Hi all
Finally got round to swapping the springs over on my Z4 Coupe this morning, and have to say, Im very very happy with the results ! My car is a Z4 SE not a Sport, so in standard guise sits higher than a Sport. Having ditched the run flats and alloys only a few weeks into ownership, I was very happy with the ride quality, and was reluctant to change anything that would ruin it. Roads around my parts are terrible, and I'm no spring chicken !!! But after ZEDfest and everyone saying that the car would look awesome if it was a little lower, I decided to bow to pressure and swap out the springs. I had considered doing both shocks and springs, but as the car is used once in a blue moon, the expense made little sense, especially as I might have hated the harsher ride. By doing just the springs would mean I could easily switch back and move the Eibach springs on.
Having attempted this 2 weeks ago on my parents drive with some axle stands, and getting stuck at the first hurdle (seized lower rear shock bolts) i decided to give my mechanic some money to use his garage/workshop and tools. That way, if I got stuck and needed any help, he would be there for help and guidance.
With a hydraulic ramp and air tools, the job was made so much easier, and had it done within 3 hours from scratch, with coffee breaks, and a good old natter thrown in ! One of the rear springs was broken close to the top coil, which further justified doing the swap. But what was far more annoying/frustrating was the car must have been driven through some deep mud at some point, as the rear differential cover was caked in dried mud. Unbolting it revealed how much was stuffed up there, and managed to fill a bin liner ! Mechanic had some scales and we weighed it - it came in at just over 15kg !!! crazy !!! expect some better MPG now
Car is clearly lower, as it scraped the workshop entrance as I reversed out. Initial thoughts - Im a little surprised to be honest. Having owned and lowered several cars in the past, I was expecting the ride to be much harsher, more so due to the fact I was running on SE springs. But the cobbled road leading away from my mechanics quickly revealed that the ride was surprisingly good ! And as the cobbles gave way and revealed smoother tarmac, the car felt more planted and just as smooth. So I deliberately headed to a road with speed bumps. Again, was left smiling when the front splitter got over without a scrape which simply meant I sped up a little for the next one. But thats when I realised things had changed ! Where as with the SE springs, the car would soak up the sudden rise and fall, the Eibachs were much harsher. But otherwise, they feel no worse than the SE springs, and as speed builds they seem to offer a better feel of the road.
That just leaves me to leave a before and after set of pics, and let you guys share your thoughts.
BEFORE
AFTER
Finally got round to swapping the springs over on my Z4 Coupe this morning, and have to say, Im very very happy with the results ! My car is a Z4 SE not a Sport, so in standard guise sits higher than a Sport. Having ditched the run flats and alloys only a few weeks into ownership, I was very happy with the ride quality, and was reluctant to change anything that would ruin it. Roads around my parts are terrible, and I'm no spring chicken !!! But after ZEDfest and everyone saying that the car would look awesome if it was a little lower, I decided to bow to pressure and swap out the springs. I had considered doing both shocks and springs, but as the car is used once in a blue moon, the expense made little sense, especially as I might have hated the harsher ride. By doing just the springs would mean I could easily switch back and move the Eibach springs on.
Having attempted this 2 weeks ago on my parents drive with some axle stands, and getting stuck at the first hurdle (seized lower rear shock bolts) i decided to give my mechanic some money to use his garage/workshop and tools. That way, if I got stuck and needed any help, he would be there for help and guidance.
With a hydraulic ramp and air tools, the job was made so much easier, and had it done within 3 hours from scratch, with coffee breaks, and a good old natter thrown in ! One of the rear springs was broken close to the top coil, which further justified doing the swap. But what was far more annoying/frustrating was the car must have been driven through some deep mud at some point, as the rear differential cover was caked in dried mud. Unbolting it revealed how much was stuffed up there, and managed to fill a bin liner ! Mechanic had some scales and we weighed it - it came in at just over 15kg !!! crazy !!! expect some better MPG now
Car is clearly lower, as it scraped the workshop entrance as I reversed out. Initial thoughts - Im a little surprised to be honest. Having owned and lowered several cars in the past, I was expecting the ride to be much harsher, more so due to the fact I was running on SE springs. But the cobbled road leading away from my mechanics quickly revealed that the ride was surprisingly good ! And as the cobbles gave way and revealed smoother tarmac, the car felt more planted and just as smooth. So I deliberately headed to a road with speed bumps. Again, was left smiling when the front splitter got over without a scrape which simply meant I sped up a little for the next one. But thats when I realised things had changed ! Where as with the SE springs, the car would soak up the sudden rise and fall, the Eibachs were much harsher. But otherwise, they feel no worse than the SE springs, and as speed builds they seem to offer a better feel of the road.
That just leaves me to leave a before and after set of pics, and let you guys share your thoughts.
BEFORE
AFTER
North West Surrey