Man I'm bummin'. Just bought some Eibach pro springs for my 97 528 and didn't realize (until doing the research I should have done beforehand) that everyone here has installed shocks at the same time. Is it going to be dangerous for me to use the stock shocks or just a bumpy ride? (I can live with bumpy but not dangerous) I really don't have the money to buy shocks too. The car has just over 100,000 miles on it. What's gonna happen if I install the springs without buying new shocks?

The shocks' life will come to end more rapidly. Shocks and springs should be a matched pair, working as a system.

what exactly happens when the shocks life come to and end? Break, ruin the springs, what exactly? Or will the ride just be super bumpy? I'm just trying to figure out if it's going to be dangerous or if the ride is just going to be more bumpy when the shocks wear out. If I could use the stock shocks with the Eibach springs for a couple of years with it being fairly bumpy then I can deal with that and by that point I could afford to buy shocks. I've just got so many other mods that I just bought all at once last week and now I have no money to buy shocks!!!

from my limited experience, shocks go first, springs last longer. If you're changing springs it makes sense to hit the shocks while youre in there. If your shocks are smoked, then it will be more soft than bumpy. By that I mean if the shocks are worn, then they work (sort of) until you hit the bump stops then (bump)... until then it's all from the springs. If the shocks are hard (new preformance) then its a bumpy ride during normal driving.
The car sits on the springs, the shocks slow the up and down motion. If the shocks are blown, then it still sits on the springs but will bounce over the bumps. It won't feel rough until you've reached the limit of travel (bump stops)

I think I understand what your saying? What about safety wise? Could it be dangerous? Could it ruin other parts of the suspension or car?

I think I understand what your saying? What about safety wise? Could it be dangerous? Could it ruin other parts of the suspension or car?

Technically dangerous, and the jittery ride could have all sorts of negative affects.

You're best off waiting until you can afford shocks and have them installed together.

From my experience with this, the car is driveable with blown shocks. It will be squeaky and bumpy as hell, but not dangerous.

At 100K it is almost certain that the shocks are pretty badly worn. How badly worn won't become apparent until you change them, but the difference in ride quality and handling will be very noticable. Usual life of a BMW shock is about 60-70K.

There is misleading info above.

The Eibach springs are about the same spring rate as factory springs, whether sport springs or not sport springs.

Your factory shocks are a fine match for the Eibach springs. The only problem is that your shocks are worn.

You are in no danger. The shocks just will not work as well as new.

Thanks for all the replies. All of this makes me want to vomit. If I would have known that I should have bought shocks too and that installation was going to be $500, hell I would have just saved up a little more and gone with coilovers! I might still do that and just sell the Eibach springs. Are there any good coilovers out there for around $600 to $700? And if I went with coilovers is there any other parts/items that have to go with coilovers that are expensive (ie springs PLUS SHOCKS!) (don't wanna make the same mistake twice). Are KW any good?

KWs are good.

how long (mileage) will coilovers last for? Are there any hidden parts that I need to be aware of that need to be purchased to go with them?

with worn shocks you will think you are in an old caddy...will not have good grip in corners, if you push down on one of the corners of your car and it bounces more than twice you need new shocks, with all the stuff you need to remove to do the rear it is worth it to do everything at once...