[gizmo335i]

If you have experience with installing......can you tell me anything that could be forgotten when doing this? Bump stops? Are you supposed to use the factory bump stops when putting these in? I don't even know where the bump stops are? What an idiot.

I know I need to check that everything is torqued right/etc. as far as tightening. I'm taking it to a shop next week to get everything checked...and the vendor for these has been very helpful. I just want to gather as much info as possible before I go. I found this shop after searching the local BMW boards and they are reputable and work exclusively on BMW's. I know, I should have gone there in the first place. I was an impatient idiot who figured how hard could it be to install coils? Damn, I'm learning the hard way with a bad place to be learning the hard way.

[Yvette]

From the experience I wouldn't do it anymore.
Too much time consuming unless you have free days and proper tools.

[gizmo335i]

So you do have experience then? Can you think of anything that they might have forgotten on the install to cause me to have such a rough ride?

[Ken_C]

Define "rough" ride.

I installed my own last weekend. Its a big PIA, and if you're not paying attention there are some small things that you could mess up.

Is your car making noises that it didn't make pre install? That's usually the first sign that something isn't right.

[mike-y]

I've installed 3 e90 suspensions, including a set of coilovers. what kind of coils are these, and what are the spring rates? Most of the time you'll get a "rough ride" when installing coils, because most have much higher spring rates than stock, and you lose the rubber isolators that are included in the factory spring perch/mounts, which cushion the ride a bit.

Some of the KW kits with progressive springs will ride closer to stock zdp, and I hear the PSS9/10s are also close - both use a factory style tapered front spring, and maintain the rubber isolators. That's only part of the situation though, shock valving plays a big part in how comfortable the setup rides as well.

[gizmo335i]

I was wondering about the factory rubber parts. It just seems like they should still be there.

There are no noises....like coming from the suspension itself....

It is hard to define rough....it's fine on a smooth road or with small bumps. It's the little cracks in the road....I don't know how to describe it...but something isn't right....

You know like when you cross a bridge on a highway...the cracks where the bridge meets the road and on the bridge....the little tiny ones that any other car you'd normally not feel anything....well, when I hit those...it is like BOOM......

[Tee212]

Its normal and welcome to the world of coilovers. You subtracted alot of suspension travel with the aggressive drop + stiffer spring rate which is what youre not used to.

[mike-y]

sounds like you have high spring rates and stiff valving on the shocks. you will feel a lot of those little bumps with coilovers.. it's just the nature of the beast.

have you tried turning the adjustments softer? Also, I think those shocks may require some spring preload to keep from getting on the bumpstops. Also, I just looked at the pics of those coilovers, and it looks like they are the type that require a bit of front spring preload to stay off the bumpstops. basically, you compress the front springs on the shock with the spring perch a bit (like maybe 1"), and then you lower the car with the bottom portion of the shock mount.

do your coilovers have the camber plate at the top, or do they re-use the factory top strut mount?

[gizmo335i]

OK...if it's just something that you have to deal with having coils..then fine. I love the drop and handling so much, I can deal with it I guess.

I also have a screeching coming from my front driver's side now. This is weird cause it started the day after I got these on. I took it back and they kept saying it was the metal plate behind my rotor. Sure enough, they messed around with that and it was gone. Now a couple weeks later, it's back.

I'm taking it to a reputable shop here that I found to get everything checked out.

Believe me, I have adjusted the dampening a lot. Even on the softest setting (s), it is the same feel over bumps.

Jose said I should release the springs and re-compress them...so maybe this is what you're talking about.

I just thought after reading so much about coilovers that it would be the ultimate ride even sitting so low. I guess that only referred to the handling. I tell you...when I'm on a sharp highway curve going 90....I have one big smile on my face as my car has virtually no body roll whatsoever. And an equal smile when I look at my car and it's stance. The problem is I have to drive this car a lot and feeling every single bump in the road day in and day out may drive me a little crazy...or I'll get used to it.

tee, it drives me crazy when I see your aggressive offsets...I want mine like that....don't know how you do it...you must be rubbing like crazy!

Oh and no I don't have the camber plates...

[Tee212]

Thanks bud, my offset arent crazy perse just maxed out on the width that god gave us on the inside clearance lol. But like you said about the smile looking at the stance my tolerant to rubbing is at its all time high right now, always a trade off

[gizmo335i]

I'm about to order 5mm for the front and 10 for the back...guess we'll see if I rub without rolling....

It's not tearing up your tires when you rub?

[Tee212]

Fronts you can still read the sidewalls but the rears all of the lettering are shaved lol. Im gonna drop and camber the front in more today.

[gizmo335i]

I have a place checking out my install right now.

I'm just wondering about bump stops. Can you guys explain to me a couple things. I'm really ignorant on this.

First off, where exactly are the bump stops? When I had my shocks removed, I saw those rubber parts that were on there. Is that what those are?

Now that I've installed coils, do I have bump stops?

I'm just thinking that maybe that's why my ride is so rough? It goes over normal bumps/slopes in the road great....it's the small ones that feels like my car is crashing when it hits them.

Tee, I know you say this is normal in the world of coils....but my shit is seriously not right...and un-bearable.

[Tee212]

Hey giz, typically any spring install the instructions recommends to cut half of the rubber OEM bump stop to receive more shock travel which provides for a more comfy ride. However due to the amount of ride height adjust some of us desire (lower than others) and going for the "stance" appeal we'll have to deal with the trade offs like rubbing being too low/rolling fenders/adding spacers. The extra harshness you might be experiencing is prolly due to the uncut OEM bumpstop.

If you want you can do this yourself. Jack up car (jackstands) expose the bump stop and cut it with a knife/razor blade. I exercised the FK bump stop to alot of ppl thats looking to go lower while preventing rub. For one they're super hard preventing the shock from bottoming out but basically waaay more dense so in the event of a hard bump the trade off would be a harsher hit BUT you do get the extra shock travel since they are smaller in height and pending on how many you stack.

Hope that makes sense.

[gizmo335i]

OK....but I need you to explain to me (like I'm a 5 year old) EXACTLY where the bump stop is????

[mike-y]

It's on the top of the shaft (chrome shiny part that goes in/out of the shock body), just underneath the top mount. It should look kind of like an upside down cone and is a foamlike rubber material.

it will be behind/inside the coilspring.

[Tee212]

thanks mike, youre always on point!

[gizmo335i]

OK cool...that's what I wanted....do bump stops couldn't be the issue then I guess.

[mike-y]

depends.. if you are really low, and have the stock bumpstops (which are long), you could be riding on them or hitting them with every bump.

How did you lower the front of your car? did you lower the spring perch, or did you use the bottom portion of the mounting collar?

[gizmo335i]

Now you make me realize that I guess I'm not too prepared for this thread. I didn't do the install. But I have it sitting at a reputable place right now. They will be checking install for me on Monday. I would like to gather as much info from you guys as possible to E-mail this guy.

I can't imagine that the other place would have put the other bump stops in but I don't know.

They couldn't have used my OEM bump stops because I had koni shocks on.

I'm not sure what the mounting collar is? There are two rings at the bottom of the spring that you use to lower/raise.

[mike-y]

Well, there are issues with that type of coilover. They have an adjustable shock body, which can be raised lowered with the LOWER locking ring. This is common on a lot of jdm type coilvers. see the pic below.

]


see that lower locking ring, just above the shock mount? That's where you should really be lowering the car from.

This type of shock has very little travel. The front springs need to have some preload to function properly, otherwise, you will be sitting on the bumpstops all the time. if you jack up the front, and take off the wheel so the suspension is at full droop, you need to raise those double rings so that the spring is tight against the top hat. Then give it some more turns so that you compress the spring a bit, like a half inch or more. You need some preload on that spring to maintain travel.

Now that you've done that, you're thinking that you've raised your car and it's going to be too high.. you did, but we will lower it a different way. So now you move to that lower locking ring. Loosen it and spin it up.. then you turn the body of the shock so that it goes down into the mount. Like you are screwing a big bolt into the mounting cup. That will lower the car again, but you won't loose any shock travel.

[gizmo335i]

Great info. I thought that Ray and Jose from Sonic Tuning were saying you should lower it with the rings at the bottom of the spring?

I will show them this post and see what they say. Do you have these and/or already know for sure on these? Either way, I'm going to give the shop this info so they can do anything different than how it is now. Like I said, Jose said I should de-compress the spring and then tighten it again. So that's part what you're saying it looks like.

So where are the bump stops with these? Or are there any?

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this Mike and tee