99 323i non-sport, front 3 green stripes.

 

Well that is curious indeed... manual or auto? how about the rear springs?

 

Are the ZHP springs different from previous year sport package? If so, what's the difference in rate and height?

 

ZHP springs are advertised as being stiffer by about 6%F and 8%R, but I believe ride height is the same as the sport package. From the pictures of springs I've seen both ones identified as ZHP and as 330 sport both have one white and one red stripe on the front and 3 green stripes on the rear.
If somebody has a set a loose springs and can take some measurements, we can figure out the spring rates and know for sure.

 

2005 325iT Wagon, Sport Package, Manual – Front 1 grey stripe on each coil, Rear 2 Brown stripes on each coil.

 

Thanks for the info- in looking at photos I haven't been confident in the ability to distinguish white from gray or brown from orange, so it's nice to get some first hand color confirmation. Also, that's the first report I've seen of wagon springs

 

JPR...I just picked up the 01- 330ci suspension from a great guy in Boston. The front springs have 1 white and 1 red. The rear springs have 3 blue stripes.

Explain to me how to measure what you need and I'll take care of it. When I take the old stuff off, I will post again.

Anyone want to buy used 328i sports package struts/springs and shocks? only a mere 115,000 miles on them..ha ha.

 

JPR...I just picked up the 01- 330ci suspension from a great guy in Boston. The front springs have 1 white and 1 red. The rear springs have 3 blue stripes.

Explain to me how to measure what you need and I'll take care of it. When I take the old stuff off, I will post again.

Anyone want to buy used 328i sports package struts/springs and shocks? only a mere 115,000 miles on them..ha ha.

i have some aswell but with 60k on them

 

Anybody else?

 

Here my stock sport front spring on the right and Eibach on the left

01' 330ia, bk/bk, moon, cd, xenon, 18x8 ASA AR1, Axxis brake pad, Eibach spring

 

Here my stock sport front spring on the right and Eibach on the left

01' 330ia, bk/bk, moon, cd, xenon, 18x8 ASA AR1, Axxis brake pad, Eibach spring

Thanks - that's a sport package spring correct?
how about the rears - do they 3 green stripes, 3 blue stripes, or something else entirely?

 

Anybody else have some OEM springs around? I'd especially like to get the color codes of some xi's, convertibles, and anybody with the standard non-sport springs.

 

I have an 01 vert and my springs in the front have 3 orange stripes. I would love to know if thats a sport spring or just a regular spring? Still new at this .

 

Non sport springs from my manual 02 325 coupe, Uk spec of course

Front: 1 red and 1 green band

Rear: 3 grey Bands

Bry.F

 

Thanks for the info - that's the second example of a grn/red front spring I've got and the first of grey/grey/grey rear.
Over here, all coupes allegedly come with the "sport" suspension and the "sport package" is mainly other things like seats, steering wheel, etc. Is it different in the UK?

 

Results so far -

Attached is a copy of the data I've collected so far and also a table of the weights and balance for all the E46 models.
My working assumption is that since the ride height is the same across all model for a given suspension type, then the heavier the car, the higher the spring rate. The other useful bit of info is that during 2001, there was a change from only two types of suspension (standard and sport) to three types of suspension (standard, sport, and ZHP). However, my supposition is that the pre-2001 sport is equivalent to the post 2001 ZHP, and the post 2001 sport is somewhat softer then the pre 2001 sport.
The front springs then, in order of stiffness are coded - gray; orange; white/red; brown
The rear springs, in order of stiffness are coded - green/green; blue/blue/blue; green/green/green; brown/brown.
What is obviously needed though, is a lot more information. So if you've got some OEM springs laying around, please provide some info on their color coding and the details on what car they came from.
***
just realized I attached a slightly older version of the spring colors table than I've currently put together, but it still suffices to make the point that it's possible to begin to see a pattern, but more data is needed

 

Attached is a copy of the data I've collected so far and also a table of the weights and balance for all the E46 models.
My working assumption is that since the ride height is the same across all model for a given suspension type, then the heavier the car, the higher the spring rate. The other useful bit of info is that during 2001, there was a change from only two types of suspension (standard and sport) to three types of suspension (standard, sport, and ZHP). However, my supposition is that the pre-2001 sport is equivalent to the post 2001 ZHP, and the post 2001 sport is somewhat softer then the pre 2001 sport.
The front springs then, in order of stiffness are coded - gray; orange; white/red; brown
The rear springs, in order of stiffness are coded - green/green; blue/blue/blue; green/green/green; brown/brown.
What is obviously needed though, is a lot more information. So if you've got some OEM springs laying around, please provide some info on their color coding and the details on what car they came from.
***
just realized I attached a slightly older version of the spring colors table than I've currently put together, but it still suffices to make the point that it's possible to begin to see a pattern, but more data is needed

Thanks for the critical information. I have a 2001 BMW 325xi e46 sport package and picked up recycled parts to get on the road and your charts just informed me that I bought 330xi zhp strut assemblies

Sent from my [device_name] using E46Fanatics mobile app

 

I just checked my 2000 328i with sport package and 5 speed.

Front: Orange
Rear: green/green

 

Thanks for the info - once I get a few more new bits of info I'll post an update

 

Pics if it helps

Bry F

 

Thanks for attaching the pics - I've been collecting those as part of my reference data

 

SE is basically Special Edition but standard spec :hmm:
In the Uk the Sport is the more expensive version

Bry F

 

Thanks for the info - my guess then is the UK "sport" is the same suspension wise as the US "ZHP", also the coupe standard or SE suspensions are the same as sedan ZSP suspensions

 

My bro Dave.F has a 330 vert sport
We changed his sport springs to Eibachs a few weeks back
so i will get some pics of his old sport springs and post those too.

Bry.F

 

That would be fantastic - thanks again for all your help

 

I have 3 blue stipes on the rear of my 2002 325ci. I just bought it so I don't know if they have been changed.

 

Thanks for the info - is that with the automatic transmission?

 

Sorry for forgetting....it is a manual.

 

My front springs are red/green. So far my car is a Frankenstein!

 

Thanks again for the info - so far blue/blue/blue on the rear seems to be associated with 2001+ coupes with the 5-spd and green/green/green with the automatic. The green/red fronts seem to show up on the 325 version and the white/red on the 330's.

 

Update w/ part numbers

Finally downloaded the ETK and using it, I've been able to start cross referencing spring part numbers with color codes - results so far are attached.

This has revealed a few interesting things about how BMW specified their springs:
- there is some significant inter-model variation based on the production codes, mainly in the post- '01 and '02 builds (depending upon model)
- there are some semi-non-obvious things that change the spring selection
** the navigation system option affects the front springs
** transmission options affect the front spring
** Harmon-Kardon option affects the rear springs
** folding rear seats affects the rear springs

Here's how you can help - if you got a set of OEM springs off your car, post the color code info along with the model, build date, and what options you've got and we can start filling in some holes in the list.

For those that have been gracious enough to already send info, if you could fill in the blanks with the option info, that would help.

Finally, the version of the ETK I'm using is dated 11/03, which means it's missing (or at least I haven't yet discovered) any info on the "ZHP" options. If anybody has a later version and/or can some advice on how track the info down, that would be great.

 

This is great - THANKS! Mine is a 2002 325ci, manual, luxury package. It is set up with leather/power/heated seats, folding rear seats, single CD, sunroof, 16" wheels. I have 3 blue stripes in back and red/green stripes in front.

 

Thanks ganseg - that helps fill a hole!
Part numbers for your springs are 756 964 in the front and 756 983 in the back.

 

Anybody else out there have some info?

 

Update

Here's an update with more models and part numbers - mainly added a lot of info on coupes.

Again, please pass along anything you've got on the spring part numbers and/or color codes along with your your model and option info to help fill in some of the gaps.

 

I've got a set of ZHP springs off the car (I bought them used) and I have a 330i SP (no ZHP).

What measurements can I do? You just want spring heights?

 

For this effort, all I really need is the color codes on the springs and the info on the car the came from (as much as you've got if you bought them used) - such as model, year, build date, and all options that came with the car. Then I can plug the car info in the ETK and look up the spring part numbers to correlate with the color codes.
Thanks!

 

I just bought a different car. It is a 2001 330i, manual, sport package. It is set up with leather/manual seats, folding rear seats, single CD, sunroof, 17" wheels. I have 1 red stripe in front and couldn't see any in back. This car was built in the 22nd week of 2000 so it is a very early model.

 

Any chance that's an orange stripe rather than red?
And can you possibly find 2 green stripes on the rears?

and Xenons.

I noticed one parts vendor has a line item for Performance Package Control Arms. What would be the difference? I am buying Bimmerworld M Sport Control Arms with Powerflex busings and steel ball joints. I need them regardless, but would like my replacement items to move my handling toward the ZHP I had.

It appears that the ZHP arms and the Meyle (Bimmerworld) arms are fairly functionally equivalent. Both feature metal ball joints and beefed up construction. The ZHP arms may be more beefy, but the Meyle ball joints are replaceable.

 

and Xenons.

I noticed one parts vendor has a line item for Performance Package Control Arms. What would be the difference? I am buying Bimmerworld M Sport Control Arms with Powerflex busings and steel ball joints. I need them regardless, but would like my replacement items to move my handling toward the ZHP I had.

 

The front each are probably one orange like you suggested. The rear honestly look like pink. Maybe they are white, but def not a green or blue. They look funny too, almost like two Ds back to back with a thin stripe in between them. Hum.

 

If you have a full size spare and the Harmon-Kardon sound system, then those are the 095 714 springs, which I have seen in the ETK but had not yet been able to correllate a color code with them. I'll log it in as pink/pink since I already had white/white assigned to 750 250. Thanks for the contribution!