Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    242

    School me on Coilovers

    Alright guys,

    I know there is helpful info here on different coilover systems, but I want to hear what YOU run, what ARB, what bushings, your driving style and how you got where you are. And, of course, if you are happy with where you are...

    Hoping to get some helpful responses. I don't want to spend the money on MCS and am considering KW V2/V3, PSS10 and a few others.

    Thanks,
    Josh

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Daily driver.

    KWV1 - bottomed out.

    Moderate (not overly aggressive) driving style

    Typically Lemforder bushings though I run ECSTuning Rough Road Kit (RRK) on rear, and TMS RRK on front.

    Very happy

    How she sits:



    Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S8+
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    2,805
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    Bilstein PSS. Didn't feel like spending the money for PSS10's. No reason for moderate weekend driving. These are a great balance, not too stiff, not too soft. Performed great at the track and are comfortable riding around town. I've got no problem with them. Plus they are height adjustable, not that I've played with that at all since setting a little bit below stock.

    Z4M Front control arm bushing's. Honestly, no opinion there. Get them if you feel like it and maybe they are "more durable." I didn't notice anything, but then again my originals were in good shape. Definitely get the Rogue engineering rear shock mounts and BMW reinforcement plates regardless of whichever kit you end up with. Those are a must.

    Current:
    1988 BMW 325is
    1996 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 x3 Locked - Restoration/Project Thread on ih8mud.com
    Sold:
    "Scarlett" the 2005 BMW 330i ZHP 6MT - Project/Maintenance Thread
    2011 BMW M3 E92 6MT - Info/Maintenance Thread

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Socal
    Posts
    1,739
    Ok i'm taking dane's format lol

    DD currently only.

    AST 4100s w/ 550 front/650 rear Hyperco springs & Vorshlag camber plates

    Hmm for the most part just normal nowadays. I have to protect my tires lol But I am definitely spirited when I have the chance.

    All bushings are OE, but those will get replaced sometime in the second half of the year. Have reinforcement plates in the front, RE RSMs in the rear

    I was pretty happy with the ride quality and everything before I ended up with the sways. On smooth roads, track days, I could run higher rebound. Everywhere else just normal. But I have since gotten Turner sways which messed everything up ride quality wise lol Along with my bad alignment (my fault), currently unhappy lol I also find that I need more adjustment so a 2-way or 3-way will be the next upgrade. Performance wise, it's good.

    How she sits:


    Apparently i don't have current pictures of my car on the ground without stuff in the way

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Quote Originally Posted by sillieidiot View Post
    Ok i'm taking dane's format lol

    DD currently only.

    AST 4100s w/ 550 front/650 rear Hyperco springs & Vorshlag camber plates

    Hmm for the most part just normal nowadays. I have to protect my tires lol But I am definitely spirited when I have the chance.

    All bushings are OE, but those will get replaced sometime in the second half of the year. Have reinforcement plates in the front, RE RSMs in the rear

    I was pretty happy with the ride quality and everything before I ended up with the sways. On smooth roads, track days, I could run higher rebound. Everywhere else just normal. But I have since gotten Turner sways which messed everything up ride quality wise lol Along with my bad alignment (my fault), currently unhappy lol I also find that I need more adjustment so a 2-way or 3-way will be the next upgrade. Performance wise, it's good.

    How she sits:


    Apparently i don't have current pictures of my car on the ground without stuff in the way


    Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S8+
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  6. #6
    ZHP - daily driver

    Moderate (occasional) and cruising driving style
    OE bushings, Powerflex RTABs and OEM M3 rear shock mounts
    BC Racing coilovers (8k linear springs front and 12k S barrel springs rear) - going to be upgrading to Swift Springs




    M3 - weekend toy

    Moderate (occasional) and cruising driving style
    OE bushings but will be refreshing with Powerflex busings
    BC Racing coilovers (14k using extreme lowering coils in front and 12k S barrel springs rear)



    No complaints on ride quality of my BMWs although BP has commented a few times how stiff my cars are set up....

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Kitchener, ON
    Posts
    6,036
    Quote Originally Posted by downshift View Post
    Alright guys,

    I know there is helpful info here on different coilover systems, but I want to hear what YOU run, what ARB, what bushings, your driving style and how you got where you are. And, of course, if you are happy with where you are...

    Hoping to get some helpful responses. I don't want to spend the money on MCS and am considering KW V2/V3, PSS10 and a few others.

    Thanks,
    Josh
    use: DD'ing/CC'ing (Corner Carving )

    coilovers: bilstein PSS

    ARB: OEM M3 front (26mm), OEM 330CiC rear (20mm); poly bushings for both

    other bits: OEM FSMs, AKG FCABs, AKG RSFMs, rogue RSMs, OEM inner RCABs, OEM M3 outer RCABs, bimmerworld sealed spherical RTABs


    overall impressions

    i am super picky about how my car feels and i am always after that 'perfect compromise' of comfy enough for family hauling and also being able to have it respond how i want... and potential track days. i also have been modifying suspensions on cars - and learning - for 18 years now. so even though car platforms underneath me change, i know generally what i want from a car after driving it and studying its suspension design, and how i will go about achieving it before i start acquiring parts.

    my setup now is very close to how i want the car to behave. i have other stuff to enhance driving feel (M3 engine mounts, UUC black trans mounts, ECS poly diff mounts, upgraded/slop-reduced shift linkage), but suspension-wise it's very close. the car rotates when i want it to and is very predictable. fresh bushings always help, but i think the bimmerworld sealed spherical RTABs and the all-M3 outer RCABs really help get the power down and keep the rear end feeling stable, especially when applying power at corner entry or mid-corner.

    i have a very different alignment spec: -1.5º camber in the front, and -0.75º camber in the rear; toe is stock. as i move everything over to my Touring, this is an area i want to improve as i feel the rear camber is too little as i can very easily get lift-throttle oversteer - i will try going to -1.8º, which is much closer to factory spec. front camber is fantastic for corner entry, there is much more grip but for DD use (and... i run 245's up front currently), the on-center feel is not great, even a hair too twitchy for me. i will likely try dialing it back to -1.2º.

    finally, as for the bilstein PSS - i love the damping. they are super quick to react and are actually OK for daily use - my wife drives the car and does not complain about them! one area i do have a complaint - i don't like the progressive-rate springs, or the front-to-rear rate choice - i feel the rear springs are too soft, and the fronts perhaps a little too stiff. also, i just don't like progressive-rate spring feel in general, the transient response from straight-line to turn-in/corner entry can feel can a little weird - it's hard to describe, but i just like the predictability of linear-rate springs (like the OEM front springs). in fact, the transient response of the stock sport springs is very good - so i will likely be finding some linear-rate springs to add to my bilstein PSS, as well as using the ground control weight jacks in the rear for optimal rear spring articulation....plus they allow super-easy height changes. speaking of height, that's my other beef with the bilstein PSS - the fronts do not go high enough for my liking. i have mine at max front height, and they are basically as low as i would ever want to run them - this is a byproduct of the progressive-rate front spring. moving to a linear spring should allow me to get a bit more height out of them.


    to sum all of this up - i love my setup. a local forum member drove my car last summer and said "this is how i want my car to feel" - that made me so happy, because i put a lot of thought into how i setup my cars, and overall i am really happy with it.

    but, if you can - find some local forum members with aftermarket stuff and ask to drive their cars. 'good suspension' is a very subjective thing - lots of folks like a different feel. and sometimes you need to experiment to find out what works for you.

    whew. sorry for the essay. hope that helps!
    peter

    2004 330i ZHP
    2005 330iT ZHP
    2010 328iT M Sport

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Charleston SC
    Posts
    6,149
    KW V2 on the wife's 135. Great setup and great spring rate. Good balance between street/track and the shocks are adjustable. As it sits now, they are great for the street not too stiff or jarring over bumps.
    The finish has held up very well over the 5 years they've been on the car. Had to have 1 rebuilt but warranty took care of that
    If I was going to coilovers on my ZHP, I would definitely consider these
    Dinan CAI &Throttle body, ESS Tuning TS2, Bimmerbrakes gen3 headers, UUC SSK & DSSR. Achilles oil pump, VAC oil pan baffle
    M3 Motor mounts, UUC Trans mounts, Modified clutch style LSD 3.15, TMS front subframe reinforcement, Koni Yellow sports,
    H&R sport springs,
    UUC sway bars, BMW Perf. Rotors, UUC SS brake lines, Hawk HPS pads, CSL replica wheels,
    Rotora strut bar, FXR HID conversion, M3 Mirror conversion, BSW stage 1 speakers

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Independence KY
    Posts
    2,832


    Ground control coilovers with koni shocks and custom eibach springs


    Not bottomed out in the front or the rear and some would consider this "low". It handles VERY well, planted in corners, and for being "low" rides very well. I recommend not skimping out on suspension and getting something with adjustable koni or bilstein shocks. Spring rate matters too, if your coilovers have an option for a "swift spring" upgrade, do it. Absolutely can't go wrong with a KW or Bilstein PSS system, but again, get something adjustable.
    2005 BMW 330i ZHP - BMWP brakes/intake/strut bar/shifter, Coby wraps interior, BBS CHs, Eagle Eye LED tails, LED fog lights, GC coilovers, Sprint Booster/sport button mod, 4.5 LCM w/ programming, Xtrons 9inch HU, BSW stg1, dynamat, M3 sedan dead pedal, oCarbon CF interior trim, CF seat backs, 2x2 CF MTECH2 diffuser, CF cabin filter cover



  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    10,244
    TIRERACK.com - Revolutionizing Tire Buying
    Quote Originally Posted by slater View Post
    but, if you can - find some local forum members with aftermarket stuff and ask to drive their cars. 'good suspension' is a very subjective thing - lots of folks like a different feel. and sometimes you need to experiment to find out what works for you.
    This. The guy my father bought his ZHP from thought the stock suspension was too firm. I think his is a notch or two softer than mine on Koni Yellows (sorry, not coilovers), and I think mine is comfortable. One of my friends thinks my suspension is very stiff, all of my others think it's quite comfortable.

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