Advice needed on my 2008 4.8 X5 (suspension replacement)

RoyalFlushness · 11-14-2023, 10:12 AM

Hello everyone,

My dad drives a 2008 BMW X5 4.8. We have had the thing in our family since 2010 and the car is quickly deteriorating. We do the yearly oil changes etc.. but every single light on the dash is on the car. We have a lot of other cars in the family but this still gets used for driving around sometimes.

The current problem:
The car has developed an extremely loud clunking and squeaking from all 4 corners of the suspension. The struts are completely shot. The problem is the car has air suspension and replacing the struts with OE Units is extremely expensive. My questions is: What is the cheapest most economical solution to replace all 4 struts/springs on the car equipped with air suspension? I dont want to keep the air suspension and dont care about any warning lights coming on as they are already all on.

Part of me just wants to slap BC BR Coilovers on it and be done with it but not sure if thats the cheapest option. Any recommendations from you folk? Want to keep this thing alive for the next couple of years without breaking the bank on the new suspension. I also want to buy an out of box solution that doesnt require me changing top hats etc..

Thank you!

jbash87 · 11-14-2023, 12:12 PM

One member asked about TRQ sometime ago. Haven't heard anything about them since though. These would seem to meet your needs.
https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/show....php?t=2044456

I'm not sure what would be involved in a conversion from air to coils, but airbags from Arnott and Sachs rears are relatively inexpensive to keep air ride. Plus they're simple to replace ��

RoyalFlushness · 11-15-2023, 08:06 AM

I appreciate the response. Those non-oe full strut assemblies look like a good solution. So the question now is:

With cars equipped with adaptive suspension:
1. Can you replace just the front with non adaptive strut assemblies
2. or do you need to replace front and rear with non adaptive strut assemblies

I dont care about warning lights. But I do think the sway bars are different.

jbash87 · 11-15-2023, 03:44 PM

Your first post said air ride, your second post now mentions adaptive. Air ride does not equal adaptive. Does the car have both or just the air in the rear?

RoyalFlushness · 11-15-2023, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbash87

Your first post said air ride, your second post now mentions adaptive. Air ride does not equal adaptive. Does the car have both or just the air in the rear?

Apologies, after running the vin it has adaptive suspension as well.

jbash87 · 11-15-2023, 06:12 PM

No worries. I don't know much about adaptive suspension specifically. If you really wanted to go with a "quick" inexpensive solution I would imagine you could swap in replacement struts up front, bags and shocks in the rear, then delete the adaptive option in the VO, and default code whatever modules it talks to..?
Hopefully someone else with more knowledge of that system can chime in.

11-14-2023, 10:12 AM	#1
RoyalFlushness Lieutenant 348 Rep 414 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Toronto iTrader: (4)	Advice needed on my 2008 4.8 X5 (suspension replacement) Hello everyone, My dad drives a 2008 BMW X5 4.8. We have had the thing in our family since 2010 and the car is quickly deteriorating. We do the yearly oil changes etc.. but every single light on the dash is on the car. We have a lot of other cars in the family but this still gets used for driving around sometimes. The current problem: The car has developed an extremely loud clunking and squeaking from all 4 corners of the suspension. The struts are completely shot. The problem is the car has air suspension and replacing the struts with OE Units is extremely expensive. My questions is: What is the cheapest most economical solution to replace all 4 struts/springs on the car equipped with air suspension? I dont want to keep the air suspension and dont care about any warning lights coming on as they are already all on. Part of me just wants to slap BC BR Coilovers on it and be done with it but not sure if thats the cheapest option. Any recommendations from you folk? Want to keep this thing alive for the next couple of years without breaking the bank on the new suspension. I also want to buy an out of box solution that doesnt require me changing top hats etc.. Thank you! __________________ 2008 E90 M3 Build Thread 2001 E46 M3 Build Thread
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11-14-2023, 12:12 PM	#2
jbash87 First Lieutenant 250 Rep 391 Posts Drives: 2006 M5, 2012 X5d, 2008 E91 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW X5 35d [10.00] 2006 BMW M5 [10.00]	One member asked about TRQ sometime ago. Haven't heard anything about them since though. These would seem to meet your needs. https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/show....php?t=2044456 I'm not sure what would be involved in a conversion from air to coils, but airbags from Arnott and Sachs rears are relatively inexpensive to keep air ride. Plus they're simple to replace ��
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11-15-2023, 08:06 AM	#3
RoyalFlushness Lieutenant 348 Rep 414 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Toronto iTrader: (4)	I appreciate the response. Those non-oe full strut assemblies look like a good solution. So the question now is: With cars equipped with adaptive suspension: 1. Can you replace just the front with non adaptive strut assemblies 2. or do you need to replace front and rear with non adaptive strut assemblies I dont care about warning lights. But I do think the sway bars are different. __________________ 2008 E90 M3 Build Thread 2001 E46 M3 Build Thread Last edited by RoyalFlushness; 11-15-2023 at 08:13 AM..
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11-15-2023, 03:44 PM	#4
jbash87 First Lieutenant 250 Rep 391 Posts Drives: 2006 M5, 2012 X5d, 2008 E91 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW X5 35d [10.00] 2006 BMW M5 [10.00]	Your first post said air ride, your second post now mentions adaptive. Air ride does not equal adaptive. Does the car have both or just the air in the rear?
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11-15-2023, 06:12 PM	#6
jbash87 First Lieutenant 250 Rep 391 Posts Drives: 2006 M5, 2012 X5d, 2008 E91 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW X5 35d [10.00] 2006 BMW M5 [10.00]	No worries. I don't know much about adaptive suspension specifically. If you really wanted to go with a "quick" inexpensive solution I would imagine you could swap in replacement struts up front, bags and shocks in the rear, then delete the adaptive option in the VO, and default code whatever modules it talks to..? Hopefully someone else with more knowledge of that system can chime in.
	Appreciate 0 Quote