lowering

[hatmandew]

figured I would ask the group. I am thinking about lowering my 2011 BMW X5M but not sure what I should expect for price. The BMW dealer quoted 1400.00 because I have self-leveling but seemed pricey to me. Anyone already do that and have a better idea on what I should expect to spend? Thanks for the help.

[mitch808]

$1400 for what exactly? Dinan springs and installation? Or something else?

That seems normal for dealer pricing. Though depends on the spring type too. Dinan or H&R, etc

[X5ist]

I did mine for under $800...in Canada the H&R cost almost $350 and installation $400 including alignment. Stealership are like pirates

[mitch808]

Originally Posted by X5ist

I did mine for under $800...in Canada the H&R cost almost $350 and installation $400 including alignment. Stealership are like pirates

Agreed. DIY is almost always better, cheaper if you have the means. But a dealership ain't no charity organization, so their pricing is justified in some weird alternative universe.

[hatmandew]

Thanks guys. The dealer was charging 1400 which included the H&R springs. They said it was costly because of self-leveling so they had to do an additional mod but don't know what that exactly was.

[larryv]

Try and find a reputable shop that works on European vehicles and ask them. By your H&R springs 275.00 to 300.00 give or take, which will consist of 2 front springs and 2 rear lowering links. I have done a few X5's and the most time consuming part is removing the top filter panels with all the plastic clips and screws. The struts are very easy to remove. As for the two rear lowering links, they can be installed in 10 mins tops. Adj the links and the rear will go down. If you go to low in the rear the X5 will tend to bounce. I would say 3 hrs max for the front and rear. Then go a get it aligned. Some shops here in the valley charge 350.00 -400.00 plus alignment. As for the additional mod i don't know what that could be. A spring install needs no coding. Let us know how it goes.

[hatmandew]

Thank you Larry for the detail. Greatly appreciated!

[Creamo3]

I just installed H&R's this weekend; if you're fairly handy and have plenty of tools it can be done by your average weekend warrior. The rear links are a piece of cake, the front suspension can take a little longer if you have stubborn bolts. Whoever does the install should make sure that the rear isn't lower than the front, otherwise it will ride like crap. I still need to get it aligned, figured I would do this once it's had a chance to settle in. I'll leave this pic as motivation

[hatmandew]

Wow! Looks great! Is that the 2in or 1.2in drop?

[larryv]

Looks like the 2 in drop. Great Job.

[hatmandew]

Has anyone else done the drop on their own?

[Creamo3]

Originally Posted by hatmandew

Wow! Looks great! Is that the 2in or 1.2in drop?

Thank you! 2 inch drop

[hatmandew]

Creamo3, being in Chicago, how much stiffer is the ride? I live in MI and the roads are so bad I am concerned about the full 2in drop.

[Da808dad]

Here's a link to my page in the photo section. I have the H&R 2" drop.

http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1073146

[Da808dad]

Originally Posted by hatmandew

Creamo3, being in Chicago, how much stiffer is the ride? I live in MI and the roads are so bad I am concerned about the full 2in drop.

Roads in Hawaii are terrible and the 2" drop isn't bad at all.

[windtendo]

Originally Posted by Creamo3

I just installed H&R's this weekend; if you're fairly handy and have plenty of tools it can be done by your average weekend warrior. The rear links are a piece of cake, the front suspension can take a little longer if you have stubborn bolts. Whoever does the install should make sure that the rear isn't lower than the front, otherwise it will ride like crap. I still need to get it aligned, figured I would do this once it's had a chance to settle in. I'll leave this pic as motivation

For the lowering links in the rear, did you find that making the links shorter raises or lowers the rear?

[Creamo3]

Originally Posted by hatmandew

Creamo3, being in Chicago, how much stiffer is the ride? I live in MI and the roads are so bad I am concerned about the full 2in drop.

It is a bit stiffer than stock, but every car I have owned has been lowered on springs or coil overs so I may have a higher tolerance than most and the ride doesn't bother me. Obviously on smooth roads there is no difference, but on rough patches you'll notice some more rattles/vibration come thru the chassis. I have a short commute every day (6 miles each way), so I was willing to deal with any short comings of going with springs to get the look I was after. Honestly the H&R 1.2 look pretty good in my opinion if you still want to maintain close to stock ride quality.

[Creamo3]

Originally Posted by windtendo

For the lowering links in the rear, did you find that making the links shorter raises or lowers the rear?

Shortening the links lowers the truck and vice versa. For me, every full rotation of the turnbuckle resulted in ~1/4 inch height increase.

[mixa86]

with the 2" drop, does the self leveling get messed up?

[rennis]

as others have said - dial in a little rake for ride quality. Even if the rear and front are visually level, I think you'll find it rides poorly from everything I've read about it. I have a little bit of rear-to-front rake and it rides great.

[windtendo]

Originally Posted by rennis

as others have said - dial in a little rake for ride quality. Even if the rear and front are visually level, I think you'll find it rides poorly from everything I've read about it. I have a little bit of rear-to-front rake and it rides great.

Forgive my ignorance, but what does "dialing in rake" do?

[mitch808]

raise the rear end, adds more compression stroke/ride travel. Less likely to bottom out.