Suspension.

B

ben g

Elite
 Essex
Really not liking the way my car rides the bumps. It's 12 years and 99,000 miles old now so I think the suspension is most likely due for replacement.

I have eibach springs on at the moment with standard shocks. Would new sachs struts and eibachs make a big difference?

Also, am I right in thinking Sachs are the OEM manufacturers of the shock absorbers? Can get them for a decent price on ebay, about £280, which isn't bad really.
 
What about all your perishables? Have they been replaced in that time, wishbones, drop links etc.?

AFAIK Sachs make the OE ones. If you want to pay a bit more you can get B8s all round for less than £500 from Germany. Might as well do top mounts and bumps while you're at it.
 
Yours shocks will be very tired by 99,000 miles and you should notice a difference after fitting new. The OEM sachs that you mention are currently available are for the standard suspension only, not m-sport. If you have this, only BMW can supply the uprated sachs shocks and they are £800+, absolutely ridiculous. I have the M-sport suspension and have just fitted a full set of Bilstein B8's purchased in Germany for £440 delivered to the UK. They are superb but are still as firm as standard M-sport. At your mileage, as has been suggested, you will almost certainly benefit from front control arm bush renewal and rear trailing arm bush renewal. I have also just fitted all of this and the difference is very noticeable, with the car driving like new again.
 
Thanks forthe replies. I've had my front wishbone rear bushes and rear trailing arm bushes changed for polybushes recently, though the ride was still crashy before this.

Drop links were also changed about a year ago.

I was under the impression that sport suspension simply comprised of different springs and the shocks were the same whether sport or se?

I have seen a set of bilstein shocks on ebay.de which seem great value compared to UK prices. I take it they're decent quality being a well known brand?
 
Quote "I was under the impression that sport suspension simply comprised of different springs and the shocks were the same whether sport or se?"

Not so, if you look on real oem you can see that the standard Sachs shocks carry different part numbers to the ones required for M-sport suspension models. Also, If you look on the Bilstein website for E85/86 shocks they recommend B4's or B6's for the standard suspension and only B8's for M-sport. It appears that the 15mm lowering that the M-sport springs produce require the slightly shorter stroke of the B8. Personally I think that all would work fine but that would be going against the official recommendations.

The Bilsteins from German motor parts suppliers are identical to any other and Bilsteins are first class shocks. It is worth noting that the B8's are considered to be approx 10% firmer than the Sachs M-sport shocks. Obviously if using an overseas company, it's best to make sure it is a reputable supplier. I used this one and had the shocks in 3 days for 20 Euros carriage. http://www.ebay.de/itm/Bilstein-B8-Sprint-Stosdampfer-BMW-Z4-Satz-fur-vorne-und-hinten-mit-4Stuck-neu-/311307487033?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item487b5f4739. Note the photos on the listing are generic and do not show E85/86 shocks
 
So as I need new front dampers , do they need to be m sport ones for my 3.0 se- I think all 3.0 had m sport suspension ?
 
You can get away with B6 shocks with Eibachs with no obvious detrimental effect, although as said this is against the official advice. B6s are a bit cheaper which helps. I need to do mine soon but still haven't decided on which route to go.

You can also play with the ride height a little by fitting different thickness rubber spring pads. For example, the E30 front spring pads are 5mm thicker so using these would take some pressure off the normal shocks and give you another option.

It's equally important to reduce the height of the rubber bump stops slightly to prevent bottoming out.
 
Jgy6000 said:
I'm seriously considering going B8 and eibach springs on my 13 year old 100k mile z4.
Click to expand...
Having tinkered with upgrading the Z or going Boxster I need a new challenge for my old girl to upgrade her further.
Perhaps a group buy on b8's ??
 
Be interesting to see how people find a fresh set of B8s, especially those running lowered springs. I think I'll be considering them at some point as mine is approaching 95k and I'm sure the shocks have seen better days.
 
junglist said:
Be interesting to see how people find a fresh set of B8s, especially those running lowered springs. I think I'll be considering them at some point as mine is approaching 95k and I'm sure the shocks have seen better days.
Click to expand...

My car feels a lot tighter and positive, especially in the corners, since fitting the B8's all round. They definitely feel a little stiffer though, giving a very slightly harder ride than my old oem Sachs. As I have the factory M-sport lowered, stiffer suspension, I would have preferred them a little softer, which for me probably means I should have gone for adjustable coilovers.
 
For the price of the B8's, and factoring in resale on the current springs, would making the move to a coilover kit for the front be something you'd consider?

BC Racing for instance allows you to adjust your spring rate prior to purchase as well as adjusting preload, height, and dampening after to suit.
 
I'm more keen an a fit and forget setup. Bilstein B12 kits on German eBay for £540 delivered. You can get spax coil overs for £100 more but not sure which is the better kit. Thinking the bilstein should be a better bet.
 
Midhurstman said:
Yours shocks will be very tired by 99,000 miles and you should notice a difference after fitting new. The OEM sachs that you mention are currently available are for the standard suspension only, not m-sport. If you have this, only BMW can supply the uprated sachs shocks and they are £800+, absolutely ridiculous. I have the M-sport suspension and have just fitted a full set of Bilstein B8's purchased in Germany for £440 delivered to the UK. They are superb but are still as firm as standard M-sport. At your mileage, as has been suggested, you will almost certainly benefit from front control arm bush renewal and rear trailing arm bush renewal. I have also just fitted all of this and the difference is very noticeable, with the car driving like new again.
Click to expand...

A long shot given the age of the post - but where would be the best place to get a set of b8's for a Z4 Coupe 3.0si, with delivery this week?
 
Are you on run flats? The difference between my 16in run flats and my other halfs dad's 18in non run flats is amazing. Next thing for me is a set of 18in wheels and tyres when the 16s need replacing...
 
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