[blackhawkk22]

Hey guys – I’ve never owned a car that was old enough to need suspension replacement so I’m kind of new at this; bear with me please.

Long story short, recently I’ve been noticing that the front end hops a bit more than it is used to when I hit a pothole. As a result the whole car inspires less confidence when taking a curve when the road is not perfect.

I think it’s a damping issue as it gets unsettled very quickly with moderate road imperfections. More than likely over the next couple of weeks I’ll get new shocks (Bilstein HDs), but before I go into a shop blindly, I wanted to ask your guys’ opinion.

Car: 2010 335i M-Sport Sedan
Shocks: Looks OEM
Springs: Very good condition
OEM Wheels + Michelin PSS Tires. I’ve tried both OEM and Michelin spec tire pressure.
Suspension Components: Recently had my oil changed at the dealer, asked them the question as well, and they said everything looks good as far as control arms and tie rods etc.

Thanks for your patience and help!

[blackhawkk22]

Bump? Anyone?

[WesleyC]

How many miles are on your car?

[blackhawkk22]

Originally Posted by WesleyC

How many miles are on your car?

60k

[WesleyC]

If you drive a lot in an area with rough roads, I suppose your shocks could be blown. I don't know too much about the HDs, but the Koni FSDs may be worth looking into (you can use your stock springs with these, too). I've had Koni Yellows on my car for the past 40k miles and they've held up great.

[blackhawkk22]

I'm told that Koni FSDs will wear out very fast if I take it to a couple track events a year. I need to find something with good balance between DD-ing this thing and also tracking it from time to time.

[ritzzzzzwik]

FSD will wear out fast if you dont have the matched springs. They were designed for the sport and/or performance (yellow) springs. I love mine. Smooth on bumpy roads, and good handling for when you want to drive like a jackass. You wont eliminate lean (personally I like some lean), but its much, much better than the stock shocks.
They are warrantied for life for as long as you own the car, so thats not a problem for me. If its longevity you're after, the Billstein b12 pro kit might be a good consideration. The wheels will fall of before you have to rebuild those. Or Koni Yellows if you're ok with adjusting the damping (I didnt wan to, and a lot of people just leave it soft anyway), at which point FSD makes more sense. I like the technology too, Benz uses a similar design for their cars, and these were OEM Gallardo shocks (so its got that going for it).

If you want more then coilovers are what you want.

I got mine for a little under $600 shipped, so the benefits cant be matched for the price

[Barefoot-335is]

All my dampers were blown at 57k so it is very possible that yours are as well. Mine had been that way awhile I suspect and the roads down here are very good.

[banshee28]

Originally Posted by ritzzzzzwik

If its longevity you're after, the Billstein b12 pro kit might be a good consideration. The wheels will fall of before you have to rebuild those.

Nice....I actually just received my B12-Pro kit for my 06 330i Sport suspension replacement. The stock ZSP still drives and handles good but has 90k miles on them so I figured this would be a great replacement with a little better performance. I should be putting them on by this weekend!!

[blackhawkk22]

Thanks for all your input guys. I was thinking B12 as well, but it turns out I would need to lower my car with springs. Which won't be feasible living in Chicago. Car will get stuck every time it snows a couple feet.

I think that's what makes it such a hard decision, I need better handling for DD, trackable 1-3 times a year, feasible for winters in Chicago and reasonable ride comfort. I think reading these threads and talking to you guys gives me a better idea of what I need.