Anyone use these coilovers?

[Mario77746]

bekkers.com
Search for Code: SU80BM07
Price: $789.00

"Complete Coilover Kit for the 528i, 530i, 1996-2003 Super Quality suspension, made by Supersport Germany. Includes four sport shock absorbers with front and rear completely height-adjustable sport springs, + adjustment wrench. Supersport has developed a suspension system for the 5-Series that will greatly increase the handling capabilities of your BMW while retaining the "BMW" comfort level. Axle load maximal: 1090Kg Front / 1305Kg rear This kit TUV certified, License TÜV §19.3"

I'm not going to be tracking my car, just want more of an aggressive drop. The intrax springs still sit about .25 higher in the front and .5 higher in the rear than I would like. 2' on all corners is optimal in my opinion. The filp side is I can see spending $1,300 for a H&R or Koni coilover set up on my 528i....

Thanks.

[e39dream]

never heard of these- I have ground control coilovers on my wish list, but not sure if they do e39.

[kaptom540]

Can you have coilovers and still maintain BMW comfort level?

[e39dream]

I doubt it- I have the sport susp. though and it's pretty rough compared to most "luxury" cars.

[bmwlovr]

They have been covered several times on the forums, here are a few links:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=498877

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=338902


It is definitely an option to consider, but as you can get bilstein sport + H&R sport for about the same price I would go with that...in fact that IS what I am going with...

[Hypr5]

never heard of these- I have ground control coilovers on my wish list, but not sure if they do e39.

Not to knock ground control, but they aren't really true coilovers - more like just adjustable sleeves.

A true coilover kit at the minimum has a matched shock to the spring. Which is why ground controls REQUIRE Koni shocks (so you can adjust to the right rate)

Ground controls are great - and they use eibach springs, but if I had a "coilover kit" on my wishlist, I don't think it'd be that.

[e39dream]

hmm- interesting. I haven't really researched coil overs, like I said just sort of a "one day I'd like to" thing..

[Kwaaahhh]

So has anyone ever tried these yet?

[BimmerDawg]

I have them on the front of my wagon and have no issues yet, with four months and ~12k miles covered. Comfortable ride and no bottoming-out issues, even though my front is dumped:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/JasonLC/Sheep/DSC_6579.jpg

[Lscman]

Can you have coilovers and still maintain BMW comfort level?

Surprise....BMW E39 comes from the factory with with coil-overs. The only difference is spring diameter, perch position and perch adjustability.

Comfort is a function of spring rate and damper specs. It could be aa leaf spring, torsion spring, coil-over or some other technology.

Dirt cheap spring and damper kits generally suk wrt ride quality, longevity and handling. This is not something you should skimp on since it has such a huge effect on vehicle behavir and also...labor $/manhrs is a significant factor.

[franka]

[QUOTE=bmwlovr; but as you can get bilstein sport + H&R sport for about the same price I would go with that...in fact that IS what I am going with...[/QUOTE]

The poster wants a soft ride.

The Bilstein Sports shocks are about as hard as one can get. Stay away from them. H&R springs are stiffer too.

For soft in a non-coilover spring go with Eibach and Koni's.

[Lscman]

Not to knock ground control, but they aren't really true coilovers - more like just adjustable sleeves.

A true coilover kit at the minimum has a matched shock to the spring. Which is why ground controls REQUIRE Koni shocks (so you can adjust to the right rate)

Ground controls are great - and they use eibach springs, but if I had a "coilover kit" on my wishlist, I don't think it'd be that.

Ground Control is a true coil-over design. The coil is radially mounted over the damper tube assembly, by definition. The E39 GC front suspension employs a coil-over strut and the rear involves a coil-over shock.

Ground Control REQUIRES Koni shocks because the adjustable perch sleeves are machined to precisely fit them. Each damper manufacturer uses a slightly different damper housing design that limits sleeve fitment & interchanging.

All dampers need to be matched to the particular spring, so coil-over design has nothing to do with it. It does not matter if the vehicle is a 1990 Dodge Minivan or a 1979 Ford Fairmont....a uniquely tuned damper was matched by the OEM to work best with the spring rate chosen for each particular engine size, vehicle weight, weight bias, suspension options etc.

On the very cheapest pedestrian minivans and 4dr sedans 20+ years ago, multiple damper specs were used by OEM to match std, HD, sport suspensions. This practice continues today...coil-over or otherwise.

[franka]

Matching is about matching a stiff shock with a stiff spring or the reverse, soft to soft.

Shocks damp the springs. They absorb some of the energy from the spring to slow it.

Damping is about preventing the car from bouncing up and down on the springs after a bump or perturbance is encountered.

In the case of a very stiff spring, a strong stiff shock is required to damp the spring. If soft shocks were matched with stiff springs the springs would overcome the resistance of the soft shock and allow the car to bounce several times before bringing the vertical movement to rest.

Just picture what we've all seen, a car with very worn out shocks bobbing up and down at the slightest disturbance.

Matching pretty much goes out the window if the shock is adjustable from very soft very firm.

[Kwaaahhh]

Bimmerdawg - What did you use for the rear? Is your car equipped with rear air suspension? So did you buy half a kit or still have the rears? Did you have any problem with the wheel rubbing the strut or spring? And where did you buy the coilovers from? Thanks!

[Kwaaahhh]

Anyone?

[BimmerDawg]

Bimmerdawg - What did you use for the rear? Is your car equipped with rear air suspension? So did you buy half a kit or still have the rears? Did you have any problem with the wheel rubbing the strut or spring? And where did you buy the coilovers from? Thanks!

I have air bags in the rear, so I used a modified Mercedes 220 link to lower the car, along with new shocks. I got half the kit from Bekkers and there is no rubbing with 20x9s, et 15 wheels.

[Kwaaahhh]

Is there a vendor on this site that sell bekkers? How much did you pick up half a kit for? Thanks!

[franka]

Is there a vendor on this site that sell bekkers? How much did you pick up half a kit for? Thanks!

A phone call to Bekkers would be appropriate and would provide all the info you are looking for.

[Kwaaahhh]

Thanks! Will do tomorrow! Got a number? or site?

[franka]

Thanks! Will do tomorrow! Got a number? or site?

Would you like me to make the call for you?

[Mario77746]

I have them on the front of my wagon and have no issues yet, with four months and ~12k miles covered. Comfortable ride and no bottoming-out issues, even though my front is dumped:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/JasonLC/Sheep/DSC_6579.jpg

What wheels are on your car?

[toez540]

Matching is about matching a stiff shock with a stiff spring or the reverse, soft to soft.

Shocks damp the springs. They absorb some of the energy from the spring to slow it.

Damping is about preventing the car from bouncing up and down on the springs after a bump or perturbance is encountered.

In the case of a very stiff spring, a strong stiff shock is required to damp the spring. If soft shocks were matched with stiff springs the springs would overcome the resistance of the soft shock and allow the car to bounce several times before bringing the vertical movement to rest.

Just picture what we've all seen, a car with very worn out shocks bobbing up and down at the slightest disturbance.

Matching pretty much goes out the window if the shock is adjustable from very soft very firm.

i have a 2001 540 wit sport suspension and was lookin to do suspension,
i wasnt lookin at coilovers cause i thought they would be 2 ruff and too expensive... i was lookin towards the bilstein sport shocks with either the h&r sport or race springs for the softest ride.. but now i saw ur comment sayin they were the stiffest.. whats the best shock&spring combo for my car?? also live in new york city where the streets are f*ked up??? anyone got any input??

[BimmerDawg]

What wheels are on your car?

20in EXE Konkourse. www.exewheels.com

[franka]

i have a 2001 540 wit sport suspension and was lookin to do suspension,
i wasnt lookin at coilovers cause i thought they would be 2 ruff and too expensive... i was lookin towards the bilstein sport shocks with either the h&r sport or race springs for the softest ride.. but now i saw ur comment sayin they were the stiffest.. whats the best shock&spring combo for my car?? also live in new york city where the streets are f*ked up??? anyone got any input??

If you want soft go to Eibach springs and Koni shocks. The Eibachs are about as soft as factory springs and Konis are soft in compression, like a factory shock, and adjustable in the rebound stroke so you can run them soft or harder.

If you went Bilstein the HD model is 20-25% stiffer than a factory sport shock and the SP is even stiffer than that.

[toez540]

thanx for the info i was ready to purchase the bilstein wit h&R.. but now its up in the air.. did u have the factory sport suspension to begin with?? also how big of a difference did the eibach sway bars make? im lookin to do those aswell

[franka]

thanx for the info i was ready to purchase the bilstein wit h&R.. but now its up in the air.. did u have the factory sport suspension to begin with?? also how big of a difference did the eibach sway bars make? im lookin to do those aswell

Yes I started with factory sport suspension then put Eibachs and Koni's on it. I took them off because they were too soft for me. I wanted something a little lower and a little stiffer than factory sport and the Eibach/Koni combo wasn't cut'in it. So I shortened my factory sport springs to reduce the ride ht and to increase the spring rate (stiffer) and went to the Bilstein HRs. That was a very nice improvement.

Later I added the front and rear Eibach bars. I highly recommend them. The car corners much flatter now. I'd say it leans only 40% as much as it did before the bars so that would be a 60% improvement. It's great fun on twisty roads watching someone behind me trying to keep up. They drop back quickly.

[DILYSI Dave]

Not to knock ground control, but they aren't really true coilovers - more like just adjustable sleeves.

A true coilover kit at the minimum has a matched shock to the spring. Which is why ground controls REQUIRE Koni shocks (so you can adjust to the right rate)

Ground controls are great - and they use eibach springs, but if I had a "coilover kit" on my wishlist, I don't think it'd be that.

There is nothing wrong with GC. They make good stuff. I've been know to turn a few wrenches and steering wheels in the racing world and the Koni/GC combo outnumbers all other comers by a wide margin. It's just that good. I'd put a Koni/GC combo up against any of the blingy "true coilovers" out there. Couple it with the fact that Konis are rebuildable and revalveable, and that the GC's allow easy spring tuning, and you won't get a better setup until you start talking high dollar Penske / Moton kinda stuff.

$.02

[franka]

There is nothing wrong with GC. They make good stuff. I've been know to turn a few wrenches and steering wheels in the racing world and the Koni/GC combo outnumbers all other comers by a wide margin. It's just that good. I'd put a Koni/GC combo up against any of the blingy "true coilovers" out there. Couple it with the fact that Konis are rebuildable and revalveable, and that the GC's allow easy spring tuning, and you won't get a better setup until you start talking high dollar Penske / Moton kinda stuff.

$.02

Koni is adjustable only on the rebound stroke not the compression stroke. That's like half a shock.

And worse, the compression side is permanently set on soft.

A true racing shock is adjustable/controllable in both compression and rebound.

[DILYSI Dave]

1. Koni's are available in double adjustable.
2. Rebound is generally the setting that needs the most futzing with. For the most part, problems that are fixed with compression damping are better fixed with spring rate adjustments.

[franka]

[QUOTE=DILYSI Dave problems that are fixed with compression damping are better fixed with spring rate adjustments.[/QUOTE]

Then why are racing shocks dble adjustable?

[DILYSI Dave]

Then why are racing shocks dble adjustable?

Not all are. In fact most aren't. Off the shelf Koni SA's are the most common race shock there is. The primary reason for a compression adjustment on those cars that do have it though is to make minor adjustments in the pits that would normally best be accomplished some other way, but for which there is no time.

[Kwaaahhh]

^^ Groundcontrol does not have coilovers for other e39 model except m5, right?

[DILYSI Dave]

^^ Groundcontrol does not have coilovers for other e39 model except m5, right?

No idea. I've got them on my racecar (Civic), but not on my street car (E39).

[franka]

^^ Groundcontrol does not have coilovers for other e39 model except m5, right?


I couldn't find anything E39 except for the M5

[Lscman]

^^ Groundcontrol does not have coilovers for other e39 model except m5, right?

The Ground Control M5 kit is essentially same as 540i kit. I doubt if they offer a 5er 6 cyl kit. Not many owners track those cars, so there's no sense in it.

There are plenty of slammer spring kits for 6 cyl 5er street use that are cheaper. The Koni's can still be utilized on 6 cyl apps.

[mose121]

Can you have coilovers and still maintain BMW comfort level?

You can make your ride float like a caddy with co's if you want to. Or it can be a straight up race setup. Obviously if your looking for comfort you'll want to go with a softer spring rate.