I went with KW’s and they are fully adjustable, I like being able to set my ride height to a level that I feel looks best. I drive a touring and sometimes use it to haul things, right now it sits with a slight rake so when I do put something heavy besides myself in the rear won’t sag or drop down too much. Fixed springs are okay and cheaper but for the extra money I say buy a set you can adjust.


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So you firm them up whenever you out weight in it? Does it make it a big difference to soften it for rough roads?

I'm just imagining turning it up an extra notch on the front passenger side and my girl getting mad like "are you saying I'm getting fat!?!?"

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The springs are pre-set in their rate, the shocks are adjustable for dampening too. The only thing I’m doing is raising the ride height so it won’t bottom out or rub with heavy stuff in the rear. If you measure my fender height side to side the drivers is a bit higher too, I want the wagon to sit level when I’m inside and not lean slightly. Tread lightly with the girlfriend and just tell her that you’re just making sure your car looks proper and not that she needs to lay off the cheesecake


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I would advise against advising her on eating habits, especially with cheesecake. She's freakishly strong for being so small.

So you don't ever mess with the damping then? Since chicaho streets are so bad I was thinking when in the city to keep ride height at max and when I go out for spirited driving I lower it.

Just wondering if changing the damping soft for potholes and back to stiff for drives out of town is really that much of an advantage or if it just screws up the whole way it reacts to road imperfections

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With my Tokico’s you have to remove the rear shocks to adjust them, the fronts are too adjustable, since I have a wagon it’s a three hour plus job to remove and reinstall them. I left the rears on med and the fronts closer to hard or 3/4. I don’t play with the ride height much once I have it set due to not wanting to pay to have the alignment checked


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Are they all like that? That doesn't seem advantageous at all. You would have to get an alignment after every adjustment. You'd spend a fortune just setting them up. I'm leaving heavily toward non adjustable now

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You will find you don't bother adjusting them, even if they are top adjustables like Koni. Maybe with the electric items (Bilstein etc) you will flick the switch but they won't match your springs.

BMW spend a lot of time optimising the suspension for 'normal' use. Unless you feel your using the car abnormally more of the time I'd go with factory.

 

My issue with OEM is its going to cost double to put stock shocks on. I can get some German made solo werks s1 for 550. Or less if I wait for a sale like I plan to

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