEM struts with some Bilstien HD's and I have a few extra pieces to add to this wonderful write-up :) I accomplished this 2 separate weekends(fronts one weekend, rears the next). The following is specific to my 1998 528I sport, and is to go in addition to the write-up in post one of this thread(and not by itself).

Overall:
* Having 2 people is immensely important, especially for the weekend warrior with no lift. You pretty much need one guy to push down on the hub, while the other guy is wiggling each strut assembly out.
* A spare jack is very useful to raise the hub to make getting the endlink out of the sway bar easier.
* You pretty much need a compressor and impact gun for the center locking nut holding the strut assembly together.
* The Bentley manual is pretty much worthless besides the diagram of how to properly align the front strut assemblies.
* The new center locking nuts provided by Bilstien are bigger than OEM(unless my originals were previously changed to smaller).
* PB Blaster, an impact gun, breaker bar, and good set of sockets are your friends :)

Fronts:
* As mentioned, removing the brake calipers in the front would probably be most beneficial(although I did not).
* The new center locking nut provided by Bilstien for the front sturts was not usable with my impact gun - there simply was not enough room to get a socket over the nut in the assembly.
* If you run into a situation where you cannot wiggle the tophat back into place, try attaching the tophat first, get the strut in the lower mount, and raising the whole assembly into place. Once in place, you can put the locking nut in place and tighten everything down. I had some issues getting the tophat to align back into place without doing this.
* Total time for the first strut was about 8 hours, however, the second one took 22 total minutes.

Rears:
* Apparently the backseats in my 1998 are a bit different than newer models. I watched this video on youtube to help, but it wasn't exactly the same: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG_H8z8Hkp8

Since the entire backseat folds down, I only need to remove the lower portion, and the two back (but side) portions - not the entire back portion. These two side pieces are held on by one bolt near the bottom. There is a retainer clip type deal near the top of this portion - simply apply a good amount of outward pressure on the top, and then slide the whole thing up when it pops out. This will allow you to remove the rest of the clips to get the back deck out. Follow the video for the rest.
* This may be different if your car is on a lift, but if you're on jackstands, I would highly recommend removing the swaybar bushing and mount on the side that you are working on in addition to the endlink. This will give you more room to get a breaker bar and wrench in there to remove the lower strut bolt. I believe the swaybar bushing was a single 13MM bolt on each side. Since the strut mounting bolt is in kind of an awkward place, you really need all of the room you can get.
* There is some sort of drainage hose on the passenger fender liner for the gas filler neck. It is a pain in the neck to get it back in the right place, so make sure you look at where it goes before reassembly since you'll be essentially "stabbing in the dark" to get it back in place.
* On the drivers side, there is a bump stop type thing attached to the exhaust, I removed this to give me more room as well. This rubber bump stop was attached using 2 17MM bolts(I think).
* The bump stops in the strut assembly cannot be reused without modification as stated by the original poster.
* The charcoal canister needs to be unbolted and moved out of the way for the drivers side, and the gas filler neck needs to be removed from the passenger side as stated by the original poster.
* The new center locking nut provided by Bilstien is again larger than stock, but for the rears, there are no space issues so you can use them.
* Total time to disassemble the interior was about 45 minutes, reassembly took about 25 minutes. Total time for the drivers side rear(which I did first) was about 3 hours. Total time for the passengers side was about 2 hours.

I hope this helps!

Cheers,

zubif

Very Nice
I Just purchased B&G suspension lowering springs which lowers 1.6" in the front and 1" in the rear. I just had a question... If i install these on the stock shocks... will they be okay? until i save up enough money to buy koni's