BMW needs to take note of this video, The amount of information in this video is way beyond any information you can get from the manufacturer. this has got to be a go to video for any BMW owner.
I myself am having exact same dilemma but for a 190E after finishing E30 project. Found your video and almost immediately noticed the danglish accent 😂 however, absolutely great content and I subscribed! Thanks for going through this trouble for us to just benefit from💪
I had Eibach Pro Kit springs installed today on my 2023 Scatpack Widebody. It looks very nice compared to stock. The ride home was in sport and track modes. Sport felt firmer, yet forgiving. Track was definitely stiffer, but that's because of the shock absorbers changing their compression and rebound based on mode. The car is lower, looks much better, and best of all, the immediate acceleration from red light stop feels more aggressive. There's less "squat before acceleration" with the new springs. That old squat with the OEM springs is gone. This for me is one of the best reasons to get new springs. My camber is less than 2 degrees all around. I can get a camber kit if I want, but will see how the tires last with this setup.
Sounds like you made a good decision on the springs. Amazing what springs can do on their own. Im a big fan of eibach springs by now. Lowered. But nog too low either
How did I not find this channel sooner! Fact-based straight-to-the-point no nonsense reviews, what's not to like! Thanks for the wealth of details in this video, very informative! Cheers from a new subscriber!
Great Vid! I appreciate the time you took to make this comparison. Do you think I should buy new shocks if I go for the Eibach pro kit? My stock shocks have around 12k miles. It is just a 2cm drop; there are a lot of mixed opinions around there. From what I have read, Eibach can work ok with OE shocks. Thanks!
So you have tested the braided hoses already after all! I have a 323Ci with the M52TU and I have tried to change between the early airbox and the one from the 325 similar to yours (with smaller diameter intake holes) but I don't notice a change on sound. I'll see your full take on the hoses when time comes for the video! :)
Hmm.. what porcshe? I have a soft spot for them but cant afford them though🤣 but yeah. The eibachs will mever let anyone down. Well. Ok. The car is let down by a cm or two but other than that
@@OEMplusRESTO Haha! Oh and with as much as I’ve seen you spend on this BMW I think you could have anything in the world! It’s a 2007 Cayman S, so well within reason.
@JimmyTomes uff.. my brother in law has one. That thing absolutely rips!! His is a dkg. Almost mindreading you predicting the shifts!! These springs here were used. And i have a parts supplier that gives me a bit of discount too. Plus its a hobby. Its not supposed to make sense/money🤣
Bro.. Its my first donation ever and im grateful. Thank you. But i cant accept it. Its a hobby and sharing it with likeminded is more than enough. I also get money from ads. I dont know what to say really. Caught me a bit by surprise there. Send me your paypal i can transfer it back np.
@@OEMplusRESTO no you didn't offend me at all I just know how it is to be doing all this on budget buying all different parts that you do just to show for your videos it ain't cheap it don't come for free You're not sponsored and another thing is you know I get it man and then and then you also edit all your videos no one else thinks about how much time that takes so that's why I think it was worth it seriously all the things that you put out there so I don't have to go out and blow my money on something and then find out I don't like it That's worth it to me buddy
It's a great video I recently installed a new oem stock strut on my xus 3rd genis250 It's a soft strut. But the spring is still being used. So it's rolling a lot. I'm trying to buy a new spring. The ride was 68000km Sturt is soft, but if you put a hard spring on it, the matching will not be good But if rolling cornering improves, I'd very much like to buy it 1. oem stock spring - because of the really good memories when my car was new 2. rs-r half flower spring - sold a lot in the United States 3. eibach pro-kit - best suited for 2rd genis250 4. tanabe- soft spring
Fantastic video! One thing to consider is that the car gets even lower after driving for a month or two, so the H&R might be fine now but scraping the nose later...
Outstanding information , but for my 330ci I found the best compromise between some comfort and body roll (cornering) is OEM sport technics ll with 19" wheel 265/30 in the back and 245/35 in the front. It feels somehow a neutral drive. Great video.
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
Have you tried Bilstein B6 with Eibach Pro Kit ? It is widely used for many years. Sweet spot for me. Agressive look, sport feedback but harsh on bad roads.
Partly! The rear shocks are actually b6’s as im a broke boy and pieced this b12 kit together on various deals i found. But valving is the same b6 vs b8 Im tempted to agree with you. The b12 package im running is really nice. And rhem being so short there super easy to install and remove as well
For me its the editing that kills😅. Done recording a week ago or so then just editing.after work once kids are asleep(finished playing fortnite on my pc) What about you?
Same here. Editing a video can take several hours. There are lots of things I'd rather be doing (like enjoying the car). But I can't afford to pay someone.
@@OEMplusRESTO I used to do videography and editing for work and god it's brutal. They say figure an hour of editing for every minute of video. It's usually right! By that metric, it might've taken 25 hours to edit this video.
Love e46 content. Subscribed. I’ve owned my e46 ZHP coupe for 17 years and STILL love this car. I’m still on stock suspension but with the age of the car and 137k miles I’m due for a new suspension 😂
Thank you. I love the ZHP's. sadly we didnt get them here. One day i'll swap the cams and see where that gets me lol. And im sure youll be blown away once you change the suspension. they ride so well on new shocks imo
Just subscribed! I am blown away at how clean the undercarriage is on your e46, credit to you sir! and the quality of your videos! I'll throw in my 2 cents on Ta Tecnix shock and spring setup as they are currently on my Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse. They are awful! the ride quality is like driving a slab, on nice smooth roads its ok, corners nice. But ruts and potholes are terrible. From factory the car has an 18 inch wheel with a 215/40R18 tyre, I fitted 17 inch Alfa GTA wheels with a 225/45/R17 tyre to make it a little more bearable. The car is also too low, lowered Alfas will eat the insides of the front tyres. Previous owner fitted them, it could be they're just old and tired. So right now I'm pulling my hair out trying to decide between Bilstein B4 or B6/B8 with an Eibach Prokit or see what else there is. Other Alfa 147 owners have told me the Bilstein B8 with Eibach springs is the best for the chassis, still not sure. It is my daily, so ideally want something that does not make me swear every time I hit a rut. Oh well, going to go back and re-watch your video with B4 vs B6/b8. PS, the exterior detail video would be cool! Especially how you remove that dent.
Ducati Corse.. nice. I like those alfas. They sound soo good too!! Especially the 6 legged ones lol. I must admit you have given me second thoughts on those ta shocks. Usually when shocks fail they just kindda go mushy you know. If theyre rock hard theyre probably just bad shocks imo! Maybe even failed bad shocks! But I might give them a try still and also the sachs perhaps as alot of people have said bilsteins arent nearly as good as sachs! I just kindda need to find some 18” alloys to test with, as like you say, the 17” tends to absorb so much more, making it a bit harder to differentiate a good vs even better shock i think. Thanks you for subsribing! I appreciate that. Helps me out alot! About the b4 vs b6/8 be vary that these b4’s are the stiffer lower mtech version ones. But to summarize it a little you get like 8/10ths of the performance of the b8’s at half the price or less imo.. how long they will last compared to b8’s i dont know though. And as i have now covered alot more miles in the b8’s i think they have gotten even softer since making the video too. Cant wait to pit them against the koni’s and b14’s when i get that far
Hi Tim I believe you can use E36 top mounts that will lower the front around 15mm or so. Also my old E46 had red/white markings on the springs. My current one has red/green markings on front springs. Both are sport springs as it sat at the same ish height as yours. Both on mv2’s. Weird. Anyway I’d like to see videos on all that you mentioned in this video. Top work as ever. 👍🏼🏁🍺
Thanks for thw tip. Thats a first time for me hearing this. I know the m3 mounts that add castor but not about lowering:) The ones i find in the very end have red/white markings and they do ok. How did you find the ride on the 18” setup witht the stock springs?
That would be pretty cool. Theyre just so damn expensive! Exactly how to test them and show something usable on video i will have to think about. Thank you for the suggestion.
The sport suspension looks like SE height, even with 17” it should be sitting lower. How long did you drive around with them? Springs do take some time to settle.
Only 10km or so but theyre old and used so i dont think driving any more would help. But youre right. But thats the thing. Bmw springs are a mess as they are identified by colors and the vary greatly, with no way that i know of, to look up what colors fit what!
Very good review and yes, the shocks are probably 5X more important over the spring. I have on my F22 Koni yellow and Eibach pro kit and I really like it. Ut's 100% better over the OE setup which for me, was really mediocre in every way. The OE setup was soft with a lot or rolling, totally useless on rough surface and just not fun as it should have been from the factory. I chose Koni over Bilstein due to the fact that Koni are more comfortable on the streets and I am not young any more 🙂
@@OEMplusRESTO Bilsteins b6/b8 are mono-tube and koni's are twin tube so there is inherent behavior to each design, but Koni philosophy is softer compression and stiffer rebound (which I personally prefer). It dose mean that you'll have less rolling with the Bilsteins but I prefer to use stiffer stabilizer bar for that job and let the springs and shocks do what the supposed to do, keep the tyres on the ground. As with everything in engineering, It's a game of balance.
Timmy thank you. If you could do cheap mods upgrades/evaluations that would be great to see. Detailing can always come last after you have performance and maintenance completed. Anything you do is great though. 👍
Hi, thank you for such an informative and comprehensive video. I'm curious about downsides in sway bar geometry caused by lowering springs. Did you test these springs with stock sway bars/endlinks not adjustable ones?
I used the stock ones but adjustable ones would have been better. No issues encountered though. But i didnt take it to a racetrack or bottom out the suspension
more car goes low, rear gets more camber and wheels toe in as trailing arm travels in a arc (more toe in =car more stable (too stable and it's sluggish to turn), toe = 0 is same as karting), not much but you chase perfect setup it is one thing to be mindfull, if you were to change setup height a lot it is often recomended to retighten control arms on subframe side and rtab bush in front of rta, so they dont have preload/flex in neutral state... not that important unless you plan to cheat death on racetrack or hillclimb... But outstanding presentation and documenting of all this... but why are poor ap coilovers so shitty? Planing to get them when my car gets off jackstands And put some strutbar in front before strut tower gets mushromed on some pothole, e36 46 are notorious for that :(
Thats absolutely true. And between the non sport springs and the lowest ones, and alignment should take place for a more fair comparison, and retightening as you mention. Im just a bit lazy and dont have that time and money to do it scientifically. I do however think that all the lowering springs were so close between them they didnt need a re-alignment for a fair comparison
conclusion stock setup is the best overall lowering springs depending on the spring type linear or progressive and spring rate might edge out the stock here and there but will also compramise in other areas plus the stock damper were made and fine tuned for the stock spring if you rally want a no compramise improvement you will need to go big and buy quality coil overs like ohlins bilstien or Kw
🍎I am definetely joining your group! Illnes has stoped me from doing the shocks and springs! The springs OMG i am lost, i have the M Sport and the car was already lowered when leaving the factory! However, the person who had the car before me, lowered the car even further to such a point he sold it not long after the UK roads are horendous for pot holes i have gone through alloys and front drop links every 3 months I do not like the car as low as it is and want it back to factory spec, but do not know what springs i need or struts, but for ride either B4 or Sachs? 🏁
Would I be downgraded if I went from Eibach to TA Technics? My current Eibach Pro kit lowers my car by 30mm in front and 25mm in back. But I wanna go lower and I was looking at the TA Tehnics they lower, about 50mm front and 40mm back that would be quite low.. im going for the looks so its okay. Even though I own a Leon 1m, I am watching this because it is very informative.
Hi. Yes. They are still installed. If you look closely you can also see that the lower the car get the more the wheel is pushed foreward in the wheelwell. Greetings from DK:)
Any recomendation for a daily Mini Cooper S? I'm leaning towards Bilstein B8's with Eibach 40mm drop they say. Most r53 owners go for coilovers but I don't have a track near me so..
@OEMplusResto. The front shocks should be aligned with respect to the side of the vehicle. On the right side it should be aligned with the "R". And on the left it should be aligned with the "L". Please check..:D
@@OEMplusRESTO Love the video's btw. Question still: I need to replace springs and shocks for a E46 touring with sport suspension (non M-sport). What do you advice? It all seems a bit of a mess. difficult to find what OE replacement is for sport suspension.
Finding out what oe springs will fit your car is near impossible. My advice would be to use the eibachs amd pair them with either b6 or b8(b12) or runt them with the b4’s (youll have to drive a bit careful over speedbumps as they dont have that much travel left. And thank you for the kind words:)
@sjoerdeggenkamp4004 i agree. Their age and ease of maintenance and parts availability makes it easier too imo. Try finding a procedure online to make you peugeot version of vanos stop rattling. I had one and quickly found out how little info is available online, and parts too!
So I wanna buy B4 Bilstein for Front and B8 Bilstein for rear and springs from Eibach the red one sport for my E46 Coupe 325CI auto facelift? My wheels are 19 M3 its rubbing not on the rear when is 3 people in the car but I will throw away these alloys and buy again 18! So Can I put Bilstein coilovers with Eibach springs? The red one? Or both need to be one company?
@@OEMplusRESTO thanks you for advise so I need to buy black Eibach springs or the black Bilstein? For sure the coilovers form the front will be B4 black ond on the rear B8 yellow ones pls help me out!
@@Sstoyaan i dont know anything about black bilstein springs. I only know that black eibach springs will work on b4 struts but will be close to bottoming out. If you drive on poor roads id advice just getting the b8’s front and rear to be sure you dont bottom out.
I thought you'd mention rear squat under hard acceleration. That's the biggest difference I felt going from bmw M-Performance springs to H&R. No more floaty rear end feeling. But I want them more comfortable so I may try Eibach or AST springs. If not right still, I will go full KW Comfort Coilovers. They are in my mates car, it sits nice and rides like air suspension.
Really well actually. I have a video on that subject for more details on it. The shocking truth. But you need special bump stops and dust shields to run them, and you risk bottoming out. So if you drive with passengers or bad roads maybe theyre not the best option.
@@OEMplusRESTO Thanks for the reply. I've got a 330ci msport at the moment with some awful monroes and dobinsons springs 20mm lowered on 18 inch rims. What setup do you would be best? its my daily, like to keep the height but need something a stiffer cause its getting pretty slammed with passengers and the body roll. Would i need to go b8s instead of b4s
@lordcardigan5130 18” wheels are generally a bit tougher than the 17” version. If i wanted 18” wheels id go for maybe the koni reds with eibach springs. They get great reviews everywhere and is bit more oe like compliant than the b6/8’s. that being said the 18” with the b6/8 handles like its on rails
I am building a gravel & driftseat time E46 320Ci, planning on Tein Endura Pro shocks and the longest stock or aftermarket springs I can find. Any idea about whst springs could fit and lift? I am thinking 330Cd or perhaps X3 could fit? Aftermarket +40mm top mounts and Whiteline ARBs for at least the rear is the rest of the setup, 195/65/15. EDFC in the future. Thoughts?
@@OEMplusRESTO I have non mtech dampers on my e39 and bought einbach springs 30mm front and 25mm rear… do you think it could work or should I buy for example bilstein dampers with eibach springs in combination? Or do you have another idea or opinion
Thats the issue i battlef myself. I feel for you. Its so har finding oe mtech2 springs that actually lower the car enough. Mostly in the front. The e90 325ix top mounts will give you 8-10mm lowering too but still its not quite enough
Great Vid! I appreciate the time you took to make this comparison. Do you think I should buy new shocks if I go for the Eibach pro kit? My stock shocks have around 12k miles. It is just a 2mm drop; there are a lot of mixed opinions around there. From what I have read, Eibach can work ok with OE shocks. Thanks!
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
Great Vid! I appreciate the time you took to make this comparison. Do you think I should buy new shocks if I go for the Eibach pro kit? My stock shocks have around 12k miles. It is just a 2mm drop; there are a lot of mixed opinions around there. From what I have read, Eibach can work ok with OE shocks. Thanks!
Hi. Thank you for the suoer thanks sir! It is much appreciated and not something im used to. So a big thank you for that. At 12k miles yout shocks shouldnt be worn out but i would test them when theyre off to make sure im not installing something worn or faulty. I have a video on what you need to do to have the eibach springs working on stock shocks. Essentially youll need to bumpstops and dustboots. Both in a shorter than oe lenght. Check out the shocking truth vid for details and part numbers
@@santiagogodoy6741 20mm drop will definitely have you close to bottoming out if you drive on poor roads og fast over speedbumps. More so if you drive with passengers:)
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
I am in literally the same spot - have the Eibach Pro-Kit and deciding between B6 and B8. Everyone says B8 are designed to be used with lowered cars, so probably the way to go. I guess the B6's will wear out quicker?
@@christophervillarrealdelao1177 yeah the springs in the video. I've seen a lot of people go with either of those. But it was good to see them compared all in one video. And confirmed for me that B8's are to be used with lowering springs
BMW needs to take note of this video, The amount of information in this video is way beyond any information you can get from the manufacturer. this has got to be a go to video for any BMW owner.
Thank you😎
Gotta say, I am running the full KW V2 street comfort now for nearly 2 months and damn, I am so so happy. Ride height, comfort, all that.
Id kill to test those against the b16’s
@@OEMplusRESTO see you in cologne on monday i guess 😉
@@4414ification totally worth it👌
@@OEMplusRESTO what's the b16s!
Its bilstein b16.. im saving up for the 14’s but theyre only height adjustable. The b16’s are more comparable to the kw v2’s i believe
I’m about to buy a 2000 330ci, and this guy is so helpful, golden information, thank you and keep going!
I myself am having exact same dilemma but for a 190E after finishing E30 project. Found your video and almost immediately noticed the danglish accent 😂 however, absolutely great content and I subscribed! Thanks for going through this trouble for us to just benefit from💪
Thank you. Are there many spring options for a 190e too? I love classic mercs! And yeah i cant get rid of the danglish😂
I had Eibach Pro Kit springs installed today on my 2023 Scatpack Widebody. It looks very nice compared to stock. The ride home was in sport and track modes. Sport felt firmer, yet forgiving. Track was definitely stiffer, but that's because of the shock absorbers changing their compression and rebound based on mode. The car is lower, looks much better, and best of all, the immediate acceleration from red light stop feels more aggressive. There's less "squat before acceleration" with the new springs. That old squat with the OEM springs is gone. This for me is one of the best reasons to get new springs. My camber is less than 2 degrees all around. I can get a camber kit if I want, but will see how the tires last with this setup.
Sounds like you made a good decision on the springs. Amazing what springs can do on their own. Im a big fan of eibach springs by now. Lowered. But nog too low either
The best video i have ever seen about springs….thanks man you put a lot of effort in this video and it is amazing ❤️❤️🔥
So nice of you. Thank you
How did I not find this channel sooner! Fact-based straight-to-the-point no nonsense reviews, what's not to like!
Thanks for the wealth of details in this video, very informative!
Cheers from a new subscriber!
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and the sub. I hope you will find the channel up to your liking.
Great Vid! I appreciate the time you took to make this comparison. Do you think I should buy new shocks if I go for the Eibach pro kit? My stock shocks have around 12k miles. It is just a 2cm drop; there are a lot of mixed opinions around there. From what I have read, Eibach can work ok with OE shocks. Thanks!
I've installed TA lowering springs and shocks on several BMW e36 and e46 for the price , ride and stance they can't be beat.
I dont have as much experience as you but i tend to agree
Great work Tim! Thanks for the work and the content. Looking forward to check the cheap mods, how the braided hoses perform and the detailing as well!
Im pretty stoked about the braided hoses as well, and how those intakes sound! Im a sucker for intake sounds. More so than exhaust
So you have tested the braided hoses already after all! I have a 323Ci with the M52TU and I have tried to change between the early airbox and the one from the 325 similar to yours (with smaller diameter intake holes) but I don't notice a change on sound.
I'll see your full take on the hoses when time comes for the video! :)
@@andrefranco6814 not yet. But maybe this weekend i will.
Sounds like you like to tinker with your cars as well. Id love to see it
Wonderful to see! I'm changing mine out in the Porsche this year and I was leaning Eibach. Thanks!
Hmm.. what porcshe? I have a soft spot for them but cant afford them though🤣 but yeah. The eibachs will mever let anyone down. Well. Ok. The car is let down by a cm or two but other than that
@@OEMplusRESTO Haha! Oh and with as much as I’ve seen you spend on this BMW I think you could have anything in the world! It’s a 2007 Cayman S, so well within reason.
@JimmyTomes uff.. my brother in law has one. That thing absolutely rips!! His is a dkg. Almost mindreading you predicting the shifts!!
These springs here were used. And i have a parts supplier that gives me a bit of discount too. Plus its a hobby. Its not supposed to make sense/money🤣
@@JimmyTomes his is a bit newer though. But here in DK cars are stupid expensive and a cayman costs like 5x 330ci’s
The boxter is like 2.5 330ci’s👀
That's the perfect e46 content. Vielen Dank!
Glad you like it!
I wish you made this video 1 year ago when I bought my Prokit set. They are so low I wish I just went for some M Sport springs haha
If you can find the right sport springs i think mating them with 325ix mounts is about perfect for the price point
Thanks!
Bro.. Its my first donation ever and im grateful. Thank you. But i cant accept it. Its a hobby and sharing it with likeminded is more than enough. I also get money from ads. I dont know what to say really. Caught me a bit by surprise there. Send me your paypal i can transfer it back np.
Im sorry if i have offended you. That was not the intention.
@@OEMplusRESTO no you didn't offend me at all I just know how it is to be doing all this on budget buying all different parts that you do just to show for your videos it ain't cheap it don't come for free You're not sponsored and another thing is you know I get it man and then and then you also edit all your videos no one else thinks about how much time that takes so that's why I think it was worth it seriously all the things that you put out there so I don't have to go out and blow my money on something and then find out I don't like it That's worth it to me buddy
Great video the best I have seen yet on this topic thanks
It's a great video
I recently installed a new oem stock strut on my xus 3rd genis250 It's a soft strut. But the spring is still being used. So it's rolling a lot. I'm trying to buy a new spring. The ride was 68000km
Sturt is soft, but if you put a hard spring on it, the matching will not be good
But if rolling cornering improves, I'd very much like to buy it
1. oem stock spring - because of the really good memories when my car was new
2. rs-r half flower spring - sold a lot in the United States
3. eibach pro-kit - best suited for 2rd genis250
4. tanabe- soft spring
Good job man. Great detail as always.
Fantastic video! One thing to consider is that the car gets even lower after driving for a month or two, so the H&R might be fine now but scraping the nose later...
Very true. I ended up using the final set of oe mtech springs and they settled to more or less the eibach height when used with the e90 dropmountd
I like tour comparison videos! Very helpful! Make all of them 😁 i mean, intake, strut braces, detailing 👍
Thank you😎 will do
So happy I came across your channel. One combination that would maybe look good is the stock sport +e90 xi top mounts
Hi, i do try out this combo in the video
Very well presented. Loving this channel 👌
Thank you.
Outstanding information , but for my 330ci I found the best compromise between some comfort and body roll (cornering) is OEM sport technics ll with 19" wheel 265/30 in the back and 245/35 in the front. It feels somehow a neutral drive. Great video.
Thank you. I glad you have found a combo that works😎
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
Have you tried Bilstein B6 with Eibach Pro Kit ? It is widely used for many years. Sweet spot for me. Agressive look, sport feedback but harsh on bad roads.
Partly! The rear shocks are actually b6’s as im a broke boy and pieced this b12 kit together on various deals i found. But valving is the same b6 vs b8
Im tempted to agree with you. The b12 package im running is really nice. And rhem being so short there super easy to install and remove as well
That looks like a lot of work! Thanks for sharing.
BTW I'm looking forward to the intake test.
For me its the editing that kills😅. Done recording a week ago or so then just editing.after work once kids are asleep(finished playing fortnite on my pc) What about you?
Same here. Editing a video can take several hours. There are lots of things I'd rather be doing (like enjoying the car). But I can't afford to pay someone.
@@OEMplusRESTO I used to do videography and editing for work and god it's brutal. They say figure an hour of editing for every minute of video. It's usually right! By that metric, it might've taken 25 hours to edit this video.
Love e46 content. Subscribed. I’ve owned my e46 ZHP coupe for 17 years and STILL love this car. I’m still on stock suspension but with the age of the car and 137k miles I’m due for a new suspension 😂
Thank you. I love the ZHP's. sadly we didnt get them here. One day i'll swap the cams and see where that gets me lol. And im sure youll be blown away once you change the suspension. they ride so well on new shocks imo
Great job man.
Pretty good job as Always!
Just subscribed! I am blown away at how clean the undercarriage is on your e46, credit to you sir! and the quality of your videos!
I'll throw in my 2 cents on Ta Tecnix shock and spring setup as they are currently on my Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse. They are awful! the ride quality is like driving a slab, on nice smooth roads its ok, corners nice. But ruts and potholes are terrible. From factory the car has an 18 inch wheel with a 215/40R18 tyre, I fitted 17 inch Alfa GTA wheels with a 225/45/R17 tyre to make it a little more bearable. The car is also too low, lowered Alfas will eat the insides of the front tyres.
Previous owner fitted them, it could be they're just old and tired. So right now I'm pulling my hair out trying to decide between Bilstein B4 or B6/B8 with an Eibach Prokit or see what else there is. Other Alfa 147 owners have told me the Bilstein B8 with Eibach springs is the best for the chassis, still not sure. It is my daily, so ideally want something that does not make me swear every time I hit a rut. Oh well, going to go back and re-watch your video with B4 vs B6/b8.
PS, the exterior detail video would be cool! Especially how you remove that dent.
Ducati Corse.. nice. I like those alfas. They sound soo good too!! Especially the 6 legged ones lol. I must admit you have given me second thoughts on those ta shocks. Usually when shocks fail they just kindda go mushy you know. If theyre rock hard theyre probably just bad shocks imo! Maybe even failed bad shocks! But I might give them a try still and also the sachs perhaps as alot of people have said bilsteins arent nearly as good as sachs! I just kindda need to find some 18” alloys to test with, as like you say, the 17” tends to absorb so much more, making it a bit harder to differentiate a good vs even better shock i think.
Thanks you for subsribing! I appreciate that. Helps me out alot!
About the b4 vs b6/8 be vary that these b4’s are the stiffer lower mtech version ones. But to summarize it a little you get like 8/10ths of the performance of the b8’s at half the price or less imo.. how long they will last compared to b8’s i dont know though. And as i have now covered alot more miles in the b8’s i think they have gotten even softer since making the video too. Cant wait to pit them against the koni’s and b14’s when i get that far
Hi Tim I believe you can use E36 top mounts that will lower the front around 15mm or so. Also my old E46 had red/white markings on the springs. My current one has red/green markings on front springs. Both are sport springs as it sat at the same ish height as yours. Both on mv2’s. Weird. Anyway I’d like to see videos on all that you mentioned in this video. Top work as ever. 👍🏼🏁🍺
Thanks for thw tip. Thats a first time for me hearing this. I know the m3 mounts that add castor but not about lowering:)
The ones i find in the very end have red/white markings and they do ok. How did you find the ride on the 18” setup witht the stock springs?
@@OEMplusRESTO yeah was fine. I bought new sachs shocks and springs. It was great.
@@iain4853 the stockers really do offer great performance for a low price
Would be interesting to see either EIbach or H&R aftermarket anti-roll bars, and what difference they make, if its possible to measure or feel.
That would be pretty cool. Theyre just so damn expensive! Exactly how to test them and show something usable on video i will have to think about. Thank you for the suggestion.
Great job and informative as always 👌🏼
Thank you:)
Stock e46 m tech springs also come with struts mounts with decreased hight. So both springs and strut mounts lower the car in the front
Good video. Thanks. Suggest You do a video on detailing - preferbly including repair of stone chips.
Great suggestion!
With the Eibach springs, did you use the E90 tower hat as well?
Hi. No just the regular ones:)
But new springs needs some time to get to advertised height. It can be even weeks until that springs would be compressed by the weight of a car.
Theyre used. Im not a millionaire😃
@@OEMplusRESTO missed that. My bad))
@@РаздолбайскаяЖизнь no worries. And youre right. So thanks for pointing that out
We need video like this for e39, i want to upgrade my suspention on stock e39 next year.
I’ll see what i can do. Did a questionaire on what people wanted to see on the channel besides the e46 and the e39 was the most popular after the e46
The sport suspension looks like SE height, even with 17” it should be sitting lower. How long did you drive around with them? Springs do take some time to settle.
Only 10km or so but theyre old and used so i dont think driving any more would help. But youre right. But thats the thing. Bmw springs are a mess as they are identified by colors and the vary greatly, with no way that i know of, to look up what colors fit what!
@@OEMplusRESTO from what I remember my 330ci coupe m sport had white markings on the springs.
@@renas5371 theres a thread om e46 fanatics as well with some spring colors. What is your rideheight?
@@OEMplusRESTO I’ve replaced my m sport suspension with coilovers years ago. On 18” my ride height is currently 57cm front to back.
@@renas5371 no bottoming out? Which setup was the best drive in your opinion? Alot of coilovers are unusually stiff afaik
Very good review and yes, the shocks are probably 5X more important over the spring. I have on my F22 Koni yellow and Eibach pro kit and I really like it. Ut's 100% better over the OE setup which for me, was really mediocre in every way. The OE setup was soft with a lot or rolling, totally useless on rough surface and just not fun as it should have been from the factory. I chose Koni over Bilstein due to the fact that Koni are more comfortable on the streets and I am not young any more 🙂
Thank you. I hear alot of great stuff about those konis. Maybe i should try and oit them against the bilsteins.
@@OEMplusRESTO Bilsteins b6/b8 are mono-tube and koni's are twin tube so there is inherent behavior to each design, but Koni philosophy is softer compression and stiffer rebound (which I personally prefer). It dose mean that you'll have less rolling with the Bilsteins but I prefer to use stiffer stabilizer bar for that job and let the springs and shocks do what the supposed to do, keep the tyres on the ground. As with everything in engineering, It's a game of balance.
Timmy thank you. If you could do cheap mods upgrades/evaluations that would be great to see. Detailing can always come last after you have performance and maintenance completed. Anything you do is great though. 👍
That makes sense honestly. Detailing once im done testing in the poor weather conditions we have at this time of ywar. Thanks for the tip bro
Great video man, thanks
Hi, thank you for such an informative and comprehensive video. I'm curious about downsides in sway bar geometry caused by lowering springs. Did you test these springs with stock sway bars/endlinks not adjustable ones?
I used the stock ones but adjustable ones would have been better. No issues encountered though. But i didnt take it to a racetrack or bottom out the suspension
Another interesting video! Awesome work
It's not just you. That's peak BMW indeed.
man this is so good thank you sir!!
Im just happy i have someone to share it with so thank you for that
more car goes low, rear gets more camber and wheels toe in as trailing arm travels in a arc (more toe in =car more stable (too stable and it's sluggish to turn), toe = 0 is same as karting), not much but you chase perfect setup it is one thing to be mindfull, if you were to change setup height a lot it is often recomended to retighten control arms on subframe side and rtab bush in front of rta, so they dont have preload/flex in neutral state... not that important unless you plan to cheat death on racetrack or hillclimb...
But outstanding presentation and documenting of all this... but why are poor ap coilovers so shitty? Planing to get them when my car gets off jackstands
And put some strutbar in front before strut tower gets mushromed on some pothole, e36 46 are notorious for that :(
Thats absolutely true. And between the non sport springs and the lowest ones, and alignment should take place for a more fair comparison, and retightening as you mention. Im just a bit lazy and dont have that time and money to do it scientifically. I do however think that all the lowering springs were so close between them they didnt need a re-alignment for a fair comparison
it would have been interesting to see what is going on with the B4 and Eibach Pro Kit
I have a separate video on that called the shocking truth. Spoiler alert, theyre a really good combo
conclusion stock setup is the best overall lowering springs depending on the spring type linear or progressive and spring rate might edge out the stock here and there but will also compramise in other areas plus the stock damper were made and fine tuned for the stock spring if you rally want a no compramise improvement you will need to go big and buy quality coil overs like ohlins bilstien or Kw
I wish i was as good as you to express this in my video. You hit the nail on the head imo
🍎I am definetely joining your group! Illnes has stoped me from doing the shocks and springs! The springs OMG i am lost, i have the M Sport and the car was already lowered when leaving the factory! However, the person who had the car before me, lowered the car even further to such a point he sold it not long after the UK roads are horendous for pot holes i have gone through alloys and front drop links every 3 months I do not like the car as low as it is and want it back to factory spec, but do not know what springs i need or struts, but for ride either B4 or Sachs? 🏁
I dont think it matters much which of the two brands you pick tbh. Theyre both very good.
thanks for making this video
Eibach Bilstien combination is perfect. I think it’s the same setup Alpina use.
Id roads are in decent comdition id say they are the best compromise between comfort and performance:)
@@OEMplusRESTO the condition of roads. 🤦🏻♂️ they seem to be bad everywhere. 😢
@iangrumpypirate568donovan3 where i live MOST of the places its ok. It jaut the cities that have poor roads sometimes
I would continue modding, leave the detail for spring (no pun intended).
Oh snap(ped spring) lol you got me😂 great one😂 lets do it. When weekend comes i’ll start the modding🎉
Would I be downgraded if I went from Eibach to TA Technics?
My current Eibach Pro kit lowers my car by 30mm in front and 25mm in back. But I wanna go lower and I was looking at the TA Tehnics they lower, about 50mm front and 40mm back that would be quite low.. im going for the looks so its okay.
Even though I own a Leon 1m, I am watching this because it is very informative.
Imo its a no. I found the ta technix springs very good
Wheel spacers would look good
Are those 17 or 18 inch wheels? Nice video!
Thank you. 17” oe style 68
@@OEMplusRESTO awesome, thank you so much!
Do you have your eccentric fcab installed in this video? Is it a lookswise noticeable difference?
Greetings from Switzerland✌️
Hi. Yes. They are still installed. If you look closely you can also see that the lower the car get the more the wheel is pushed foreward in the wheelwell. Greetings from DK:)
@@OEMplusRESTO thank you for the Information. Best e46 Content out here, keep up the good work💪
Any recomendation for a daily Mini Cooper S? I'm leaning towards Bilstein B8's with Eibach 40mm drop they say.
Most r53 owners go for coilovers but I don't have a track near me so..
Imo you cant really go wrong with b8’s and eibachs
@OEMplusResto. The front shocks should be aligned with respect to the side of the vehicle. On the right side it should be aligned with the "R". And on the left it should be aligned with the "L". Please check..:D
I do so in the video but have since uninstalled and installed them.
@@OEMplusRESTO Love the video's btw. Question still: I need to replace springs and shocks for a E46 touring with sport suspension (non M-sport). What do you advice?
It all seems a bit of a mess. difficult to find what OE replacement is for sport suspension.
Finding out what oe springs will fit your car is near impossible. My advice would be to use the eibachs amd pair them with either b6 or b8(b12) or runt them with the b4’s (youll have to drive a bit careful over speedbumps as they dont have that much travel left.
And thank you for the kind words:)
@@OEMplusRESTO Thanks. It is nice to see so many people taking real good care of the E46.
@sjoerdeggenkamp4004 i agree. Their age and ease of maintenance and parts availability makes it easier too imo. Try finding a procedure online to make you peugeot version of vanos stop rattling. I had one and quickly found out how little info is available online, and parts too!
They have sachs coilovers for these car also I never knew that they go for like $2600. They must be ok though the factory shocks are sachs
Id love to try those and pit them against some bilsteins
So I wanna buy B4 Bilstein for Front and B8 Bilstein for rear and springs from Eibach the red one sport for my E46 Coupe 325CI auto facelift? My wheels are 19 M3 its rubbing not on the rear when is 3 people in the car but I will throw away these alloys and buy again 18! So Can I put Bilstein coilovers with Eibach springs? The red one? Or both need to be one company?
The red eibachs will lower it too much for a b4 strut. The black springs are barely doable on b4 struts
@@OEMplusRESTO thanks you for advise so I need to buy black Eibach springs or the black Bilstein? For sure the coilovers form the front will be B4 black ond on the rear B8 yellow ones pls help me out!
@@Sstoyaan i dont know anything about black bilstein springs. I only know that black eibach springs will work on b4 struts but will be close to bottoming out. If you drive on poor roads id advice just getting the b8’s front and rear to be sure you dont bottom out.
I would like you to remove those blacked out blinkers.😉
Maybe some day.. i did remove the blacked out grille though😅
I thought you'd mention rear squat under hard acceleration. That's the biggest difference I felt going from bmw M-Performance springs to H&R. No more floaty rear end feeling. But I want them more comfortable so I may try Eibach or AST springs. If not right still, I will go full KW Comfort Coilovers. They are in my mates car, it sits nice and rides like air suspension.
Hmm.. never heard of kw comfort coilovers.. i will have to look into that
How did the b4s ride with the eibach springs, looking at doing that myself also love the videos
Really well actually. I have a video on that subject for more details on it. The shocking truth. But you need special bump stops and dust shields to run them, and you risk bottoming out. So if you drive with passengers or bad roads maybe theyre not the best option.
@@OEMplusRESTO Thanks for the reply. I've got a 330ci msport at the moment with some awful monroes and dobinsons springs 20mm lowered on 18 inch rims. What setup do you would be best? its my daily, like to keep the height but need something a stiffer cause its getting pretty slammed with passengers and the body roll. Would i need to go b8s instead of b4s
@lordcardigan5130 18” wheels are generally a bit tougher than the 17” version. If i wanted 18” wheels id go for maybe the koni reds with eibach springs. They get great reviews everywhere and is bit more oe like compliant than the b6/8’s.
that being said the 18” with the b6/8 handles like its on rails
Here from reddit. Subscribed!
Thank you ☺️
Really Really good job
Thank you. Much appreciated. Hope it was useful and informative
I am building a gravel & driftseat time E46 320Ci, planning on Tein Endura Pro shocks and the longest stock or aftermarket springs I can find. Any idea about whst springs could fit and lift? I am thinking 330Cd or perhaps X3 could fit? Aftermarket +40mm top mounts and Whiteline ARBs for at least the rear is the rest of the setup, 195/65/15. EDFC in the future. Thoughts?
what kind of wheels are those, size also tire size. i really like the fitment on them
Hi. Stock style 68 with stock tire sizes as well
Do I have to buy other dampers if I want to use lowering springs?
Most likely. You can get away with eibach springs on stock mtech dampers but youll be close to bottoming out if you drive fast over speedbumps etc
@@OEMplusRESTO I have non mtech dampers on my e39 and bought einbach springs 30mm front and 25mm rear… do you think it could work or should I buy for example bilstein dampers with eibach springs in combination? Or do you have another idea or opinion
What about theses? MTS Technik Comfort
Series Coilovers
I’ll have to look into them! Are they good bad or medium?
@@OEMplusRESTO I don't know that's why I was asking you if you ever heard of them or anything like that?
Don’t he sound exactly like the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger
*weird Arnold noises
Btw, what rims are you using?
Style 68
Shouldve got eibach sportline instead of prokit
I used b6 with stock spring and the height increased tooo much
Thats the issue i battlef myself. I feel for you. Its so har finding oe mtech2 springs that actually lower the car enough. Mostly in the front. The e90 325ix top mounts will give you 8-10mm lowering too but still its not quite enough
@ i’m talking about blishtein b6 shock absorbers. The springs are the factory ones
Doesn't Dinan have springs for this car? They know BMWs!
Better Apex springs.
They suprised me
@@OEMplusRESTO Apex ?
Yeah those.
@@MDEV-86x86 ah sorry. I just woke up.. dont know why i thought the apex and ta technix were the same
@@OEMplusRESTO Ok. They are different brands. Test Apex springs.
Lad os se det hele
Swaybars
Lowering springs are best for looks., otherwise not a big improvement in handling.
Seems to be the case here to i agree
Great Vid! I appreciate the time you took to make this comparison. Do you think I should buy new shocks if I go for the Eibach pro kit? My stock shocks have around 12k miles. It is just a 2mm drop; there are a lot of mixed opinions around there. From what I have read, Eibach can work ok with OE shocks. Thanks!
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
Great Vid! I appreciate the time you took to make this comparison. Do you think I should buy new shocks if I go for the Eibach pro kit? My stock shocks have around 12k miles. It is just a 2mm drop; there are a lot of mixed opinions around there. From what I have read, Eibach can work ok with OE shocks. Thanks!
Hi. Thank you for the suoer thanks sir! It is much appreciated and not something im used to. So a big thank you for that.
At 12k miles yout shocks shouldnt be worn out but i would test them when theyre off to make sure im not installing something worn or faulty. I have a video on what you need to do to have the eibach springs working on stock shocks. Essentially youll need to bumpstops and dustboots. Both in a shorter than oe lenght. Check out the shocking truth vid for details and part numbers
@OEMplusRESTO No problem! So, do you think I should buy new shocks with a 20mm drop from the eibach pro kit?
@@santiagogodoy6741 20mm drop will definitely have you close to bottoming out if you drive on poor roads og fast over speedbumps. More so if you drive with passengers:)
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
No way please try to do all the upgrades because right now I am stuck between buying b6s and lowering springs or b8s and lowering springs or doing a coilover setup and I want to know if I should buy 15-in spacers all around or I just don't know what to do
I am in literally the same spot - have the Eibach Pro-Kit and deciding between B6 and B8. Everyone says B8 are designed to be used with lowered cars, so probably the way to go. I guess the B6's will wear out quicker?
@@brendanm8317 so the eibach pro kit is that just the lowering spring? See I was going to either use those or h&R's
@@christophervillarrealdelao1177 yeah the springs in the video. I've seen a lot of people go with either of those. But it was good to see them compared all in one video. And confirmed for me that B8's are to be used with lowering springs